Three tries at Creamy Lather
The soap at the bottom of the Marvy mug is Kingsley, an inexpensive shaving soap that’s not bad. The (new) brush is a Vie-Long badger+horsehair combo. I soaked it before first use, but the lather I got was not completely satisfactory now that I know about Creamy Lather. It seemed too loose, though certainly abundant. I did a fine first pass, using the Progress with its Swedish Gillette blade. I id notice that the Marvy is rather deep for using a regular brush and a relatively small puck. I would like a Marvy Jr. whose walls are not quite so tall.
For the second pass, I switched to a Vie-Long pure horsehair brush—the very brush with which I first observed Creamy Lather. I did indeed get a better lather, but still not quite the target. The Marvy’s tall walls are a disadvantage but since it’s made of hard rubber, I probably can cut them down a bit.
So on the third pass I went to the Gonzalo boar+horsehair. That effort generated the best lather of the three attempts, and the Gonzalo’s greater overall height made it slightly easier to use than the other, shorter brushes.
I compared Ogallala and TOBS Bay Rum as aftershaves. I definitely prefer TOBS, but these things are very shaver-dependent. The Ogallala seemed more watery than the TOBS (I assume because TOBS has more glycerin), and the TOBS had a richer fragrance. But you may find your preference is the reverse—this is very much YMMV territory.
Micheal, I too found the walls a bit high on the Marvy Mug…. Instead of cutting the walls down and ruining the mug, why not build the bottom of the cup up … Use a false bottom. A cheap puck of soap or a second puck of your current soap. When it gets used some, pop it out and put a new one in the bottom, flip the old one over and set it back in on top of the new puck. Once they stick together you’re all set. I use Arko in mine so building it up is cheap and I like Arko……
55 dougie
17 June 2011 at 11:40 am
Good idea. I realized that I was using a three-brush technique—I should match it with the three-razor technique that Everiss uses.
LeisureGuy
17 June 2011 at 1:09 pm
Based on my own entirely unscientific experience, I think it’s the boar bristle that does the job, so I’ve been using my inexpensive but very efficient aOmega 10006. (Yes, I realize it was the Vie Long horsehair with which you had your first success, but I haven’t been able to replicate with my own Vie Long.) I’m finding the soap makes quite a difference: again, the technique works beautifully with modest Pro Raso soap and brilliantly with MFW; not so much with pricey Trumper’s Violet. Again, this is very much YMMV country!
Arnold Zeman
17 June 2011 at 3:28 pm
Many thanks for the tips. Soon I hope to get the feeling that I know what I’m doing.
MWF tomorrow for sure…
LeisureGuy
17 June 2011 at 3:56 pm
Michael,
How does the two bay rums compare to Pinaud’s? Thanks for the thorough posts!
Gogo
17 June 2011 at 6:23 pm
I think these are more “rummy”. I prefer them to Pinaud. Obviously, YMMV.
LeisureGuy
17 June 2011 at 6:28 pm