How about this:

Prior to pass one, load a bit more soap on your damp face than normal. Go against the grain of your beard with the soap. Also, don't forget to wet the end of the stick a wee bit. Completely wet your brush, then close your hand around it, wringing almost all the water from the brush. Go to town on the soap on your face. It will be too thick at this point. Then add water. Just add water slowly...

When I need to add water to the brush, I cup a hand under the running faucet and add water a few drops at a time. I add it above the soap on the bristles near the handle, allowing the water (via gravity) to run down the bristles into the loaded tips. This keeps the soap in the brush...and doesn't dilute the soap as much as a dunk in a cup of water. Wet face lightly and proceed with second pass the same way. I always have enough for three thickly lathered passes, using TSD, La Toja, or Arko--all on a Plisson Synthetic.

Edited first paragraph for clarity.

I feel your pain brother, and your shame!
The knock-on-the–door,-jump-out-of-the-shower smacked me once or twice myself. Actually the first time it happened was the day I met Mrs. F.

Long story but it's been nearly 30 years ago!

And I'd have showed that neighbor kid the next Halloween, I tell ya!

And nothing like the zing of sweat in the middle of the day to remind us that we nicked , or used too much pressure and irritated the skin. I guess some sins we never stop paying for! Ya'd think that the initial alum and aftershave zap would have been enough penance - Not!

I believe it was Jeff Foxworthy who said "I read an article about spicing up your love life by greeting your wife at the door, in the nude. Now I'm getting sued by UPS".

Just so I'm clear, what you're saying is by doing this I don't need to reload the soap stick on the face prior to the second pass or third pass.

And I now get the benefit you speak of by adding water drop by drop while inverting the brush and adding water at the bottom of the bristles near the handle. Never occurred to me.

Thanks Doc, that sure beats putting the lime in the coconut!

I only load my face once at the start, but heavily.

Wow. When I first started DE shaving I used Lucky Tiger Cleansing Cream the same way. Talk about slick. After my lathering mistake today, I just might go back to that for awhile.

Thanks for the reminder Mr. Bill!

I'm on it tomorrow!

It's gonna work like a champ!

There are like three jokes there.

Tomorrow:

Skip your preshave oil. Go nuts with the Arko. Oil debases soap.

Trust.

Day 16 - 17 August 2015

30 Day Rule - Phoenix OC


​

Just the usual synthetic-lathered shave stick goodness for the 2 pass automatic smoothness. Alum was quiet, and the Clubman was Clubman. Saw a funnel cloud today. It rained too! Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a terrific Tuesday!
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Oh my Bird, fascinating to read the adjustment in the hold. If next month is gonna be SEptember, you gotta stick around. Between Master Bama S and you, you're sure to get a bunch of us thinking twice about moving SEs into our usual rotation.

I've got about 5 SEs ready to go next month.

Yeah, that's right Mrs. Bill_F ! I got 5! And 5 SEs at that. And I plan to use each one of 'em.

(Sorry Bill, got a bit carried away. Must be the altitude.)

See you in September!

Thank you for great instructions!

Oh my, this guy's repertoire has no limit!

Oh now, is this more a reaction to the post below?

You gotta understand Neal. After all the fun I had on the last trip with the 'Crat, I noticed a distinct change in attitude about TSD by Mrs. F.

So you'll note that he didn't make this trip.
You think you're mad, I had to lock the drawer he lives in!

What? You're gonna use one in each hand?

His music vid linking ability is unsurpassed. He always nails it.

Mrs. Samurai thought TSD was some razor cult my first sixty days. She now understands that it's more like a close knit group of fanatics, a subtle distinction, but nonetheless important. Her biggest question was if I sanitized my razor after photographing in the snow. It takes time.

My pleasure!

Shave stick/synthetic combo is my current weapon of choice, I may never use a bowl again. I think I will do Arko/Plisson and Pinaud products (on top of the ISZ) for SEptember--with Schick injectors and good old modern Chinese Schick blades.

Wasn't going to. I am thinking something more fun than that. Disco may, or may not, in fact, be a key component of my current brainstorm. But it really doesn't matter, it all turns into shenanigans on this thread after 22:00 PDT no matter what we do...

I should put Feather in the Phoenix. It's so cool that you're using the actual vintage model that was copied as the Phoenix.