Thread: I can't get hot lather for some reason

Originally Posted by Pabster

Before you start, put hot water in the cup to warm it up. Then after your 1st lather, rest the cup in a bowl of hot water. Depending on how long the hot bowl of water sits, you may have to refill it with fresh hot water.

I like to soak my brush in hot water and find a way to warm up the shaving soap before I start lathering. Just give it some thought and you will figure it out. When winter rolls around, this becomes a bigger issue than when its hot outside.

Welcome to straight shaving!

Pabster

I tried this...the cup remains reasonably warm during the first pass but either way neither brush nor lather is getting anything but cold. Even when I rest my brush in hot water, by the time I'm done lathering, whether it's the first time or second time - brush is cold, lather is cold.

I tried a mug warmer - kept the mug warm, hot even - still no hot lather..if i'm LUCKY i'll maybe get a few drops of warm lather, before it cools down - the mug is still, somehow warm to the touch though. I've tried different materials too - china, granite, marble, steel.

Honestly at this point, I simply CANNOT believe after THREE HUNDRED YEARS, i'm still having the same problem the dude who first used my razor is having - no hot lather.

I think your wanting too much. HOT lather is no better than warm lather. Warm is good enough for me. I use a scuttle and i go as far as to sit the scuttle in a sink of hot water. Change the water in the scuttle for more hot water to keep it as warm as possible. Warm is comforting. Hot might not be as nice. JMO.
Keep in mind that body temps are over 95 degrees. So evan if you lather is 90 degrees, its warm but you might think its cold.

It’s a balancing act. You can warm the scuttle and warm the brush and bloom the soap with warm water, but if you get things too hot, the lather degrades quickly.

I have actually had the best luck face lathering by rubbing a soap stick on my wet face and using hot water on the brush.

Originally Posted by Gasman

I think your wanting too much. HOT lather is no better than warm lather. Warm is good enough for me. I use a scuttle and i go as far as to sit the scuttle in a sink of hot water. Change the water in the scuttle for more hot water to keep it as warm as possible. Warm is comforting. Hot might not be as nice. JMO.
Keep in mind that body temps are over 95 degrees. So evan if you lather is 90 degrees, its warm but you might think its cold.

oh . I wanted like lather that's consistently at 100F or so...too much to ask?

Possibly a warming plate set at 120? But as DZEC posted, lather degrades, fades away with heat.

Originally Posted by Tjh

oh . I wanted like lather that's consistently at 100F or so...too much to ask?

The short answer is yes. Even the commercial hot lather machines the barbers had years ago were not that hot not even close.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

The short answer is yes. Even the commercial hot lather machines the barbers had years ago were not that hot not even close.

Bob

Really? SO like 60-80F? That's downright cold. 80F, which is around room temperature in hot climates I'd consider maybe lukewarm. My lathers never get above 60F to be honest, even with the insane things I do, 60F is as high as I ever get (according to the thermapro i have anyway).

Also this can't POSSIBLY be true. Body temp is 97-99F, and i know 100% that hot lather machines felt warm to the touch, and physically that will only happen if temperatures reach or exceed body core temperature (so minimum of 95F). Honestly, I've used hot lather machines, (or had them used on me), all i want is the temp that they reach, whatever you think that is, I just want that...but without having to buy one of those(which I am 99% sure is fairly close to 100F, like 90-95F at minimum, though I"ve never measured it.).

P.S: far as I can tell, the "hot water" setting on my bathroom tap is about 100F or so, maybe a little less, maybe a little more but 100 seems like a safe bet (120F is mentioned in various places including hydro company websites as a very common setting for hot water at homes, but the limit to safe temperature - any higher can be dangerous to sensitive skin such as children. So, 100F seems like a REALLY good bet regarding most peoples hot water taps at home).

Perhaps you're confused about F vs C? 100F is about 37.8C. 80F is about 26C, which is usually considered "room temperature" in warm climates, 110F (or about 43C) is a temperature I've seen on warning labels for hot water tubs and kettles and the like as a warning "hot water" temperature - this seems to be the where the commonly accepted "really hot" range starts for water. So good temperature for "warm to hot water", which will feel nice during cold climates for a shower is around 90-100F, any colder and it will be well below body temperature and then it's just plain PHYSICS that it will NOT feel warm to the touch, let alone hot or scald - you can't possibly harm a brush with something that is COLDER THAN YOUR OWN SKIN!

Also: I put my brush AFTER taking the water out of the heating device. By the time my brush is in there, it's cold enough wash my face in, so not hotter than 105 or so by ANY MEANS, and likely a LOT colder. Generally I find, it's impossible for any liquid to stay above 95F in my house outside unless being supplied with heat in some way - for more than 15seconds - like this is true even for Soups, I LOVE drinking soups but everything above the second sip is just cold.

Originally Posted by Tjh

Really? SO like 60-80F? That's downright cold. 80F, which is around room temperature in hot climates I'd consider maybe lukewarm. My lathers never get above 60F to be honest, even with the insane things I do, 60F is as high as I ever get (according to the thermapro i have anyway).

Also this can't POSSIBLY be true. Body temp is 97-99F, and i know 100% that hot lather machines felt warm to the touch, and physically that will only happen if temperatures reach or exceed body core temperature (so minimum of 95F). Honestly, I've used hot lather machines, (or had them used on me), all i want is the temp that they reach (which I am 99% sure is fairly close to 100F, like 90-95F at minimum, though I"ve never measured it.).

P.S: far as I can tell, the "hot water" setting on my bathroom tap is about 100F or so, maybe a little less, maybe a little more but 100 seems like a safe bet (120F is mentioned in various places including hydro company websites safe temperature for hot water at home - any higher can be dangerous to sensitive skin such as children. So, 100F seems like a REALLY good bet regarding most peoples hot water taps at home).

Perhaps you're confused about F vs C? 100F is about 37.8C. 80F is about 26C, which is usually considered "room temperature" in warm climates, 110F (or about 43C) is a temperature I've seen on warning labels for hot water tubs and kettles and the like as a warning "hot water" temperature - this seems to be the where the commonly accepted "really hot" range starts for water. So good temperature for "warm to hot water", which will feel nice during cold climates for a shower is around 90-100F, any colder and it will be well below body temperature and then it's just plain PHYSICS that it will NOT feel warm to the touch, let alone hot or scald.

You are right about hot water heaters in homes, 120F seems to be the hottest recommended. No, I am not confused about F vs C as I grew up using F and then had to learn to use C for temps. Our tankless hot water heater is set to 125F, about 52C, as the boss likes it really hot. Before switching to cold water shaving I did make lather in a modern scuttle with a built in hot water reservoir to keep the lather warm and it did keep it warm.

I have no idea why you can't feel that the lather is at least warm as the majority of people can. Instead of doing really insane things to get a hot lather you might want to get one of those old style commercial hot lather machines as they seem to work for you when nothing else will.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

I have no idea why you can't feel that the lather is at least warm as the majority of people can. Instead of doing really insane things to get a hot lather you might want to get one of those old style commercial hot lather machines as they seem to work for you when nothing else will.

Bob

Sorry, i think I may not have communicated this well: i can feel warm lather fine, if it is indeed warm. I have no issues for example when I'm shaving at my parents house, get nice warm, even hot lather there. My problem is, it is IMPOSSIBLE for any liquid to stay above 65F or so in my house for more than 15 seconds unless being supplied with heat. I'll try the hot lather machine tbh, as a last resort. But again, my problem isn't me being wierd and demanding some insane temperature, my issue is that my house is SO COLD and DRY that NORMAL temperatures lathers and water reaches and stays at for most people, it doesn't for me. Again, 65F is as hot as I'll EVER GET water, lather, brush or really ANYTHING liquid to stay at without it being heated up. Solid objects are better at retaining heat - my blade or that cast iron pot seems to be able to even stay warm for a long time.

Originally Posted by Tjh

I tried this...the cup remains reasonably warm during the first pass but either way neither brush nor lather is getting anything but cold. Even when I rest my brush in hot water, by the time I'm done lathering, whether it's the first time or second time - brush is cold, lather is cold.
.....
Honestly at this point, I simply CANNOT believe after THREE HUNDRED YEARS, i'm still having the same problem the dude who first used my razor is having - no hot lather.

How cold is your house?

I spent the last year or more playing with cold water.

With the last cold spell I relented and went over to the warm. side.

First hint, plastic. Ceramic is just too hungry for heat.
Second hint is a wooden stir stick or chopstick in a plastic 1 or 2 cup measuring cup (spout) and microwave some water to about 120-125F. Not over 150F (will scald skin in seconds) but the until you get the timing correct safety mandates an anti boil over aid like the wood stick and caution.

Warning: Good brushes do not like boiling water. Crazy hot kills the glue of the knot target 120F (tap hot).

I lather in a plastic 4" salsa bowl low heat capacity and while textured is easy on a good brush.

I dip my brush in the measuring cup of hot water, shake most out and gather some soap from the puck.
I let my boar brushes soak for 20 seconds, expensive badger dip and shake.
If using a cream I put a dab in the lathering bowl and start building a lather with a minimum
of water and keep adding dribbles of hot water as needed.

If I got the brush dry enough I now have the opportunity to add hot water a little at
a time and build my lather. I marvel at how much additional water a lather can take up.

When the lather is close, I try some on my face and face lather a bit. Each time
adding a teaspoon of hot water or less and work the lather till I get it right.

Then each time I need another load of lather on my face for another pass I add a small bit
of my hot water. My hotest tap, closest to the hot water heater is 122F which is fine.

About $2 for the measuring cup, about $2 for the plastic salsa bowl at my grocery.

The warmth of that last dribble of hot water and reworking the lather is noticeable.
If the measuring cup water gets cool, get a bigger measuring cup.

Summary: Plastic, the heavy ceramic mugs need to be very heavy and need to be preheated
like a tea kettle and are their own class of joy. In all cases a dribble of tap hot water
to refresh the lather helps. The measuring cup of HOT water allows the last dribbles of
water to be effective in all cases when refreshing the lather.

Yes this is an old thread.