I'm hoping B w/o B does not preclude the President from making application denial to unrepentant members of the Dry Soap Shard Alliance.
Not offering safe space here at Bw/oB for either pro or con. It's all about sharing the message that everyone gets their soap wet. Timing and quantity of hydration vary but we're all in it for the lather. If the D.S.S.A. can figure out how to wet shave without the use of water or other similar hydrating materials I'll be surprised.
B w/0B worx for me. Means we welcome everyone and anyone. It appears we are competing against the D double-S A
I would refer you to @Primotenore, our President, for the best answer to your question. However, as Vice-President, I'll just say, get in the habit of wetting your brush(ands of course shaking it dry)prior to applying it to the soap for loading. Or, do a quick job of wetting the soap, especially any soap you haven't used for a while. By "quick" I mean just that-don't drown the soap in water-just a few sprinkles. Hey @Primotenore, he called us distinguished, I like him, already.
I wouldn't call it a competition. We of Bw/oB are a loosely organized number of individuals gathered to promote the many ways of introducing water to soap. That other group is more of a syndrome, a collection of symptoms with no specific cause. If you enjoy making lather your way, you already are! To continue in good standing pay attention when others remark about how they make theirs. The act of "Blooming" specifically refers to getting a hard soap puck wet prior to loading soap on to the brush. It's not a procedure that lends itself to cream or soft soap products. If a Shaver only uses one soap day after day, it may not be necessary as the hydration level of the puck is maintained with repeated uses. Should the Shaver possess several, many, even a plethora of brands or varied scents of shave soap there's the possibility that they may become dry between uses. Bam! Bloom it.
Then I am a member then, I face and head lather from the puck. It works out quite well for me. Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Hard ones are those that SHOULD be bloomed...which I do. Not necessary with softer ones, although I think it's still good to rinse the brush in them(but just a little).
VP Paul @Paul Turner covered the mechanics of necessity. Or call it convenience if you will. If a soap is dry be it quintuple milled Klar, triple milled Tabac, some valued vintage that's bereft of the manufacturers original formula's dampness splashing on a little water aids in getting plenty of lather. Should you possess a large inventory of modern croaps that don't get used often enough they become hard soaps through evaporation. I've heard of folks intentionally drying creams to achieve a hard soap like consistency; Made in India Old Spice tubed cream. That's all the mechanics and alchemy of blooming. As to membership in Bw/oB, part of our mission is to share the good news that loading soap doesn't need be a chore. Getting a good load on your brush defeats the "Load More Product" problem that is common for New Shavers. Bloom, Load Heavily, and Enjoy Your Lather. It's OK to waste a little soap, they'll make more. Another portion of our message is that everyone hydrates their soap. There's an exception for those that use canned shave cream straight up. I'm a bit of a Heretic over in the Brotherhood of Barbasol for my methods; I shoot a blob into my shave bowl, punch the air out of it with my brush, and hydrate it to a more shiny wet consistency. I know - madness, right? One man's milk is another's stinky cheese. So if you feel the need to share your lathering technique and it includes adding water to soap, you are a bloomer. Personally I consider anyone who enjoys "Wet Shaving" already in. They just don't know it.
I have taken notice that members of the Mayflower Old Dry Shard Soap Alliance, regularly miss the little holes placed in certain shaving scuttles that permit the blooming effect of the hot water on the underside of a soap. One could draw many conclusions about this strange behavior and hypocrisy in their blind dry soap faith, or just conclude that they just need something to whine about. Can get them some cheese for that whine.
