Every now and then I’ll pick up some tool to which I’ve become accustomed and suddenly encounter as if new an appreciation of just how good it is. My awareness of the tool’s excellence becomes dimmed through daily encounters, and then occasionally the obscuring gauzy curtain of familiarity will drop away and I’ll appreciate the tools as though it were new. This happens from time to time with a kitchen knife, or with a razor, or — as today — with a brush.
The Rooney Victorian’s most obvious characteristic is its long handle, and I did enjoy that today, but its special excellence is in its knot, a closely packed silvertip knot with hooked bristles. That means that the very fine tips of the bristles when dry curl over into little hooks. Once wet and loaded with soap, the surface of the knot feels like velvet, smooth and soft on the surface, though the knot itself has a good density and a short loft, so is firm, not floppy. The feel of the knot this morning somehow broke though a haze of habit and into my awareness, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
It helped that I was using an excellent shaving soap, Floris No. 89, from back before they started tinkering with the soap, presumably to increase profit. That led to a degraded soap, but this was made before that downslope began. And the fragrance of No. 89 (as is common, the name uses the street address) is wonderful, a favorite, we read, of Bond — James Bond. The fragrance debuted in 1951, and according to Basenotes.com:
Top Notes – bergamot, lavender, neroli, nutmeg, orange, petitgrain
Heart Notes – geranium, rose, ylang ylang
Base Notes – cedarwood, musk, oakmoss, sandalwood, vetiver
The soap is triple-milled and retains the fragrance, which bursts forth as the brush is loaded and adds pleasure to the shave.
Despite its somewhat bulky appearance, the Rockwell Model T2 is a pleasure to use. I currently use it at setting 4, and it provides a comfortable and efficient shave, and it feels good both in the hand and on the face.
Coincidentally, this morning I learned that Rockwell is offering a stainless-steel version of the Model T2, which Sharpologist has just reviewed. It sounds very good indeed, though the $250 price tag gives me pause — though, as the review points out, this compares quite favorably to other stainless-steel adjustable razors (which run from $295 to $550 — none of the others can match the price of the Rockwell).
Three passes left my face very smooth, and a splash of Floris No. 89 aftershave (augmented with a couple of squirts of Grooming Dept’s Aion Hydrating Gel) carried the fragrance forward.
A great start to a very sunny but very cold day.
The tea this morning is Murchie’s Queen Victoria: “one of Murchie’s oldest blends: rich Darjeeling and Ceylon, smoky Lapsang Souchong, and sweet Jasmine.