I love data - anecdotal soap usage by brush examples

[global_dev]

Never measured or tracked how much soap I used, didn’t really try to conserve, if anything the opposite. TBH i have barely finished any soaps and inspired by another thread here on enjoying what you have, i started to track a 10 year old Razorock croap that i had “barely” used (one of many) not because of dislike, but just too much to get through. Bees Knees flavor. I was curious how long it would take me to get through the tub. Scooped out all the soap and this particle tub weighs ~15grams empty.

What i found over the last 2 weeks was interesting not so much about the soap, soap is good to go, but the brushes I was using and the amounts of soap used. Load straight from the tub, no snurdles, Face lather, 2-3 passes worth of soap, i am pretty consistent and think i have satisfactory technique for lathering, if not better. Same process each day before and after shave to make sure testing weight is consistent. A couple days with each brush for trend issues.

Simpsons CH3 manchurian - bit more than 2 grams of soap
Thater boar - bit more than 1 gram
Epsilon horse - bit more than 3grams

I will keep tracking this for some observation but clearly as of my current data, to kill this soap quickest, the horse is the way to go so far.

 

[Quijote]

I haven't kept track of exactly how different, but I definitely have a few brushes that will kill a soap quicker than others.

 

[LW12]

I’m the same way with not keeping track but I know a couple brushes I have are soap hungry.

 

[global_dev]

I really thought the boar and ch3 badger would be more loadey than horse. That was surprising to me. I need to see if the ch3s in super or the other boars or others that i expected to be load less actually do.

 

[Gasman]

I agree that the boar uses less. It doesnt hide as much soap in it as the badgers do. I never tested this as you have but thought this would be about right. Thanks for testing a therory.

 

[global_dev]

Anyone have any thoughts on whether the “pellicle” of a slightly used soap is a burden or helpful in quality lather.

 

[Spider]

Might have to do with the scritchy-ness of the bristles. Boars and Synths tent to have softer tips than many badgers. I find badger are bigger soap eaters. How are the tips of your horse-hair?

Anyone have any thoughts on whether the “pellicle” of a slightly used soap is a burden or helpful in quality lather.

The what?

 

[global_dev]

Just using a word in this space that means the thin film or skin on something that was wet and dries on top. Usually i feel like this happens in croaps or creams.

 

[global_dev]

Might have to do with the scritchy-ness of the bristles. Boars and Synths tent to have softer tips than many badgers. I find badger are bigger soap eaters. How are the tips of your horse-hair?

I’m pretty sure volume/density of the knot plays a big role, but the horse hair tips are kind are mid soft/scritchy. I am using the epsilon since it isn’t floppy but a nice dense knot not too much unlike the chubby.

 

[Spider]

Just using a word in this space that means the thin film or skin on something that was wet and dries on top. Usually i feel like this happens in croaps or creams.

Do you mean the leftover lather that dries on the surface, or the actual surface of the soap drying out?
Personally, I rinse leftover lather off my soap after every shave. And I've never noticed the surface of the soap being more dried out than the sub-surface.
Also, most of my soaps, especially the croaps, are in sealed containers. Any wetness on the surface is absorbed and distributed throughout the soap. Sealed soaps should have a uniform consistency.

 

[global_dev]

I also remove any lather from the surface after a shave. I never perceived a benefit to the next lather when i left it. Usually the opposite.

I can definitely see a difference in surface texture after 2-3 days of lid on drying. Whether or not its a real “pellicle” or if the moisture is distributed throughout the remainder of the cream/croap ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I dont know much about moisture distribution in a quasi-solid with constrained moisture exposure levels. I probably need a TI-84 for this conversation.

Just a convo idea - maybe not the greatest i’ve ever had. Maybe it spurs someone else to dissect some soap and take hydration values, maybe not. I hope not.

But to me, i see a difference in initial loading based on new, consistently used, and sporadically used croaps.

 

[global_dev]

The what?

btw, I only know this word pellicle because of learning how to cure/age foods, like salmon and beef. otherwise I'd not have this in my vocab.