Thread: Instructional Vids...

The problem with instructional lather vids is that... virtually none of them actually show building lather. I've seen about one and a half vids on YouTube that show the actual building of the lather.

In one video, the camera is only on the bowl & soap, but he uses some concoction of "locally handmade soap" that looks like chunks of lard, and an oil from a local plant. The lather produced (likely meant as an overview/quick demo of how-to) was mostly huge bubbles, like you would see washing dishes. Outside of those issues, it was a decent video.

Face lathering vids don't really count, either. They very rarely show how this person is building the soap on the brush.

Also, there don't seem to be any vids showing examples of how it goes wrong. Like too much water, overworked lather, the difference adding glycerin makes, how much time it takes a lather with not enough water to dry out once applied to the face.

The camera should basically always have the brush in the shot. Maybe a wrist mounted GoPro?

If I weren't a noob myself, I'd make one, or six, of these vids. I, and surely other noobs, welcome useful submissions.

NewBee or not,,, it sounds like your calling,,,, crank out a good video on the things you want to see. Maybe have someone shoot the video for you as you make the lather.

Somethings a video just won't show. How full a brush is with water for example. How much soap is coming off the puck etc.
Soap is not that expensive and what I did was play making lather until I got it right. Then proceeded to learn over the years. I get your frustration but I bet if you spent as much time experimenting as you did searching a vid you would already know what you seek :<0)

Learning how to "load" a brush with soap and then "build" your lather on your face can be a little challenging at first. This is one of the better vids I have found to illustrate how to "load" a brush and then build a lather on your face. You clearly get to see all of what you are asking for. Pick a method and practice, you don't need to be shaving, till you can do it. Just takes some time.

Bob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4zESTQWDuw

I have spent more time lathering than searching. I practice my lather on my non-shave days. Somebody that is reasonably decent at instruction/training can explain AND demonstrate those points. Squeeze the brushes. At least three, of similar makeup. One with the usual 5-15min soak in hot water. One with a short soak (30sec to a min?). And one just ran under the faucet several times. And try making a lather with each, with extremely similar soaps (or same kind if possible).

These thing need consistency. Someone watching these vids to improve their own technique is doing so, in part, to eliminate variables; the instructor adding variables doesn't help any.

I only have one soap, one brush, one everything needed for this. I cannot demo what I suggest. For whatever reason, I seem to have a natural nack for being a trainer, which starts with taking notes as the trainee.

Bob,
I've seen that video a couple times. He demonstrates a few points well, and even shows what the brush looked like once he had it loaded.

Still left a bit of mystery to the process. And face lathering is not ideal for noobies to start out on. That takes already knowing what a good lather is supposed to be.

I will differ on that comment , face lathering is a great way for a newb to start ,,soap is cheap and that video bob gave you is a pretty darn good one to learn in , that guys has a few videos on the subject and geofatboy does lather and shaves all the time also, building a good lather is pretty basic , just mix it up on the dry side and add water till it's right. Tc

Okay so your giving it an honest go and it ain't happening. Let's do it here.

Lather on your face or in a bowl ?
What soap are you using ?
What brush ?
Sometimes the hardness of your water will make it impossible to lather certain soaps.

No matter just do this.
Dab some water onto your puck and let it sit there for a minute or 2 or 30. This only softens the surface but that is enough. The harder the soap the longer the soak.
Soak your brush until it stops bubbling. This takes about 10 seconds. Shake while under water and it's full.
Give it a gentle shake out of water and WATCH how much comes out. Bend it against your palm and SEE how much more comes out. It still has water in it.
Go to the puck and start doing your thing. You should start to see lather before you pull out and go to your face.
When you apply it to you face if it doesn't start making lather immediately then something is lacking. Dab it in water and give it another go.

If you have done all this and still not getting lather then I suspect your soap and water aren't getting along. Artisan soaps that are not popular can be a challenge to lather correctly if possible at all. Sometimes I think these small soap makers are targeting DE guys. I think this because of the links I see and other things they sell. For me these makers soaps can produce a great lather but you have to learn the perfect combo of soap and water. And most times it's just a matter of brush back bone and and/or more soap.

If you really REALLY need a special vid with details of how I have done it for years send me a PM. I'll give it a go for you.

The vid is on a soft soap. The particulars you mention Do Not Matter so much.

Originally Posted by Crawler

Bob,
I've seen that video a couple times. He demonstrates a few points well, and even shows what the brush looked like once he had it loaded.

Still left a bit of mystery to the process. And face lathering is not ideal for noobies to start out on. That takes already knowing what a good lather is supposed to be.

Face lathering is how I started 40 odd years ago so any newbie can do it, simple as that. You can use an old cereal bowl if you want to build lather in too. No matter how you do it you still have to get the water to soap ratio correct.

No, there really is no consistency to "exactly" how people load and build a lather. Everyone finds their own way of doing it. You just take any example that is reasonable and modify it to what works for you till you can get repeatable good results.

When you build your lather you want it to be rich and creamy, not dry and pasty or light and airy/bubbles in it. When you have the right amount of water to soap in the lather most will get a shine/sheen to them. When you pull your brush away from the lather it should leave a little peak like a good whipped cream.

To make it easier, stay with one good soap and one brush to eliminate variables introduced by switching soaps and brushes around.

Like most things with traditional wet shaving making a good lather is a bit of an art, not science, that has to be practiced till you get good at it.

Bob

Someone told me about the finger rubbing test a few weeks back I cannot remember who. But they helped me out so much. Hopefully they can chime in on that.

My experience being a fellow noob of 8 months in. I started bowl lathering because someone said it was easier. I started with a crap brush, my lather was crap. Got a new brush for Christmas and my lather making capability sky rocketed. Then I found face lathering and for me that was so much easier. I can nail it every time and bowl lathering for me now nails it about 80% of the time. After a few months lather making will just click for you and you'll get it.

As for the videos it's very hard because you do not have his brush or soap most likely and even if you do it's the process you need to be aware of not the exact thing that works for him because it may not work for you. I found the videos helpful you've just got to pick out what you need to know. Sometimes it's what they say that counts not what you see.