My Search For Smooth

[TinyT]

RR Lupo
Omega 10066
Gillette Wilkinson Sword (7)
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso Green

2 passes, WTG

As the last shave was long and laborious, so this one was short and sweet. I lathered using the familiar (to me) 'Wardaddy' technique. Easy.

Skin stretching throughout and I've gone back to shaving my neck like a normal person. Closeness was never on my mind but I couldn't resist a clean-up along the jawline. A DFS is the result, with nary a whisper of irritation. A bit of dry skin on my cheeks but I won't blame the shave. The heating's been blowing hard through this cold snap.

Adios!

 

[Raven Koenes]

'Wardaddy' technique? I must have missed that, I say with curiosity.

 

[thombrogan]

It’s from a scene in the movie “Inglorious Basterds” where Wes’s doppelgänger face lathers.

 

[Raven Koenes]

It’s from a scene in the movie “Inglorious Basterds” where Wes’s doppelgänger face lathers.

Thank you.

 

[TinyT]

'Wardaddy' technique? I must have missed that, I say with curiosity.

Here's the original post. I tried to find a clip of the scene but couldn't. It's basically a common sense way of lathering. Start out with the brush squeezed so that's damp, add water while loading until the soap has roughly the consistency I want (a dense, runny yoghurt), then start swirling away on my right jawbone and keep going till my face is covered. Finito.

Perma-Sharp #26

Fatip Gentile
Omega boar
Proraso Green preshave
Cella

2 passes, WTG, XTG

In describing my lather last shave as simply perfect I gave myself nowhere to go. Yet tonights lather was better. A lot better. So, beyond perfect it has to be. I've had decent lathers and decent shaves with Cella before but nothing like this. Enough lather for multiple passes? Check. Able to complete a pass without the lather dissipating or drying out? Check. Slickness? Check. Protection? Check. Non clogging of the razor? Check.

Last night I watched Fury and there's a shaving scene with Brad Pitt. Naturally, it caught my attention. I copied the way he used the brush. Good enough for Brad, good enough for me. I've never produced a lather so good so simply. It was truly a common sense shave. All done with no drama in around 15 minutes. This Omega brush is now my favourite. Cella too. It out did Proraso. Now I know why there are many who rate it as highly as Tabac and Arko.

A true DFS and with a level of comfort lathering, shaving and post shave that was ridiculous.

Oh, and I used warm, not hot water.

View attachment 1124854

Wes’s doppelgänger

One of the many, but I'm a little better looking, haha!

 

[TinyT]

RR Lupo
Semogue 1438
Gillette Wilkinson Sword (8)
Proraso Green preshave
MWF

2 WTG passes and a clean-up

I was going to change blades today (I know that I like Gillette Wilkinson Swords well enough) but I forgot to do it earlier and I couldn't be bothered when I prepared to shave.

A post in the excalibur thread had me thinking about angle. I find it hard to tell whether I'm shaving shallow or steep sometimes so when it came to my clean-up, which is always steep, I looked closely. And it was shallow. I always shave shallow, even when I say I've shaved steep.

For each and every first pass I use a very shallow angle and considerable pressure. Second pass, I use almost no pressure and a less shallow angle, which to me feels steep. But it's still shallow. The cap is always touching my skin. Very shallow with considerable pressure provides unbeatable smoothness and skin comfort. I shaved that way for both passes tonight, less shallow for the clean-up.

MWF is a fine soap. It somehow feels very gentle on the skin. The scent is subtle but agreeable. Hard to define but again, gentle.

The Semogue boar continues to challenge me.

No tugging, no irritation, a touch of dryness on my left cheek but a great post shave all in all.

 

[thombrogan]

You used your MWF on MWF this week!

Congrats on figuring out the shallow-to-shallow permutations.

 

[TinyT]

You used your MWF on MWF this week!

My Wes face?

 

[TinyT]

RR Lupo
Omega 10051
Proraso Green preshave
GSB

Tabac

2 WTG passes and a clean-up

Shallow angle with pressure and a very smooth shave. I like GSB's as much as I thought I did. No tugging in my least forgiving razor. Tabac with plenty of water is very good thing. The third clean-up pass is starting to become my favourite part of the shave, my wet left hand moving slippery, soapy water around my face, the razor following, as I even out the finish.

Borderline BBS, no irritation.

 

[TinyT]

RR Lupo
Omega 10051
GSB (5)
Proraso Green preshave
Palmolive Men Classic Cream

2 WTG passes and a clean-up

This Palmolive cream is fast becoming a firm favourite. That's twice now the lather has been superb, dense yet runny. Maybe superior to my soaps. I can't help but think that the process has something to do with it. I basically palm lather it. I'll think about using that method for every shave.

The clean-up pass was bliss once again. I was shaving with ghost lather by the end.

 

[TinyT]

RR Lupo
Semogue 1438
GSB (5)
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso Red

2 passes, WTG, XTG and a clean-up

It took three times as long to load as usual 'cause the Semogue boar has this much backbone.

But once it finally got underway it was a pretty nice shave - this brush is certainly soft enough. I used a very shallow angle and lots of pressure throughout and it was smooth and comfortable. I've had closer and more enjoyable shaves but this was not too bad - no irritation and a nice post shave.

 

[Rosseforp]

It took three times as long to load as usual 'cause the Semogue boar has this much backbone.

Sounds a lot like my Semogue 620

 

[Sotiris_A]

Sounds a lot like my Semogue 620

They have the same knot (also with the 1520 and the new Torga C3 I suppose), so any differences are due to bristle variations and glue job. Mine is used quite extensively but still has some backbone.

 

[Rosseforp]

They have the same knot (also with the 1520 and the new Torga C3 I suppose), so any differences are due to bristle variations and glue job. Mine is used quite extensively but still has some backbone.

Mine lost it's backbone almost immediately, and the bristles are quite soft, but it doesn't seem to hold much lather. Maybe I have not been loading it heavy enough

 

[Sotiris_A]

Mine lost it's backbone almost immediately, and the bristles are quite soft, but it doesn't seem to hold much lather. Maybe I have not been loading it heavy enough

That's possible. Semogue brushes tend to need more soap than the Ω ones. I've been loading Tabac very lightly and without pressure/splay the last few days and it astonishes me that 10'' are enough to overload the large Ω 10098 but don't suffice for more than 1 pass on the small Semogue 610.

 

[TinyT]

Maybe I have not been loading it heavy enough

I'd say so. Every time I use my Semogue I load heavier than normal and it still doesn't hold enough lather for a proper second pass. Last night I loaded three times as much, maybe more. I should've loaded a bit extra, haha!

 

[Rosseforp]

Every time I use my Semogue I load heavier than normal and it still doesn't hold enough lather for a proper second pass.

Mine is the same way, but the first pass is wonderful. It is like you need a brush for each pass.

 

[TinyT]

Mine is the same way, but the first pass is wonderful.

Yep, very soft on the face.

 

[TinyT]

RR Lupo
Omega 10051
Gillette 7 O'Clock Green
Proraso Green preshave
Cella

2 WTG passes and a clean-up

I know Cella to be a thirsty beast so I took my own advice of more soap, more water and had a lather comparable to the one I now get with Palmolive cream - it starts out watery and bubbly on my face but quickly works up to a thicker yet still wet consistency. Without doubt my best lather with Cella yet. I love that this deep into my shave journey there's still so much more to improve on, and almost all of my shaves are now on the level of very good. Lathering is an art form and I'm no master - far from it in fact - so just how much better can my shaves get?

Last time I used this blade in this razor I didn't like it but I must've had the angle wrong then, because tonight it shaved with that classic 7 O'Clock Green smoothness. It could be sharper for my hair type but this is possibly my most comfortable blade.

Had to use a little moisturiser again post shave - I'm just about ready for winter to end.

 

[TinyT]

RR Lupo
Omega 10066
Gillette 7 O'Clock Green (4)
Proraso Green preshave
Rasozero Spiffero

2 WTG passes and a clean-up. Cold water. No tugging. No irritation. No dry skin. No Moisturiser needed. Borderline BBS. As good as it gets.