I live in an area with very hard water. Even Brita filters start getting lime and calcium deposits after a few weeks. I didn't realize how much of a problem this was for me in terms of generating lather and inhibiting its maximum potential for efficacy. Don't get me wrong. I made it work. Creams are no problem with lathering, though you have to be careful lathering creams in hard water as the lather can easily get too airy. Soaps is where I could run into some trouble. Tabac / Irisch Moos, Mama Bear, and DR Harris lather just fine. But, SCS, QED, and MWF were terribly difficult to lather.
Well, just yesterday I picked up some distilled water from CVS and used it to soak my brush (Semogue OC) in a mug just laying around. I poured just the tiniest amount, maybe 1 tblsp onto a pick of MWF just to get it wet and soft during the time I'd be in the shower. Well, let me tell you fellas something...BAM. The difference was noticed the moment the brush hit the soap. Immediately lather began forming on the brush and the brush only required about 20 seconds on the puck, not a full minute like with my hard water. The lather built quicker on my face too! Here is the part that really surprised me. The lather was much slicker and my razor glided over my face with such ease. No matter how great my lather was with my sink water, I always felt like I needed a bit more pressure on the razor to keep it from the occasional skips. This time, my blade went ice skating all over my face. The shave was much cleaner and I got a near BBS with 2 passes. A third pass would have definitely given me a complete BBS shave. I would have needed 4-5 passes with the water from my sink.
Best part is, it's not that difficult to use bottled water. I just bought three 1 gallon jugs and I keep one under my sink. When I want to shave with a more sensitive soap like MWF or QED, I pour enough water in a coffee mug to soak my brush and put about 1 tblsp on the soap during the shower. You can dip your razor in the mug to clean the blade during use, and use some of it to splash on your face before taking the brush to your face. I won't use the distilled every time because some soaps / creams are more resilient than others and I have not had problems with these products despite my hard water.
This experiment was / is very cheap and not a hassle at all like I've seen some people mention. The benefit exceeds the cost several fold. And for those of you who will say "distilled water does not occur in nature," well...neither does shaving. In nature, beards grow, and they'll continue to grow until a man-made tool removes the hair from the face. Razors don't grow on trees either. Metal is extracted from ore, refined, and then shaped by a craftsman. Soap / cream doesn't rain from the sky, but is made through a deliberate, man-made process. Last I checked, water streaming from your faucet doesn't fit the purist bill either. My point is that using distilled water does not take away from the authenticity of the experience, and those living in areas with extremely hard water like myself should give it a try.
Well, just yesterday I picked up some distilled water from CVS and used it to soak my brush (Semogue OC) in a mug just laying around. I poured just the tiniest amount, maybe 1 tblsp onto a pick of MWF just to get it wet and soft during the time I'd be in the shower. Well, let me tell you fellas something...BAM. The difference was noticed the moment the brush hit the soap. Immediately lather began forming on the brush and the brush only required about 20 seconds on the puck, not a full minute like with my hard water. The lather built quicker on my face too! Here is the part that really surprised me. The lather was much slicker and my razor glided over my face with such ease. No matter how great my lather was with my sink water, I always felt like I needed a bit more pressure on the razor to keep it from the occasional skips. This time, my blade went ice skating all over my face. The shave was much cleaner and I got a near BBS with 2 passes. A third pass would have definitely given me a complete BBS shave. I would have needed 4-5 passes with the water from my sink.
Best part is, it's not that difficult to use bottled water. I just bought three 1 gallon jugs and I keep one under my sink. When I want to shave with a more sensitive soap like MWF or QED, I pour enough water in a coffee mug to soak my brush and put about 1 tblsp on the soap during the shower. You can dip your razor in the mug to clean the blade during use, and use some of it to splash on your face before taking the brush to your face. I won't use the distilled every time because some soaps / creams are more resilient than others and I have not had problems with these products despite my hard water.
This experiment was / is very cheap and not a hassle at all like I've seen some people mention. The benefit exceeds the cost several fold. And for those of you who will say "distilled water does not occur in nature," well...neither does shaving. In nature, beards grow, and they'll continue to grow until a man-made tool removes the hair from the face. Razors don't grow on trees either. Metal is extracted from ore, refined, and then shaped by a craftsman. Soap / cream doesn't rain from the sky, but is made through a deliberate, man-made process. Last I checked, water streaming from your faucet doesn't fit the purist bill either. My point is that using distilled water does not take away from the authenticity of the experience, and those living in areas with extremely hard water like myself should give it a try.
Good stuff. 
) Did a test lathering and it certainly worked well. Next shave will be a proper test.
