Shave of the Day 2015

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Face Wash : Shower
Brush : Trumper SB3
Soap : Tabac Shave Stick
Razor : Feather AS-D2
Blade : Feather [1]
After Shave Splash : Proraso Green

My good friend @Lifes a Peach has turned the screw even further this week - he now informs me that bowl lathering and synthetic brushes are "Dark Side". That's in addition to straights and Kamisoris. In the spirit of surviving the ongoing torment, I got me a Tabac Shave Stick and tried my first ever face lather. First observation : what a time saver! The whole shave from go to whoah took less than a quarter of the time than my normal, indulgent Dark Side shave. Second observation : the time saving comes at a price - the satisfaction level goes down accordingly, even though the end result may be fantastic.

I think I'll rename my shave cave to "The Death Star" and quietly slip back to the Dark Side...
 
Draco Noir said:
My good friend @Lifes a Peach has turned the screw even further this week - he now informs me that bowl lathering and synthetic brushes are "Dark Side". That's in addition to straights and Kamisoris. In the spirit of surviving the ongoing torment, I got me a Tabac Shave Stick and tried my first ever face lather. First observation : what a time saver! The whole shave from go to whoah took less than a quarter of the time than my normal, indulgent Dark Side shave. Second observation : the time saving comes at a price - the satisfaction level goes down accordingly, even though the end result may be fantastic.
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What a friend is LaP! He is helping you out like a true mate- pointing you to the better...

Face lathering doesn't only save time but is more enjoyable IMO. The feeling of the lather, the sensation of the bristles on the face, the warmth of the lather during winter... You bowl latherers miss out BIG time!!! The bristles are exfoliating your face and helping those whiskers rise up in the lathering. You can get a feel for the lather consistency with lathering on the face rather than purely by sight alone by bowl lathering. It really adds to the experience and calming nature of the wet shave.

Face lathering is the way to go! A bowl lather for me has always been less enjoyable for these reasons (yes, you smell the lather, but you smell it more on the face when you lather on it!). It's far more than simply "saving time", but elevates the experience of the wet shave.

I feel that new shavers start with creams and bowl lathering as it seem "easier" to assess your lather. But with experience and time, a true wet shaver will graduate to face lathering as they know their lather and don't need to simplistically use a bowl.

Forceful, but true my brother in the shave! I feel LaP is a true friend for pointing you to the best.
 
I'm sure bowl lathering is nothing more than an attempt to recreate the old fashioned barber shop experience. And I'm also sure that the barber shop method was an attempt to achieve a good shave without face lathering. After all, you've got the perfect stubbly substrate for the creation of lather that also benefits from getting wet and massaged literally staring you in the face. But a customer wouldn't feel comfortable with firstly hot water being splashed over their face and then cream/soap being applied followed by a pummelling with a brush to create lather.

I agree, face lathering gives you a far better appreciation of brush quality and how to create a great lather because you can feel and hear it. And, there is less stuff to clean up afterwards. It's not that long ago that face lathering was virtually unheard of in the US. No wonder that B&B is littered with "I can't get a decent lather" threads and people coming up with "methods" that require lab equipment, atomic clocks and a standardised compass to determine if you're swirling in an easterly or westerly direction.
 
I think I've only ever tried it a few times.
Face lathering makes so much more sense.

Unless ,of course, you live somewhere it actually gets cold in Winter, and you value warm lather.
 
eggbert said:
I think I've only ever tried it a few times.
Face lathering makes so much more sense.

Unless ,of course, you live somewhere it actually gets cold in Winter, and you value warm lather.
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Well, you dip your brush in hot water as you go along so the first pass is always hot to start with and I dip it for the second and third passes too. A good soap can always take a bit more water. Of course there are people who shave with cold water and I would say that they have definitely gone over to the dark side.
 
jalex said:
Nothing 5 seconds in the microwave wont fix.
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Yes this is true, but after you've walked through the house to the kitchen to collect a hot towel, then walk through the house halfway through a shave to heat your bowl of lather, then walk through the house to collect a towel from the fridge (this towel hot/cold towel thing is one of @stillshunter crazy ideas) I'm sure my family would firstly freak and then call the nearest institution to ensure I'm carted off in a straight jacket.

Anyhow BOT:

Nothing new. The occasional SE splurge and shaves with my SPUD loaded with vintage blades. By the way I'm not too impressed with the Aussie Gillettes. Good for a shave or four but a bit ratty after that. Been using MWF almost exclusively with the odd Tabac or Irisch Moos thrown in.
 
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Pjotr said:
Well, you dip your brush in hot water as you go along so the first pass is always hot to start with and I dip it for the second and third passes too. A good soap can always take a bit more water. Of course there are people who shave with cold water and I would say that they have definitely gone over to the dark side.
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Even if my cold water is warmer than your hot?
 
filobiblic said:
What a friend is LaP! He is helping you out like a true mate- pointing you to the better...

Face lathering doesn't only save time but is more enjoyable IMO. The feeling of the lather, the sensation of the bristles on the face, the warmth of the lather during winter......

Forceful, but true my brother in the shave! I feel LaP is a true friend for pointing you to the best.
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Just reciprocating Mr @Draco Noir 's fine words of wisdom and recommendations over the past year :) He's placed so many glorious products into my eager mitts to try. Can't help but try to return the favour.

I'm an "each to their own" kind of guy but I'm still working on him (y)
 
Razor: New LC
Blade: Feather
Brush: Omega S10108
Soap: MWF
Aftershave: @Draco Noir Preshave Oil

Something a little different this morning. I hadn't used a DE in ages so I busted out my trusty New. It's my favourite DE by a considerable margin. Lots of stubble - hadn't shaved since Tuesday night - so I let the MWF soak in well. The fresh Feather blade had no problems mowing down the whiskers and after two passes I was good to go. Draco's preshave makes an excellent aftershave oil. My new year's resolution will be to experiment more with oils.

The closeness of a DE shave is right up there with that of any other system but I prefer the process itself when I use a straight, kami, SE or Schick. I'm off overseas for a month this Monday and it's a toss up between my 1912 and my E Type for travel duties.
 
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