Welcome Comfort

A week before Halloween, the autumn skin hardening, a brief wave of uninhibited epidermal growth following the cessation of vitamin D production, passed. The weather remained balmy, by and large, under tropical air currents. I've not been restricted at all in my soap selections, mainly using the excellent Italian Barber soaps, and the moisturizing has presented no problems. I really think the phenomenon is entirely about solar radiation, and the only reasonable intervention is gentler shaving, with chemical exfoliation at night.

Now, it is the bone beneath my scalp that challenges me, as I cycle through my best razors to discover which is best suited to head shaving. The Tech certainly got the job done, but with quite a burn; will have to come back to that, after I get my strokes together into a couple efficient passes. Chaoying was excellently smooth, and still pretty close, between the Tech and the slant, but relatively prone to bite, at least with the Personna blade. I'm glad I got those O-rings, but I'm sure it would have gone better with the blade tighter than my face requires. A fully capable razor, indeed, besting even the Slim set on "7."

Which brings me to the razors I would have prejudiciously feared to use on my head: the Ming Shi 2000S and the Schmidt R10 (with heavy BD191 handle). Can I hope that the bony substrate is not capable of flexing too far into the gap of these can-openers?

All-morning shave

The R10 felt like a metal bar being dragged over my head, but didn't bite me once. Sensing that BBS was within reach, I went for it, and found it to be a test of endurance. I didn't note the time, but my legs got tired from standing in front of the mirror. Eventually, I was scouting the path of the razor with my fingertips on every stroke, and even then, the razor missed. Come to find out, down on my face, it wasn't entirely the razor's fault -- that blade was dull. I remember the Mad Scientist of Wet Shaving noting that the DE89 was rather abusive to the edge; perhaps this clone is, also. That, and I've been shaving a lot more territory lately.

I guess I can afford to give up a Voskhod to this razor, given the excellent result: I finally got down to the chrome of the dome!  Unfortunately it was flaking, as if still adapting to atmospheric exposure. They do say it takes awhile. Could have been the unusual soap choice hindering exfoliation, too: Kiss My Face, my only cream, rich with botanical ingredients. I lathered a few times, but mostly just rewet to slick as the shave slowly progressed.

Speaking of slick, I witnessed the power of boiled water again today. I had my No. 6 brush soaking in cold tapwater, then squeezed and set it in the kettle water. Immediately, an oil slick surfaced. And after the shave, I didn't feel I needed any alcohol, so did a cream rinse with some thick lanolin stuff, followed by some boiled water I had reserved. I could just feel it emulsifying instantly under my hands, probably well enough to shave on. Since I'm now in the habit of making tea daily to feed my kombucha cultures, might as well put that kettle on first thing in the morning.