In m experience, a puck of soap lasts for AGES compared to a cream. But I can't understand why the salesman told me they don't last as long as creams. Was he confused or are some soaps faster than others?
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In m experience, a puck of soap lasts for AGES compared to a cream. But I can't understand why the salesman told me they don't last as long as creams. Was he confused or are some soaps faster than others?
He may have just been mistaken on how to use the soaps. I learned last night that I was using my soap entirely wrong, and it wasn't lasting very long at all- not even two months. Using my new method, I'm sure it would last for at least 6 months!
EDIT: 6 months easy...maybe a year :D
what were you doing that chewed through soap so fast, what do you do know?
I had my soap in the mug, got a little water in and started churning with the brush and just dipped from that. That's how my grandpa did it, and it never occurred to me that his technique might be off. I read a guide on B&B (I think) that really really helped.
In a nutshell, you put just enough hot water in the mug to get the soap wet, swirl it around to get the soap in the brush and set it aside. Grab a bowl, put some hot water in, and whip the hell out of it with the brush. If there isn't enough lather, get a little more water. Whip whip whip whip until you've got enough lather for a neighborhood.
By doing it in the mug, I was just constantly taking soap off the puck and never really getting a good lather. It was thick, but just not optimal. With this method, you're barely removing any soap, and the lather is fantastic.
Exactly what I do, again, from the same tutorial. Really fantastic lather, isn't it!
Definitely! It's so much more satisfying to see a bowl full of that lather and just dip it in. I don't feel like I'm using too much because there's a TON of it, and it just feels nice. I'm sure I would've figured it out on my own, but I can't think of anything else when I'm concentrating really hard on not slicing my fat chin off.
For people who visit this and are wondering the link here it is:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=21136
And for everyone's benefit - it does seem to me and few others that you actually may get better results if you lather on the face. Lather won't look as glamorous, but it will perform better (as opposed to whipping drop-dead gorgeous lather in the bowl and just applying to face)
Cheers
Ivo
Can you elaborate on that? I could probably figure it out, but being told is so much easier:D
Instead of whisking it up in the mug or bowl, you would take the loaded brush to your already moist and wet face and build up the lather directly on your face. This way you are not having to take it from the bowl/mug and apply it to the face. It is already done.Quote:
Originally Posted by Quick Orange
I'll have to try. I'd be skeptical about having enough moisture on my face, but I've discovered so much about myself already it wouldn't surprise me a bit. I'll try it next time I shave, though after the phenomenal shave I had last night, it might be a day or two:y
In my experience, it takes a while to be able to lather on the face with some soap / brushes combos. Certainly easier to build lather in a bowl. Lathering on the face may or may not work for you in the beginning. If it doesn't - just practice some, it will come. I notice the stubble gets prepped better because of the brush working in the stuff better, the mixture feels slicker, etc.
Good luck
Ivo
I use a slightly different method. I use two mugs, a soap mug and and a hot water mug. I soak my shaving brush in the hot water mug then I give it 2 or 3 gentle shakes. I swirl it around in the soap mug. I really mash it into the soap and beat it briskly like I'm whipping eggs or something to build up lather. I always have been able to get rich lather, the consistancy of merangue. After shaving, I rinse my brush, dump out the soapy water mug and any water that may have build up in the soap mug (which is usually little or none). I leave any leftover lather in the soap mug. It dries quick and the soap is ready for the next shave.
Ernest
That's more or less what I was doing, but rather than a water mug, just the faucet. I was going through soap like crazy.
I'm trying to wear out my soap. I have too many mugs in rotation and am trying to have just 2 mugs or 2 scuttles. If I could go down to 1 mug and 1 scuttle that would be great but that darn bayrum won't go away! I hate to throw out a perfectly good shaving soap but that soap has been grinning at me from the bottom of it's mug for 2 months now asking, "Sooo...When is the next shave?" :roflmao
Ernest
you can always send it to me. I'm very understanding like that:tu
Lol! I just pop it out of the mug and try to rotate. It kinda bites because the bottom doesn't always dry out, so when you grab it, it's mushy:D
I prefer this method as well. I soak the brush, then add a little water to the surface of the soap and let that soak for a minute. Then I pretty much shake all the water from the brush, drain the water from the soap and load up with about 10-20 swirls on the soap. Next I splash a little more water on my face and begin building the lather on my face. If I think I need more water, say if the brush starts moving the soap off my skin, I quickly flick the tip of the brush under the faucet for more water (or you can dip it in the sink if you're a sink filler) and go back to lathering.Quote:
Originally Posted by pilothaz
I find I do have to work the lather on the face for a good period of time. Longer than you might think - say 1-2 minutes. Keep adding water as needed until you have a rich creamy lather. I like this method because I feel it really works the lather "into" my beard instead of just applying lather "onto" my bear. Its a matter of degree, but it works for me.
Jordan
I was playing around last night with my green proraso (co bigelow brand) and soap. Besides getting better at the cream, I tried building lather on my face. It did fine, but I have two complaints, both of which seem to point back to my brush. First, the bristles were extremely uncomfortable doing all that whisking on my face. Second, it pushed all the soap to the edge and didn't mix and lather very well. I'm 99.9% positive it's my brush's fault though. I can't wait for Giovanni to get back so I can order one of his and throw out my piece of crap.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quick Orange
It takes a few practice runs to perfect the technique. Some brushes are better than others for soap. I prefer a small relatively stiff bristled brush for soaps, but I think brushes are really a preference thing.
Jordan
I have the legendary Bass "bursh". Yeah, I'm one of those idiots...:gth
Sweet how are the scales on that thing :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Quick Orange
Nobody mentioned the amazing lather hiding at the base of the brush after all that work. After I've built the lather in the bowl and on my face, I squeeze the brush with my thumb and index finger from the very base of the bristles and push all that hiding lather up to the tips. Out comes this amazingly thick lather onto my hand. I take the brush and "paint" this creamy stuff on for the final layer before shaving. Anyone else do this?
I have done this a couple times, but I can say for some reason this lather of creme suds is something that actually burns to my skin for some reason. It gets a very warming sensation. So I try to pull it off and use it with the previous stuff that is on my face and not just it alone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron A