Shave of the Day (SOTD) Birthday/Christmas Shave Tuesday December 25, 2012
Prep: Brush soaked in warm water, face washed with Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Cleanser, luke warm shower
Razor: Gillette Canadian Tech mounted to T2 Flare Handle.
Blade: Perma-Sharp Super Stainless
Brush: TGN 22mm Super Silvertip "the Mushroom"
Soap: De Vergulde Hand Extra Fris "Croap"
AS: British Sterling
Post: Cold Water Rinse, Double Splash of Aftershave
Merry Christmas to all of my Shaving buddies that celebrate the holiday. I hope that each and everyone you are enjoying the day off with loved ones and family.
There was no doubt that for my birthday I wanted to use my favorite razor, the Tech, but the other parts of the shave I had to think about.
I decided to go with the re-knotted brush that I have nicknamed "the mushroom". Although it is big and floppy, it is by far my softest brush. I just love the way it feels on my skin and it really allows for a good "painting on" of lather.
The De Vergulde arrived broken up by customs (thanks Fed's for mistaking pucks of soap for drugs), so I grated and added hot water until the consistency is about the same as shortening. The soap has become one of my favorite's as the scent is clean and the lather that is thick and luxurious.
The hardest part was picking a blade. I like most sharp blades in a Tech, but it has been a while since I have used a Perma-Sharp, so I loaded a fresh one.
I spent too much time in the shower, as I came out looking like a prune...hmm, maybe that was not the showers fault, HA.
I loaded the brush for about 30 seconds, which for this brush is a lot of soap. I built a really nice lather, free of any air bubbles and about the same thickness as Greek yogurt. I painted the lather on until my stubble was covered and allowed it to soften the beard. After about 5 minutes I washed off this first lather and applied a fresh coating.
The first pass I took nice and slow, I wanted to enjoy the shave. I went north to south on my face, and south to north on my neck. Cold water rinse, felt to see how good of a job one pass did and re-applied a new coating of lather. Two more passes along with some buffing on my neck provided a BBS that my father would have been proud of.
The British Sterling is always a nice touch for me, as it just emits old school plus it was a scent that my father wore often.
It was a good shave.
