Thread: Castle-Forbes: flaky lather??!!

Originally Posted by Oolong

the amount of water that works for me is based on other soaps - I'll give it another try for my next shave!

Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Since no two soaps/creams are alike you have to deal with them on a per-product basis, relying on visual cues rather than measurements. And then the use of different brushes complicates things even further....... all part of the game, my friend

OK folks, here's a bit of an update! I tried applying some of your tips and used more water than I would usually do, and the result is indeed interesting. My water/soap ratio has yet to be perfected, but the lather was very different and better. I think I was using way too much soap in the past - really loaded the bristles with it - the lather was perhaps a little thin to my liking, but in terms of shaving results, what a difference! Aside from not flaking off like it used to, the lather was very stable and provided better cushion. Zero irritation and applying the alum block confirmed the smoothness of the shave. Thanks again to you all for your extremely helpful tips and comments!

It does take a while to get the lathering properties of different products, like has been said is not a Castle Forbes thing. I like to face lather the castle forbes but when it comes to Fitjar the bowl works best for me. There are so many variables that it has to be what works best for you, but if it is drying and flaking then more water is needed.

When you have not used a bowl and are ready for a second pass, try running the hot tap so it is just dripping and then wave your brush under once to pick up a few more drops of water, this can help the lather build again in your brush as you face lather.
Sam