Lathering difficulties

Hey guys, I've been shaving with a straight since June. The thing that's got me wondering lately is how much of creating a good lather is a) Brush related b) Soap/Cream related and c) technique related. I have been struggling for a while, :boohoo: my lather's have been hit and miss. I am not sure if it's the $5 brush I got with my crappy starter kit, the soap I got with that starter kit,(Smells amazing btw) or my lathering technique. It just seems some days the lather dries out in a matter of 30-40 seconds and so help me god if I'm working on a difficult part that takes a few extra seconds. I find myself some nights re-lathering about 3 times per pass. Any insight on my recent problems or past experience would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Scott.

If I had to bet it would be that it is technique related. It is hard to consistently get the soap to water ratio correct. What brush and soap are you using?

Bob

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Originally Posted by BobH

If I had to bet it would be that it is technique related. It is hard to consistently get the soap to water ratio correct. What brush and soap are you using?

Bob

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Should the lather be disappearing very shortly after going on? :l I currently (until Christmas) am using a no namer that loses bristles like its balding. And I have TOBS almond and a Blades Grimm Smoulder.

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Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

Should the lather be disappearing very shortly after going on? :l I currently (until Christmas) am using a no namer that loses bristles like its balding. And I have TOBS almond and a Blades Grimm Smoulder.

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No it should not be disappearing shortly after going on. Sounds like you have a brush that is on the way out but should still produce a lather unless it is really bald. I don't have either of the soaps/creams you have but TOBS is a recognized name so you should be good there.

There are lots of vids on how to lather. You might find this one useful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4zESTQWDuw

Bob

Some guys have no problem with it. I wasn't one of them. First of all there is the water. If it is hard water it is more difficult to generate good lather. Mine is not hard water, but I had a long learning curve anyway. This was with quality soaps and brushes. BTW, I never had a problem with creams. Anyway ....... put a puddle of water on the puck, let the brush stand bristles down in a tea cup or mug with water enough to almost, but not quite, come up to the handle.

Walk away for 5 minutes, take a shower first, whatever you can do to give the water time to soften the surface of the puck. Proceed from there with shaking out the brush and twirling for maybe 20 circles each way, clockwise/counter clockwise. From there it is a matter of getting the water to soap ratio right for you. If you still have problems with the lather disappearing quickly I'd suspect the soap may be lacking. :gl:

If you have a $5 dollar brush that won't hold water you cannot build lather that will last.
I've tried recently with a Marvy brush I brought in as a give away with no success.

There are many possibilities. There are some soaps the best latherer in the world couldn't get a decent lather with.

I just practiced making lather with my soap for a little while. Here are the results. It makes a lot of suds. They just seem a lot thinner then when I make a lather with my TOBS cream. They also start fading away, How long should I be swirling for until the lather is "maxed" out in thickness in your experiences.

You have to load the brush well from the puck and add a bit of water from time to time as you build up your lather. The lather should be thick and and creamy when ready to go. When you pull the brush away from the lather it should leave a peak in the lather. Hard to describe. Here is a guy bowl lathering your soap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpfhqeGPKvA

One to show you how to load the brush.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icTC...AYHiXYBRrIMYJQ

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobH

You have to load the brush well from the puck and add a bit of water from time to time as you build up your lather. The lather should be thick and and creamy when ready to go. When you pull the brush away from the lather it should leave a peak in the lather. Hard to describe. Here is a guy bowl lathering your soap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpfhqeGPKvA

One to show you how to load the brush.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icTC...AYHiXYBRrIMYJQ

Bob

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Bob the first video exceptionally helpful. I know now it is not the soap it is my technique. Error #1 I did not load properly i.e. I did not do enough swirls in the soap bowl. Error #2 He attacks that soap with his brush, I haven't been going 1) that hard and 2) for that long making my lather. Thank you so much for that. I guess I could have googled but haven't seen much talk of it around the forum.

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Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

Bob the first video exceptionally helpful. I know now it is not the soap it is my technique. Error #1 I did not load properly i.e. I did not do enough swirls in the soap bowl. Error #2 He attacks that soap with his brush, I haven't been going 1) that hard and 2) for that long making my lather. Thank you so much for that. I guess I could have googled but haven't seen much talk of it around the forum.

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That is something that I have experimented with. Some brush makers, notably Thater , instruct not to press hard on the brush in building lather, or in applying it. Some manufacturers say you should only build lather and/or apply it with painting strokes, not swirls. I can't agree with that. I assume in both instances, pressing hard, and swirls they are assuming those techniques will damage the bristles.

Anyway, one knowledgeable straight shaver, doing it a couple of decades recently told me he gets better face lathering when he only builds the lather on the tips of the brush. I've tried that but I seem to do better applying some pressure. BTW, I haven't watched any of the videos, so I don't know if they cover bowl lathering. For a considerable time I had given up face lathering for bowl lathering. I found it easier to generate thick, creamy lather that way. I've since gone back to the face lathering but just thought to mention it. If you haven't tried bowl lathering it is another arrow in the quiver.

Jimmy, on a finely made brush I could see someone pressing too hard, then wanting their money back for a "broken" brush. That may be why it is recommended to just use painting strokes. Who knows though I'm no expert and don't claim to be :p I am bowl lathering I tried face lathering and didn't really appreciate it with my scratchy sub-par brush. I'm waiting until Christmas, my loving girlfriend got me a new brush and I can't wait. The guy in the video just spends a lot more time making the lather then I have been. On a side note I tried my brother's Kiehls brand shaving cream, its a so called brushless shaving cream and it sucked compared to my TOBS or my Smoulder. I don't think I would ever try that again loll so I will need to work on my lather because I don't like aerosol shaving cream either. ( I would have replied with a quote but for some reason my buttons are all over the screen -.-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

Bob the first video exceptionally helpful. I know now it is not the soap it is my technique. Error #1 I did not load properly i.e. I did not do enough swirls in the soap bowl. Error #2 He attacks that soap with his brush, I haven't been going 1) that hard and 2) for that long making my lather. Thank you so much for that. I guess I could have googled but haven't seen much talk of it around the forum.

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Glad it was helpful. Vids are always better than trying to write what to do. As far as attacking the soap goes that is a yes and no. There is a balance between just kissing the surface lightly and mangling the brush down into it. I usually "load" with enough pressure that the knot splays a little bit but don't flatten it.

I then face lather to "build" my lather to the consistency I want using both circular and painting strokes to spread it once built. When using circular strokes to build the lather on my face I do not flatten the knot either. I use enough force to get it to just splay a bit. Imho the warning from brush makers against using circular strokes is to guard themselves against overzealous brush mangling face lathering folk. The other way is to "build" your lather in a bowl. Loading and building are two separate operations.

Bob