Well! That was a memorably rubbish shave! I'm blaming The Art Of Shaving pre-shave oil - very viscous and, well, oily - which I used for the first time, but there were too many variables to be able to pin-point the culprit. A brand new 1305 boar hair brush, first time with Wool Fat soap.
Couldn't get a lather from Wool Fat!! Eventually succeeded but only by over-hydrating. Tried re-loading the brush after the 2nd Pass then forgot and did another 2nd Pass and then hacked around the worst bits to avoid doing a 4th Pass - and finished with weepers and a stinging face.
An uncomfortable shave and I am thoroughly out of sorts because of it.
Lessons learned: 1. Do not start shaving until I have a good lather abundantly available. 2. As I've found a good pre-shave oil that works for me (T&H), stick with it and stop fannying about looking for a cheaper alternative.
On the other hand, with more time and less anxiety, Wool Fat soap lathered abundantly and slickly as you'd expect of a lanolin soap, using the same 1305 Boar brush and I even poured some of the blamed Art of Shaving pre-shave oil into the lather bowl and the lather just ate it up without blinking. Might try using such a mix tomorrow to see if it makes a slicker lather.
Lesson learned: Be cool, it takes time. A meditative state makes for closer, smoother shaves.
