Hey, wondering if any of the regular posters on here have used the activator. I've been thinking about getting some. I've been getting GREAT shaves, but just wondering how people feel about it. I have finishing balm which I use sometimes and love. Thoughts?
Activator experience?
- Thread starter Zombasaur
- Start date
Never tried it - Charles didn't even mention it during our clinic... Just the Primer, Cutting Balm and Paste...
I use it. I build my initial wet mask with the cloth, then use a slag made in my hand with activator and primer for the rest of the forms.
Charles gave me a sampler and sent me off to try it on my own. I tried it in the final touchup pass along with #2 cutting balm. I then added it into the breech of my crush with the slag/paste mix and found that it makes a wonderful "stiffener". It helps when I have a new blade in that it drops the velocity of the mix (using Charles's terms 
) and reduces any weepers or nicks I may get. I'll keep using it on occasion, but I'm happy with the soap, primer, cutting balm combination.
) and reduces any weepers or nicks I may get. I'll keep using it on occasion, but I'm happy with the soap, primer, cutting balm combination.What is #2 cutting balm like? These variations aren't described on Enchante or the forum. I know he's always experimenting with the basic products, but descriptions of these variations would be mighty helpful!
It's even more lubricating than the regular cutting balm. I use the regular at the beginning of my shave, after soaping my face with the round. I'll add some CB to my face, then the mix left in my hand after working the paste and soap in my brush. That way I avoid getting CB on my brush. I use the CB2 when I do the last touchup pass. He's still working out the kinks in the mix, and I get used as a guinea pig.
I have heard others (msandoval?) say they use activator, but not CB. I have not tried this, and wonder if it would even work with the cloth?
I started using Activator about 3 years ago when Chas gave me one of the first samples. The original intention of the stuff was that it was used as something of a mix boosting additive with the shaving brush and cube. I still use it that way to this day since I am a brush shaver and not really a user of the cloth.
Basicly, I pump a few shots directly into my brush before I start lathering on the cube. This helps me build a really nice and rich "slag" before I add paste on to build the final mix. For my Method shaves, I use the original cube almost exclusively... I don't care for the aromatic soaps that he offers simply ot of personal preference. Sometimes, when I finish my Hydrolast shaves, I'll use the Activator as part of my finishing routine, mixing it with a little slag and cutting balm in my hand and rubbing that one the face (particularly the neck area) before doing my final touch ups; blade buffing, etc. The stuff works wonders and is a versitile additive.
I wouldn't say it's a necessary product in the core of the Hydrolast stuff (primer, paste, cutting balm). The same can be said for the Finishing Balm as well. However, it is a nice add on when you want to hit those tricky areas really close or to charge the brush at the beggining of the mix like I do.
Basicly, I pump a few shots directly into my brush before I start lathering on the cube. This helps me build a really nice and rich "slag" before I add paste on to build the final mix. For my Method shaves, I use the original cube almost exclusively... I don't care for the aromatic soaps that he offers simply ot of personal preference. Sometimes, when I finish my Hydrolast shaves, I'll use the Activator as part of my finishing routine, mixing it with a little slag and cutting balm in my hand and rubbing that one the face (particularly the neck area) before doing my final touch ups; blade buffing, etc. The stuff works wonders and is a versitile additive.
I wouldn't say it's a necessary product in the core of the Hydrolast stuff (primer, paste, cutting balm). The same can be said for the Finishing Balm as well. However, it is a nice add on when you want to hit those tricky areas really close or to charge the brush at the beggining of the mix like I do.
I, too, tried the cloth and found that it wasn't for me. Since I use CB2 placed directly on my skin for the final touchup/buff portion I don't know how it would work with the cloth.
