Gentlemen of B&B
(This 1st paragraph is just me rambling on and on cause I got too excited. Skip paragraph to below for the METHOD) If there is 1 thing that this cursed COVID Pandemic is good for is the discovery I'm about to tell you(Hopefully you'll agree). Ever since joining the traditional wet shaving world 2.5 years ago I developed an obsession with it. However, unfortunately I was also cursed with very hard water. Regardless of never achieving that ultimate smooth(couldn't even say just smooth because there always was a certain degree of tugging no matter what even though it got better as I got new tools. Looking at your razorock game changer and Arko) and often getting mild-moderate irritation(still better than CARTS) due to hard water I still persevered because my love for the hobby went beyond just getting an amazingly smooth shave. I tried almost every single tip and trick, given on this and every other shaving forum, for dealing with hard water to no avail. Around 2 months ago, close to the time when the pandemic broke out, I was about to order some Sodium Citrate as I never tried it before and it was my last hope. Unfortunately, in the end all of Italy went into lockdown(I live in Italy quite close to the region where the outbreak began,not Italian though) and so I totally forgot about the whole thing and just proceeded with my shaves as usual for 2 months. Around 2 days ago I came up with an interesting idea and finally tested it today and all I can say is WOOOOOW.
Enough talk. Let's get to business: THE METHOD
1) Fill a Cup/Bowl with shaving cream(I used a plastic cup). Put a generous amount in there(Half as long as your index/middle finger or 1-2 dollops)(I used "proraso white cream" although I'm pretty sure you can use any cream but I chose proraso because it has chelating agents I don't know if hard soap would work which is technically bloom water anyway but you'd need to get alot of soap and that could be awkward and time consuming to do).
2) Once Cup/Bowl is filled with shave cream fill it up with the tap water till half way to 75%. You wanna get soapy SLIIIIIICK WATER.
3)Put brush in the Cup/Bowl and mix the cream and water so you homogenize it and turn into soapy water and then leave the brush in there to soak.(Test for the slickness of water by rubbing your fingers in it. Should be very slick)
4) Take a shower(Optional. I showered and I even scrubbed my face TWICE with a very harsh scrub.I never scrub because it's suicidal for my face considering I'm about to shave but I figured what the heck might as well go all out)
5)VERY IMPORTANT. Once out of the shower DO NOT USE THE HARD TAP WATER NO MATTER WHAT!!!(You should ensure you have enough shaving cream soapy water to last you the entire shave. A half way filled plastic cup was enough for me)
6)Get out of Shower. Proceed to take the brush and let all the soapy water drain from the brush back into the cup, don't waste the soapy water down the sink. Just let gravity do it's work don't flick the brush or anything you want it to have lots of slick water inside
7) Proceed to paint face with soapy water brush(I guess you could just pour some in your hand as well and just rub it into your face. Up to you ). It will suds a little,might even form a mild lather, because well there is a lot of soap mixed into the water. Most of the soapy water will just drip off your face, that's fine
8)After you feel enough slick soapy water is on your face apply Pre shave(This is Optional,I used Proraso Red Pre shave) and mix it into the soapy water film on your face. Lather might form(it's not a big deal). While applying Pre shave let brush soak back in soapy water cup.
9)Once Pre shave is done. Take the brush and let it drain again via gravity and LOAD the LOVE OUT OF your soap of choice,Marco Method basically(I used Proraso Red in the TUB today even though proraso is by far the LEAST SLICKEST SOAP I have, just love the sandalwood scent).
10)Once you've loaded(preferably for a minute). Take some soapy water from the cup into your hands and rub it over your face you wanna get your face nice and wet enough with the slick soapy water right before you start face lathering(Or if you're bowl lathering then your face and the bowl). You'll basically have a combination of Pre-shave,mild lather all watered down with some MORE soapy water right before you start lathering up
11)Proceed to face lather and whatever water you add to the brush as you're building the lather MUST ONLY BE THE SOAPY SLICK WATER from the CUP/BOWL (NEVER HARD WATER FROM THE TAP). You will get a RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF LATHER on your face.
12)Right before you start shaving. DUNK YOUR RAZOR Head in the soapy water and flick of the excess(or keep it on up to you) and begin shaving. When the razor is filled with enough soap after certain amount of strokes, rinse razor under tap water then dunk razor back into soapy water and continue shaving and so on and so on. You always wanna have a slick water layer on your blade and razor head right before starting a stroke.
13) Hopefully, you will have an amazing shave. I know I did. I even did 3 passes. I NEVER DO 3 PASSES!!! Only 2.And it was smoooooth/fast and way less irritation(which is amazing since I scrubbed my face twice before with a harsh scrub and Proraso is my least slickest soap) Just remember always to use the soapy water to dunk your razor head in after you rinsed under tap water and right before starting the shave stroke.
That's it really. If this has all been said before then I deeply apologize. Let me know how you guys get along with this. I know shaving will never be the same for me again and I'm looking forward to trying naturally slicker soaps with this new method. Stay safe everyone.
(This 1st paragraph is just me rambling on and on cause I got too excited. Skip paragraph to below for the METHOD) If there is 1 thing that this cursed COVID Pandemic is good for is the discovery I'm about to tell you(Hopefully you'll agree). Ever since joining the traditional wet shaving world 2.5 years ago I developed an obsession with it. However, unfortunately I was also cursed with very hard water. Regardless of never achieving that ultimate smooth(couldn't even say just smooth because there always was a certain degree of tugging no matter what even though it got better as I got new tools. Looking at your razorock game changer and Arko) and often getting mild-moderate irritation(still better than CARTS) due to hard water I still persevered because my love for the hobby went beyond just getting an amazingly smooth shave. I tried almost every single tip and trick, given on this and every other shaving forum, for dealing with hard water to no avail. Around 2 months ago, close to the time when the pandemic broke out, I was about to order some Sodium Citrate as I never tried it before and it was my last hope. Unfortunately, in the end all of Italy went into lockdown(I live in Italy quite close to the region where the outbreak began,not Italian though) and so I totally forgot about the whole thing and just proceeded with my shaves as usual for 2 months. Around 2 days ago I came up with an interesting idea and finally tested it today and all I can say is WOOOOOW.
Enough talk. Let's get to business: THE METHOD
1) Fill a Cup/Bowl with shaving cream(I used a plastic cup). Put a generous amount in there(Half as long as your index/middle finger or 1-2 dollops)(I used "proraso white cream" although I'm pretty sure you can use any cream but I chose proraso because it has chelating agents I don't know if hard soap would work which is technically bloom water anyway but you'd need to get alot of soap and that could be awkward and time consuming to do).
2) Once Cup/Bowl is filled with shave cream fill it up with the tap water till half way to 75%. You wanna get soapy SLIIIIIICK WATER.
3)Put brush in the Cup/Bowl and mix the cream and water so you homogenize it and turn into soapy water and then leave the brush in there to soak.(Test for the slickness of water by rubbing your fingers in it. Should be very slick)
4) Take a shower(Optional. I showered and I even scrubbed my face TWICE with a very harsh scrub.I never scrub because it's suicidal for my face considering I'm about to shave but I figured what the heck might as well go all out)
5)VERY IMPORTANT. Once out of the shower DO NOT USE THE HARD TAP WATER NO MATTER WHAT!!!(You should ensure you have enough shaving cream soapy water to last you the entire shave. A half way filled plastic cup was enough for me)
6)Get out of Shower. Proceed to take the brush and let all the soapy water drain from the brush back into the cup, don't waste the soapy water down the sink. Just let gravity do it's work don't flick the brush or anything you want it to have lots of slick water inside
7) Proceed to paint face with soapy water brush(I guess you could just pour some in your hand as well and just rub it into your face. Up to you ). It will suds a little,might even form a mild lather, because well there is a lot of soap mixed into the water. Most of the soapy water will just drip off your face, that's fine
8)After you feel enough slick soapy water is on your face apply Pre shave(This is Optional,I used Proraso Red Pre shave) and mix it into the soapy water film on your face. Lather might form(it's not a big deal). While applying Pre shave let brush soak back in soapy water cup.
9)Once Pre shave is done. Take the brush and let it drain again via gravity and LOAD the LOVE OUT OF your soap of choice,Marco Method basically(I used Proraso Red in the TUB today even though proraso is by far the LEAST SLICKEST SOAP I have, just love the sandalwood scent).
10)Once you've loaded(preferably for a minute). Take some soapy water from the cup into your hands and rub it over your face you wanna get your face nice and wet enough with the slick soapy water right before you start face lathering(Or if you're bowl lathering then your face and the bowl). You'll basically have a combination of Pre-shave,mild lather all watered down with some MORE soapy water right before you start lathering up
11)Proceed to face lather and whatever water you add to the brush as you're building the lather MUST ONLY BE THE SOAPY SLICK WATER from the CUP/BOWL (NEVER HARD WATER FROM THE TAP). You will get a RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF LATHER on your face.
12)Right before you start shaving. DUNK YOUR RAZOR Head in the soapy water and flick of the excess(or keep it on up to you) and begin shaving. When the razor is filled with enough soap after certain amount of strokes, rinse razor under tap water then dunk razor back into soapy water and continue shaving and so on and so on. You always wanna have a slick water layer on your blade and razor head right before starting a stroke.
13) Hopefully, you will have an amazing shave. I know I did. I even did 3 passes. I NEVER DO 3 PASSES!!! Only 2.And it was smoooooth/fast and way less irritation(which is amazing since I scrubbed my face twice before with a harsh scrub and Proraso is my least slickest soap) Just remember always to use the soapy water to dunk your razor head in after you rinsed under tap water and right before starting the shave stroke.
That's it really. If this has all been said before then I deeply apologize. Let me know how you guys get along with this. I know shaving will never be the same for me again and I'm looking forward to trying naturally slicker soaps with this new method. Stay safe everyone.
