Define your SOTD

[brothers]

A dash of hot tap water on the soap, load the dry brush 4 seconds, build lather on the face. One lather pass against the grain, splash hot water on the face without rinsing, smooth and touch up - finished! The right soap, right brush, right razor and blade. Perfection!

[pausted]

1. Load brush
2. Build lather in bowl
3. Paint lather on face and neck
4. Pass 1, N-S on face and neck
5. Relather
6. Pass 2, ear to nose on face, S-N on neck
7. Rinse and apply aftershave

Elapsed time for the whole works, 5 to 6 minutes. Time enjoyed and well spent.

[churchilllafemme]

My morning shave ritual generally is a longer process, an interval for relaxed, meditative Zen mindfulness without any rush, worries, concerns, or other distractions. I enjoy its regular, repetitive steps, like the notes of a familiar melody.

First I lay out my iron-on labeled Penhaligon's or Floris towel over an open drawer by the sink. I fill my small brush scuttle (Becker brush scuttle or World Market gravy boat) with warm water and start my brush soaking, and if I am using a hard shaving soap I put a few drops of warm water on the top of the soap in its bowl. I run hot tap water and fill and cork the scuttle reservoir. Then I wash my face with warm water and rub in a small amount of glycerin moisturizer. While the brush and soap soak, I go to the kitchen and pour a cup of coffee, which I take back to the bathroom. If I feel like it, I turn on the transistor radio or mp3 player for some music.

After about 3 minutes of soaking and coffee sipping, I rinse my face, rub the soap bloom water into my beard, give the brush a hand squeeze to remove excess water, and rest the brush in my scuttle bowl. I put my French stainless steel mixing bowl in the sink and fill it with hot water for rinsing the razor, and then I load the brush with the shaving soap and use the scuttle bowl to gradually build a good lather.

I apply the lather to my face, check to make sure my razor is tightened down well on the blade (having learned early that a loose razor head is not good at all), and do a first razor pass with the grain, rinsing off the razor blade in the hot water bowl when needed. When the pass is finished, I enjoy a sip of coffee. After applying lather again, I do a pass across the grain, in a nose-to-ear direction, followed by another hit of coffee. Then I do a final third pass, this one against the grain and done with even more care and focus than the first two, with touch-ups here and there as necessary. This of course is followed by coffee.

Now, while the small amount of residual lather sits on my face and conditions my skin, I rinse out and dry the stainless steel bowl and disassemble, rinse, pat dry, and reassemble the razor and blade. Next I pour the hot water out of the scuttle reservoir, refill the brush scuttle with warm water, and dip/swirl the brush well to rinse out all the lather. I allow the brush to soak for a couple minutes while I empty out and put away the regular scuttle and rinse my face with cold tap water. After my face is dried with the towel, I apply the day's aftershave, then check to make sure the water in which the brush is soaking has remained clear. (If it shows any soap at all, I empty it and refill, then dip/swirl and soak a little more.) Finally I gently squeeze the water out of the brush, whisk it with painting strokes on a towel, and hang it on a stand. Then I empty out the brush scuttle.

I wipe clean the soap surface and move it to my bedroom dresser top, where it will sit uncovered to dry for 1-2 hours. And finally I finish my coffee.

[TRBeck]

Boars get a soak in the brush scuttle while I shower. Badger and synth just get run under hot water. I always face lather. I always shave 2 passes and then touch up. I always lather again after the 2nd pass, clean up, rinse and shake out the brush, dry the razor, and then rinse my face before applying aftershave. If I'm going to be outdoors shortly thereafter (I usually am), I will apply a little moisturizer with SPF. Then EDT if I'm wearing any and I'm off. Not including the brush soak, it's normally an 8-10-minute process. I go slower on Saturday and Sunday and enjoy my coffee as John does.