Thread: Help an old guy out with lathering

I am putting this here since there is no 'lathering' forum, and it concerns using a brush. I could have put it in soaps & creams forum, but six of one, half dozen of the other, here it is.

I used to run tap water on my brush, I shave cold, and then stick it in a Moss Scuttle with enough water to keep it soaking. Drip a bit of water on the puck, and walk away for 5 minutes.

Lather I got that way was alright, but never as good as some I've seen on the forums, videos, that meringue looking stuff. Lately I've been just dipping the tips of the bristles in the scuttle with water. Getting maybe a half inch wet,, shaking it out over the dry puck and going at it.

The theory, as I understand it, is that the brush will have more flow through if the whole knot isn't sopping wet. Again, the lathering is just 'alright', nothing to write home about.

If you're getting great lather, what is you procedure ?

Don't know if you would call the lather I make great or not but I'll tell you how I do.

I just swirl the tips of the brush around in my cold sink water, shake over the sink, then shake it over the dry puck and begin loading the brush. I'll go back and just give the tips a quick touch to the water, a small shake and load the brush some more. That gets me a lot of thick slick proto lather in the brush. From there to the face and start to face lather adding water by just barely dipping the tip of the brush as I go till I get the lather the way I want it.

If I load it right the first time I have enough for a 4 pass shave with plenty left over to rinse down the sink. It's a quirk that I have in not wanting to load more soap after I have started shaving. Anyhow, that how it usually works for me.

Bob

The soap can have some input into the lather, but not as much as the soap/water ratio.

My puck is never dry when I load the brush. That puck covered with hot water from my brush soaking mug. My knot is submerged in hot water. I have different badgers that make quality lather that looks & feels like Cool Whip.

Originally Posted by BobH

If I load it right the first time I have enough for a 4 pass shave with plenty left over to rinse down the sink. It's a quirk that I have in not wanting to load more soap after I have started shaving. Anyhow, that how it usually works for me.

Bob

This asks a question I've had for a while and never had answered. Do you ever have to go back to the jar for more soap and rebuild the lather in the brush? Sometimes I feel I need to add more soap because the lather left in the brush is too wet. I rinse my face between passes and the extra water thins the lather... Suggestions.

I can't get that crazy lather with soap. With creams, I can whip up crazy lather in a scuttle, but it definitely takes more time and effort...now I just lather on my face. Spending 5 minutes just making lather didn't seem like a good use of time when I can have perfect lather on my face in 30 seconds. I'd rather devote the time to shaving, since that's the part of the routine I enjoy most.

Originally Posted by cau

This asks a question I've had for a while and never had answered. Do you ever have to go back to the jar for more soap and rebuild the lather in the brush? Sometimes I feel I need to add more soap because the lather left in the brush is too wet. I rinse my face between passes and the extra water thins the lather... Suggestions.

I face lather wetting my face between passes and try and load enough soap into the brush, it is not really lather at this stage being very thick, to do my 4 passes. I add water as I build the lather on my face to get the consistency I want. When I relather for another pass I may even have to add more water to get the consistency in lather I want. If I do not load enough soap into the brush in the first place and the lather starts to get thin and runny, I have to go back and load a bit more soap to get me through.

If you need to add more soap you need to add more soap is all.

Bob

Originally Posted by cau

This asks a question I've had for a while and never had answered. Do you ever have to go back to the jar for more soap and rebuild the lather in the brush? Sometimes I feel I need to add more soap because the lather left in the brush is too wet. I rinse my face between passes and the extra water thins the lather... Suggestions.

When I get a lather that is too thin I shake out the brush in the sink, and hit the soap puck again. No rules in this game. Whatever works. It is just tough to figure out what works sometimes. I've been using a shaving brush since 1973 and I ain't got it figured out yet !

Personally, I just soak the brush in the inside of the scuttle (which is filled with hot water) as I'm getting ready to shave. Then I shake it out to a degree to fit the soap I am using. That's it really. if I miscalculated I might have to either go back to the soap or add more water however it ain't rocket science. It's either more soap or more water if I didn't get it right.

Have you seen any of the YouTube videos with bowl or face-lathering? There are a plethora of them and many are demonstrating some very good lathering techniques.
This might be a redundant question as you have been doing this for quite some time, I presume, but what soap and brush are you using, as this might be contributing to your 'average' lather?

Personally, I start with a damp brush that I shake out most of the water from, then I swirl the brush on the puck for 30-45 seconds, intermittently adding small amounts of water so that I can pick up that 'gooey and sticky' proto-lather; then I face-lather for 2-4 minutes, again, adding small amounts of water, intermittently until I get the desired lather.
My procedure is the same if I have to bowl-lather, except there is more effort involved for my wrist! This is why I face-lather, exclusively, and use shave-sticks so that I can spend all of my time on my face!

I can link to some Youtube videos, here, if that is allowed and if you want.

Originally Posted by celestino

Have you seen any of the YouTube videos with bowl or face-lathering? There are a plethora of them and many are demonstrating some very good lathering techniques.
This might be a redundant question as you have been doing this for quite some time, I presume, but what soap and brush are you using, as this might be contributing to your 'average' lather?

Personally, I start with a damp brush that I shake out most of the water from, then I swirl the brush on the puck for 30-45 seconds, intermittently adding small amounts of water so that I can pick up that 'gooey and sticky' proto-lather; then I face-lather for 2-4 minutes, again, adding small amounts of water, intermittently until I get the desired lather.

I can link to some Youtube videos, here, if that is allowed and if you want.

Thanks, I have seen quite a few of them years ago. I've got some high end brushes, and soaps/creams. I've suspected the water, and tried bottled. It is most likely me, and not any of the gear. Maybe I'll take another look at some of those videos. Thanks for reminding me.