Success!! Thanks for all the suggestions! My issue was too much water and too little soap. I let the brush sit in hot water for a few minutes and shook the water out, lathered the soap directly on the soap tub for about 20 seconds until the brush looked coated, then moved to the empty mug and lathered for a minute adding a little bit of hot water until it seemed right. I got a nice thick lather, much better than I've ever had! My only issue is that when my face it lathered with the soap, it kind of burns. Not the good kind of burn (like I get with a good aftershave, I love that!) but the kind that makes the bristles of the brush kind of sting. It seems to make my face kind of red and swollen after shaving. I don't get that with the cheapo soap so I'm wondering if I'm alergic to the west indie bay. I sure hope not, I love the smell of that stuff and I got such a great lather with it, I'd hate to have to go back to the williams while waiting for another shipment of different soap. :/