Lather

[Rami]

How do you work out the right amount of water?

 

[alfredus]

(Mostly copied from what I just posted in the SOTD)

OK, soak/wet the brush, squeeze it out (no need to shake after) add a couple drops of water to the soap and start loading. If nothing happens, or the sound is really pasty, add some more drops. Load until sound becomes pasty - add a couple drops - repeat.

Do it, until the lather on the puck is the way you want it! That's correct, none of that proto-lather nonsense - the lather on the puck after the load should be shave ready!

Now your brush is fully loaded and the lather inside your brush is too dry. So take it to your face/bowl and now you can build the whole lather by adding water - good soap (IMO) take a lot of water. I prefer mostly paint motions to build, then dip the brush into water, then a couple of circle motions to mix in the already hydrated lather on the outside with the dry lather from the inside of the brush - and then again paint strokes to build.

The lather is fully hydrated, once you see the first small bubbles and you can't mix them back in any more. The lather is glossy and shiny and the addition of a bit more water will collapse it. It is a personal preference, if you want to take your lather that far, I know most straight shavers do and I also prefer my lather drippy like that.

Hope this helps and enjoy

 

[Drubbing]

You start with too little water using a damp brush, add water sparingly and let the lather tell you when you've added enough.

Making lather is an emulsion process - not a recipe of x of cream/soap + x ml of water and whip it together.

 

[Rami]

Thanks @alfredus @Drubbing. how should the lather feel between my fingers. I read that you should tell by the way it feels but no idea what's that.

 

[Psmith]

Hey @Rami you can't go wrong following the advice above. What soap are you trying to lather? Some will look a little different to others. I like to go for shiny yoghurt looking lather.
It should feel slick between your fingers. When you have some on your fingers press gently your thumb and forefinger together and then slowly pull them apart. The lather should 'stretch' a little (for want of a better word). It should be able to 'peak' but not too stiff. If you gently blow on the lather it should dent it. Most importantly no (or rather tiny) bubbles.

Main thing is practise lathering on your hand. Do it a couple of times a day. It helped me enormously.

 

[SpeedyPC]

@Rami here a good youtube clip on Lathering Tutorial - How to lather a shaving soap

 

[Rami]

@Psmith I was trying with lpl and one day I had watery lather with bubbles and the other one I had a lather which was too dry. It dried on my face when I was doing the second pass.

@SpeedyPC thanks will watch it tonight.

 

[Psmith]

This video, shared many times by @alfredus, really cemented my technique. Following this method for a while will ensure that you don't underload (the reason for watery, bubbly lather) and your lather is fully hydrated (the reason it dried on your face).

 

[Rusty Bridges]

Agreed with everyone here. I tend to bowl lather a lot and usually I just leave my brush to soak in the warm water in the bowl and shake/squeeze it leaving it damp enough to be able to grab as much soap during the loading process as possible and if need I just run my hand under the hot water leaving enough to drip in a few drops to the bowl, maybe 3-4 at first and assess it as I attempt to build the lather as its easier to add water than attempt to fix a lather that is far too watered down (at which point starting again is probably the easier option). It's not always simple to build a great lather particularly when you are using an unfamiliar type of brush or soap and sometimes it could just be a new combination of the two that you haven't tried together as each have their own characteristics and some soaps are water hungry where as others aren't, whilst some brushes are able to keep more water so adding little drops of water as you go helps me minimise error.

I was actually thinking about this last night as I was lathering up my face and wondered why some people are so against splaying their brush, sure it may damage it but if you are having any issues with a lather then why not splay it as you lather up your face as the centre of the brush usually keeps in the most luxurious lather deep inside the brush so I say splay away if you have to thereafter painting it on to get that nice and smooth finish on my face.

 

[nsavage]

The best thing about @alfredus method is that you cannot get it wrong. If you add too much water you just keep picking up soap off the puck. If you don't add enough water the lather does not generate so you quickly learn to add water. Foolproof!

 

[Rusty Bridges]

Agreed!

I think it's also fairly common to envy other people's lather and not see merit in your own... I know I do all the time.

I think this a good read also:
https://paste-and-cut.com.au/commun...eringue-and-not-like-yogurt-whats-wrong.3050/

 

[Rami]

Today's shave soap too dry. First pass was a bloodbath. Couple of drops of water and much better. [emoji35].

 

[SpeedyPC]

Today's shave soap too dry. First pass was a bloodbath. Couple of drops of water and much better. [emoji35].

@Rami looks like Freddy Krueger got you in a bloodbath shave, and you better be extra careful next time because he's always around behind you watching you from the dark shadows while you're shaving