Thread: Question about lather

I notice in a lot of the photo's posted that Mugs, scuttles are usually filled to the top with lather. Do you guys get this kind of lather with soap ? I use soap and normally get enough lather at the bottom of my mug to get 3 shaves but most of my lather is in the brush. Im thinking of buying a cream and after loading my brush with soap just dipping my brush into a cream then going into my mixing mug.

I want to buy a scuttle but it almost seems like a waste for the amount of lather I get, I really have not experienced "Warm Lather" because of the amount Im getting from soap. Am I doing something wrong?

Yes!!

No really here is my method:
1. Soak brush for 10 minutes in hot tap water in your favorite latte mug.
2. Drip little hot water onto soap cake.
3. Shower.
4. Shave brush almost dry.
5. Dump the latte water.
6. Fill Bathroom sink with hot tap water and place mug in water fill till the water is half way up the bowl.
7. Leave a little water about 1 teaspoon in the bottom of the mug.
8. Dip the brush bristles in the water to rewarm. Shake a little.
9. Swirl and crush the brush into the cake.
10. Pick up mug and swirl the brush in the mug.
11. A teaspoons of water as needed.
12. The finished product should look like whip cream with a stiff peak.

Some of us overdo the lather a bit and end up wasting some.

Do you get some lather that sticks to the bottom/side of your mug? I mean sticks, not runs down there. If so, then you are probably doing OK.

With cream it's easy to get tons of lather. With soaps you need to load up the brush to get the same amount. That's my experience anyway.

I'm no expert but I learned to make good lather from Mantic's videos here . Using a bowl rather then a mug and adding hot tap water as needed made a lot of difference for me.

Single wedge I use your same method of lather making but Im getting no where near even a half a mug full of lather.

Ray I get very little lather at the bottom of the mug, like I said I have enough between whats in my brush and whats left on the bottom of the mug to do 3 good passes, but am wondering how you guys are getting lather overflowing out of your mugs.

I hope these links paste in properly...


Lather Help.
How to make great lather from a soap ~ Tutorial - Badger & Blade

And the opposite approach also works:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...tml#post319377

Hey Mike,

If you're making enough lather for a full three pass shave, then why are you concerned about having lather overflowing out of your mug? As long as the overall consistency of lather is good and shaveable I say quality over quantity.

PS - If lather is overflowing out of the bowl then it's probably Uber-ed, but that's JMO.

Originally Posted by Ryan82

Hey Mike,

If you're making enough lather for a full three pass shave, then why are you concerned about having lather overflowing out of your mug? As long as the overall consistency of lather is good and shaveable I say quality over quantity.
PS - If lather is overflowing out of the bowl then it's probably Uber-ed, but that's JMO.

Ryan good point, I do end up with enough lather do do 3 full passes and more if I wanted. It's just that I have been looking at the photos in SOTD and see full mugs of lather. I Also want to buy a scuttle and thought it would be great to have hot lather , only I dont get enough to justify buying a scuttle, I do think I am going to buy a cream so I can just add a little to my soap and see what happens.

Ah yes, the lure of the scuttle..... sometimes if the room is quiet I can hear it myself

Although I haven't read much about it there is a thread around here about a poor-man's scuttle (or "red-neck scuttle", I can't remember which) that is cheap to make. No need for an expensive piece of custom pottery. There are other methods to making hot lather as well.

In the mean time try the Uber method and see if it works for you. If I'm not mistaken doesn't Colleen make creams? It's been a while since I was on her site, but I do know you are a fan of her products.

If I'm not mistaken doesn't Colleen make creams? It's been a while since I was on her site, but I do know you are a fan of her products.

lol you must have read my mind, I think this whole thread was just a way for me to justify buying one of Colleens creams. I imagine swirling my brush around the Bay/Sweet Orange soap , then dipping the tip of the brush in the Bay/Sweet Orange cream, then going to my mixing mug or soon to be GP scuttle. I think that is going to be heaven.