Gentlest Shave

The Ming Shi Diamond blade is holding up well, and I've been sticking to Baili BD-191 "Chaoying" in an attempt to avoid the autumn face hardening -- an excessive exfoliation that seems to be related to reduced sun exposure. I would say atmospheric humidity also, but it's been balmy as ever around here, this year.

Yesterday, I finally picked up the O-rings to make blade loosening adjustments hold better. I felt pretty secure loosening up Chaoying, actually. But not the gentlest razor of all, my Merkur 41C open comb. So I tried that out. With just Williams, I liked the look of my skin, but it wasn't BBS. I guess that's the good thing about a sharp blade, like the Ming Shi, that it doesn't need to be chopping against the skin to make a clean cut, despite the tough, flexible nature of my hair.

Fool that I am, I did not find this shave satisfactory. I took a few dry swipes, and lost the skin benefit, too. Nothing too terrible, but it prickled under Aqua Velva Musk, and raised what has become, I am afraid, the new norm in texture on my face. I just saw the smoothness long enough to learn the difference.