Yes. The hot water method seems to do three things. 1. It allows the soap to break down a bit and "accept" the menthol completely. 2. It prevents the methol from cooking out of the soap as direct heat would. I found that I do not like the direct heat method when working with menthol. 3. It allows the soap to be in a greater state of readiness since it is not as "thirsty" and it seems easier to create great lather without having to add as much water. You can probably get away with half the amount of water and have success. You will need to spend some time stirring the mixture a little more before it re-hardens to make sure the menthol absorption is consistent through the soap.
For my Saturday freeze: Neutrogena Men Facial Wash Large Horsehair Barbershop Super Speed/Derby day 6 Stirling Frozen Tundra SS Stirling Glacial Obsidian AS Balm Osage Rub AS Old Spice Cologne Although not as cold as a Glacial soap, the Frozen Tundra is still almost cold enough to be considered a hyper-mentholated soap. Its scent is unique and awesome, (hard for me to describe) its lather is so easy to build as well as very rich, slick, and dense, with typically perfect Stirling skincare. The Glacial Obsidian balm is a MENTHOL ATOM BOMB and so is the Rubby Dubby Doo. My Derby blade is still delivering terrific closeness and smoothness - my beard is tough as hell, but I wind up BBS every day when I use this brand.
Saturday's Dove Men Face Wash RazoRock P.160 Jayaruh #14 Finest Badger Gem Push-button GEM Stainless CWR, Asma Alum Block Thayers Lemon WH Pinaud Clubman The RazoRock P.160 Shave Soap face-lathered well with my Jayaruh #14 Finest Badger brush. Two passes with my Gem Push-button razor and a GEM Stainless SE blade gave me a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse, alum block, and a final cold water rinse, I finished off with Thayers Lemon WH and then Pinaud Clubman after shave. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...
SOTD 28 August 2015 30 Day Rule - Phoenix OC Phoenix OC Rapira Swedish Supersteel (2) L'Occitane Plisson Synthetic La Toja Shave Stick Alum TSD 2x Iced Barber Shoppe AS Splash Have a wonderful weekend!
Thanks. Finishing up the GEMs for a while. I will start in with my Schicks for SEptember on Monday (I know, Monday is still August).
8-28-2015 Hot Shower prep with Stirling Soap Works Ben Franklin Soap. Razor - Birth Year Gillette Slim Adjustable 1964 (4) Blade - Astra SP (3) Brush - Plisson Lather - Proraso White Bowl - Fine Lather Warm rinse, Maggard alum block then cool rinse Finished up with Lucky Tiger Four pass to a nice BBS - a couple of weepers on the front of the chin but still a great shave
SOTD - Friday, August 28, 2015 Cool shower Prep: Homemade Lavender PSO Brush: Rubberset 49-4, TGN finest 28mm Soap: Cella Razor: Weber PH Bulldog Blade: SuperMax Ti (4) Aftershave: Clubman
Razor: Eversharp Hydro-Magic Blade: Schick (China) (5) Brush: @oscar11 Marigold Soap: Tabac Post: Cold Water & Thayer's AS: Aqua Velva
SOTD 51 The Victor straight Star Shaving strop Ever Ready 100 w/20mm TGN Finest Shannon's Soap Silk Pajamas(not shown) Old Spice Ship Friendship mug Vintage Avon Deep Woods ('27 Bugatti decanter)
August Focus - Slim and Feather AC August 28 Razor - 1964 Gillette Slim (J1) Blade - (1) Brush - Vie Long 12601 Soap - Tabac Post - Cold water, Alum, The Veg Changing to a super sharp blade today so a bit of change in protocol. Instead of starting the Slim on 5 I'm dialing down to 3. The Feather gave a fantastic shave at 3 so that will be the starting benchmark. The pony and Tabac for the lather and again, really really a nice result. I have definitely gotten my two favorite soaps nailed down...Tabac and MWF. The Vie Long 12601 and the Omega 10066 both seem to work equally well with each soap and my other brushes aren't that far behind. I notice the Arko and Proraso sit on the shelf a bit forlorn right now. First pass with the Kai on 3 was extremely smooth. Very nice and very close for a first pass. No issues or concerns except to get the lather on for the XTG. Second pass just as smooth and I was DFS at the end of the pass. A few minor touch ups and I was rinsing, enjoying a nearly burn free alum splash and had the Veg on and out the door. Fantastic shave with this combination. Tomorrow I'm going to dial down to 2 just to see what happens.
I honestly haven't shaved in a few days. I was helping my mom move A few states away and then I started a job that didn't require shaving everyday. They just require trimmed and shaped facial hair if facial hair is worn. Its been rough trying to get ready for 3 kids birthday parties and keep up the house while working 7-3 everyday and having to bicycle the few miles to work because the cars have all broken down or are being borrowed by people with greater need. I will start fresh next month with a SE theme. Not really a focus since I have an injector, a gem, and a shavette that could all be considered SE. I'll start with the shavette to knock off the few days growth then whichever gets here first in the mail will be my first 2 weeks and the other will be the last 2 weeks with an occasional foray into the shavette on my days off work. I will also be regrowing some kind of facial hair so I'll have to practice trimming it and shaving around it with these new to me razors. I miss shaving but I have other things to do and it has been pushed back into the background for this last week of the month. I hope to be featuring my adventures in shaving on the first of the month since that will be my first day off the new job and I can catch up on sleep and shaving that day.
Midnight shave w/ the Schick Paul Revere. Really tired and wanted something that would get me clean shaven with very little effort and risks of nicking myself and Mr Revere delivered brilliantly. Love this "little" razor. Gear Razor: Schick Paul Revere Blade: Schick injector Brush: Rubberset 400 Soap: Fitjar Isros A/S: Anherb
