Thread: 5th Shave - Lather. What am I doing wrong?

I decided to have a go today based on what I'd learned from the WTG, XTG and ATG thread. My mission was to just shave WTG.

Immediately, one thing that's bugging me is lather. When I try and generate some lather from the shaving soap, it's very thin. I've heard it's supposed to be thin as thick lather clogs the blade but I don't know if that's only true in cartridge razors. However the lather is so thin that it's actually "evaporating". I'll shave my cheek, and when I have finished the rest of my face is almost totally without lather. If I shave these other areas, it feels like a dry shave. Very rough.

I actually switched to the Gilette shaving gel I had on two occasions but since that's dried up (the can was empty), I am going back to the soap.

What am I doing wrong? I have my soap in a mug and add a little water. I whisk around for a bit and then apply, but it's always very thin. Am I adding too little water? Am I not whisking around enough?

I should make a small confession. I'm using a mug (as in one you'd drink from) rather than a proper scuttle

I use a mug too.
Sometimes the same thing happens to me.
I'm starting to think its the soap. I have 2 mugs with 2 different types of soap trying to see what I like. I know the blue one doesn't give the lather that I like. The other one has a glycerin type soap that I got from Ems Place, it works pretty good.
I'm still trying different ones though.

Originally Posted by Dan

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What am I doing wrong? I have my soap in a mug and add a little water. I whisk around for a bit and then apply, but it's always very thin. Am I adding too little water? Am I not whisking around enough?

Try letting the warm water sit on the soap for at least 5 minutes. Depending on water hardness, you may have to whisk the lather up for a bit longer to get a nice thick lather.
Try making a super-lather and see if that helps.

Maybe too much water? I find that if I have too much water on my brush that the lather is very thin. Are you soaking your brush first? If so are you trying to make the lather with all the water left in the brush, or are you shaking a little out?

Try following this thread :
guide to making uberlather

Ignore the bits about adding cream and glycerin the basic process makes excellent lather with soap only.
Also if you are not using a triple milled soap (read a very hard soap like the Geo F Trumpers stuff) you might want to limit your soap soaking time or else you'll find your soap has been used up before you know it.

Barney

What kind of soap are you using? Some make a better lather than others.

Originally Posted by Dan

I should make a small confession. I'm using a mug (as in one you'd drink from) rather than a proper scuttle

Nothing wrong with using a mug.

Here's another good thread on getting good soap lather in which The Duke of Ducks states that:

"There are alot of variables at work here that affect the kind and amount of lather you get. The hardness of the water, the type and size of the brush, the type and brand of soap you use and your technique for brushing. All other things being equal I've found the type of soap to be most critical. I've found brands like classic shave, trumpers, taylors and haslinger to produce copious amounts of rich lather and brands like conk, williams to produce little or weak lather.

I usually produce most of the lather in the bowl and expand on that on my face. I don't think the type of motion you use matters as long as you get it going and it covers your face. You don't need three inches of lather on your face anyway just a light coat."

Hey Dan,
I've also had this problem once or twice since I've started. What seemed to be the problem was that I wasn't using enough water to et enough soap into my brush. Here's what I do now that gives me great lather:

I fill a bowl with hot water and let my brush soak while I shower
Pour the water out, shake out a bit of the water in the brush, and swirl it on the soap
Keep swirling and occasionally pressing the brush into the soap until a lather starts to form.
I usually lather on my face, but you can continue to lather right there, or in another bowl.

This usually gives me superlative amounts of thick, great lather. I must admit, though, I got this method from Badger and Blade. Check it out, they also have a good method over there in their Shaving Soap category.
Wishing you best of luck
-Dan

Like I said, one of the moderators over at B&B put together this great tutorial. It seems to address your problem directly. Hope this helps
Part 1 Part 2
-Dan