Thread: How lather quality affects my shave

I've been collecting a dozen razors and stones over the last years, always in search for that perfect edge, like most people here. Lately, being quite busy finishing my master thesis and playing GTA , I haven't been honing a lot. It allowed me to compare the performance of the same edge on the same razor and I've found surprisingly large differences. Sometimes, it would tug and feel a bit dull, while at other times (like this morning) the shave is brilliantly smooth and easy.

The only reason I can come up with, is lather quality. My prep consists of a bit of warm water on my face, lather, strop, relather and then shave. My lather quality is a bit inconsistent, but this morning I had a thin, face-lathered layer of very thick, creamy, slick lather and the resulting shave was great. On other days, I get a slightly disappointing shave with the same razor.

I've had these results with different razors and soaps, and I'm still trying to get that perfect lather every day. It is as described here: creamy, thick and slick. I start out with just a little water in the brush, load it up for a while and then add a few drops, that seems to give me the best results.

What are your experiences?

My experience pretty much follows yours, a good lather goes a long way to a great shave. More than you would suspect really. No prep for me and I build my lather on my face in a similar method to yours. Makes me wonder how many times I touched a blade up thinking it was dulling but it was a crappy lather job instead.

Bob

the one I find works the worst for me is a thick lather!! A thin watery lather is easy to spot. A thick lather tricks me into believing I've done a good job and doesn't provide the glide I'm after, and I feel it only afterwards! The sign I look for is when the first cheek stroke is difficult to rinse off the blade. I know then that taking on my (sensitive) neck would be a poor call

One strategy to eliminate variables, if you have the resources, is to make a set of the soap/cream, brush, blade and strop.

Keeping all other aspects the same, use the set(s) the same each time the set comes up in the rotation.

I've found matching a brush to a soap/cream aids in yielding a consistent shave.

Dave

Originally Posted by rolodave

One strategy to eliminate variables, if you have the resources, is to make a set of the soap/cream, brush, blade and strop.

Keeping all other aspects the same, use the set(s) the same each time the set comes up in the rotation.

I've found matching a brush to a soap/cream aids in yielding a consistent shave.

Dave

Thats easier than you think, just use the same razor and soap for a few days, though the soap will change a bit due to use, using a soap every day means that the level of moisture in it increases a bit, i use the same razor every day, and the same uberlather mix every day for two weeks out of three, the first day or two with the mix needs more added water that later in the fortnight.

Originally Posted by Damo

the one I find works the worst for me is a thick lather!! A thin watery lather is easy to spot. A thick lather tricks me into believing I've done a good job and doesn't provide the glide I'm after, and I feel it only afterwards! The sign I look for is when the first cheek stroke is difficult to rinse off the blade. I know then that taking on my (sensitive) neck would be a poor call

You've got that right, there is a balance point and a too thick lather would be too dry and not provide the slickness needed for a good glide. Soaps that for me seem to provide the most slickness are mostly tallow based.

Bob

Lather definitely affects my shaves, too dry and the blade wants to skip, to wet, no cushion. I face lather, dipping the tips as needed in the water and soap.

First pass I like it thick and cushiony, second pass slick and thinner.
When I face lather after my first pass I wet my hand lightly and smear the soap residue left on face and then lightly paint on the lather again.
When I bowl lather I actually finish the last bit of lather building on my face and then add a few drops of water to the bowl/scuttle and cream it out more while I let the lather on my face set up for minute.

Cushion for first pass, slick for second and if I am aiming for BBS the touch up pass is water only with the soap residue left on my face.
There are a few soaps that don't leave much residue and I will brush a touch on mw face and smear it with a wet hand for that finial touch up.

It is what has worked for me,
I wont try and shave with a sub par lather any more.

Many folks who come from cartridge shaving think lather should be like the gillette foamy they are used to and unless the lather is 3 inches thick it's poor lather. Quality lather is just that. As you glide the razor over your skin it's not unlike a razor going over a hone and it pushes the water aside. The lather is also pushed aside. Good lather leaves a very fine layer which lubes the skin. Poor lather is completely wiped off by the razor giving you an uncomfortable shave and if it dries out fast (another sign of a poor lather) then you are in double trouble.

I've never been a believer in the cushion effect as far as straights go. With other shaving instruments you do get more of a cushion.

To me it's all about moisture and lube.

Yes, Laurens, my experience, limited as it is, is exactly like yours. I did an experiment where all I changed every day was the soap/cream and hence the lather, but used the same general face prep and razor, with just stropping before and after each shave. I found that I could have a great shave one day, and a less comfortable one the next. Since I think I strop well now (finally), I deduced that the razor was probably almost exactly the same and so it had to be the lather.

I've now zeroed in on a few favorites and I think I can spot when I have the lather right. If I think I don't, I re-lather if I have the time.