i have used for the first time the speick (tub) soap for all my shaves this week (monday/wednesday/friday).
initially this should be about the speick soap - but i got carried away so it became my whole shaving routine - from start to finish.
i’ve used embarrassingly much time on the internet all of 2013 - just to browse and find my way through the jungle of wet shaving with a de razor + soap + brush. in a way this an essence of what i have accumulated.
i also happened to used for the first time in those 3 speick-soap-shaves a brand new razor: a uk gillette NEW twin pin flat bottom - of a special version i have never seen or heard of before - and i believed i had seen close to all - and plenty more than you can see at mr razor’s website. it seems both handle and razor head are silver-plated - as it tarnishes just like silver does. not only is this particular razor new for me - it looks nos in flawless condition - in a box same as the gillette NEW razor named 'windsor' from 1930.
what makes this razor a unique non-plus-ultra - even for a uk gillette NEW - is the fact that the blade gap is somewhat lower compared to the usual nickel coated uk gillette NEW twin pin flat bottom. in addition the combs are more rounded and protrudes ever so slightly more than its sibling. the blade alignment is dead on. in effect - this razor performs way more smooth - and combined with the fantastic and perfectly balanced detachable handle i have a hard time imagining a better performing NEW. it demands a pretty shallow angle (handle more parallel to floor) and i use between 20-30 degrees. perhaps i can take a macro photo of my NEW's at a later time to really show the differences of the head profiles.
i know it is usually not wise to use 2 new and unknown ingredients for a shave - but i was so curious about both so i couldn’t help myself.
the 6 components of my shave:
soap: speick in tub
blade: iridium super
razor: uk gillette NEW
brush: mühle retro 25mm x 58mm
as: speick active
moisturizer: speick face light
......
notes:
i used to (completely) cold shave (cold as in 5 celsius/41 fahrenheit) - but eventually realized 2 negative side effects from this:
1. the beard/stubbles hydrates too little.
2. many soaps will never go slick enough because they stiffens/hardens when cold.
i also always shave before a shower - and i always face lather. in former times nearly nobody had a shower - at least not in my parts of the globe - yet millions of men - from stupid to wise - managed to do on themselves a proper shave. have a look at old photographs. most seems butt smooth.
......
i start off by filling the washbasin with warm water (50 C/122 F) and hold the entire brush under surface while gently but thoroughly squeezing sides of brush hairs together repeatedly to get rid of all air pocketed between the hairs. air prevents water and soap to distribute evenly throughout the brush. i let the brush hairs soak for another few minutes after this.
out of habit i put a layer of warm water approx half an inch on top of soap while brush knot being soaked.
in the meanwhile i put a blade in razor and undress.
returning to wasbasin i take the brush and shake it pretty briskly 2-3 times with full stop in the direction of the hairs and empty the water on top of soap and immediately start building lather. i move the brush in a rapid swirling fashion and alternate between clockwise/anticlockwise every few seconds - and taking care to not push the tips too hard on soap.
the speick tub shaving soap has a seeminly soft consistence with a slightly grainy structure - but let it not fool you: it is not a soap that loads lightening fast. i have rather hard water that may affect how the soap behaves - and for me it is even more demanding than say a classic british hard soap. occasionally i sprinkle a bit more warm water and load the brush for a couple of minutes until consistency of creamy non-foaming yogurt.
i have only 2 shaving brushes - which i alternate - a blue and a yellow mühle retro - and the knots behave and looks pretty much identical. the mühle retro shaving brush is on the larger side and has a very dense knot so i’m used to use lots of soap and am happy with that.
finished loading i wipe with a finger the surplus soap from container and place on top of brush - then adding more warm water in washbasin and splash my entire beard quickly.
with the brush i distribute soap evenly and quite thickly on beard - and repeatedly face lather with painting motions while adding water little by little dipping the tips lightly in washbasin.
i recently read a french 10 points leresche shaving manual from the 30’s and they recommended face lathering for 4-6 minutes. my last shave i used a timer and found out that’s about same as i intuitively do - closer to the 6 minutes side. in the end the soap becomes very slick and a bit thick and nontransparent and on the wetter side - but absolutely not runny - and never drying out even slightly before finishing the first pass - and i am indeed a slow shaver.
earlier i briskly massaged shaving soap with fingers for a couple minutes before the actual lathering procedure. bad move. i realized this caused an annoying itchy feeling on shaved areas that could last the whole evening the day i shaved. i always imagined the sensation was caused by lack in technique or soap or aftershave - and eventually found all itching to completely disappear when eliminating the pre-massaging.
i slavishly follow the same routine when doing my pass - the same tracks in the same sequence along the path: right side down to upper part of cheek - from cheek down to middle of neck. repeat on left side. when i turn side i turn razor. from lower neck up to adams apple. right side lower neck and up. repeat left side. i never stretch the skin while shaving neck - quite the contrary. right side upper lip and down to corner of mouth. repeat left side. downward only half an inch from under lip from corner of mouth right side over to corner of lip left side. downward rest of chin down to just over adams apple.
a quick gentle rinse - no rubbing whatsoever - and i go for the second pass and do it exactly as first pass. i only apply a quick thin coat of soap.
a quick rinse again and then a third pass - following the patterns of the two previous passes. again - a quick thin coat of soap for this last pass.
i don’t do touch-ups - and 3 passes should be more than enough for a nearly perfect shave with absolutely no redness or soreness. if a patch could have been better - i try to memorize that until next shave and adjust something slightly so it won’t happen again.
when finished with the third pass i thoroughly splash fresh warm water to get rid of soap rests and shaved stubbles from face - followed by a cold splash - coldest i manage from tap.
i quick-rinse shaving soap under cold water and set it aside. i quick-rinse razor in hottest water i manage from tap - blows hard around the head and set it aside. i never unmount razors before changing a blade and let it simply dry on a table. when neccessary i clean with ordinary dishwashing soap and a toothbrush made of horsehair.
a not-so-quick-rinse for the shaving brush: i empty and refill the washbasin with warm water - not steaming hot - and swirl the handle like you could an umbrella and squeeze /pack hairs lightly but firmly all around. i am specially careful to be gentle near the base of knot. when done i shake the brush vigorously 5-6 times - using the whole arm - followed by a quick-rinse of cold water under tap - holding brush nearly upside-down - never to flush water directly from top into hairs as i believe they can be permanently bent/distorted.
next i pat my face dry. no rubbing. the skin has just been through a sweet hell ride.
i follow with a generous amount of after shave. since i usually blend my after shaves with a few drops of glycerol i always shake the bottle a little before use.
i apply a moisturizer within a couple of hours.
that’s it dear fellows.
......
i use very short strokes and takes great care to not let razor blade touch skin void of soap.
i use a mix of regular strokes/"gillette strokes" (angled stroke)/"leresche strokes" (sideways angled razor head).
i hold the razor very lightly - in such a way that i even eliminate some of the pressure from the razor’s own weight. i’m 41 and my beard have started graying so this would be impossible if i had used less time to prepare my stubbles.
my final judgement on the speick soap in a tub you ask? i have not used many different soaps but i always use them up to the end - one at a time. i have used la toja - lea - mdc unscented - a handful different calani’s - dr harris - mühle + a couple of others. i give the speick soap 4 out of 5 stars. the smell is an annoyingly strong and one dimensional plain jane citrus. but - the slickness and cushioning is top-notch. the skin feels terrific afterwards - also the day after. in fact - i only judge the true success of a shave the day after: if everything is perfectly alright even then - the puzzle completes and the planets are in harmony. thanks for your patience.
![[Image: iKjeQe7.jpg]]()
initially this should be about the speick soap - but i got carried away so it became my whole shaving routine - from start to finish.
i’ve used embarrassingly much time on the internet all of 2013 - just to browse and find my way through the jungle of wet shaving with a de razor + soap + brush. in a way this an essence of what i have accumulated.
i also happened to used for the first time in those 3 speick-soap-shaves a brand new razor: a uk gillette NEW twin pin flat bottom - of a special version i have never seen or heard of before - and i believed i had seen close to all - and plenty more than you can see at mr razor’s website. it seems both handle and razor head are silver-plated - as it tarnishes just like silver does. not only is this particular razor new for me - it looks nos in flawless condition - in a box same as the gillette NEW razor named 'windsor' from 1930.
what makes this razor a unique non-plus-ultra - even for a uk gillette NEW - is the fact that the blade gap is somewhat lower compared to the usual nickel coated uk gillette NEW twin pin flat bottom. in addition the combs are more rounded and protrudes ever so slightly more than its sibling. the blade alignment is dead on. in effect - this razor performs way more smooth - and combined with the fantastic and perfectly balanced detachable handle i have a hard time imagining a better performing NEW. it demands a pretty shallow angle (handle more parallel to floor) and i use between 20-30 degrees. perhaps i can take a macro photo of my NEW's at a later time to really show the differences of the head profiles.
i know it is usually not wise to use 2 new and unknown ingredients for a shave - but i was so curious about both so i couldn’t help myself.
the 6 components of my shave:
soap: speick in tub
blade: iridium super
razor: uk gillette NEW
brush: mühle retro 25mm x 58mm
as: speick active
moisturizer: speick face light
......
notes:
i used to (completely) cold shave (cold as in 5 celsius/41 fahrenheit) - but eventually realized 2 negative side effects from this:
1. the beard/stubbles hydrates too little.
2. many soaps will never go slick enough because they stiffens/hardens when cold.
i also always shave before a shower - and i always face lather. in former times nearly nobody had a shower - at least not in my parts of the globe - yet millions of men - from stupid to wise - managed to do on themselves a proper shave. have a look at old photographs. most seems butt smooth.
......
i start off by filling the washbasin with warm water (50 C/122 F) and hold the entire brush under surface while gently but thoroughly squeezing sides of brush hairs together repeatedly to get rid of all air pocketed between the hairs. air prevents water and soap to distribute evenly throughout the brush. i let the brush hairs soak for another few minutes after this.
out of habit i put a layer of warm water approx half an inch on top of soap while brush knot being soaked.
in the meanwhile i put a blade in razor and undress.
returning to wasbasin i take the brush and shake it pretty briskly 2-3 times with full stop in the direction of the hairs and empty the water on top of soap and immediately start building lather. i move the brush in a rapid swirling fashion and alternate between clockwise/anticlockwise every few seconds - and taking care to not push the tips too hard on soap.
the speick tub shaving soap has a seeminly soft consistence with a slightly grainy structure - but let it not fool you: it is not a soap that loads lightening fast. i have rather hard water that may affect how the soap behaves - and for me it is even more demanding than say a classic british hard soap. occasionally i sprinkle a bit more warm water and load the brush for a couple of minutes until consistency of creamy non-foaming yogurt.
i have only 2 shaving brushes - which i alternate - a blue and a yellow mühle retro - and the knots behave and looks pretty much identical. the mühle retro shaving brush is on the larger side and has a very dense knot so i’m used to use lots of soap and am happy with that.
finished loading i wipe with a finger the surplus soap from container and place on top of brush - then adding more warm water in washbasin and splash my entire beard quickly.
with the brush i distribute soap evenly and quite thickly on beard - and repeatedly face lather with painting motions while adding water little by little dipping the tips lightly in washbasin.
i recently read a french 10 points leresche shaving manual from the 30’s and they recommended face lathering for 4-6 minutes. my last shave i used a timer and found out that’s about same as i intuitively do - closer to the 6 minutes side. in the end the soap becomes very slick and a bit thick and nontransparent and on the wetter side - but absolutely not runny - and never drying out even slightly before finishing the first pass - and i am indeed a slow shaver.
earlier i briskly massaged shaving soap with fingers for a couple minutes before the actual lathering procedure. bad move. i realized this caused an annoying itchy feeling on shaved areas that could last the whole evening the day i shaved. i always imagined the sensation was caused by lack in technique or soap or aftershave - and eventually found all itching to completely disappear when eliminating the pre-massaging.
i slavishly follow the same routine when doing my pass - the same tracks in the same sequence along the path: right side down to upper part of cheek - from cheek down to middle of neck. repeat on left side. when i turn side i turn razor. from lower neck up to adams apple. right side lower neck and up. repeat left side. i never stretch the skin while shaving neck - quite the contrary. right side upper lip and down to corner of mouth. repeat left side. downward only half an inch from under lip from corner of mouth right side over to corner of lip left side. downward rest of chin down to just over adams apple.
a quick gentle rinse - no rubbing whatsoever - and i go for the second pass and do it exactly as first pass. i only apply a quick thin coat of soap.
a quick rinse again and then a third pass - following the patterns of the two previous passes. again - a quick thin coat of soap for this last pass.
i don’t do touch-ups - and 3 passes should be more than enough for a nearly perfect shave with absolutely no redness or soreness. if a patch could have been better - i try to memorize that until next shave and adjust something slightly so it won’t happen again.
when finished with the third pass i thoroughly splash fresh warm water to get rid of soap rests and shaved stubbles from face - followed by a cold splash - coldest i manage from tap.
i quick-rinse shaving soap under cold water and set it aside. i quick-rinse razor in hottest water i manage from tap - blows hard around the head and set it aside. i never unmount razors before changing a blade and let it simply dry on a table. when neccessary i clean with ordinary dishwashing soap and a toothbrush made of horsehair.
a not-so-quick-rinse for the shaving brush: i empty and refill the washbasin with warm water - not steaming hot - and swirl the handle like you could an umbrella and squeeze /pack hairs lightly but firmly all around. i am specially careful to be gentle near the base of knot. when done i shake the brush vigorously 5-6 times - using the whole arm - followed by a quick-rinse of cold water under tap - holding brush nearly upside-down - never to flush water directly from top into hairs as i believe they can be permanently bent/distorted.
next i pat my face dry. no rubbing. the skin has just been through a sweet hell ride.
i follow with a generous amount of after shave. since i usually blend my after shaves with a few drops of glycerol i always shake the bottle a little before use.
i apply a moisturizer within a couple of hours.
that’s it dear fellows.
......
i use very short strokes and takes great care to not let razor blade touch skin void of soap.
i use a mix of regular strokes/"gillette strokes" (angled stroke)/"leresche strokes" (sideways angled razor head).
i hold the razor very lightly - in such a way that i even eliminate some of the pressure from the razor’s own weight. i’m 41 and my beard have started graying so this would be impossible if i had used less time to prepare my stubbles.
my final judgement on the speick soap in a tub you ask? i have not used many different soaps but i always use them up to the end - one at a time. i have used la toja - lea - mdc unscented - a handful different calani’s - dr harris - mühle + a couple of others. i give the speick soap 4 out of 5 stars. the smell is an annoyingly strong and one dimensional plain jane citrus. but - the slickness and cushioning is top-notch. the skin feels terrific afterwards - also the day after. in fact - i only judge the true success of a shave the day after: if everything is perfectly alright even then - the puzzle completes and the planets are in harmony. thanks for your patience.
![[Image: iKjeQe7.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/iKjeQe7.jpg)