I can sit at the culvert of just about any ditch for 5-6 miles around my house and shoot/gig frogs 12-15” long all evening!
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An Unexpected Journey: A Newbie's Walk In Wet Shaving
- Thread starter Blade-meister
- Start date
Sounds like you've got a pretty nice food supply!
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
Mystic Water mostly.
Hmm.... I think somebody would have an option for an "I told you so"....
Yup, my enabler is / was right!
So today I tried something new and did a full-on face lather. I used Mystic Water Bay Rum. I gotta say, I really liked it. I struggled with it being too dry initially, but that's why you work it until you get it to feel right and that's just what I did. I dipped my brush in cold water and kept working it until it felt good. I definitely got better coverage overall.
I did feel the lather was either too wet or too dry, but it felt better than any bowl lather I've done up to this point. I think more product is on my skin with this method and when I rinsed my face in between passes there was more slickness left over.
I also didn't need to load my brush as long so I think this will save me shaving soap in the end. I'll keep going with it and see how several shaves go with just the face lathering. I'm thinking I might not even need AS lotion with the better post shave feel of the face lathering.
I did feel the lather was either too wet or too dry, but it felt better than any bowl lather I've done up to this point. I think more product is on my skin with this method and when I rinsed my face in between passes there was more slickness left over.
I also didn't need to load my brush as long so I think this will save me shaving soap in the end. I'll keep going with it and see how several shaves go with just the face lathering. I'm thinking I might not even need AS lotion with the better post shave feel of the face lathering.
Great Stuff.... one of my favorites!
GearNoir
“The Disney Princess’s Apprentice”
AMEN!!! SING IT BROTHER CHRIS, KEEPER OF THE MAN CARDS
Man the Mystic Water stuff has absolutely fantastic post shave and residual slickness. I didn’t believe it at first but if the water isn’t too hot and you don’t use a Boar knot then you will get amazing results from it.
I've heard this a few times, and don't understand it. I have used all brush types with Mystic Water and never notice a difference. Not sure why brush type should make any difference with any soap really. But today, I used Mystic Water with a boar brush, just to show that it works....
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
Mystic Water is water sensitive and some have more trouble controlling water with a Boar brush is my guess, but yes it can work with proper attention
I've been using a Synthetic brush that was from KJ's PIF a while back because it is much larger than my usual brush. I wanted all that mass to hold the soap and lather better.
Something I noticed is that my Every Man Jack AS lotion will enhance any irritation I may have going on. I stopped using it on my neck a while back, and today I didn't use it on my face post shave and my face feels much better. If I don't have any irritation at all, the EMJ lotion is really nice and works well, but the alcohol in it must be just enough. I find it also makes any stubble that didn't get a close shave in the irritated areas stand up straight if that makes any sense. Kinda like raising the grain on a piece of wood. My face does feel dryer than normal without it. Maybe I should just slather on some olive oil
Still enjoying the face lathering. I'm not sure I'll go back to the bowl lathering. Sometimes I get frustrated with shaving, but then I think about the fact that Shawn only sucked me into this world of wet shaving last September so I am still a newbie trying to keep my mancard 
On the personal side of things, I just had the closing on the land beside me yesterday. It's been a while since I've done all that real estate paperwork so I forgot to get the seller to sign some obscure section of a tax form which entailed me driving up to his house to get him to sign it last night so I can record the deed this morning. Felt great to look out there and know that it's finally ours. We've always wanted to own it. There's a nice grove of black locust trees growing right in my shooting range area so I think I'll be able to make fence posts out of them and make a little $$ as I clear shooting lanes.
Something I noticed is that my Every Man Jack AS lotion will enhance any irritation I may have going on. I stopped using it on my neck a while back, and today I didn't use it on my face post shave and my face feels much better. If I don't have any irritation at all, the EMJ lotion is really nice and works well, but the alcohol in it must be just enough. I find it also makes any stubble that didn't get a close shave in the irritated areas stand up straight if that makes any sense. Kinda like raising the grain on a piece of wood. My face does feel dryer than normal without it. Maybe I should just slather on some olive oil
Still enjoying the face lathering. I'm not sure I'll go back to the bowl lathering. Sometimes I get frustrated with shaving, but then I think about the fact that Shawn only sucked me into this world of wet shaving last September so I am still a newbie trying to keep my mancard On the personal side of things, I just had the closing on the land beside me yesterday. It's been a while since I've done all that real estate paperwork so I forgot to get the seller to sign some obscure section of a tax form which entailed me driving up to his house to get him to sign it last night so I can record the deed this morning. Felt great to look out there and know that it's finally ours. We've always wanted to own it. There's a nice grove of black locust trees growing right in my shooting range area so I think I'll be able to make fence posts out of them and make a little $$ as I clear shooting lanes.
You bet it's water sensitive. I use only cold water and I bloom the puck with cold water before lathering. Being a cold water shaver, I don't mind it. Heat of any kind will make this soap do funny things with me. If my wife is in the shower making the bathroom have steam in it, I have trouble with MW. When it's just me, I have no issues. I pretty much use MW most of my week.
GearNoir
“The Disney Princess’s Apprentice”
Congratulations on sealing the land deal!
As for MW, my first use was the sample Michelle sent along with the 1st Anniversary brush. I bloomed it slightly, used a slightly more than damp brush, and never ran into an issue. Maybe the samples were from a fresher batch than her current tub stock? Seemed easy enough to me.
It seemed to have two stages of building up, where you hydrate it a bit and it seems to Start dissipating, but keep going and it just seems to really explode in creamy goodness. I did use a synth though too.
As for MW, my first use was the sample Michelle sent along with the 1st Anniversary brush. I bloomed it slightly, used a slightly more than damp brush, and never ran into an issue. Maybe the samples were from a fresher batch than her current tub stock? Seemed easy enough to me.
It seemed to have two stages of building up, where you hydrate it a bit and it seems to Start dissipating, but keep going and it just seems to really explode in creamy goodness. I did use a synth though too.
Dude, seriously!! Stirling and MW..... how can this be??? Had I known, I'd have hooked you up long ago.
GearNoir
“The Disney Princess’s Apprentice”
All good brother!
It's safe to say that MW is one of the top performing soaps out there. You really can't take my newbie opinion on it, but it is highly spoken of in this community so I'll take that to the shaving brush anytime.