Exceptionally good shave today, and highly satisfying. I’ve been waiting for this 2mm H.L. Thäter shaving brush that I ordered from Maggard Razors. I wanted it because previously I had a couple of Thäter brushes. I sold them, and I later realized that was a mistake.
I also wanted a domed knot, the shape favored by Germans, while the British favor a fan-shaped knot. The brush worked great, and I might get a 24mm Thäter to go with this brush. The first use of a badger brush is the break-in, and subsequent uses are better, but this first use was completely satisfactory. The knot did shed a few bristles (three, in fact), common with a new badger brush.
The razor is my new (and very inexpensive) Yaqi Mercury. As the profile photo of the head shows, it has exaggerated lather gutters, reminiscent of the Apollo Mikron and its descendent, the Merkur Progress. I mounted the head on a RazoRock UFO handle. The handle is stainless steel, and it looks good with the head (which is chrome-coated zinc alloy).
The Mercury’s feel and performance are excellent. Very comfortable, even though the razor seems to like an angle in which the handle is somewhat closer to the face than I normally use. Not too much blade feel, and excellent efficiency. I easily achieved a very smooth result. The head is a bargain.
A splash of Black Shrough aftershave augmented with a couple of squirts of Grooming Dept’s Aion Hydrating Gel and the job is done. The day is dawning sunny, a good sign.
The tea is Murchie’s 1894 Select Orange Pekoe: “
A union of bright Ceylon and rich Assam teas, this strong, traditional blend is designed to celebrate and elevate the everyday ‘cuppa’ tea.” And it does that.
It occurs to me that it is much easier to have a variety of teas on hand than a variety of coffees. Perhaps it is in part because tea has a better shelf life.