I posted over in the July Acquisitions thread the haul that showed up today. I am
almost embarrassed to say more is on the way, but I'm not! I have a used TiBam handle coming in and a couple of knots from AP Shave Co. And, wait for it,
another handle, this time from Tim
Knothead Wood Shop. I'll post its photo when it arrives, but it was pictured here, I think, after I got a similar looking handle from Paul. It was again a handle that spoke to me deeply, stirring memories that bonded with the handle, if that makes any sense!
As I mentioned in that other post, I now have a veritable cornucopia of shaving brushes, most with beautiful and one of a kind handles by artisans on this site. I will be carefully culling the handles and moving some on to others. I like to think I am a minimalist shaver, but not so much lately. Maybe I am growing and learning that I can have several favorites and that having several razors is okay. Maybe I need help. But it makes me happy and provides not only great shaving experiences (which have made a chore into an enjoyable experience, which in turn makes my life that much richer, to be slightly corny), but a basis for communicating with the wonderful guys I have met on the forums.
Today was a comparisons shave. I used both Version 1 and 2 of the Parker adjustable injector set to 4 (out of 5). Some time back,
molon_labe sold me a new tub of Shannon's Soaps Nil in her premium base. I have been using it all this week. Today I used the original base Nil that I had to compare bases.
During the shave, I used the V1 on my right and the V2 on the troublesome left side (neck and cheek tend towards irritation quicker than the right, so let's see what happens with the reportedly more efficient V2 and a new sChick blade, shall we?). I used the wonderful eucalyptus wood handle from Paul with a 24mm SynBad knot, which is what I have been using the last 2 shaves, so lathering would be comparable to when I used the Premium Nil base.
The results are preliminary, but I think the original base did make a more luxurious lather than the premium goat's milk base. I will continue alternating through the weekend to see if that is true or just a fluke of lathering!
As for Parkers, the V2 did seem to be more audible, and I felt it doing its job. Still very smooth and mild. The V1 was quieter, and I didn't feel it shave, but noted that it felt as if I was just pulling lather off. As the day progresses to tomorrow morning's shave, I will be monitoring the results. The immediate result was my perfect combo of refreshing and comfortable, so that is an early win!
Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of the day!