I gave the Col another try this morning. After a practice run last night, I realized my lather was too hydrated; to fix this I made sure my brush was shaken as free of water as possible, and the lathering bowl was empty and dry. I got a really good lather going pretty quickly, but it was still a little to "wet" when I first applied it. I hit the soap again for about 20 - 30 seconds, then back to the lathering bowl, and then my face.
The difference was night and day.
The lather was thick (whereas before it was thin and very bubbly - a sign of over hydration), slick, and of course, smelled great.
The shave took me longer than usual, and I had to make three passes total. That surprised me since I had shaved the day before, and growth was minimal.
Overall I think I was right for not giving up on the good Colonel. It might be a bit much for someone just starting out, but once you learn how to lather its a great product.
Agreed on the point about it being a bit much for a starter. I used Bigelow's exclusively until I got the hang of it, and then went on to The Conk. I think the two are good stepping stones to better shaving. FWIW, there's a great tutorial on Badger and Blade on how to lather with shave soaps. Night and Day!!
ReplyDeleteIf there is anyplace on the web to find good info and tutorials on wet shaving, its Badger and Blade. If you can't find the information you need, just ask. Someone there will know, and they will be glad to help.
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