@Mayana noted that they do not take their new boar brushes through a break-in period (loading, lathering, rinsing, and letting dry, repeated daily for a week). Instead, they just start using the brush and let the break-in occur along the way.
I thought about it, decided “Why not?”, and this morning picked Porthos, my Zenith bleached long-lofted boar brush with a handsome aluminum handle. Since I was using Martin de Candre for the break-in, I had it out and decided to use it for the shave. MdC shaving soaps make a fine lather, but I find that they also dry my skin somewhat, and that influenced my choice of aftershave.
The brush performed well. Its knot is not so disciplined as the Pro 48’s, but it straightened up somewhat when I reduced the pressure. As the brush breaks in further, the knot may find its groove.
I did notice that on the third pass the lather was a little sparse, but that is doubtless due to the brush’s not being fully broken in, and after a few more shaves, I expect the lather will endure.
Henson Shaving’s novel head design, here in the AL-13M, does a highly effective job, combining extreme comfort and good efficiency. Three passes did the trick, and a drop of Grooming Dept Rejuvenating Serum, here in Grapefruit and Vetiver, finished the job and counteracted MdC’s drying effect (much like the “soothing” and “healing” aftershaves now popular correct for bad shaves from cartridge razors).
The tea this morning is a Brassica® tea I brought back from the Baltimore Coffee and Tea Company.
Brassica® Tea with TrueBroc® is a delicious, gourmet tea with 15 milligrams of TrueBroc® from broccoli added to each tea bag. The natural antioxidant found in broccoli and broccoli sprouts has been shown to last longer than Vitamin C, E, and A in removing free radicals from our bodies. True, Broc® activates the body’s own natural antioxidant defense system, including Phase 2 detoxification enzymes. . .
The tea was developed by a researcher at Johns Hopkins University, also in Baltimore (aka Charm City), who found that broccoli sprouts have 800 times the antioxidants found in broccoli. The one I’m having is Brassica® Green Tea w/Orange. (You can also order Brassica teas by the case.)
I will note that the tea is tasty as well as healthful.