Well, the Brush did great again. 12th Shave and the 10049 Boar is lathering like a champ. Nothing new to report yet.
How do you soak your boar brush?
- Thread starter TinyT
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #182
Shave 14
Merkur 34C
Perma-Sharp (6)
Semogue 1438
Proraso White
Following my comments last shave about minor winter skin problems I though it was about time I gave a cold water shave a try.
The first thing to say is that getting ready is much quicker. I do no prep anyway, but this time I didn't even have to wait for the water to run warm/hot. Getting cold water is not a problem here, lol. My warm tap water usually starts out cloudy, then gradually clears. The cold water was crystal from the start. With the brush soaking I filled the sink and wet my face until my hands started hurting. I shook all the water from the brush and started loading. It was a little hard work so I actually dipped the brush once mid-load, something I have never done before. It seemed the logical thing to do.
I loaded really heavy, aiming to get enough lather for 3 passes, even though I only planned 2 and got the lather started in the bowl. I dipped 3 times here also, then got going. I was starting to have doubts about this cold water thing, maybe it's affecting the lathering potential.
The brush felt fine on the face though, absolutely no scratchiness anymore and when I made the first dip I suddenly got it. Combined with the menthol in the Proraso the cold sensation was fantastic. Each dip just made me enjoy it more and more, I can definitely see why cold water shaving has so many advocates.
The shave itself was as usual, first pass WTG right ear, but I made sure to ride the cap this time. I want to be in complete control of the razor and blade as much as possible and keeping things predictable is key.
I finished the right side of my face and entire chin before rinsing the razor the first time, the soap clinging to the blade a little. The lather could have been wetter still, most likely and I added a fair amount of water. Noted. I was particularly careful to go exactly with the grain under the jawline, especially towards the ears. I have had the odd ingrown here in the past (way back, before DE shaving). I finished the neck without issue and rinsed off.
Even this felt great, cold and bracing, much better than the tepid, slowly cooling water soap soup I'm used to.
Lathering up for pass number 2 was very, very nice. Plenty of soap left over to work with, thick yet with that customary second pass slickness, I dipped one more time.
WTG, riding the cap all the way, at no point did I feel like I didn't have control over the razor. The pass was easy and uneventful, the lather on my neck was even still wet and slick by the time I reached it. I rinsed off, did a minor touch up on my neck under the chin where north meets south, and at the lower corners of my chin, right and left. Rinsed off again, dried, emptied the sink, rinsed again with fresh cold water and patted dry.
The post shave feel is probably the best I've experienced yet. Cool, tingly in a purely delightful way, no redness, inflammation or dryness, no nicks or weepers. I can definitely see myself getting into this and I will be studying the extensive range of Stirling soaps with menthol.
The Semogue brush was superb throughout.
Merkur 34C
Perma-Sharp (6)
Semogue 1438
Proraso White
Following my comments last shave about minor winter skin problems I though it was about time I gave a cold water shave a try.
The first thing to say is that getting ready is much quicker. I do no prep anyway, but this time I didn't even have to wait for the water to run warm/hot. Getting cold water is not a problem here, lol. My warm tap water usually starts out cloudy, then gradually clears. The cold water was crystal from the start. With the brush soaking I filled the sink and wet my face until my hands started hurting. I shook all the water from the brush and started loading. It was a little hard work so I actually dipped the brush once mid-load, something I have never done before. It seemed the logical thing to do.
I loaded really heavy, aiming to get enough lather for 3 passes, even though I only planned 2 and got the lather started in the bowl. I dipped 3 times here also, then got going. I was starting to have doubts about this cold water thing, maybe it's affecting the lathering potential.
The brush felt fine on the face though, absolutely no scratchiness anymore and when I made the first dip I suddenly got it. Combined with the menthol in the Proraso the cold sensation was fantastic. Each dip just made me enjoy it more and more, I can definitely see why cold water shaving has so many advocates.
The shave itself was as usual, first pass WTG right ear, but I made sure to ride the cap this time. I want to be in complete control of the razor and blade as much as possible and keeping things predictable is key.
I finished the right side of my face and entire chin before rinsing the razor the first time, the soap clinging to the blade a little. The lather could have been wetter still, most likely and I added a fair amount of water. Noted. I was particularly careful to go exactly with the grain under the jawline, especially towards the ears. I have had the odd ingrown here in the past (way back, before DE shaving). I finished the neck without issue and rinsed off.
Even this felt great, cold and bracing, much better than the tepid, slowly cooling water soap soup I'm used to.
Lathering up for pass number 2 was very, very nice. Plenty of soap left over to work with, thick yet with that customary second pass slickness, I dipped one more time.
WTG, riding the cap all the way, at no point did I feel like I didn't have control over the razor. The pass was easy and uneventful, the lather on my neck was even still wet and slick by the time I reached it. I rinsed off, did a minor touch up on my neck under the chin where north meets south, and at the lower corners of my chin, right and left. Rinsed off again, dried, emptied the sink, rinsed again with fresh cold water and patted dry.
The post shave feel is probably the best I've experienced yet. Cool, tingly in a purely delightful way, no redness, inflammation or dryness, no nicks or weepers. I can definitely see myself getting into this and I will be studying the extensive range of Stirling soaps with menthol.
The Semogue brush was superb throughout.
Cold water shave is the way to go! I do it 95% of the time except for the short winter season. It feels refreshing and keeps my skin nice and hydrated. Nice review!
I soak only about 1/2 - 3/4 of the bristels. I avoid soaking the knot. I got into the habit of doing it this way when using SOC brushes with wooden handles.
- Thread starter
- #185
Thanks! I noticed another benefit of cold water shaving today. The white residue left on razors and blades, familiar to many users of Proraso white, is hardly present. If it's better for metal, it must be better for skin, and probably brushes too.
- Thread starter
- #186
Seems like good advice. The bowl I'm using for soaking at the moment is quite shallow, so no more than about 2/3 up the bristles can be submerged.
- Thread starter
- #187
I've been looking at the Stirling soaps; not as many have menthol as I remembered, but still enough to be of interest. I also checked out the Wickhams soaps and WSP soaps and, in the process learned something new, and quite important. The vegan soaps contain stearic acid, which was strange to me because I thought it was animal fat and therefore, the same or similar to tallow. But stearic acid (which is great in soaps) can also come from vegetable fats.
This means that the mild irritation I get with Cella must be either: 1. The almond/cherry fragrance, or; 2. Tallow. I can easily find out by trying a sample of tallow soap without the almond and an almond fragrance without the tallow.
There does remain one other possibility. Cold water shaving and the now, already soft Semogue brush, might make Cella perfectly useable. I doubt it, but I'll use it for my next shave and see.
This means that the mild irritation I get with Cella must be either: 1. The almond/cherry fragrance, or; 2. Tallow. I can easily find out by trying a sample of tallow soap without the almond and an almond fragrance without the tallow.
There does remain one other possibility. Cold water shaving and the now, already soft Semogue brush, might make Cella perfectly useable. I doubt it, but I'll use it for my next shave and see.
Well, the 10049 Pro Boar worked great on it's 13th shave. Nothing new to report as of now other than the sticker is completely gone now.
Stirling soaps are amazing and they work well with boars as it's thick and needs a lot of water to work with. However, their base has tallow and lanolin. Those ingredients are fatty and slick but can irritate some sensitive skins. I'd suggest you try some samples if you're interested.
My Omega Pro 48 sticker is disappearing as well. I think Semogue's stickers stay on better.
- Thread starter
- #191
Absolutely. I doubt very much whether I'll buy any soap again without first trying a sample. I spend a considerable amount of time looking at the ingredients lists of soaps and I suppose in time I might be able to make a calculated decision, eg. I know sandalwood scents are ok, but I can't use tallow so a vegan or veggie sandalwood should be fine etc. Of course there's still the unknown variable that's impossible to define type of scenario, where looking at the data there's no discernible reason for a problem, yet a problem still exists.
Try That Soap is a very good resource for shaving soap information and has a useful function that classifies fragrance similarity by percentage when compared to a particular soap that you like or dislike.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #192
Shave 15
Merkur 34C
Perma-Sharp (7)
Semogue 1438
Cella
My face is telling me that Cella base their recipe on this, hahaha.
The smell is truly delicious, but there's something damn prickly in it.
This soap provides very good slickness but my skin still says no. I keep hoping that one day I'll try it and find I have developed a tolerance for it. It's unlikely to happen.
Cold water shave, 2 passes WTG, no nicks, weepers, redness or dry skin post shave. I found that for the second pass, which I almost didn't bother with, I was shaving very quickly, just to get the lather off my face. But that's not to say that Cella is not a very good soap. It is, but not for my skin, at least for now.
The blade and brush were great once again.
Merkur 34C
Perma-Sharp (7)
Semogue 1438
Cella
My face is telling me that Cella base their recipe on this, hahaha.
The smell is truly delicious, but there's something damn prickly in it.
This soap provides very good slickness but my skin still says no. I keep hoping that one day I'll try it and find I have developed a tolerance for it. It's unlikely to happen.
Cold water shave, 2 passes WTG, no nicks, weepers, redness or dry skin post shave. I found that for the second pass, which I almost didn't bother with, I was shaving very quickly, just to get the lather off my face. But that's not to say that Cella is not a very good soap. It is, but not for my skin, at least for now.
The blade and brush were great once again.
- Thread starter
- #193
The sticker on my Semogue brush looks exactly the same as when I first got it. They probably use a different adhesive and the material is more like the plastic you see used for transfer's on a bike frame.
All of Sterling is Beef or Mutton Tallow though I believe.
- Thread starter
- #195
Yes, I'm fairly sure you're right about that. But I don't yet know if tallow is an issue for me. If it is, then it makes choosing soaps fairly easy because I know what to avoid and although Stirling are well liked with a great selection of flavours, there's many very fine vegan or veggie soaps made.
If it's a fragrance issue, then that presents more of a challenge because it may be more than one that is a problem and tracing them can be difficult, since most manufactuerer's simply list 'parfum', 'essential oils' etc. Even using scent profiles is not fool proof. The only way to be sure is to try a sample, which will be the route I take for now.
Maybe you're sensitive to benzaldehyde, the aromatic compound that gives Cella its almond scent. Quite a few people on B&B have mentioned the same reaction: prickling, irritation, red blotches, etc.
One thing that you can try is to leave the lid off of the tub for up to a week to let it air out. The fragrance will dissipate and, hopefully, allow you to use it without discomfort.
- Thread starter
- #197
- Thread starter
- #198
After a week using the Semogue (4 shaves) it's already quite soft and has started to break in. I've done nothing special to speed up the process, just a dish soap clean and a trial hand lather when I first got it.
It's also much softer than the Omega. It's bigger too, even though it has a smaller diameter knot.
I've used 2 pound coins to even up the height.
The difference between the 2 brushes is striking, the extra size and softness of the Semogue really noticeable during lathering, yet it is the smaller of the two.
I'm now wondering if the problem with the Omega is that it is just taking ages to break in because the bristes are thicker or stiffer, maybe a lesser quality or some other variable. Or, the Omega simply has more backbone.
With this in mind, I'll try the 48 hour cold water soak.
It's also much softer than the Omega. It's bigger too, even though it has a smaller diameter knot.
I've used 2 pound coins to even up the height.
The difference between the 2 brushes is striking, the extra size and softness of the Semogue really noticeable during lathering, yet it is the smaller of the two.
I'm now wondering if the problem with the Omega is that it is just taking ages to break in because the bristes are thicker or stiffer, maybe a lesser quality or some other variable. Or, the Omega simply has more backbone.
With this in mind, I'll try the 48 hour cold water soak.
It's all of the above, although I wouldn't go as far as saying they're a lesser quality, at least not from a subjective standpoint. They function just as well (sometimes even better) as the finer bristles on the semogue. They seem like fairly different animal bristles, despite both being boar. Omega bristles are noticeably thicker and take a lot longer to break in. And even when completely broken in, will have a different feel than the semogue due to the thick hair shaft.
In my experience, the omegas never truly 'bloom' when broken in (to resemble a badger), unlike the semogue's. Rather, you get a raggedy looking brush that resembles a chewed toothbrush head lol.
I started out with Semogues and while it took some time to get used to the Omega 'stiffer' bristle, I much prefer it now. Of course, the handles on the former are much much nicer, but there is something about the 'utilitarian' look of Omega brush handles that I really like.
To condition the hair after doing that what Mantic describes, just Lather twice and then rinse your brush and store it.
Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk
