Thread: Lather experiment.

I find bowl lathering better with a dead flat surface - I bowl lather in a Ye Olde' crystal ash tray (creates a really good suction for the brush) and stiff brush - as opposed to ridged or corrugated surfaces.

I lather on my face with any really soft brush and mitchells wool fat usually works pretty well.

I usually face lather as I like massaging my face with the bristles.

I suggest using cream to begin with, as soap can be a bit trickier. Cream is good as you can use the same measured amount every time, and work from there to find how much water is required to mix up a good lather. I use Speick shaving cream and recommend it very highly! I do find it takes a few minutes of mixing to work up a lather that'll form peaks.

If you can get a halfway decent lather with that brush, all the more power to you. I had that kit and the soap isn't bad (isn't great, but works well enough till you want something different). That brush is crap or at least darn close to it. I'm sure worse could be had off of ebay if you tried... Anyway, spend another $12 on an Omega if you're on a budget. They're great. If you're not on a tighter budget the sky is the limit with the brushes. I switched brushes and immediately had more luck building a consistent lather. I still use the bowl and occasionally the VDH soap. If you can get your hands on some cream from The Real Shaving Co. (my local rite aid has it for about $5 a tube) that stuff lathers really well and has some good cushion. It will lather decently with the VDH brush but a simple brush switch will make you feel like a latherin' pro.

I've been using my Frank Shaving finest badger brush off of ebay for a few weeks now, and just like you said I do in fact feel like a regular pro at making lather now. I also just got in a tub of CarrieM's lime shaving cream and am extremely impressed with the lather and increased cushion. I've even started the lather with a few swirls on the VDH and then added the cream, which produced very very comfortable and delicious smelling lather as well.
I've got a few samples from mama bear's as well that I can't wait to try. I've got the lemon ice sample that I think might make a very good smelling lather with CarrieM's lime cream. It will be almost like a tingly lemon-lime. I'll call it.... Sprite lather!

Peace,
Conor