My Search For Smooth

[TinyT]

Perma-Sharp #53

Fatip Gentile
Omega 10051
Proraso Green preshave
Palmolive Classic Men cream

2 passes

I still haven't quite found my method for lathering with a cream. There was nothing wrong with tonight's lather, on the contrary; it was perfect. Just didn't get there the way I'd like. A blob of cream, massaged into the tips and face lathered. It worked out fine but I spent more time face lathering than I'd like and I prefer to have a creamy consistency with most of the water added before I go to my face. Only way to do that with a cream is to use a bowl, so I'll give that a go next time Palmolive comes round in my rotation.

First pass, WTG. It wasn't quite the non thinker I'd planned, as I focused on shallow above the jawline, steep below. It was easy and comfortable though.

Pass 2, XTG with a little WTG/XTG here and there, on the underside of my chin and parts of my neck. This time I thought less, shaved more. During the moments of lucidity I could recognise that I was using very light but consistent pressure and a shallow to neutral angle just about everywhere, more neutral than steep on my neck. It was very comfortable.

A bit of clean up underneath my jawline gave me the finish a 2 pass shave occasionally lacks. No irritation, redness, dryness or weepers for a satisfying post shave.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I have to use a bowl with cream too. Certain soaps as well. I could just do it on the face, but I'm likely to scrub my face sore in the early stages of the lather. That's all I use the bowl for, just trying to get the lather started and brush bristles coated. After that, I can take it to the face.

 

[TinyT]

I have to use a bowl with cream too. Certain soaps as well. I could just do it on the face, but I'm likely to scrub my face sore in the early stages of the lather. That's all I use the bowl for, just trying to get the lather started and brush bristles coated. After that, I can take it to the face.

I'm considering grating the shave sticks you sent me right from the off. I'd been planning to use them the normal way to start out and I most likely could get a decent shave that way but I suspect I'll just be delaying the inevitable. Nothing trumps comfort.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I'm considering grating the shave sticks you sent me right from the off. I'd been planning to use them the normal way to start out and I most likely could get a decent shave that way but I suspect I'll just be delaying the inevitable. Nothing trumps comfort.

Try them as shave sticks first. Here's why...

The reason I (and possibly you) need the bowl first, is to coat the bristles first, so there's always soap between skin and brush. When you load from a puck, that happens automatically (though still needed a bowl for MdC) and all the bristles are pre lubricated, but with cream it's all in one spot, and the bristles aren't lubricated when it hits the face, nor has the cream started accepting the water, thereby already on the way to becoming lather.

Using a shave stick puts soap between bristle and brush too, by loading the face, instead of the brush. It might not work for you, or it might work on one stick, but not another. It's still worth an attempt or two ffirst though, as shave sticks are a few effective way of carrying soap for travel. Another trick you can do if the shave stick don't work for you immediately, is load the face, then rub with just wet fingertips to get the soap to lather transformation started, before using the brush.

You lose the opportunity to try all these things if you grate first.

 

[TinyT]

You lose the opportunity to try all these things if you grate first.

Very true.

The reason I (and possibly you) need the bowl first, is to coat the bristles first, so there's always soap between skin and brush.

Yep. And with a soap I actually use the puck as a temporary make shift bowl, almost building the lather before I start face lathering. I think of my method as semi face lathering really, adding most, but not all of the water, before I go to my face. I also load heavily too, enough for 3, sometimes 4 passes, regardles of how many I actually do. We'll see just how lightly or heavily we (and Mike) load comparatively when we start on the samples.

 

[TinyT]

Perma-Sharp #54

Fatip Gentile
Omega 10051
Proraso Red

2 passes, WTG, XTG

I shaved without Proraso Green preshave tonight and skipped Proraso White in my rotation, a soap that's never given me any trouble. The Red has.

Soon after lathering up I noticed the creeping warmth. It was mild but there. The shave was fine otherwise, no tugging throughout but everything seemed to be turned down a notch. My skin wasn't quite as slick as I rinsed between passes, the razor strokes were just a little less smooth, the lather had just a little less cushion, the shave was just a little less close and the post shave is fine, with no dryness or redness and just the smallest amount of short lived irritation, but it's not the spectacularly cooling, moisturising post shave I crave.

Could I live without Proraso Green preshave? Absoloutely. But I hadn't realised until now just how much more it gives me during a shave besides letting me use soaps of any fragrance. It makes everything else about the shave that little bit better.

I missed my preshave.

 

[thombrogan]

I shaved without Proraso Green preshave tonight

We’re a bad influence on you. I‘m ashamed

 

[TinyT]

We’re a bad influence on you. I‘m ashamed

And rightly so, lol.

 

[TinyT]

Perma-Sharp #55

Fatip Gentile
Omega 10051
Proraso Green preshave
Cella

As I was lathering tonight I started mulling over the approach to the shave regarding pressure and reminded myself in the nick of time to just shave.

2 passes, WTG, XTG and a clean up, with no irritation or tugging. That's about all I can remember.

As I was rinsing off and cleaning the sink, the misty recollection of a stubborn patch of stubble to the right corner of my mouth had me wondering if this forever blade might finally be about to give up the ghost. Feeling my face now, and I'm starting to think it really could go on forever.

 

[thombrogan]

Proraso Green preshave

The Return of the King! Not a mere Tolkien product. Orc so I’m told

 

[TinyT]

Not a mere Tolkien product. Orc so I’m told

Damn right. Style and substance. And what a substance!

 

[TinyT]

I'll be posting my next few shaves on Al's journal. Here's the first.

Perma-Sharp #56

Fatip Gentile
Omega 10051
Proraso Green preshave

2 passes, WTG, XTG

Essence of Scotland Malt 'n' Myrtle

This soap is thirsty. And then, ironically, I added too much water as I was loading. I still got a good lather though.

First pass I felt that there was less cushion than I'm used to and around the same level of slickness. That lack of cushion is likely an error on my part due to the water ratio and it resulted in the naked blade feel mentioned by Mike. My face feels shaved.

I also detected a slight stickiness to the soap on the second pass, mostly on my neck. It was a quick shave without a clean up and my jawline could be closer. The post shave is actually all right though, no dryness or redness and I'm expecting better next time, when I should be able to dial it in better.

As for the scent. I got nothing.

View attachment 1153605

 

[TinyT]

Perma-Sharp #57

Fatip Gentile
Omega 10051
Proraso Green preshave

Essence of Scotland Malt 'n' Myrtle: shave number 2

2 passes WTG, XTG and a clean-up

I added half the amount of water and loaded as I normally would. I held back a bit last time. Much better.

The lather first pass looked and felt as good as I've had to start with but as soon as I started shaving I noticed the lack of cushion again. It felt a bit light and airy (I could see bubbles forming) and not the slickest but no irritation and no tugging so it's hard to complain. I shaved a little slower to test the longevity and it dissipated a touch, more so on the second pass but not enough to stop me shaving with it. The scent is still non-existent for me.

Average to good post shave. A tiny bit of redness on the front of my chin but I've been shaving a bit more aggresively there and on my lower lip. My skin feels fine but not super cool and mositurised. It's not dry, just not in the realm of damn comfortable. My face feels shaved once again but more happily so.

 

[TinyT]

Todays shave report.

Perma-Sharp #58

Fatip Gentile
Omega 10051
Proraso Green preshave

Essence of Scotland Malt 'n' Myrtle: shave number 3

2 passes, WTG, XTG

This shave was almost good enough to be straight forward. First of all, I got a little scent. Faint honey and lemon. Not strong and it hasn't lingered but good enough to satisfy my wood theory.

Again, the lather lacked density, meaning I don't have the cushion I prefer but I don't find that lack made up for with slickness. It not thin and slippery, more thin and airy. Post shave is ok but still less than comfortable.

I think the lack of cushion and, to a lesser extent slickness, is what's stopping me from loving this soap. It's the cushion that allows me to use considerable pressure, even with a neutral or varying angle, which I frequently do, rocking the razor head as I follow the countours of my face, steepening up a little here, shallowing out a little there. It's because I haven't got the cushion or slickness I need for my technique that I'm getting left with that slightly raw, just shaved feeling.

The underside of my chin could be closer. I'm reluctant to blame the blade; the soap is the unknown quantity. I have maybe 2 shaves left of this sample so I'll hold out till it's gone.

 

[thombrogan]

What’s next in the tonsorial surfactant hit parade?

 

[TinyT]

What’s next in the tonsorial surfactant hit parade?

There's a Groom Room Berry Fields O' Blair. Sounds fruity and is made by Wickham so should be very nice. Also; London Oatcake Overgrowth (floral?) and London Oatcake Mahogany (woody! (I expect)).

I'm happy to let Al and Mike finish their samples before moving on. I'll most likely try a Palmolive shave stick in the meantime.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

There's a Groom Room Berry Fields O' Blair. Sounds fruity and is made by Wickham so should be very nice. Also; London Oatcake Overgrowth (floral?) and London Oatcake Mahogany (woody! (I expect)).

I'm happy to let Al and Mike finish their samples before moving on. I'll most likely try a Palmolive shave stick in the meantime.

The sales blurb for the two London Oatcake soaps, reads as follows:

"This is the Overgrowth scent. Smells like a fresh forest after rainfall.
Scented with: Geranium, Petitgrain, Rosewood and Basil."

"This is the all new Mahogany scent, a warm, sweet, wood aroma scented with Oud, Turmeric, Coffee, Caramel, Fennel and Lime."

 

[TinyT]

The sales blurb for the two London Oatcake soaps, reads as follows:

"This is the Overgrowth scent. Smells like a fresh forest after rainfall.
Scented with: Geranium, Petitgrain, Rosewood and Basil."

"This is the all new Mahogany scent, a warm, sweet, wood aroma scented with Oud, Turmeric, Coffee, Caramel, Fennel and Lime."

Very nice. Can't wait to try them in fact. Just a couple more shaves...

 

[TinyT]

The day's shave report.

What isn't mentioned is a development in my technique. Actually, it's probably something I've been doing for a while but only just noticed, or at least figured out how to describe.

When shaving my neck I perform what I call incremental buffing. Short, rapid strokes with the razor barely lifting away from my skin, sometimes going over the same area more than once, often moving along in a set direction with overlapping. I shave this way over my entire neck, mostly S-N. I do this on other parts of my face too. It's completely instinctive, so much so that I often thought I was using one long stroke when in fact I was using lots of short ones. In my mind they join up, forming the illusion of broad, seamless passages. And that's exactly how it feels.

Here's the shave:

Perma-Sharp #59

Fatip Gentile
Omega 10051
Proraso Green preshave

Essence of Scotland Malt 'n' Myrtle

2 passes, WTG, XTG

I didn't add any water after loading tonight and there was almost some cushion. First stroke at my right ear; was that a little resistance? Maybe, but it smoothed out easy enough and there was no tugging beneath my lower lip or around the edges of my chin. Overall slickness was lacking again.

For the second pass the lather pulled a disappearing act on my neck but I shaved it anyway with the water from the razor head. It woke up nicely, though it did give me a bite at the top of my neck. No blood.

Post shave. Meh.

And yet, while it's true to say that me and this soap don't get along, every shave with it has actually been pretty good. It's just that I've gotten used to better.

 

[TinyT]

Perma-Sharp #60

Fatip Gentile
Omega 10051

Essence of Scotland Malt 'n' Myrtle: Gone

2 passes, WTG/...?

I skipped the preshave.

I wish I could say that my last shave with this soap was my best but I can't. It's the worst shave I've had in a while.

First of all, loading from the ceramic bowl the handle of my brush kept knocking against the edge whenever I tried to flatten out my swirling action....clink!, clink!, clink!, clink!, clink!, clink!, clink!, clink!,...you get the idea. I'll be reverting to the wooden bowl for the next sample.

The lather itself was airy, full of bubbles and started dissipating half way through. Zero residual slickness as I wet my face between passes.

Seond pass. The lather was thin and the consistency of bubble bath foam. I could hear it fizzing as it dissolved on my face. Luckily, it was all over quickly. The razor was on my face for maybe a minute - I didn't need to rinse it once - there was no lather on it. XTG wasn't possible everywhere; WTG wasn't in some places.

The post shave feel is, remarkably, irritation free with no dryness, redness or blood. But. Rough shave = Rough result.