Today's revelation

Recently I have mostly been using a straight, but for my vacation to Florida I took my cheapo safety razor and a pack of dorco blades that I didn't mind leaving behind. Having just got home. I decided to use my r41 and a feather. I'll move back to my straight in a couple days.
Being my first shave in a whIle with a nice real sharp blade, I was extra light on the pressure (I'm talking shaving-your-bosses-newborns- throat light) I immediately solved a problem that I have had since I started using a safety. . . . I didn't clog the blade.
I have always had really tough skin, I can shave very heavy and not cut myself. Knowing this I shaved as light as I could when I got my first safety, and always had a hard time with stubble and junk not rinsing out of the blade area. But now I have truly found the light touch that is required. Did the first half with no clogging. Made the first pass on the second half hiw I would have done it before. . . Clogged. Shaved the rest of my face with no pressure. . . No clog. . . . Amazing.

Glad you had a breakthrough in DE shaving. Another thing to consider is that a dry pasty lather can make clogging inevitable too. Those Muhle R41s with a Feather blade are a pretty good close shaving combo. aren't they.

Bob

Yes Bob, I love my Muhle and Feather pair. The funny thing was that I had never even considered that something was wrong. You know when a shave is poor, or you nick yourself, or something you ask yourself "what went wrong, what should I change". I have always gotten good shaves and never had much blood, so when it came to a little clogging I just assumed it went with the territory. Never even gave it a thought. But one never really stops learning. . . and now i know.
As far as the aspect of dry lather goes, I picked up on that nono pretty quick. And I like to savor the lather building and make it just perfect anyway. So dry lather is a quick "no go" for shave.