It works! Even with non-tallow, non-triple-milled soaps.

Today was my first deliberate attempt to create Creamy Lather™ with a non-triple-milled (and non-tallow based, I believe—that is, Otoko is definitely not tallow based, but I’m not sure that all the soaps previously tried were tallow based). It was a success. I forcibly restrained myself from trying one of the large-volume Omega Silvertips, which I believe should do a great job with this method, but then if it didn’t, I wouldn’t know whether the problem was the brush or the soap. So I stuck with a brush that has proven to work—the Sabini is more or less the same as the Rooney 2—and work it did: a wonderful, thick, creamy lather. How long has this been going on?

Otoko is a very nice soap, BTW, and if I were a guy with any sort of skin problem or sensitivity, I’d give it a go. It seems quite nice for normal skin as well. A look at the link explains why it works so well as skincare.

Someone asked me about the Goodfella razor sometime back, and I responded that I thought I had given it away. I hadn’t—I had just put it in the back of the drawer because the handle is not comfortable for me. I came across it a couple of days ago, so I’ve loaded it with a new Gillette 7 O’Clock SharpEdge blade, and shaved with it today. The handle is still uncomfortable for me, though this time I did heed the advice I was given to grip it by the grooved section. Somehow the handle is too short, or the end is wrong, or something.

But I did get a fine shave, and (on reader request) used TOBS Mr. Sidney’s aftershave to try to identify the fragrance. I’m terrible at this. It smelled nice, okay? Like a barber shop. Very traditional sort of aftershave fragrance. Sorry I can’t say more. One of you guys who can identify fragrances and who has tried Mr. Sidney’s: what is it?

All in all, a fine shave, and tomorrow I’ll definitely try the Omega brush with this new method (which is simple: wet brush, hold soap bowl on its side, brush it vigorously and firmly, letting excess lather drain off, until you’ve more than worked up a good lather—at that point, the brush should be full of Creamy Lather).