Thread: Water Hardness determines EVERYTHING

I have recently made an observation on lather-making that I think is worth sharing. I have recently moved from Boston, Massachusetts to Brooklyn, New York and the water quality is vastly different. Water in Massachusetts has such a high mineral content that you can actually see clouds form when you fill up a cup of water from the tap. I used to struggle quite a bit to make good lather. I noticed that I needed more water than what fellow SRP and BNB members reported using. Often times, I would overestimate the amount of water I needed and would have to start over. Aside from that, even the lather that had no bubbles and shined in the light was not the best quality. Sometimes my razors (if they weren't freshly honed or brand new) used to drag across my face and I couldn't explain why. High quality soaps, such as Trumper's, fell short of expectations. I resorted to using Colonel Conk's Amber scented shaving soap since that stuff seemed to be the easiest to lather.

Here in New York, the water quality is so good that it's not unreasonable for one to drink straight from the tap. After several shaves, I can confidently say that it is also better for my lather. I use less water and I instantly get my brush gushing out rich, thick lather (even Williams Soap produces better lather than my old Trumper's back in Boston). It seems that I have to actively try to ruin the lather myself before I get something that's unusable. Not only that, I noticed that some of my blades that I thought were previously dull shave off whiskers with no resistance.

Overall, my suggestion is this: If you are having trouble lathering or shaving without irritation try boiling your water to reduce the mineral content. My guess is that it will make a world of difference.