The Wanderer's Journey

[AimlessWanderer]

I actually did this on my last two shaves, where I decided to use some more of the T&H No.10 sample that's been lurking here a while. Still didn't get it up to the standard I expect from a lather, but it certainly helped.

What also helped today, was ditching the Nacet blade, and putting in an Astra.

Both shaves finished off with the SV70 again. I'm still hovering around "nice, but not worth the entry fee". I'm pretty certain my skin felt just as good with the cheap Superdrug Forest Fresh.

 

[Esox]

there's no run off wastage over the side of the tub/puck like there normally would be.

Use less water in your brush and that doesnt happen. My brush is almost dry after I load it and then I dip the tips and work it in as I face lather.

 

[Somerled]

My brush is almost dry after I load it and then I dip the tips and work it in as I face lather.

Thats what I do with all my hard soaps.
Once loaded dip the tips into water and face lather, keep dipping periodically until I get the slickness I'm looking for.

Pretty sure I got the idea to do it that way from you Mike.

 

[Esox]

Thats what I do with all my hard soaps.
Once loaded dip the tips into water and face lather, keep dipping periodically until I get the slickness I'm looking for.

Pretty sure I got the idea to do it that way from you Mike.

I got it from Jim. It goes on like a paste or a tight cream then it gets worked into a lather.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Use less water in your brush and that doesnt happen. My brush is almost dry after I load it and then I dip the tips and work it in as I face lather.

I have tried that, but didn't work out so well here. I do give the brush a good shave before loading, but the brush still comes away looking lathered, rather than having the consistency of peanut butter. I tried giving the brush a light squeeze before loading in the past, and it did come away from the soap as you describe, but didn't seem to incorporate as well, sometimes even needing a bit of palm lathering to get it started. That said, it does work OK with Mitchell's, and I only need a fairly light load of that, but not all soaps. Might be a water thing.

 

[Somerled]

I do give the brush a good shave before loading,

How many shaves can you give a brush before you need a new one?

 

[Esox]

Might be a water thing.

I take for granted everyone has he same water as I do here in Canada lol.

How many shaves can you give a brush before you need a new one?

With a Tech likely quite a few. With the MMOC it may not survive a single shave haha.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

How many shaves can you give a brush before you need a new one?

Oh, the joys of autocorrect

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Interesting day yesterday.

It rained.

A lot.

Here's what happened to the level of the local river that runs through the town centre about a mile from me.

5 metres higher than normal. Much flooding.

Here's our railway station.

I'm high enough at home to be perfectly safe, but my brother was panicking about me having enough stuff in to see me through the chaos. He fought his way through, and had to get permission off the coppers to go down a close road to get to me, and took me shopping so I could get stocked up. He then battled his way home, the first four routes he tried were impassable, and while the forth didn't look too bad, it almost washed him off the road. He made it back home safe though, and I can safely stay home with fridge and freezer well stocked.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

For yesterday's shave, I decided to use PannaCreama Nuavia Nera. I hit a new personal worst.

Unlike the other soap samples I've tried, this one came in a small pot, like the cream samples do. A very soft soap indeed, but not soft enough to dip the tips into it to load. I started off with about a half-almond sized scoop, and.... well, basically my boar just ate it. The lather was barely existent. I scooped another half almond size piece, and worked that in too. Once I'd added enough water to get it looking like lather, I took it to the face for fine tuning.

I decided, being a little cream like, that I should try to run it a little rich. Dreadful. Adding more water didn't help either. There was absolutely zero glide, and the razor was juddering on skin like wet fingers on a pane of glass. No matter what I tried to fix it - even leaving it to stew a while, like I mentioned in a recent post - I couldn't get it any better. There was hardly any yield either, and I barely had enough to see me through 2.1/2 passes. I should have just rinsed this down the drain, and reloaded with another soap, but being stubborn to Yorkshire proportions, I battled on. I think I'd have had a better shave with no soap at all.

Seriously. It really was that bad.

I remembered having poor experiences with some of the creams, and switching to the synthetic brush I use for travel, and decided to try that with the same soap for today's shave.

Totally different experience.

I used an almond size scoop (synth wouldn't dip-load either), and it was like I'd used an entirely different product to yesterday. Oodles of lather, very reasonable glide, and probably enough left over for a pass or two. Maybe a little more refinement could get it better still.

Just another example of the whole set up needs to work for a great shave, razor, blade, brush, soap, water... all need to be compatible.

 

[Somerled]

Interesting day yesterday.

It rained.

A lot.

Here's what happened to the level of the local river that runs through the town centre about a mile from me.

View attachment 1033058

5 metres higher than normal. Much flooding.

Here's our railway station.

View attachment 1033060

I'm high enough at home to be perfectly safe, but my brother was panicking about me having enough stuff in to see me through the chaos. He fought his way through, and had to get permission off the coppers to go down a close road to get to me, and took me shopping so I could get stocked up. He then battled his way home, the first four routes he tried were impassable, and while the forth didn't look too bad, it almost washed him off the road. He made it back home safe though, and I can safely stay home with fridge and freezer well stocked.

Been reading about that on the BBC website Al, terrible. Glad you and your heroic bro are safe.

Interesting what your saying about your boar brush and the cream/soap/croap.

A while back I followed Jim's instructions on how to fast track the breaking in of my Omega boar.
Breaking in worked just great, but could I work up a lather with it? Nope.

Gave in and went back to synthetics.

Probably something wrong with my technique, or whatever. But you described exactly what I was getting, no matter what soap or cream I used.

I'll stick to synthetics, problem solved.

 

[Esox]

You got rain, we got snow. I'm not sure which is worse, but we only had 8"s of snow lol.

My Omega boar went through phases as it broke in. First, it wouldnt make a lather unless I used a lot of product. Then, once it did make a lather, it wouldnt release it. Once it started releasing it, it became so floppy I could barely get it on my face and not the wall. It took six full months for that brush to settle in using it every other day.

After I got use to using my synthetic I tried that brush again. It felt like I was lathering with a miniature corn broom lol. I'll be staying with synthetics too. I havent had a single issue with my little Maggard.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I did learn last time, with the cream samples I got, boar for hard soap, synth for soft soap. I guess I forgot to remember

It's been mostly rain free today, so the waters have had a bit of chance to recede. I think we're expecting a bit more over the next couple of days though.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Decided to have another go with the PannaCreama today ... then didn't. Out of habit, I'd soaked the boar while I was getting ready, so I decided to just go for Palmolive instead. Effortless shave with the Jagger/Astra SP. Didn't bother with post shave this time. The face didn't really feel like it needed anything. This was the kind of shave that makes you question premium products. Dirt cheap, yet perfect.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Remembered not to soak the boar this time

PannaCreama Nueva Nera ... which takes some effort to try to remember the spelling ... shave #3.

Started with just half an almond's worth this time, to see if a little patience and jiggery pokery would yield more lather from a bit less soap. Loaded the brush FIRST, by using the empty ramekin pot as a lather bowl affair, and smearing the soap in there first. Once I was convinced that all the soap had been picked up, and started turning to lather, I dipped the tips, and just dumped the brush in the pot. I then did all the usual prep and preamble while the soap and water were making friends with each other.

When I started lathering, it went on a little paste like, and every time I dipped the tips and went back to the face, the lather grew. I kept scraping the excess off the brush into the pot as I kept hydrating it, and by the time I'd got it how I want it, there was enough on the brush for another pass, and enough in the pot for another five or six. A huge difference from the first couple of uses, both by switching to the synthetic, and by letting the water and soap meld a while.

So how was the shave itself? Great! But not noticably better than yesterdays with a Palmolive stick, which wasn't fussy about the brush, didn't need as much effort or leaving to stew, and cost a tiny wee fraction compared to today's ... for what? A scent? That's probably a little harsh, as the Nera is quite moisturising too, and my skin did feel nice at the end. I need to figure out just how little soap I need for a full shave before drawing final conclusions. Maybe a straight/shavette shave too. There's no doubt that this soap is WAY better than any other sample that I've had in a pot (i.e. better than all the cream samples I've tried). Maybe if I enjoyed rich dense lathers and being cocooned in a lavish aroma, I might rate this a little higher than I do, or should I say, see a little more value in the product at the sticker price. So final verdict depends on how much I need to use, and how well the skin feels after a few uses. Actual shave performance seems on par with other products I intend using long term

Finished off with a couple of squirts of the Wickhams Citrus Musk. Didn't want to waste the other samples I got from Doug and haven't tried yet, by mixing with a blatantly scented soap.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Had to go pick up my meds this afternoon, and while waiting for my prescription, I caught sight of the shaving shelf, and made an impulse buy.

These two bottles...

... were almost as cheap as the Superdrug stuff I tried before (£3 each), but it wasn't till I got home that I discovered the Bay Rum is a hair tonic, not an aftershave. Oh well...

Shaved with the PannaCreama Nuavia Nera again today. I've pretty much sussed out the quantities now. A garden pea sized portion, just gives me the right amount for three passes. It does the job just fine, but is more hassle to lather up than I care for. I'll not bother buying more.

Used the Boots Freshwood to finish, and it's ideal for an everyday aftershave. Decent skin finish, with a nice (woodsy with a bit of spice) scent that doesn't hang around too long.

However, I should be putting it aside for a bit, and getting to know the Old Spice samples that Doug sent me (I keep getting distracted with other stuff). So, that also means going back to Palmolive for a few shaves, so I don't get a clash of scents.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Back to the boar brush and Palmolive today, for a ridiculously fast and easy shave compared to that PannaCreama stuff. Weight for weight, Palmolive is just 4% of the cost, but even less than that when measured shave for shave, as I needed significantly more of the Nuavia Nera than the 0.25g per shave that the Palmolive works out at. The PannaCreama is more moisturising, but also far more hassle to build a usable lather.

Yet another disappointing premium soap.

When I first signed up here, and investigated some of the premium soaps some people here were using, I was very sceptical as to whether I'd consider them value for money. Having now sampled a few, I've just proven myself right. If I was interested in cocooning my head in distracting scents, I might take a different standpoint, but as that tends to lead to an inferior shave (because my attention isn't where it should be), lavish scents aren't worth my cash. Likewise, the moisturising side is a moot point too, as I can just add a bit of Nivea balm, again at significantly less cost. All that really matters to me, is the performance during the shave, and that can be had very cheaply.

Finished off with Old Spice original. Skin feel, scent, and longevity of scent, are just fine for me. I'll stick with this a shave or two more, to let my nostrils get accustomed, before trying the lime variants.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Back to the boar brush and Palmolive today, for a ridiculously fast and easy shave compared to that PannaCreama stuff. Weight for weight, Palmolive is just 4% of the cost, but even less than that when measured shave for shave, as I needed significantly more of the Nuavia Nera than the 0.25g per shave that the Palmolive works out at. The PannaCreama is more moisturising, but also far more hassle to build a usable lather.

Yet another disappointing premium soap.

When I first signed up here, and investigated some of the premium soaps some people here were using, I was very sceptical as to whether I'd consider them value for money. Having now sampled a few, I've just proven myself right. If I was interested in cocooning my head in distracting scents, I might take a different standpoint, but as that tends to lead to an inferior shave (because my attention isn't where it should be), lavish scents aren't worth my cash. Likewise, the moisturising side is a moot point too, as I can just add a bit of Nivea balm, again at significantly less cost. All that really matters to me, is the performance during the shave, and that can be had very cheaply.

Finished off with Old Spice original. Skin feel, scent, and longevity of scent, are just fine for me. I'll stick with this a shave or two more, to let my nostrils get accustomed, before trying the lime variants.

I have Nuavia Verde that I was gifted from a friend on the forum. I concur, it is a very expensive disappointing premium soap.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I have Nuavia Verde that I was gifted from a friend on the forum. I concur, it is a very expensive disappointing premium soap.

Glad it's not just me I do sometimes wonder if I'm causing some consternation with my perspectives at times, finding cheap soaps superior to premium ones, not being enamoured by many popular blades, and even certain razors too

I will of course use up the rest of the sample, but won't be trying any more of that. I'd genuinely rather use the cold pour craft soaps that so many here despise. Talking of which, I ought to add some more to the ramekin now I'm off the samples for a while...

Another Palmolive, boar, Jagger and Astra SP shave today. I stopped at two passes though. No reason, just decided that was good enough for today. Not BBS but clean shaven to the eye. Still finished off with the Old Spice original, although the little squirty bottle had stopped working, so pouring a little into my hand "the old fashioned way". Nose is starting to recognise it now, but I think I still need an extra use or two to cement it in my mind before trying the lime versions from Doug.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Today was pretty much a replay of yesterday, but with two slight differences. Firstly, three passes happened. They weren't planned, they just happened. Secondly, the application of Old Spice helped me find a little cut on my knuckle that I didn't know I had. Colourful annunciations were plentiful.

I'm liking Old Spice better than I expected. I can see me wanting to revisit this when my other stuff's been used up. It's a good one to use when I won't be topping off with EdT.