all right guys, I watched some videos and tried some different methods for lathering up. I think i get a pretty good lather whether on the palm, in a seperate bowl or even on my face, but my face doesn't really care for me lathering on it so much.

anyways, i have a sample size puck in a small ceramic ramekin, I have a larger ceramic bowl, and a coffee mug. what I do (mind you I think this was only my 5th shave, first with my new thistle cut I bought here, spike point...hmmmm....must be careful. got two small nicks on my beautiful face) is this:

(turned up hot water heat a bit too by the way)
fill coffee mug with hot water and soak brush
fill large bowl with hot water
set ramekin with soap in large bowl (drawback I see is the puck comes loose)
shake out brush and take ramekin out of bowl, lather right on top of the soap (makes a lot of lather fast) finish lathering on my face

in between lathering (I go with what I saw in one video for slow shavers where you do your face in sections to keep it hot and the lather fresh) I put the ramekin back in the bowl. this gives me warm lather when I reapply

I empty the bowl and coffee mug of water at the end and let the soap sit out and dry. are there any drawbacks to this method other than slightly faster soap consumption?

thanks gentlemen

Red