Thread: Shaving Cream Application to the Brush

Charlie Larman told me about a barber at the Art Of Shaving who used
the palm of his hand to put shaving cream and then appy to cream to
the brush in the palm of his hand. I tried this with a sample of
Coleen's soap and it worked like a champ. Her soaps are very nice. I
simply put the cream in my palm and soaked the brush in hot water.
Shook it off a little and then mixed the cream into the brush. Got a
great lather that lasted the entire shave. All I had to do on
re-application was wet the brush a little more and it generated a ton
of lather. Anyone else ever try this?

Lynn

Actually, thats the way I use my soap (Williams). Soak it in hot water with the brush while I'm wetting my face, then take the brush to it while I'm holding it in my palm.
I get warmer lather off it (lousy mug / boar brush).
I go through more soap this way, but its not Trumpers or anything.

No offense, Lynn, but why wouldn't you just use a bowl? It may not be as sensual but it's also not as messy and the risk of losing any cream is minimal

That's how I use my cream. I soak the brush, then empty the bowl, shake out the brush a little, put a wee bit of cream in the bowl and work up a lather until I like the consistency.

Redwoood

Originally Posted by Redwoood

No offense, Lynn, but why wouldn't you just use a bowl? It may not be as sensual but it's also not as messy and the risk of losing any cream is minimal

When I first heard of the practice, it was from a guy who used a DE. So, he'd have a handful of lather to slap on his face when he needed it, as he was only using one hand for the razor. Obviously, that doesn't work too well when one is straight razor shaving oneself using both hands.

Originally Posted by TMike

When I first heard of the practice, it was from a guy who used a DE. So, he'd have a handful of lather to slap on his face when he needed it, as he was only using one hand for the razor. Obviously, that doesn't work too well when one is straight razor shaving oneself using both hands.

I use both hands with a DE too. Stretching the skin is a must, no matter what razor I'm using.

I'll have to give that a try. I still have some of Colleen's 4-B, and it might help since my brush is subpar.

All you really need is just a little of the cream. You just put it on the brush and generate the lather in your palm. Works really well. If you need more lather, just run the brush under a little hot water and you have it. Really not much of a mess. After you generate the lather, rinse the hand and you are ready for two handed straight razor shaving.......lol. Lynn

I hope he was wearing rubber gloves. Make sure his hands are clean!

actually it was trumpers in london...not art of shaving...the barber explained using your palm lets you feel the consistancy and texture of lather...a bowl or mug allows more air into mixture more bubbles and lighter lather...finally after lather is worked into brush you simply rince your hand off...no mug to rinse or when traveling one less thing to pack...finally sometimes residue builds up in mug

an after thought ...in between passes and before the first pass after lathering my face with brush and stroping the razor...I will take a little lather off the brush onto my two fingers and rub more lather into my beard ...a brush unless very stiff has little resistance against your face wheras using your fingers allows a firmer application...infact after the initial lather and brush, I use lather and fingers on additonal relathers...this allows me to put lather on my face exactly where I want it...not overlap...I can see exactly where I want to shave...the barber at trumpers along with every professional Ive been shaved by does the same thing...