Reexamining how I load the brush with soap

Ok, for those of you who face lather soaps, even if you load enough soap for 3-4 passes, the "best" lather is on the first pass, right? That is when the lather is thickest and most luxurious - when you take the brush from the soap and make the lather on your face for the first pass.

Ironically, it is also the easiest (WTG) pass. The pass that is most "demanding" ie the ATG pass is usually when you have the thinnest lather. When you are trying to squeeze another pass from your brush - adding some water to the knot or some even literally squeeze the lather out of the knot.

Why not just load a little less, for say, two passes up front, and then touch the brush to the soap again for the ATG? Another advantage is that you avoid having a cold brush and cold lather for the 3rd (especially 4th, if you do that) passes.

Ray, many people go back to the soap for a few swirls before each pass. I do (not all the time only when I need to) and I know that this has been discussed on SMF, where many people have also said the same thing.

I see nothing wrong with it, in fact I think it is better in some cases.

Yeah, I go back whenever I feel the brush needs a bit more "oomph". I dobn't think that lather is created once and should last the entire shave. It is always a "work in progress", to be fine tuned as needed to keep it top-notch throughout the shave.

I also use ~20m knots, which kind of necessatate re-loading for a 3 pass shave.

from my experiences the 4 soaps that do really well with holding lather through multiple passes are

MWF
Tabac
C&E Nomad
Valobra Almond

All four create lather that seems to explode......Needless to say in my experience, creams easily last through that many passes

sometimes I find I need to load a bit more soap into the brush for a relather, but rarely. I think the times I do are when I did not quite get it right the first time, but this is just my experience with the soap I'm currently using

How long it takes to make each shaving pass may be a factor as well

I like to load my brush with soap and glycerin in my lather bowl for the first pass then add my choice of cream [KMF] before the second pass. I end up with loads of lather for the entire shave.

bj

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 2Sharp

I like to load my brush with soap and glycerin in my lather bowl for the first pass then add my choice of cream [KMF] before the second pass. I end up with loads of lather for the entire shave.

bj

---

Interesting strategy!

I read quite often difficulties to produce dense and full-bodied foam.
Normally indicted on duty soap.
But there are those who blames to the brush, or water hardness.
Instead going to see, the problem is in the first step ... the most important and fundamental ... of assembly: the load.

Today (see SOTD) I had on loan this brush from my friend Vicenzo, whom I thank.
As you can see the size is medium, and the fibers are very sweet ... the edge of the floppy. And especially they have the tendency to open to groups when wet, so it has a load capacity minimally not comparable to a tuft which has an important backbone.

After trying almost all kinds of formulations, and industrial that artisanal, I developed a love for hard soaps which I think is more effective and efficient. This is because normally more concentrated on those technical and active components that give mechanical and functional results to foam. With obvious benefits in comfort after shaving and durability as the instrument. And overall, in the general economy.
But this love bloomed very slowly, having had as many people bad experiences with some of my products.
You can read thousands of posts online about the difficulties that users are using the Mystic Water or Mitchell's Wool Fat, but also the Cella and in general all those simple, rich and natural soaps. In a word ... excellent. But like many of the best things in life, they are appreciated with the experience.
This is mine. It works well for me.

Now for all the soaps (except those that use in stick mode ... another trick simple and efficient !!) the loading phase is standard:
1. I put to soak the brush in warm water and add a layer of the same on soap
2. I leave working for the time to prepare shaving, given that the preshave treatment is just as important
3. Drain completely the brush of excess water, leaving only the little captured by the fibers
4. Without throwing the veil of water on the soap (a soup spoon, about 10ml) ... that has softened and especially has run loaded soap ... start to charge the soap
5. The loading phase takes several tens of seconds, until obtaining a thick foam, and almost without bubbles (see pic1)
6. I capture all this initial foam (proto foam) with the brush (see pic2)
7. Rinse the soap and the container and I put them to drain for the time of the rite (see pic3)
8. Start the real assembly phase.

The mounting method is indifferent, having laid a solid foundation to building a rich lather and gorgeous.
Personally I prefer the mounting on face (or face lathering FL).
Equally valid, and some brushes even better, it is fitting in the bowl (or bowl lathering BL).
And do not forget the little known but very efficient mounting in the palm of your hand ("Load & Hydrate" or LH)
After the shave of today, given the challenge POP alias Provember One Pass, remained to me a lot of foam in the clump.
To see the quality foaming (exceptional) of the synthetic Omega new champion, I kept exploiting the LH method.
Continuing to wet the tips (drips!!) and with a fair amount of elbow grease, the result is clear. (see pic4)
Practically with a good load of a great soap with a magnificent brush, I could shave full-body whole family ... including the dog.
And the best part ... as they say, the icing on the cake ... is the duration of that foam delicious like whipped cream.
Set aside in the soap dish, all that froth has remained intact until the moment to leave the house. More than thirty minutes later. (see pic5)
And despite everything, it was still so compact to support its weight and also that of the plastic shell of the soap dish. (see pic6)

Not bad ... for a cheap brush, tough soap and opalescent lime water!!

http://i.imgur.com/zWVEs0G.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/GSCToSD.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/8zJEolo.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/6XHGcwj.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/u0xpCDW.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/zYBEsrO.jpg

I'm a shave-stick face latherer, so I'm loading the brush on my face.

When I have third-pass troubles looming, I'll just run the stick over my face again before lathering...that is, just load again.

The better I get with my soaps, the less I have to do this. By sticking with a small rotation, I get to where I can face-load a three-pass lather before the first pass.

I switched to a 30mm boar from whipped dog and have gone from having to re lather to having excess lather left after 3 passes and having to wash some out of the brush when finished. Quite pleasantly surprised. Also use a scuttle from SRD and have progressively warmer lather for the second and third passes.

Might I humbly suggest the largest knot you can find in conjunction with a scuttle to possibly help remedy the problem you reference...

Just my humble input/opinion.

V/R,

Docmo

Start bowl lathering and don't worry anymore.

I only bowl lather for creams. I use mug and puck for hard soaps and I face lather shave sticks. YMMV

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CZMark

Start bowl lathering and don't worry anymore.

---

After using my scuttle for the last while, personally, so much more comes out of the soap using a bowl, allowing the lather to develop, and with the warmth of the lather from the scuttle- fantastic.

Did a face lather the other day and found the lather not nearly as robust - guess I'll be in the scuttle thing for awhile after two years of face lathering...love how you can always change things up with this hobby - also nice to add a little more time to the "ritual"...ymmv.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RayG

Ok, for those of you who face lather soaps, even if you load enough soap for 3-4 passes, the "best" lather is on the first pass, right? That is when the lather is thickest and most luxurious - when you take the brush from the soap and make the lather on your face for the first pass.

---

No, not really for me. If you load enough soap for 4 passes then each should have equally as good a lather. I usually manage to do that but if I don't it is no biggie to load a little more in between passes. I cold water face lather shave exclusively so the idea of a warm lather holds no interest for me. That is after trying a nice Robert Becker scuttle that is now gathering dust in the cupboard. Not a thing wrong with the scuttle, it works very well, but the extra effort of using it did nothing for me.

Each to their own when it comes to making lather. There is no one right way to do it but only the way that it works for you and you are satisfied with it.

Bob

RayG:
I seem to run into the same thing quite often. By the time I'm ready for the last lather, it's become weak. I usually just reload a bit from the tub again rather than wasting time fighting with the thin lather on the brush. I've chalked this up to either hard water, or too hot of lather. I guess it just needs some more experimenting. :confused:

I generally have to reload a time or two when I shave ... Mainly because I am a slow shaver lol