Good morning, all! I've been at this about five months, and still consider myself a newbie. So, once again, I'm seeking the counsel of my (practical) elders. 1) I use a soup mug for lathering. When I'm soaking my brush beforehand, the entire thing falls down into the mug. My current brush has a stainless handle, so I don't worry about it. If I ever pick up a wood-handled brush, is it safe to assume that the wood will have been treated, so leaving it in the water won't be a problem? 2) I've not had much luck with soaps, but I picked up a VDH Luxury yesterday. Do you all just drop your puck in your mug and leave it? I could swear I read somewhere on this site how some people "mash the puck" down into the bottom so it fits/stays put. 3) What do you do with your DE/SE blades between shaves? Leave them in the razor "as is," dry everything with a hair dryer, towel dry, take it out to air dry, wash the razor every day, etc.? I did read another thread on this issue, but I'd like some more input. As always . . . thank you.
Hello I rinse my razor after shaving. Take razor apart. Remove blade, towl dry razor, blow on blade. Reassemble with blade ready for next shave. I mash my puck to form mug. Brush. I don't worry about it.
1 - I used to soak my brushes, also. I've found over the years it (soaking) really isn't necessary for either badger or boar. That said, my brushes will sit in hot water for 2-3 minutes while I apply my PSO. I do not allow my wooden handle brushes (I have two - one badger, one boar) to remain submerged for any longer than that even though they are treated. My thinking is better safe than sorry. 2 - I, too, purchased my first puck of VDH Luxury yesterday! I took it out of the clamshell container it was in, set in a small clear glass bowl and melted it down in the microwave. If you don't like the idea of melting (which you can't do with a tallow or triple milled soap) I place about a tablespoon of water in the mug or bowl of choice, drop the puck in, then after it has set for a while and the bottom has softened, push it down into place. Let it dry overnight and it will usually stay "glued" in place. 3 - Since I use a different razor every day, the blade comes out after the shave and I hand strop it. That does two things - it dries the blade and, in my opinion, smooths it out just the same way stropping a str8 razor does. Back when I only had one razor, I left the blade in the razor, but I did smack the end of the razor into a towel I held in my hand. That got most of the water out. Never did have any rust or corrosion issues at all.
Re: 3, I rinse the razor with the blade in it under hot running water, then just leave it until my next shave. Only time the razor comes apart is when I'm changing blades. My feeling is that there's more potential for damage (to the blade's edge and/or myself) than any good I could do. Many brands of blades have a note on the packaging that says something like "do not wipe blades." But I've only been at it about a month longer than you.
You'll have to assume that, yes. Unless specified otherwise. I've never bothered with worrying about it. I see my brushes as a tool and don't assume they last many years. The puck goes into a jar, mug, container, something and then you load your brush on it. Then you use your regular bowl to lather it up with the amount of water you need. That's how I do it. I don't face lather. I dry the excess water without touching the blade and then I just drip dry it in my mug along with my brush. No need to go extra lengths here, unless you want to of course. But then it should be out of pure tinkering joy and not necessity. I only take my razors apart to clean when changing blades. And then it's not every time I bother with the cleaning.
Wood handles should be treated for water resistance, but some are treated more effectively than others. So you need to look before you buy. Or if you really love it & don't trust the waterproofing, add a couple of coats of polyurethane yourself.
Melting the soap . . . I've not thought of that. Do you leave it in the small glass bowl, or pour it into your shave mug?
First, make sure the bowl you're putting into the microwave is microwave safe! One member here shattered his Old Spice mug in the nuker. Nuke on high for 8-10 seconds. KEEP FINGER ON STOP BUTTON AND HIT IT IF THE SOAP STARTS TO BOIL. Let rest for 5 seconds or so. Nuke for another 8-10 seconds. Repeat until soap is melted. Once melted, you can leave it in the bowl you just used, or pour it into mug of choice.
As Steve mentioned what he does above, I also use a different razor each day. Because of this rotation, I do take the time to thoroughly rinse (after disassembly) and towel-dry each part, and reassemble the razor. The blade is rinsed & dried and set aside for the next day. The blade will be discarded if it is has had more than 2 uses. IF I don't remove the blade & just simply rinse the razor and let it air dry, I have found that within a week or so of non-use, the blade will begin to rust within the razor. This whole cleaning process takes an additional 2 minutes or so, tops. It is worth the effort, IMO.
I've had used blades sitting in in my razors for weeks (3-4) with no rust issues. Ready to use on next rotation.
1) I use a stainless steel bowl the same size as the VDH ceramic bowl as a lather bowl and to soak my brush while I shower..What I do is put enough hot water in the sink to cover the bowl and then put a wash towel over the bowl and stick my brush(just the bristles) into the towel letting the handle stick out...My handle is resin so I don't worry about water with but I do worry a little about the glued part of the knot getting loose and separating from the handle because of the hot water soak..So far it's working well with no problems... 2) VDH soap is whats known as a "melt and pour" shave soap..You can melt it using short bursts in the microwave to fit the storage container your using.... 3) I leave my blade in the razor between shaves...when I finish my shave I loosen the head and rinse the blade out well, then I use a hair dryer to dry it out completely, then retighten the head for the next shave....When I change the blade I'll dismantle the head and clean the head of soap scum completely....
