I’m still mastering damp-brush lathering. The problem seems to be that I am not sufficiently loading the brush. With the wet-brush method, I simply brushed vigorously, briskly, and firmly until the bubbles being formed were microscopic, and then brushed a couple of seconds more. I need to find the clue for the damp-brush method. One thing: I’m going to use a slightly wetter brush at the outside: one shake of a sopping-wet brush instead of two or three.
I am going to be using the same brush for the next while as I relearn lathering: consistency of the brush will help since differences are likely due to technique (or soap) and not the brush. I thought of using my Rooney 2 Finest, since I really like that brush a lot, but the Whipped Dog 22mm silvertip seems a brush more readily available and in wider use, so that’s what I’m going with.
I apparently switched caps on a couple of new Tiki Bar soaps, and the soap in the tub is The Captain rather than Spice Islands. I switched the lids back and used The Captain. Lather was poor on the third pass, so I relathered the old way to finish the shave. Even the second pass did not have enough glide. Tomorrow I’ll use another Tiki Bar soap and adjust my lathering technique.
Nonetheless, the shave result was excellent. The iKon S3S asymmetric razor has a massive head, which helps a lot with a straight-bar razor’s cutting, and the Gillette 7 O’Clock SharpEdge blade seems relatively new and cut without effort. Three passes to BBS.
I realized I probably should have saved Fine’s American Blend to use tomorrow, but fortunately I did not use the entire bottle today, so I will reprise it on the Glorious 4th.
A well-begun day takes off…
Filed under: Shaving
