Col Conk Lather Issue

So I am new to str8 shaving and making lather. On my second shave (3 days from my first str8 shave) I noticed that I could not get the lather right. The lather was dry and sticky. By the time I finished my right sideburn down to the jaw line area, the left side was dry. I tried to add more water, but ended up with a lather that had too much water. I noticed that my str8 kept "grabbing" or not continuous with a smooth stroke. I tried slow strokes with a very low angle (the blade was almost flat on my face). I even cleaned off my face, did a warm wet towel application and reapplied lather three times, all ending in with the same results.

I am using Col Conk Bay Rum shaving soap. I have a Böker King Cutter str8. Preshave routine - hot shower, soaking badger brush, warm towel application and then lather application.

Any ideas to my problem? What am I missing?

Thanks in advance.

How is your water quality? When you say sticky that's what happens with hard water and soap. You get sticky residue.

Of course the Conk isn't exactly the creme de la creme of soaps and when I used it years ago it wasn't a lather champ but you should still be able to get adequate lather for your shave. if your water is hard try some bottled water and see what happens. Otherwise you need to keep working on the water soap ratio and soap load up time.

@thebigspendur - Thanks for getting back with me. I do believe that I have hard water. I was thinking that could be an issue and I agree the Col C might not be the best quality, but should suffice. If another shave or two with bottled/distiller water still yields the same results, I'll look into another soap/creme.

I bowl lather the Conk. Use more water than you think you need, then go strop and let it set. When you finish stropping add more water, it seems to thicken up a bit. It's a thirsty soap in my experience.

When I started using a brush and mug, I used Williams, It's cheap and it works well. Pick up a puck at Walmart or Target, places like that.

I need to try this...I've not gotten good results with the Conk, unless I supplement it with Proraso.

I had the same sticky problem with Conk. My thread is not too far back. It was the hard water for sure. I tend to stick with creams now due to the lousy water I have. The water is so hard it leaves a faint burnt orange stain on my grout!

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Originally Posted by LoneWolf

I had the same sticky problem with Conk. My thread is not too far back. It was the hard water for sure. I tend to stick with creams now due to the lousy water I have. The water is so hard it leaves a faint burnt orange stain on my grout!

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Sounds like you have an iron problem. Typical hard water residue has no color.

Pour on the water and you'll be fine w Col Crank driest soap.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=80256

Further to the Williams and dry soap comments I found this thread really helped me out. Good luck! Don't give up on it :-)

It's so crazy to me that everyone's skin and shave soaps, creams and water can be so different. I think that's one thing we all can agree on is the fact that we get to fool around with so many products out in the SR world tell we find a couple we like. I recently ordered the entire Poraso line up and come to find out I love it but on a side note, and this could just be me I've come to notice my Wade&Butchers work better with my old Conk product..

I've tried Williams, Van Der Hagen, Proraso, and Col C. soaps shaving with a Merkur Safety (lathering in a mug). I didn't really like Williams or Van Der Hagen much. They lathered alright, but the Williams dried out on me pretty quick. Personal preference, didn't like the scents of either.

I've purchased more Col Conk (Amber and Bayrum) and will continue to use the Proraso (green/menthol, and will try the sandalwood soon) They are both great for me. Granted I am new to this as well, and haven't tried some of the other brands like Taylor or Old Bond Street or the other more costly brands.

The Col Conk soaps lather up well for me. I soak a pretty cheap boar brush while I shower, shake it out fairly well so it is no longer dripping and load the brush for about 45-60 seconds (with the soap still in it's own tub). I dump the water out of the mug leaving the inside only wet with no water standing in it. And in about 1-2 minutes have a great lather whipped up that doesn't dry out on my face too quickly and leaves me with more than enough for 3 passes. Might have to add a couple of drips of water, but not much and usually don't add any.

Also, I rinse my face (not a completely clean rinse, just enough to wet it) with warm water between each pass before I lather it up with the brush, this keeps the brush and later a little bit hydrated I guess and helps the lather each time.

Hope it helps, and I hope you find a soap that works well for you.

-Ben

I use the Conk's Lime soap and I actually get pretty good results with it. It's not a crazy lather like Taylor of old bond st. status, but luxurious if dialed in. Maybe try your last bit of lather building on your face. What I like to do is build in the mug only until it is just about ready, and instead of adding water directly to the mug, I just make sure my face is nice and soaked with water and do my final building on face. The water on my face is usually the perfect amount for hydrating the lather and my whiskers definitely help froth it up nice and thick. :)

Keep workin at it. You'll dial it in soon.

I use the Col Conk's too that came with my starter kit. I wasn't getting the lather right either buy after watching Lynn's video I just kept touching the brush under the water like he did and then lather, touch under water, lather, again touch under the water and lather until I got it just right like he did. I'm still a newb but I think if you just keep adding a little water at a time you should be able to get it right. Don't add too much at once. On another note, I also got some Vintage Blades brand shaving cream with my kit and the initial lather was great. But after just a couple minutes of shaving it was drying out and as the razor was cutting through the hairs and the cream it looked like it was snowing. No kidding! Little dry flakes of shaving cream were flying everywhere. I threw it in the trash!