Thread: soap for uberlather - suggestions?

Hi all,
So...I've been reading up on uberlather and considering I tend towards sensitive skin I thought that having thicker lather would be useful. I know that lathering technique is important in general, and that uberlather doesn't solve poor technique.

Right now, I'm not a bowl latherer. But on the 2nd pass I really feel like I'm losing a lot of the lather and I'm not sure I'm getting enough protection and smoothness on the shave. Thus my intrigue in uberlather.

Does it matter a great deal what soap I use for it? There are so many...do I need to buy a really nice soap? Or just a "good" one? Suggestions?

thanks.

In response to your question...Not really. As long as it is a good shaving soap. I use Edwin Jagger or Tabac most times, plus 2-3 drops of pure glycerin from the drugstore to craft my uberlather. You could use any of a number of shaving soaps to achieve the same result--Proraso, D. H. Harris, George F. Trumper, Truefitt & Hill, etc. + 2-3 drops of glycerin. I would avoid Erasmic shaving soap, however. In my experience, it tends to dry out rather quickly.

Depending on the hardness of the water in your area, you may be able to achieve similar results in a soft water environment simply by creating superlather--shaving soap + cream. That's what I do now.

Hope this info. helps.

I use Uber Lather on products that need Ubering, but very rarely. These days I find myself not needing to uber really at all. I find a good soap, good brush and soft water go a long way with proper technique. It's amazing how one brush will really whip up the lather, while others seem to suck it up. I find the Thater brushes completely awesome. They whip up lather like nobody's business. Maybe because they're so soft..Hmmmm?

Some soaps just fall flat and need it. Tabac is great, SRD's soaps are top performers, as is Mitchell's Wool Fat. These are just a few, there are many others...

I find that certain Recipes work really really well..

I add 5 drops of Glycerin for all Uberlathers...

My absolute best shaving lather = "The Lanolin Overload"
Mitchell's Wool Fat soap + Musgo Real cream

If you can find Kiss My Face shave cream locally (check Organic Markets) snap up some as it is good with many soaps, exceptional with the SRD soaps...

Tabac + Tabac is very creamy

Castle Forbes Lavender cream + TOBS Lavender soap = "English Garden"

Velobra soft soap + Porasso cream = "Mambo Italiano"

Honey Bee Spas Sandalwood/Musk soap + AOS Sandalwood cream = "Sandals"

Just some of my favorites and my stupid names for them...

Originally Posted by jhenry

Depending on the hardness of the water in your area, you may be able to achieve similar results in a soft water environment simply by creating superlather--shaving soap + cream. That's what I do now.

+1, more often than not that is what I do too. I like MWF, DH Harris or Trumpers with whatever cream I am using. Carrie M's creams have been my go to lately.

All - thanks again for the tips. I managed to get a really good lather with a lot more attention being paid after re-reading the wiki. Just cream. Cold, though, and I need to figure out how to improve that (I got a nice looking scuttle but am waiting on it). I used hot water to keep building up the lather but I'm not sure how to combat the fact that the cream itself is not hot to begin with. Suggestions? Just use more cream and more water and lather like mad?

Do you heat your bowl or mug and brush in your bathroom sink full of hot water before mixing your cream? Try that while you are stropping your razor and/or showering before shaving--until your scuttle arrives.

Afterwards, you can do the same with your scuttle and brush. It transfers heat to your lather bowl/mug/scuttle and brush prior to lathering your cream.

I think the issue is that I didn't heat it _enough_. Or, perhaps, that it cooled down while I emptied out the sink and set the bowl aside to help me wash my hands of the pre-shave oil I use. So perhaps taking it out of the hot water just for those...15 seconds cost me valuable heat.

Scuttle already shipped, so hoping to have that issue resolved soon.