Thread: Lather...w/ soap

Ok, I have read the posts and am in the process of ordering Lynn's DVD but I just wanted to get a general concensus on what is the best way to get the best lather (particularly from soaps).

Do you use another bowl after the soap dish? A moss scuttle? Best badger vs. silvertip? Straight onto the face?

Any comments?
Any videos?

It just seems that no matter what I try (although still new at it) I can not make a consistent lather with the soap. I think the cream is "more foamy" but I am liking the soap idea right now.

Everybody does it differently, but I've always found that making it in the soap mug makes it harder to get the water ratio right because you keep picking up extra soap as you work the lather. Personally, I prefer making it on my face. I wash my face, then I shake the water out of my brush and load the soap on the brush and paint a thick layer on my face. Then I wet the tips of my brush in the water and build the lather on my face (the brush may get re-wetted a few times before I'm happy).

Edit: I've got a moss scuttle and loved it at one time but rarely use it nowadays.

I'm by no means an expert but I prefer soaps to creams. Not that there's anything wrong with creams, I just enjoy making a lather from a soap more.
What I do depends on what soap I'm using. For Williams, Surrey or the other department store (cheap) soaps, I make my lather in a mug right ontop of the soap cake. Starting with a wet boar brush (I like the stiffness of the boar brushes but I think I'm in the minority here) I push down on top of the soap and stir, gradually lifting the brush until just the tips are touching. If too thick I add hot water a little at a time until I think its right.
For Colleens (the GOOD STUFF) soaps I start with a little dryer brush and just swirl the tips on top of the soap to coat the bristles (4 or 5 swirls is usually enough). I then move to a larger Latte cup that I had filled with hot water and emptied. Stir around rapidly and add a little water as I stir. Colleens soaps almost explode with lather. Keep adding water until it looks like merangue and there are no holes in the brush.

Enjoy
Mike

Mike,

I've tried several different methods, and here's what I've arrived at. I'm using Colleen's soap and a best badger Vulfix brush.

Fill big latte mug with the hottest water I can get from the tap, drop brush into the water.
Strop razor.
Dump out water, which has heated brush and mug nicely.
Hold brush over sink, let excess water drain from brush. Sometimes I'll give it a tiny shake.
Take soap, which I keep in a little glass Pyrex container, and swirl brush around on it, maybe 20 or 30 times. This builds a foamy lather with big bubbles.
Pump brush up and down on soap as you swirl, which sucks the lather up into the core of the brush.
Begin lathering on face with circular motions. Continue for about two minutes, working the lather into your beard. The lather at this point looks creamy and is very thick and slick.
Set mug in sink full of hot water, and rest brush in mug to keep it warm.

I used to build the lather in the mug, but mostly now I'm lathering on my face.

I think I use more soap than other guys, but a 1 oz. cake of soap lasts me almost a month, and this way I get a very consistent lather.

The soap/water ratio is pretty important. If the lather drips or flies off the brush, it's too wet. If it dries on your face, it's too dry.

If you're building the lather in a mug, it should look creamy, not bubbley, and it should form little peaks in the bottom of the mug that can stand up on their own.

I highly recommend building the lather in a seperate mug from the one that holds your soap, at least at first. Otherwise you'll keep adding soap as you build the lather.

Good luck,
Josh

Originally Posted by mparker762

Everybody does it differently, but I've always found that making it in the soap mug makes it harder to get the water ratio right because you keep picking up extra soap as you work the lather. Personally, I prefer making it on my face. I wash my face, then I shake the water out of my brush and load the soap on the brush and paint a thick layer on my face. Then I wet the tips of my brush in the water and build the lather on my face (the brush may get re-wetted a few times before I'm happy).

Edit: I've got a moss scuttle and loved it at one time but rarely use it nowadays.

This is what I do also. Be patient because it does take a solid minute or two working the lather on your face before its right.

Jordan

Which for the noob begs the question, who the heck is Colleen?

Colleen is Colleen Hurley, username churley. She makes fabulous soaps in a cast iron kettle over a wood fire in the mountains of West Virginia. At least that's how I picture her operation. The only details I'm sure of are the quality of the soap and that she's in West Virginia...

Josh

check out http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=439

This thread is a real eye-opener, it looks like I could be getting so much more out of my soaps than I have been. MUST SHAVE TONIGHT!

The B&B article is good--it really helped me out when I was starting out. But keep in mind that what really matters is how the lather works, not how it looks. If you're having trouble getting a good shave, the lather's appearance can give you some clues as to whether the lather could be the problem. But if it's working well for you, don't worry too much about getting pretty-looking lather.

Josh