As I delve into the dark depths of Straight shaving, I’m leaning more and more towards wetter/slicker because it’s both needed for better comfort AND I’m going slower so it’s a hedge against drying out.
Good to know. I'll be sure to report once they arrive. I'll try badger, boar, horse and synthetic to see which one works best for me.
Synthetic: My lathering tip is to submerge your brush in water and then squeeze out ALL the water, then load the brush for 30 seconds by swirling on the puck both clockwise and also counterclockwise alternating every 10 seconds. Then face lather by splaying the brush on the tip of your chin and then swirling it on entire face to get the lather started. Now dip the tips of the brush in water and then switch to painting strokes and continue until you see the color turn to yogurt with a bright sheen. When you see the sheen you know that the lather is ready and you can begin shaving. Badger: Put a little bit of water on top of the puck (less than 1 tablespoon) wait for about a minute and then dunk brush in sink-water and squeeze out all the water. Load the puck for 30 seconds same as Synthetic. All remaining steps the same except with badger you probably dont need to add more water before the paintbrush strokes since the bloom water will be absorbed inside of the badger brush. Have fun! Stirling soap takes a little longer to lather than other brands but the extra time is well worth it for the good scents and the great performance of the soap.
This is an exceptional lathering method for Stirling. I lather all my soaps in this manner. @Linuxguile calls this the super goop method.
SOTD April 9th Schick Adjustable Type M Schick Proline B-20(3) Italian Barber Amici Doug Korn Stubby (35mm, Carrier Class) Stirling Mentholated Pre-shave Soap Stirling Glacial Lemon Chill PSB Really liked the Mentholated Pre-Shave Soap on its first outing!
Must be sold out. It's a popular brush Rod probably ordered more. Clayton Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
I heard some people say that the Lil Brudder is better than the tuxedo. Even Nick Shaves awarded the Lil Brudder as synthetic brush of the year 2018. Im going to get one on my next Stirling order Update: Whoops, forgot all about my No Buy 2018 promises.
I thought I saw him use a DE one time.... Rumor has it though it was the same day chuck Norris lost a fight, and big foot was seen in Manhattan.
The only thing I cut Williams with is a grater to make it into sticks. By the way when are you going to sign up across the street? I got something for you. It is only fair that I use a DE now and then. Someone has to show the proper way to do it! As far as lather tips it's easy. Damp brush swirled on soap. Dip tip of brush in water if needed and face lather.
I have both, and love both. I also have the Stirling boar, which has the same handle as the Tux. There aren't any wrong answers, and even with a given user, the daily mood can sway a preference one way or the other..........hence the collections we have. I've got large hands, and appreciate the Boar/Tux handle a LOT. It's comfortable to hold w/o feeling like a hand cramp is around the corner, and has a heavy resin feel that just feels substantial. I could actually get by in life with only the Stirling Boar and Tux, and depending on if I wanted buttery smooth, or a little scritch, I'd have the great handle, great looks, great backbone, great flow-through, and a total of $20 invested in the pair. They travel well in a toilet paper tube too. The Lil' Brudder could easily be a stand-alone brush for the guy who wants a simple life. Being a synthetic it dries quickly and only time will tell if it lasts forever..........and it likely will. It's got enough backbone in its 22x51mm knot to load and build lather, very soft tips, and decent flow-through. The handle is a satisfying shape and weight, and "big enough" for utilitarian purposes. And it's priced about like an inexpensive Omega boar. Mine ends up getting used a lot. Especially with my favorite soaps that I use more than others, because I can easily get a three pass shave plus touch-ups and the soap tub doesn't look touched, other than being wet.
Tonight I decided to dig to the bottom of the Stirling pile for Gentleman. I only used it once or twice and was disappointed that the tobacco smell was fresh, not pipe/humidor. For some reason I my mood allowed me to give the scent another chance, and I'm glad I picked Gentleman. I used my Tuxedo (all this chat about brushes) and loaded her up like I didn't care how long the tub lasted. Big sweeping strokes of creamy wet lather felt awesome, and I liked the scent this time. I chose my Merkur 34C that I hadn't used in a while (keeping with the theme) and while it did the job, it didn't perform as well, or as enjoyably as my Merkur 1904 OC. Still a good shave though. I topped it off with Skin Bracer which paired well to my unsophisticated nose, and which is probably my all-time favorite scent. It's unsophisticated, warm, and honest.
Great to see you and your friends Fuzzy. I figured a little Williams bait could draw you to this end of the universe. Be well!
