30 Day Rule/Focus; February 2025. All Are Welcome.

I had a full beard for a year or two about a decade ago and then went back to cleanshaven. This time it has been strictly a 2025 winter thing - brought on by a severe and prolonged cold snap. If I have a beard I don't really need a scarf. It will probably disappear in the spring or summer anyway.

 

thank you John.

 

thanks Gary

Great post and pic Jeff

Classy setup as usual Gary

Great super platinum shave Joe. Is that the made in India one?

Thanks Joe

Great shave Barry. Hope it hasn't messed up your Face ID thingie, if you have those!

 

Saturday 22 Feb 2025

Belated post:

Soap = Hold your breath, it’s a MWF day again


Brush = Omega EVO synthetic, because it worked last time
Bowl = face lathering, then back the bowl
Razor = Gillette Red Tip
Blade = Dorco Prime Platinum (1) felt a bit rough, so off to the bin it goes
Post = Usual CWR, Alum, rinse, pat dry, Thayer’s rose petal, Nivea Balm
ASL = Imperial Leather
Scent = Prada Ocean Luna Rossa
Score = 8/10
Damage: none, but the Alum was red hot chili pepper

Another miserable Mitchell’s Wool Fat day
Had this soaking for the last two days and placed in a sealed Zip Lock back. The bag was full of condensation and when I removed the MWF container I saw that the condensate in the bottom of the plastic bag had what looked like lanolin in the water. So this still leaches out around the non sealing lid of the fancy container

50 swirls on the puck with a barely moist synthetic EVO. Too thick. Dried out from the face after not even ¼ the way through the first pass. Back to the puck, loaded more, added more water. The frothy mess again dissipated from the face in clear view. Back to the bowl with some more water, but this still turned out a disaster

Rinsed the MWF from the brush and finished up the 3rd pass using just the T & H No 10 shaving gel. Way better, but decided to leave things alone after 3 passes. More stubble left for the next shave

The MWF has sealed its fate. I will leave it open to completely dry out and then decide on its destiny

Sad to say I have 4 more unopened refills of the Tallow MWF

MWF 0 + 0 + 1 +0.5 + 1 +1 + 0.5 + 1 + 1 + 0 = 6
Sterling 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 +1 = 9

Hope you all had a great Saturday

 

Sunday Shave: 23 Feb 2025

Soap = Stirling Bergamot and Lavender
Brush = Omega 10049
Bowl = white plastic
Razor = Gillette Red Tip B4
Blade = Derby Premium (1)
Passes = 2 plus touch ups
Post = Usual CWR, Alum, rinse, pat dry, Thayer’s rose petal, Nivea Balm
ASL = Imperial Leather
Scent = Prada Ocean Luna Rossa
Score = 9.9 / 10
Damage: none

Superb lather. The Stirling held its shape and moisture in the bowl and on the face throughout the duration of the shave
The Derby Premium is not the sharpest but quite safe even in the Red Tip, allowing for as many as 6 to 8 strokes per area in both passes. Minor pickups only needed
Superb shave

MWF 0 + 0 + 1 +0.5 + 1 +1 + 0.5 + 1 + 1 = 6
Sterling 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 +1 + 1 = 10

 

Thank you John.

 

That's a shame Chris, because MWF is a great shaving soap.

Here is my method with MWF and other tripled milled hard soaps...
1. I use tepid rather than hot water.
2. I like to use a brush with some backbone rather than soft brush for face lathering I like to use a boar brush, even though synthetics work better for me when bowl lathering. YMMV.
3. I soak both the soap and brush in tepid water for 2+ minutes.
4. Start loading with a drier than normal brush. I've also tried it with a wetter brush, which works, but it's a little messy. YMMV.
5. when I first started to use MWF I lathered upside down so the lather would fill up the brush bristles, however, I get just the same results vice versa.
6. I load the brush heavily, double the time as with other soaps. I know you do this, but when you think you have lathered enough, give it a few extra swirls.
7. last but not least, when I face lather I add drops of water to brush tips as needed.

This works for me Chris.

Note: The pucks of MWF you have may be faulty, unfortunately this happens from time to time, especially with shaving soaps.

Yours- Barry.

 

23rd February 2025.


​

Shaving Recipe for today.

Prep: Warm shower:/ Cien Men Energize Shower Gel.

Pre:
Cold wet flannel to my face.
Wrights Coal Tar bar Soap.
Brush: Wilkinson Sword Boar.
Bowl Lather.
Bowl: Ikea Kalas Side Bowl.
Lather: Wilkinson Sword Soap Bowl.
Blade: King C. Gillette. (D2)
Razor: King C. Gillette.

Post:
Cold Water face rinse./Cold water face wash with brush squeezing's,/Alum Rub./Cold Water Rinse./Homemade (~Autumn/Winter mix~) peppermint lavender, eucalyptus, + Tea Tree essential Oils Mixed Together With Care+Witch Hazel./Brut Splash-On Lotion./Cien Cocoa Butter Body Lotion.

Greetings,

Everything in my shave set up paired together superbly making my Sunday morning shave a pleasurable experience.

Finishing the shave off with a few small dollops of Cien Cocoa Butter Body Lotion.

My face is feeling super smooth & smelling divine.

Keep safe and enjoy your Sunday ladies & gentlemen.

 

Chris, hard shaving soaps and lathering are very much a YMMV situation. Having said that, since you are having so much trouble with the MWF right now, maybe go in completely the opposite direction? I sometimes get good results with hard soaps like MWF or Martin de Candre etc. if I load lightly.

To me, 50 swirls seems like a LOT of soap loading. Doing 50 swirls on a hydrated puck should mean that you have a brush absolutely packed with soap. And it isn't working at all. So what would happen if instead you started by wetting your brush and then shaking it out so it was "damp dry" and then only did 5 or 10 swirls on the puck? Paint that on your face, adding a bit of water as needed to increase the lather.

Just a suggestion. But since the heavier and heavier loading isn't working, maybe worth a try?

 

Glad to see you picked up and ran with the MWF torch. It’s pretty much been my main soap for the last 7 or 8 years. Nice to see you British Commonwealth guys supporting each other!

 

I’m not familiar with that Wright’s coal tar bar soap. Do you get a decent lather from it? Take care and enjoy your weekend my limey friend!

 

Great MWF suggestions, John. The damp dry technique is pretty much my method.

 

Hello Jeff, The Wright’s coal tar bar soap makes a wonderful pre shave. However, the now Wright's traditional Soap no longer contains no coal tar, and has now been replaced by tea tree oil for its antibacterial properties. It's got a clean medical fragrance, which I like. I also like to use Pears original transparent bar soap to for a pre shave.

 

Thanks Chris. I am not sure if that blade was made in India.

 

It's a shame that you're still having a tough time with MWF. May I suggest going on YouTube and see if there are videos on how to get a good MWF lather.

 

Stirling for the score! Great comeback Chrs!

 

Awesome setup and shave Barry.

 

Thank you Joe.

 

thank you Chris.Was a fantastic shave.

 

i use the pears soap sometimes,nice stuff..i also love the imperial leather soap..