This is why I dont buy lottery tickets. I know they're never winners! lol
My Search For Smooth
- Thread starter TinyT
- Start date
This is why I dont buy lottery tickets. I know they're never winners! lol
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
"A good lather is half the shave."
Towards that end we should examine what makes a good lather good.
Learning exactly how hydrated a good lather should be can solve a lot of problems. It certainly did for me. My bias is towards extreme hydration, but what's that mean? Is there a short cut to learning how hydrated your lather can and should be?
What I'm about to describe is not a lathering technique for daily use, but a training exercise or an experiment. Do it when you're not pressed for time.
Begin by loading your brush. The brush, for this exercise, should be a little bit on the dry side. Damp of course, but not very wet. Like shaken three times or something like that, after soaking.
Apply the soap to your skin so that it ends up reminding you of spackling. It's not supposed to look like lather. It's not supposed to look really thick either. Just cover your skin with at least a thin, but not too thin, coating of soap everywhere. Don't over think this. It's not too important to get it just right. Don't overdo the amount of soap, but be a tad more generous (maybe) than usual with your loading of the brush, apply the soap to your face, but avoid much water to begin with.
Next begin adding water. Dip the tips of the brush into a cup of water. Not the whole brush, but only the tips. Not much water. Then, build lather on your face as best you can however you want to.
Dip the tips again. Try to add a small amount of water to your lather with this step. Be patient. For this exercise build your lather fairly slowly.
With each step spend some time working the soap on your face. You're not in a hurry. You're observing what happens.
Keep doing the same thing over and over. Dip the tips. Build lather. Dip the tips. Build lather. Watch carefully to see what's going on with hydration and your lather.
The importance of hydration...
You want to be making a foamy and very well hydrated lather. Now, just to be clear. You're not going to shave with this lather. It's a learning exercise. You're planning to overdo it and take it too far.
What you're trying to learn is how much water is too much and how the lather looks right before that point is reached. You can tell when the lather is excessively hydrated when it's running down your chest and belly. I don't mean a tiny bit is running down your chest. Keep going with the dipping and building until it's a mess. What was the lather like right before that?
What Is Optimal Hydration?
According to me, the goal of building a good lather is for you to have a lather which optimizes your shaves in terms of comfort, protection, and efficiency. I think we want the lather to be somewhat foamy and somewhat creamy and extremely hydrated. That means hydrated almost to the point where the lather runs down your chest and makes a mess, but not quite.
You may like a bit less water than I prefer, or a bit more, but this experiment can help a guy learn how much water is a bit too much.
This experiment helped me figure it out and improved my shaves.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Towards that end we should examine what makes a good lather good.
- Enough good soap.
- Enough good water.
- Enough time with a good brush.
Learning exactly how hydrated a good lather should be can solve a lot of problems. It certainly did for me. My bias is towards extreme hydration, but what's that mean? Is there a short cut to learning how hydrated your lather can and should be?
What I'm about to describe is not a lathering technique for daily use, but a training exercise or an experiment. Do it when you're not pressed for time.
Begin by loading your brush. The brush, for this exercise, should be a little bit on the dry side. Damp of course, but not very wet. Like shaken three times or something like that, after soaking.
Apply the soap to your skin so that it ends up reminding you of spackling. It's not supposed to look like lather. It's not supposed to look really thick either. Just cover your skin with at least a thin, but not too thin, coating of soap everywhere. Don't over think this. It's not too important to get it just right. Don't overdo the amount of soap, but be a tad more generous (maybe) than usual with your loading of the brush, apply the soap to your face, but avoid much water to begin with.
Next begin adding water. Dip the tips of the brush into a cup of water. Not the whole brush, but only the tips. Not much water. Then, build lather on your face as best you can however you want to.
Dip the tips again. Try to add a small amount of water to your lather with this step. Be patient. For this exercise build your lather fairly slowly.
With each step spend some time working the soap on your face. You're not in a hurry. You're observing what happens.
Keep doing the same thing over and over. Dip the tips. Build lather. Dip the tips. Build lather. Watch carefully to see what's going on with hydration and your lather.
The importance of hydration...
You want to be making a foamy and very well hydrated lather. Now, just to be clear. You're not going to shave with this lather. It's a learning exercise. You're planning to overdo it and take it too far.
What you're trying to learn is how much water is too much and how the lather looks right before that point is reached. You can tell when the lather is excessively hydrated when it's running down your chest and belly. I don't mean a tiny bit is running down your chest. Keep going with the dipping and building until it's a mess. What was the lather like right before that?
What Is Optimal Hydration?
According to me, the goal of building a good lather is for you to have a lather which optimizes your shaves in terms of comfort, protection, and efficiency. I think we want the lather to be somewhat foamy and somewhat creamy and extremely hydrated. That means hydrated almost to the point where the lather runs down your chest and makes a mess, but not quite.
You may like a bit less water than I prefer, or a bit more, but this experiment can help a guy learn how much water is a bit too much.
This experiment helped me figure it out and improved my shaves.
Happy shaves,
Jim
- Thread starter
- #563
"Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is.”
Johan Cruyff.
No time like the present.
Here's my Semogue boar, squeezed and shaken, damp but not dripping wet.
I decided to use Proraso Green for this test. Once I'd wet my face and applied a little of my beloved Proraso Green preshave as I would when shaving normally, I loaded from the tub, about 30 seconds or so.
So far, so good. This was spread around my face in it's pasty form. I've shaved with the lather like this in the past.
I might have just about got away with it if I remember correctly but it can't have been a great shave and I couldn't recommend it.
Back to the experiment, and after working the proto lather into my face a little I dipped the very tips of the brush, as suggested. I may have taken this piece of advice a little too literally as the lather didn't change consistency at all, even with a second dip, wherein I barely broke the surface of the water.
With the third dip I dipped maybe half a cm of the brush. This time the lather changed consistency. Here it is on the brush again.
It's creamy but not what I would call wet or slick, definitely not well hydrated. The next dips, dips four and five, things improved to the point where I would normally start shaving. I can predict with confidence that had I shaved like that, two things that continue to niggle me would have happened. Firstly, I'd've had to relather my neck where it would already be starting to dry out, second, I would've had to reload for a second pass. Neither huge issues, but issues all the same.
I'm no stranger to a broken lather and after just one more dip, dip six, I knew it was on the cards.
A final dip and the lather was beyond the point of shaveability.
Interestingly enough, the lather never reached the stage of becoming a bubbly, watery mess, trickling down my neck. Instead, it just sort of dissipated, becoming slightly dry once more, the same way a lather has broken on me each and every time before.
I was just sitting down to write up this post when I re-read @Chan Eil Whiskers Jim's original post and a few things jumped out at me.
These passages all reminded of one thing. Marco's Method. Dissatisfied with my first test and unable to resist the urge to continue experimenting I trotted off to the bathroom again. I knew that I would be doing things in reverse. Starting out with a foamy, bubbly mess, dripping down my chest, with maybe almost too much water to begin with but that it should, in theory, incorporate into a perfect, voluminous, very, very well hydrated lather.
In the interest of simulating a real shaving experience I used my Omega brush rather than the Semogue, which was still hydrated from the previous lathering. It's been a while since I've used this method and I couldn't remember how many swirls to do but in the excitement I lost count anyway. I think it was over a hundred but I just kept going until the watery soap turned creamy. Here it is on the upturned brush, the water damn cause by the slow collection of suds preventing leakage.
I left out the preshave this time and wet my face well with my left hand. As soon as I put the brush against my face and exerted pressure the water damb broke. The foamy lather did indeed drip everywhere but integrated into a more manageable lather more quickly than I expected. This felt completely different on my skin, too. Wonderfully soft, no sense of dry prickliness from the bristles, and this is normally the scritchier of my two brushes as well. After a few minutes I had a good lather going.
Much more like it! A little bubbly maybe, but very, very well hydrated and incredibly slick. I was able to move the brush around my face with ease and in complete comfort. I was tempted to shave with it, it was that good.
But I dipped the brush and carried on.
Instead of becoming more watery, the lather just got better and better. I dipped twice more and it eventually started to thin out a little, but as soon as I worked it, it incorporated into a slick lather again. By this time, I must've been face lathering for over half an hour, combined with the previous experiment, and as I was using Proraso Green my face was starting to feel very cold. A little brush burn from the first trial lather probably too, so one more dip and I called it a day.
I suspect that used correctly, Marcos Method can make a lather that's near unbreakable.
Looking at, and feeling the lather on my face, I'd be amazed if I had to relather my neck before finishing my shave, even if I decided to shave very slowly and I'm also pretty certain there'd be enough lather in that brush for at least a second pass. I'll find out when I shave tomorrow, although I'll be using my Semogue for that shave so I'll also find out if that brush behaves differently. Marco says that boars work best with this method but badgers work too, so my slightly floppier Semogue should be ok.
Another thing. In between experiments my skin felt a little dry and tight but not after the second test with the super hydrated lather.
I may have used a different route to get there but I feel like I may have ended up with a lather something like Jim's description. It's what I'd guess. In any case, it looks like I'm on my way to discovering, or re-discovering, the way to a consistently better lather, so thanks my friend.
Lathering up without actually shaving does feel a bit odd though, lol. Like getting all dressed up with no place to go.
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
- Thread starter
- #565
Perma-Sharp #22
Fatip Gentile
Semogue boar
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso Green
2 passes, WTG, XTG
First pass and applying the preshave my face was actually a bit tender from last nights face lathering extravaganza. I followed that up by making a lather that took too long, was too messy, used up too much soap, was too airy and dissipated too quickly, not slick enough and with nowhere near as much cushion as I like. Other than that it was perfect. The pass could have been smoother.
Onwards and upwards.
Pass 2. I lathered up in my usual way, with a damp brush. Just right, for me. Slick, a little thick and done in the blink of an eye. This pass was as smooth as they come, though my skin still felt a little sore. The normal two days rest should see it fine. Ok post shave, a little redness, a little discomfort but cool and well moisturised.
Fatip Gentile
Semogue boar
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso Green
2 passes, WTG, XTG
First pass and applying the preshave my face was actually a bit tender from last nights face lathering extravaganza. I followed that up by making a lather that took too long, was too messy, used up too much soap, was too airy and dissipated too quickly, not slick enough and with nowhere near as much cushion as I like. Other than that it was perfect. The pass could have been smoother.
Onwards and upwards.
Pass 2. I lathered up in my usual way, with a damp brush. Just right, for me. Slick, a little thick and done in the blink of an eye. This pass was as smooth as they come, though my skin still felt a little sore. The normal two days rest should see it fine. Ok post shave, a little redness, a little discomfort but cool and well moisturised.
- Thread starter
- #566
Perma-Sharp #23
Fatip Gentile
Semogue boar
Proraso Green preshave
Palmolive
This was a slow shave with a bit more experimentation in the pursuit of the best possible lather.
First pass, WTG, I soaked the brush in a mug without running it under the tap first, the water about 1 cm below the handle, for 10 or 15 minutes. I squeezed a dollop of cream into my bowl, then shook out all of the excess water from the brush so that it was actually pretty dry, only just damp. I started to gently whip up the cream in the bowl, dribbling water onto the brush as I went. It took quite a while and the lather I applied to my face was very thick, dry and stiff. I kept adding a little water to the brush, swirling in the bowl and applying to my face, eventually dippping the bristles a couple times to move things along. I'd be here all night at this rate. The shave was not bad but the lather was definitely not right, clogging the razor and not very slick. Still, no irritation or discomfort of any kind.
Second pass, XTG and I popped the brush back in the mug, noticing that it released a lot more water when I picked it up. It was now soaked properly. I gave it a squeeze to get out most of the excess, squeezed an inch or so of cream onto it and massaged it into the bristles briefly. I started out at the point of my chin. The lather, very wet and bubbly to start, quickly became a proper, slick, protective lather. I only used very gentle painting strokes, just like before, absolutely no mashing or swirling of any kind so that even though I was face lathering freshly shaved skin there was no discomfort at all. I finished up with what I consider to be a perfect lather. This was a nicer pass than the first, very smooth, the razor gliding freely without clogging, the soap collecting in pleasing, billowy clouds beneath the lather slots. I was very careful, trying not to shave ATG anywhere underenath my jaw and at the top of my neck. The first signs are good. Despite it being a slow shave the post shave is very, very comfortable, my skin thanking me for leaving out the mashing. No redness, irritation or dryness. I may just get the hang of this cream yet.
Fatip Gentile
Semogue boar
Proraso Green preshave
Palmolive
This was a slow shave with a bit more experimentation in the pursuit of the best possible lather.
First pass, WTG, I soaked the brush in a mug without running it under the tap first, the water about 1 cm below the handle, for 10 or 15 minutes. I squeezed a dollop of cream into my bowl, then shook out all of the excess water from the brush so that it was actually pretty dry, only just damp. I started to gently whip up the cream in the bowl, dribbling water onto the brush as I went. It took quite a while and the lather I applied to my face was very thick, dry and stiff. I kept adding a little water to the brush, swirling in the bowl and applying to my face, eventually dippping the bristles a couple times to move things along. I'd be here all night at this rate. The shave was not bad but the lather was definitely not right, clogging the razor and not very slick. Still, no irritation or discomfort of any kind.
Second pass, XTG and I popped the brush back in the mug, noticing that it released a lot more water when I picked it up. It was now soaked properly. I gave it a squeeze to get out most of the excess, squeezed an inch or so of cream onto it and massaged it into the bristles briefly. I started out at the point of my chin. The lather, very wet and bubbly to start, quickly became a proper, slick, protective lather. I only used very gentle painting strokes, just like before, absolutely no mashing or swirling of any kind so that even though I was face lathering freshly shaved skin there was no discomfort at all. I finished up with what I consider to be a perfect lather. This was a nicer pass than the first, very smooth, the razor gliding freely without clogging, the soap collecting in pleasing, billowy clouds beneath the lather slots. I was very careful, trying not to shave ATG anywhere underenath my jaw and at the top of my neck. The first signs are good. Despite it being a slow shave the post shave is very, very comfortable, my skin thanking me for leaving out the mashing. No redness, irritation or dryness. I may just get the hang of this cream yet.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #567
Perma-Sharp #24
Fatip Gentile
Omega boar
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso White
2 passes, WTG, XTG
Things are getting interesting. 24 shaves in on this blade and I've just had my most comfortable and, more notably, closest shave yet.
The lather was bang on. I spent a litte more time running my brush under the tap, pretty much the way I do when rinsing it at the end, then soaked it for a couple minutes. Like the rest of the shave, I was guided by intuition and experience as i loaded and lathered, adding water as I saw fit at every stage. As I said, the lather was pretty much perfect, easily enough for two passes and a touch up.
For the first pass I shaved with long strokes and hardly any repetition, a little over the front edge of my jaw but not really anywhere else. I'll take comfort over closeness, I thought to myself, but as I rinsed between passes it was already clear that nothing in the way of efficiency had been sacrificed for economy.
The lather for the second pass was perhaps a little thinner but thick enough and nice and slick. It made for easy work and after shaving my neck XTG from outside to inside at the base and in the direction of my ears above, such was the comfort and simplicity of the shave that I even touched up my jawline, something I rarely do.
No irritation or redness, a post shave as good as it gets and not only did I not need to revisit the tub of soap between passes, I didn't have to relather my neck at any stage either.
Fatip Gentile
Omega boar
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso White
2 passes, WTG, XTG
Things are getting interesting. 24 shaves in on this blade and I've just had my most comfortable and, more notably, closest shave yet.
The lather was bang on. I spent a litte more time running my brush under the tap, pretty much the way I do when rinsing it at the end, then soaked it for a couple minutes. Like the rest of the shave, I was guided by intuition and experience as i loaded and lathered, adding water as I saw fit at every stage. As I said, the lather was pretty much perfect, easily enough for two passes and a touch up.
For the first pass I shaved with long strokes and hardly any repetition, a little over the front edge of my jaw but not really anywhere else. I'll take comfort over closeness, I thought to myself, but as I rinsed between passes it was already clear that nothing in the way of efficiency had been sacrificed for economy.
The lather for the second pass was perhaps a little thinner but thick enough and nice and slick. It made for easy work and after shaving my neck XTG from outside to inside at the base and in the direction of my ears above, such was the comfort and simplicity of the shave that I even touched up my jawline, something I rarely do.
No irritation or redness, a post shave as good as it gets and not only did I not need to revisit the tub of soap between passes, I didn't have to relather my neck at any stage either.
- Thread starter
- #568
Perma-Sharp #25
Fatip Gentile
Omega boar
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso Red
2 passes, WTG, XTG
Last shave I said the lather was pretty much perfect. Tonight it was perfect. Simple as that. Slick, cushiony, well hydrated, and no need to reload between passes or relather my neck. I only ever used the tips, loading and lathering, and used mostly painting strokes with the occasional circular motion thrown in, but absolutely no brush abuse of any kind. I'm beginning to wonder if this Omega might be a better brush than my beloved Semogue.
The shave was going the same way too, until the second pass, a swipe by the corner of my mouth, right side and I was reminded of raised spot caused by a pimple or some other kind of belmish that I'd forgotten about. I remembered it fast enough as my Fatip cleanly sliced the top off. It stung for a second, then a second more when I caught it a second time shaving the right hand edge of my upper lip. A bit of tissue paper and a dab of vaseline afterwards and all is well.
Apart from that a great shave, with what may be my nicest post shave yet. It's certainly up there.
Fatip Gentile
Omega boar
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso Red
2 passes, WTG, XTG
Last shave I said the lather was pretty much perfect. Tonight it was perfect. Simple as that. Slick, cushiony, well hydrated, and no need to reload between passes or relather my neck. I only ever used the tips, loading and lathering, and used mostly painting strokes with the occasional circular motion thrown in, but absolutely no brush abuse of any kind. I'm beginning to wonder if this Omega might be a better brush than my beloved Semogue.
The shave was going the same way too, until the second pass, a swipe by the corner of my mouth, right side and I was reminded of raised spot caused by a pimple or some other kind of belmish that I'd forgotten about. I remembered it fast enough as my Fatip cleanly sliced the top off. It stung for a second, then a second more when I caught it a second time shaving the right hand edge of my upper lip. A bit of tissue paper and a dab of vaseline afterwards and all is well.
Apart from that a great shave, with what may be my nicest post shave yet. It's certainly up there.
- Thread starter
- #569
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.
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.
- Thread starter
- #570
Perma-Sharp #27
Fatip Gentile
Omega boar
Proraso Green preshave
Rasozero Spiffero
2 passes, WTG, XTG
Different soap, same shave. Using the Wardaddy method again to lather, Rasozero needed less water but was if anything even slicker than Cella.
Apart from that it was a carbon copy of the last shave, maybe a tad quicker and closer.
This is the new benchmark.
Fatip Gentile
Omega boar
Proraso Green preshave
Rasozero Spiffero
2 passes, WTG, XTG
Different soap, same shave. Using the Wardaddy method again to lather, Rasozero needed less water but was if anything even slicker than Cella.
Apart from that it was a carbon copy of the last shave, maybe a tad quicker and closer.
This is the new benchmark.
- Thread starter
- #571
Perma-Sharp #28
Fatip Gentile
Omega boar
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso Green
2 passes, WTG, XTG
What can I say? Another day, another faultless shave. The only possible criticism could be that the brush held enough lather for 3 passes, maybe 4, when I only ever do 2. But since my intention was to do precisely that, how can I complain?
An amazing trio of shaves.
Palmolive cream next, which I'm still learning and then back to the Semogue boar after that. My goal is to get a lather with Palmolive as good as I can with Proraso, Cella et al and then to get my Semogue to perform like the Omega.
Fatip Gentile
Omega boar
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso Green
2 passes, WTG, XTG
What can I say? Another day, another faultless shave. The only possible criticism could be that the brush held enough lather for 3 passes, maybe 4, when I only ever do 2. But since my intention was to do precisely that, how can I complain?
An amazing trio of shaves.
Palmolive cream next, which I'm still learning and then back to the Semogue boar after that. My goal is to get a lather with Palmolive as good as I can with Proraso, Cella et al and then to get my Semogue to perform like the Omega.
- Thread starter
- #572
Perma-Sharp #29
Fatip Gentile
Omega 51
Proraso Green preshave
Palmolive For Men
2 passes, WTG, XTG
Finally cracked the cream. I squeezed a blob onto the tips of the Omega and simply started lathering away on my right jawbone. From thereon in I never looked back. Initially a little stiffer than I'd have liked, a couple of dips had me a lather just as good as the prevous three. I wondered for a moment if it had dried out or been eaten by the brush between passes but no, it lathered as well as I could ask for with enough left over for at least a third pass.
I made another new discovery today. A fast stroke equals a smooth stroke. Not one tug over the entire shave, I've refined the way I shave my sensitive lower lip area, tightening the skin for the centre section but keeping it relatively relaxed towards the corners of my mouth. This now means that there, along with my adams apple area and my left and right jawlines, I can get as close a shave as I can the rest of my face. I've also had no more ingrowns or uncomfortable spots between shaves since I've changed the razor route on my neck and left and right jaw.
As for tonight, the post shave is exquisitely cool and moisturised, thanks to just the right amount of Proraso preshave. No irritation, no blood and even the slightest hints of dryness or redness have been eradicated after the switch to warm/luke warm water.
The blade keeps marching on.
Fatip Gentile
Omega 51
Proraso Green preshave
Palmolive For Men
2 passes, WTG, XTG
Finally cracked the cream. I squeezed a blob onto the tips of the Omega and simply started lathering away on my right jawbone. From thereon in I never looked back. Initially a little stiffer than I'd have liked, a couple of dips had me a lather just as good as the prevous three. I wondered for a moment if it had dried out or been eaten by the brush between passes but no, it lathered as well as I could ask for with enough left over for at least a third pass.
I made another new discovery today. A fast stroke equals a smooth stroke. Not one tug over the entire shave, I've refined the way I shave my sensitive lower lip area, tightening the skin for the centre section but keeping it relatively relaxed towards the corners of my mouth. This now means that there, along with my adams apple area and my left and right jawlines, I can get as close a shave as I can the rest of my face. I've also had no more ingrowns or uncomfortable spots between shaves since I've changed the razor route on my neck and left and right jaw.
As for tonight, the post shave is exquisitely cool and moisturised, thanks to just the right amount of Proraso preshave. No irritation, no blood and even the slightest hints of dryness or redness have been eradicated after the switch to warm/luke warm water.
The blade keeps marching on.
- Thread starter
- #573
Perma-Sharp #30
Fatip Gentile
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso White
Semogue 1438
2 passes, WTG, XTG
There's no getting away from it, this brush eats lather. I loaded heavier than I did with my Omega and even then I ended up with just about enough for 2 passes but no more. Another difference. As I started lathering, the Semogue brush is a lot softer on the skin and splays easily. Very easily. And then I started yearning for something that my Omega gives me, something that I never thought I'd ask for. More backbone! Now I understand why it's a quality so highly prized by so many, especially face latherers.
Still, I managed to accomplish the shave without the need to reload or relather my neck, the latter partly due to me shaving faster and my improving skin condition overall since I've been able to get back to my regular exercise routine.
And it was another excellent shave all in all, smooth, tug free and irritation free, although I did experience a bit of stinging at the top of my neck when I rinsed at the end. Probably where I shaved a little too close, it didn't amount to anything significant. Very good residual slickness second pass, which I first noticed shaving S-N over my right jawline, far more than anything I've had with Proraso before. Again, I think my skin health played a part.
Great post shave, close and comfortable, no redness or dryness. I'll continue using this brush for the rest of this soap rotation but if it doesn't get closer to the performance of the Omega it'll be taking a back seat.
Fatip Gentile
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso White
Semogue 1438
2 passes, WTG, XTG
There's no getting away from it, this brush eats lather. I loaded heavier than I did with my Omega and even then I ended up with just about enough for 2 passes but no more. Another difference. As I started lathering, the Semogue brush is a lot softer on the skin and splays easily. Very easily. And then I started yearning for something that my Omega gives me, something that I never thought I'd ask for. More backbone! Now I understand why it's a quality so highly prized by so many, especially face latherers.
Still, I managed to accomplish the shave without the need to reload or relather my neck, the latter partly due to me shaving faster and my improving skin condition overall since I've been able to get back to my regular exercise routine.
And it was another excellent shave all in all, smooth, tug free and irritation free, although I did experience a bit of stinging at the top of my neck when I rinsed at the end. Probably where I shaved a little too close, it didn't amount to anything significant. Very good residual slickness second pass, which I first noticed shaving S-N over my right jawline, far more than anything I've had with Proraso before. Again, I think my skin health played a part.
Great post shave, close and comfortable, no redness or dryness. I'll continue using this brush for the rest of this soap rotation but if it doesn't get closer to the performance of the Omega it'll be taking a back seat.
- Thread starter
- #574
Perma-Sharp #31
Fatip Gentile
Semogue 1438
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso Red
Shaves with this razor have now become very easy. So much so that I don't even need to think about it. The angle and pressure have become totally dialled in. I'm not sure I could say whether I shave shallow or steep but I don't think it's steep, nor very shallow either. I'd guess at neutral. I use a considerable amount of pressure at times. It's been over 10 years since I shaved with a cart but I'd be very surprised if I used more pressure then than I do now.
2 passes, WTG, XTG, and no issues at any stage. No tugging, no awkward areas, no uncomfortable strokes, no nervousness. Once again, a close, comfortable shave without irritation and any hint of redness or dryness post shave.
I had to reload the brush between passes. I reckon I use twice as much soap with the Semogue as I do the Omega. But what I'm really missing, no, craving, is backbone. I'm not sure I can hold out to the end of my soap rotation. I gotta admit the truth. I'm a backbone junkie. And in such a short space of time, too. Kids, just say no!
Fatip Gentile
Semogue 1438
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso Red
Shaves with this razor have now become very easy. So much so that I don't even need to think about it. The angle and pressure have become totally dialled in. I'm not sure I could say whether I shave shallow or steep but I don't think it's steep, nor very shallow either. I'd guess at neutral. I use a considerable amount of pressure at times. It's been over 10 years since I shaved with a cart but I'd be very surprised if I used more pressure then than I do now.
2 passes, WTG, XTG, and no issues at any stage. No tugging, no awkward areas, no uncomfortable strokes, no nervousness. Once again, a close, comfortable shave without irritation and any hint of redness or dryness post shave.
I had to reload the brush between passes. I reckon I use twice as much soap with the Semogue as I do the Omega. But what I'm really missing, no, craving, is backbone. I'm not sure I can hold out to the end of my soap rotation. I gotta admit the truth. I'm a backbone junkie. And in such a short space of time, too. Kids, just say no!
There are times when “Aww yeah!” is the only answer
Speaking of which, I’ve read Omega’s 40033 has all the backbone.
- Thread starter
- #577
From a trusted source:
The Omega 40033 has enough backbone to hold up your car while you change a tire. The handle feels cramped, so I added three O-rings to mine. Makes a world of difference.
- Thread starter
- #579
Thanks, trusted source indeed.
I just had a look on Connaught. The dimensions of the knot are similar to my 51, just 1mm smaller on the diameter. I really like the handle. And the price. It's a definite maybe.
For less than £6 before shipping, you can have a boar with enough backbone to double as a jack stand.
