If you need to bloom a soap you have either the wrong soap for your brush, or the wrong brush for the soap. Or the wrong soap period. It is a daft thing to do. (Imho obv.) It ruins the soap and is a waste. If you really can't load your brush quickly and easily without drowning the puck, go and buy a cream.
Welcome to TSD @BlueShaver! Glad you signed up and have joined the discussion. Don't know if you've lurked and are up to speed, or jumping in fresh. This Blooming topic has been around and around, and bowls versus face lathering, too. The best part about TSD is we eventually agree to disagree if our minds are made up. I do hope the Newbies and Undecided gain wisdom from this back and forth discussion. In the end it's still up to each Shaver to choose the Right Way or however others do it. Tapatalk Spam Tag
Hello I am fairly up to speed on the horrors of blooming soap lol. I watch PaulH on Youtube (great bloke and blog). He too, Blooms his soaps for no good reason and then pours most of it down the sink *facepalm*. I shout at him when he does it! Blooming soaps if for limp wristed fairies who are using mega expensive, super soft badger brushes to load from pucks of trippled milled soap whilst being scared to death of ruining the knot. Use a boar brush for hard pucks. Badgers are for croaps and creams. *ducks back behind the fence*
I've come to much the same realization about economical hard soaps and stiff brushes versus floppy bristles and prehydrated more expensive price per ounce soaps. As long as we maintain a Gentlemanly or Ladylike disposition the debate will continue! If any girly men or manly women should chime in we'll gladly hear their views. The Shave Den is a special place amongst Shave Forums (or Fora if you prefer traditional Latin forms) in that we are accepting of others choices even if it flies in the face of our own personal experience. Some of the afore mentioned or read discussion & disagreement in this very thread is carried over from multiple other threads. Have you perused Bloomers without Borders? You are cordially invited to share your views there too!
Thanks @BigD! I keep throwing them out there. Sometimes they are appreciated. (If you have to explain a joke it's not as funny. Click HERE if the cartoon makes no sense.)
I wasn't going to get involved in this copycat thread, but the above post forced my hand. @BlueShaver You might find there are quite a few members who don't share your opinion.
We have some chronologically challenged members that have received their inculcation from modern educational systems. You and I know about typewriters, they grew up with touch screens. Ok...ok, don't tell me. I got the middle one - a back scratcher. I'm a wood butcher so the hand saw is evident. No clue what the two objects on the left are supposed to be. Having been around a few cows in my time, they'd have difficulty using any of those... That's why I list my SOTD equipment to include a suribachi. It'll eat the skin off a knuckle if used in a manner other than that described by the manufacturer which is precisely what I misuse it for.
@wristwatchb My synth method: Splash a tbsp of hydrogen hydroxide onto the soap. Apply dry synth, swirl until it picks up the water. Lather in to wet face, adding water to the brush knot to adjust consistency. I don't have the heart to tell these dudes that they're all misusing the shave bowl. Glad I have you to confide in!
Classy post from a classy member. Others should aspire to your greatness, Chris. Instead, they join and akin this forum to Reddit. Little do they know.