Thread: lathering up trouble

Thnx, I'll just start experimenting with attacking the soap. If more soap and youtube can't fix this then I'll look for different solutions. Also water here is 6,4 dH, which is relatively hard, yet also relatively soft depending on which site you are looking at (a site which sells water softeners and a site of an organisation who is responsible for the water) so maybe using distilled water or demi-water is a second solution.

--edit--
according to the most used scaling for water, mine is soft.
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Took me awhile, but not long. Every soap out there acts differently , even the brush you use.
My water is so hard,,, ya have to chew it before ya swallow it. But no problems making good lather with it.
Just practice and learning.
I started bowl lathering, but now I face lather.
Learning to load the brush properly was my biggest problem I found out.
A very easy soap for me.(the one I learned from the quickest) was Vanderhagen luxery soap( green box) and reasonably cheap. If you want to challenge yourself, try Green Mountain or Williams mug soap, their the most difficult that Ive used at this point, but their both excellent soaps. JMHO

Originally Posted by technonine

Thnx, I'll just start experimenting with attacking the soap. If more soap and youtube can't fix this then I'll look for different solutions. Also water here is 6,4 dH, which is relatively hard, yet also relatively soft depending on which site you are looking at (a site which sells water softeners and a site of an organisation who is responsible for the water) so maybe using distilled water or demi-water is a second solution.

--edit--
according to the most used scaling for water, mine is soft.
--------

Maybe I missed your answer, What soap are you using? Is it a proper shaving soap? Alternatively is it a face or body bar soap? Unless it's a shaving soap, you're going to have trouble. They are made differently than hand, body or face soaps.

Hope it wasn't a stupid question. But have seen very few "bars" of shaving soap.

Originally Posted by dmnc

Hope it wasn't a stupid question. But have seen very few "bars" of shaving soap.

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

Maybe I missed your answer, What soap are you using? Is it a proper shaving soap? Alternatively is it a face or body bar soap? Unless it's a shaving soap, you're going to have trouble. They are made differently than hand, body or face soaps.

I started out with a soap BAR you'd use for washing your hands, because when I first started all this, I read somewhere you could use a normal bar of soap or even shampoo as a replacement for shaving gell (the canned stuff). Also I went to the city today and found that the supermarket had shaving soap (including a plastic container to function as mug) from "De vergulde hand". I'll try this one out.

on the matter of technique, they say you need to swirl around for 30 seconds with above mentioned shaving soap. after which you can start building lather.

You can use a bar of hand soap, you can also eat bugs, but a good steak is much nicer. If you're doing multiple passes and bowl lathering would go for a minute to start with just to be sure. Not tried that soap, but any real shaving soap will be a huge improvement.

Also a drop of water on the soap while brush soaks helps soften the surface for easier loading.

Originally Posted by technonine

I started out with a soap BAR you'd use for washing your hands, because when I first started all this, I read somewhere you could use a normal bar of soap or even shampoo as a replacement for shaving gell (the canned stuff). Also I went to the city today and found that the supermarket had shaving soap (including a plastic container to function as mug) from "De vergulde hand". I'll try this one out.

on the matter of technique, they say you need to swirl around for 30 seconds with above mentioned shaving soap. after which you can start building lather.

Using a bar of bath soap is not a good substitute for a real shave soap, as you have found out. Yes, it can be done but it is a desperation move when you have nothing else and it does not make for a pleasant shave. Two different products meant and formulated for two different purposes.

The DE Vergulde Hand shave you picked up should be very good shave soap if it is anything like the Ver Guldehand shave stick soap I have. It should do the job nicely.

Here is a vid on how to make a lather with shave soap. I have found his series of vids very helpful.

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

Try practice lathering without shaving to get the hang of it. Good luck.

Bob

All I do is wet the brush, pick up the bowl with soap in it. I wisk the soap with the brush (best analogy I got). After about 10 seconds I have a pretty good lather. Only tricks I found is don't use too much pressure and use plenty of water.

Originally Posted by BobH

Using a bar of bath soap is not a good substitute for a real shave soap, as you have found out. Yes, it can be done but it is a desperation move when you have nothing else and it does not make for a pleasant shave. Two different products meant and formulated for two different purposes.

The DE Vergulde Hand shave you picked up should be very good shave soap if it is anything like the Ver Guldehand shave stick soap I have. It should do the job nicely.

Here is a vid on how to make a lather with shave soap. I have found his series of vids very helpful.

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

Try practice lathering without shaving to get the hang of it. Good luck.

Bob

Thnx, Ill try using this tutorial as example next time, So now for an update:

I did use the shaving soap, copying this guy who is judging it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkH-TMDdam4

I did get a somewhat good lather, seeing your tutorial it seems I had beginners luck as mine was just right, not to sticky or foamy.
I also tried using my handsoap using the same technique on my arm and built what Id consider a pretty decent lather. The lather made with handsoap is a little thinner, but in my case it leaves more of a protective, lubricating layer so so far I find it shave a little nicer. Maybe tomorrow when my face has recovered (seems like I might have a small razor burn with the shaving soap lather) Ill practice lathering and will experiment with it in more debt.

Thnx for all the help, you guys are amazing.