The next 10 years begins now

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 8:08 pm

New Year's Eve was day 36 on the new tub of Straight Razor Designs Opus X soap. I can see the bottom of the tub (the soap is translucent, there's no hole in it yet) , and I'm still looking/guessing at getting around 50 shaves total. I hope it doesn't break through for at least a couple of weeks. I received an ItalianBarber.com Limited Edition Semogue brush as a Christmas gift, and it's a soap-devouring monster. I guess it's a bit firmer than the other 3 boar brushes (Semogue 2000, Omega 49, and Zenith). The badger brushes are just the opposite, I have to load them a bit longer on the soap just to get enough soap to build the lather I like. Anyway, in the future, I'll keep the IB LE for my secret soap-destroyer weapon for the ones that want to put up a fight. My next project after the SRD will be a big 125g "sample" of 3P soft Italian soap I got from Connaught. I'm looking forward to it.

sunflake · Post by **sunflake** » Tue Jan 01, 2013 1:17 am

Just imagine the buying frenzy when you run out. OMG. LOL

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Fri Jan 11, 2013 11:41 am

The bottom of the tub of Straight Razor Designs Opus X broke through this morning.

Spenser · Post by **Spenser** » Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:22 pm

I am not a child of the Depression, but might as well have been. Heard my parents and family talk so much about those days that I have developed the habit of having back up to almost everything I use regularly. That can be a good thing, but as you guys have been talking about, it can get out of hand. Trying real hard to remember that as I gather wet shaving supplies.

Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:51 pm

Spenser, I'm a firm believer in backups. Especially when it seems everything in this little world is being changed or simply discontinued. I had a spare tub of Domenico Caraceni and impulsively sold it. Now it's gone forever, and I'm kicking myself for getting rid of my backup.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:32 am

I started a new tub of Straight Razor Designs Opus X soap on November 26, 2012 and 53 latherings later it was completely gone on January 17, 2013. I finished it off with the Rooney Finest. The lather was luxurious and lasted through 3 full passes with enough left over to squeeze out and rub on my face.

This was an eye-opening experience. I had been duped by maybe one or more "experts" who said not to bother with "glycerine" soaps, thus, not worthy, and never will be. I call "BS"!

I've used the best and the worst, and now I've used an entire tub of an excellent soap that delivered the goods for 53 days in a row.

But moving on, this is a very encouraging event. I haven't yet made a decision as to which one is next.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:40 pm

Gary, All any of us have, in the final analysis, is our own experiance, and for me, glycerine shave soaps were never satisfactory. There have always been members here who liked them but it depends upon what you prefer and what works for you. The lather I got from those type of soaps never had enough 'cushion' for my taste; I tended to get some irritation whenever I used them. Finally I just accepted that they were not for me. It was too bad in a way because QED ( as one example ) had some nice scents in that type of soap and they weren't that expensive.
Regards,
Gordon

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:15 pm

Gordon, my only experience with glycerin soaps before the SRD was a puck of Pirate's Cove Menthol a couple of years ago, and an artisan puck of lavender from a very nice lady, but it was abysmal for shaving. The PC was nice and "menthol-y", but as you say, not up to my expectation and perception of a top notch shaving soap, so it served out it's remaining pennance as a pre-shave face washing soap. It might be possible that SRD has some quality additives that make it a good performer. I did read one post somewhere that SRD was in someone's opinion, the best glycerin soap he'd used. Maybe in my case the third time to try a glycerine soap was "the charm". As you can tell, I really liked it and used it eagerly every day for almost two months running.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Mon Jan 21, 2013 11:10 am

Back to the subject at hand, shifting gears, after 3 days and three different brushes, I've decided on what might be a daunting task. My next soap to be used from start to finish is a whopping enormous seven (7) ounce (198 gram) glass bowl filled to the brim with several Valobra shaving sticks all grated together into a single tub. I'm going to guess it'll take me several months of continuous use to use it all up. This morning I used the Semogue Italian Barber Limited Edition boar brush with a measured 90 second loading time to whip up a monster of a lather. These boars are considered to be soap-killing instruments of doom when used in the right frame of mind. To make it even more interesting I used my beautiful Merkur Progress with the Personna hospital use blade. Just for the record, tomorrow will be shave #4. I still have way too many soaps and creams, and it only emphasizes the folly of excess when I understand that for the next three to five months or more, I will not be using any of my other soaps and creams.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:07 am

After 6 days of using the Valobra hard soap milled into a bowl, I'm kicking myself and asking why I haven't been using this soap more often. At one time I even considered passing it along to someone else since I didn't appear to be using it. You can magine how happy it makes me to see this huge bowl of it, and to know I won't miss a single day between now and the sad day when it eventually runs out. Yes, I'll get more!

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:11 am

Turning the focus away from my own little follies, I'd like to ask others to please post about your own experiences with extended periods of fidelity to one particular soap or another. Maybe you can let the rest of us know how long these are lasting, and how well you are enjoying them in this process of trying to use them all up.

Fishin Phil · Post by **Fishin Phil** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:19 am

brothers wrote:Turning the focus away from my own little follies, I'd like to ask others to please post about your own experiences with extended periods of fidelity to one particular soap or another. Maybe you can let the rest of us know how long these are lasting, and how well you are enjoying them in this process of trying to use them all up.

Great idea Gary, but I'm still new, so I'm playing the field. Sowing my wild oats.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 6:21 am

Phil, that first stage is the really fun part, in its own way. Sow those wild oats while you can, my friend. The hunt is on!

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 8:52 pm

When this thread was starting out, there was stuff enough to last 10 years. In the short time, using it, selling it, giving it away, and in very rare cases, throwing it away, and next to nothing new coming in, has diminished the world's supply of soaps and creams to approximately 8.5 years.

F.W. Fitch · Post by **F.W. Fitch** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 12:38 am

Let me know about any interesting finds you may still have! I mean...we do border alright?

Jared

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:28 am

Will do Jared! Missouri is right next door!