trouble creating lather

I am having trouble creating lather to the consistency of whip cream. I have been doing it daily for (im not sure) maybe a couple weeks to a month. Granted only within the past week i have had ridges in my bowl in attempt to help create the lather.

I have watched numerous videos on create lather. Everytime they have the consistency of whip cream. I think i only once got it decent, but have not been able to redo it.

I have tried to create it on my face and in a bowl. I think i have better results when doing it on my face for some reason. But i like the bowl (keeping it warm throughout numerous passes). I spend at least half my time shaving attempting to create the lather properly.

I feel like the brush is loaded properly. The brustles stick together when i am done. While whipping: Just when it looks too dry, i drip a couple drops on the brush, redo that a couple times, and before i know it, it is too wet, with bubbles in it. Then i apply more soap to even it out.....and then it gets too dry. I must admit, people that create proper lather within a minute or two have acquired a great skill. I thought the ridges within the bowl might help, but even after creating ridges, i seem to still struggle.

Also i have noticed that not one person in a youtube video has to re-apply cream to their face within one pass. I seem to have to do it 4 times. Otherwise the soap dissipates. I think it is too wet at that point. So if i try to dry it out by adding more soap, it gets too dry again.

But i feel like i go in circles, too wet, then too dry. I can tell the shave is better when the lather is better. I just seem to have trouble hitting that dead center sweet spot of lather.

Is there something that seems obvious i am doing wrong?

Generating lather is an art that I too had problems with. For me a bit of water on top of the puck, letting the brush soak bristles down in a container, and walking away for 5 minutes helped. From there it is a matter of getting the water/soap ratio 'right.' What right is depends on the eye of the beholder.

For me, I give the puck a splash of hot water, drain is off and leave the top of the puck moist. Also make sure the brush is nicely soaked in hot water. At that point, with the brush moist, but not wet, a little water on the top of the puck, I'll load the brush with several swirls and then face lather. I usually re-lather between each pass, and a few drops of water on the end of the brush seems to work for me.

Takes time, water quality differs, but keep experimenting and you'll find the sweet spot.

What soap are you using? I'm a newbie as well, and have had some of the same issues in this area. I started out with a pretty cheap Col Conk soap, and had the same problem: I would have to re-apply to my face several times throughout the pass. Mine seemed to be drying out after sitting on my face too long (which, granted – may be because I take so long to shave since I’m new to a straight-edge). I tried out what seems like a much higher quality soap today (Dr. Harris) and had infinitely better results. I feel like eventually I might go back to the Col Conk (I certainly won’t be letting it go to waste), but it will be after I am a little more proficient at creating lather.

Yes sir, creating a good lather is not as easy as it looks. You might try adding a few drops of water to the bristles after you have done you normal loading and load some more before whipping it up in a bowl or face lathering. After that it is a matter of getting the water ratio right. Good luck.

Bob

Making good lather is like making good cement....too much water ,you got runny stuff.....not enough water it won't spread. Its a fine line !!!!

If you are sure you are using a good soap or cream AND you are loading enough on the brush, starting with the clumpy brush with the bristles sticking together add drops of water to the brush or bowl and whip. If the brush stays clumpy and bristles stuck after a few seconds add more water. Repeat until the brush starts to explode outward. It takes longer than a few seconds of swirling to get a good lather. You need to get air and water into the cream/soap.

Super hot water may prevent good lather as well.

I have found resting the lather for 30 seconds or so while adding drops of water can give the soap time to expand. If your lather is drying out on your face you either are not loading enough on the brush or not using the correct air/water mixture or not swirling your brush enough. Give your lather some time with the brush

Those small bubbles after added water is ok. Now its just about whipping it till they get to tiny. 4 re lathers is normal for a pass because you are not lightning fast with the shave yet. I exaggerate to make the point of shaving speed. If I spend too much time ,I also have to re lather or re-hydrate my brush on occasion.
One way to say this is to illustrate with egg whites, you must whip them until they form stiff peaks. This is time consuming up front, In a month you will run hot water over your brush. load with soap and scrub up a fine lather on your face. Till then its the learning curve and you are doing fine. Remember this is not fast food and it takes a minute or two to get it right.

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Generating lather is an art that I too had problems with. For me a bit of water on top of the puck, letting the brush soak bristles down in a container, and walking away for 5 minutes helped. From there it is a matter of getting the water/soap ratio 'right.' What right is depends on the eye of the beholder.

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+1. Hot water on top of the puck was a game changer for me. I wasn't getting enough soap to start with and then it was a tough battle wet,dry,wet,dry. After I started soaking the puck a bit it was easy making lather. I can make an excellent lather from ivory soap, Williams mug, and Vanderhagen soaps. It made a difference for me.

Thanks everyone. I have a new few great ideas i can try. As well as a few confirmations on things i was not sure about. Throughout this week, im going to try each of your ideas.

When it looks like you have too much water--runny, thin, huge air bubbles--don't add soap again too hastily. Some creams and soaps like this stage, and will whip up wonderfully with a couple of minutes of rapid brush-action. (C.O. Bigelow is a prime example.) Swirl it into the brush, then slap it out of the brush, swirl in, slap out, etc.

Won't work for all soaps, but again, don't just give up when it looks too wet and sloppy. Whip it good! :)

I also relatively new to all this so I know your pain as well. For me it ended up that I wasn't loading the brush with enough soap. Just passing the soap under water to leave the top moist did help a good amount, having to much water on the soap caused problems. Load the brush with more then you think you need, I was using way to little at the start. Also I almost always tend to get decent size bubbles in the lather when I first add more water when I start to get close, takes about a good 30-45 seconds but they normally work there way out for me and then I have something that's ok.

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Originally Posted by Dave851

I also relatively new to all this so I know your pain as well. For me it ended up that I wasn't loading the brush with enough soap. Just passing the soap under water to leave the top moist did help a good amount, having to much water on the soap caused problems. Load the brush with more then you think you need, I was using way to little at the start. Also I almost always tend to get decent size bubbles in the lather when I first add more water when I start to get close, takes about a good 30-45 seconds but they normally work there way out for me and then I have something that's ok.

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You nailed the description . Could not have said it better. Well done

I scanned through the replies to your question and see you got a lot of good responses. I did not read them all thoroughly so if this has been mentioned I apologize but have you tried any creams instead of pucks? I too had the same problem and found it much easier to get that lather on a regular basis with creams by Taylor of Old Bond Street, Truefitt & Hill, D.R. Harris, etc....I am able now to get a good lather with good pucks (like Mitchells Wool Fat) but it still takes me longer, as it may most people, to get that lather going with a puck as opposed to using a cream

If you are starting out on hard soap, you will have a longer learning curve. Use a soft soap or a good crème until you get it then move into the hard ones

+1 on all the above post!! You also need to look at the water quality. Hard water takes alot more soap and water to whip a good lather. Try some quality bottled water, and see if it is easier to make a good lather, if so you probably have hard water. Good Luck!!

Sorry, on mobile device

I do have hard water. I. Am using a soap Puck. Not sure brand because it was given to me by a user on this forum and I already wore out the brand insignia on the Puck. I haven't tried cream yet.

When I keep whipping for 2 minutes without adding anything. The soap tends tto dry out eventually. I looks like the soap disapates in the bowl and then looks dry and sticky. My water gets very hot from the faucet.

Soap getting sticky is a give-away for very hard water issues. get some bottled water and try with that. There are just a few variables to good lather. Quality soap, quality water, the right soap water combo and the correct amount of twirling. You just have to play with those and some can change with the soap you are using.

Some make the mistake of thinking lather should be like gillette foamy and most manually made lather is nothing like that. There are some creams that are but most are thinner because they lack all the air the canned goo have. If you get a good shave you have the essentials. You just play and improve from there.

thanks, i will try that

Yeah I had problems with puck soap when I first started, go to the cream and see how that goes, it was a lot easier form there. I have a puck I am buggered if I can get it to lather properly and have accidently bought a second of the same soap so will have to learn now. The hot water soak the puck pour water off then use brush on softened soap helped me a stack. Good luck with the hard water though.

Also research your soaps. Some just won't produce a good lather, particularly big brand ones or farmers market soaps based mostly in olive oil. Learning to lather is best with a reputable artisan soap.

Opusx11 is correct. Check what hard soaps you are using. Some of them just are not going to produce a good quality lather no matter what due to the ingredients. The guys on here that use the pucks on a regular basis can give you several different suggestions one ones to try I am sure. My suggestion, just like I stated before in the previous post, is to go to a cream for right now and keep working on trying to build the lather with a puck if you like and you will eventually get it down pat I am sure. My first success with building lather on a puck was when I got the Mitchells Wool Fat. It did take me longer than the creams I was using of course, but I did get the Mitchells to lather up good and got a good quality shave out of it. Good stuff. I still lean towards the creams more than I do the pucks but that is a matter of just personal preference. Good luck and enjoy the journey...............

Suggestion. I've found that the bowl/scuttle that you use to make the latter is 75% of the battle. I switch to using a Suribachi daily for lather. Find that it works with all types of soaps.

One issue that you brought up was the lather drying out mid shave and needing to be re-applied. This is not uncommon while learning to make a quality lather and how to use the razor. You may want to try just lathering one side of your beard, finishing that side up and then lathering the other side. When the lather dries out it can irritate the skin (how much it irritates would depend on your skin and the soap being used).

You have received a lot of sound advice above, good luck and let us know how things progress.

Matt

Thanks everyone for the great feedback. I will post back with some results after i try some ideas out.

One hard water trick that has helped is to save the soaking water from your puck in a spare cup/bowl. After you load the brush - add a small amount (like 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon) of the reserved soaking water to your scuttle at a time as you build up. The soap infused water seems to make the build up easier.

And if your puck is very hard you can grate it and pack it back in layers. This may make loading easier for you.

It's not like learning how to shave with a straight razor is not a challenge to begins with, there is all this other stuff - making lather, stropping, daily care of the blade and brush etc.

But it comes together before you know it...

Smooth shaving...