Thread: Share Your Lathering Methods/Secrets + Poll

I have been using a brush since 1973 or so. For 32 of those years I used a bar of dial soap in the palm of my hand and a Hoffritz badger brush to face lather. That and a Gillette 'Good News' throw away razor was good enough. In 2007 a friend introduced me to wet shaving and the forums. Many pucks, creams and brushes later I was straight shaving and had gone to bowl lathering.

So after six years of using the real deal I still was struggling with getting lather that I was happy with. I would get good lather sometimes with some pucks or creams but not on a regular repeatable basis. Now a person may think, since they've been doing whatever it is so long, they must 'know' how to do it. Fortunately for me, I am not too smart to take direction and instruction so when Lynn posted this in a thread about the differences in badger hair I noticed it and gave it a try;

Originally Posted by Lynn

Super Badger's usually hold a ton and I mean a ton of lather. So.......Not seeing how you do things or the size of the brush, I can only guess too much water or too much pressure on the brush when loaded up with suds. I get so much lather from mine that I can plaster the lather and cover my face, which my wife appreciates, but I also try to just use the tips of the brush so that the lather really stays on the top half of the bristles. The stiffer bristles really helps with this.

Have fun.

So I noticed the text that I've emphasized in bold type and decided to apply it to my routine. Heretofore, taking the old ironworker "get a bigger hammer" approach I used more pressure to make better lather. As the old saying goes ..... no soap .... or at least not as much and not as good.

So if you're still reading ..... maybe you have a tip that I can use to improve my lathering results ? I'm posting a multiple choice poll for the heck of it, and if anyone wants to participate, and to share their lathering routine as well, please do.

I can't say I have a routine that's magical or even out of the ordinary, but I have one trick I've learned that helps with hard soaps. I soak the puck with a tablespoon or so of water while I shower and prep, then I use that soapy water (as opposed to fresh tap water) to start building the lather, adding more water if needed. It works a treat, even with fussy soaps like MWF.

+1 on using some water on the soap as you clean up.

I started with soaps and switched to creams. Man a good cream will turn even a trog like me from zero to hero in a few turns of the brush.

I will get back to soaps some day...when I master a few other aspects of the shave

Originally Posted by Ryan82

I can't say I have a routine that's magical or even out of the ordinary, but I have one trick I've learned that helps with hard soaps. I soak the puck with a tablespoon or so of water while I shower and prep, then I use that soapy water (as opposed to fresh tap water) to start building the lather, adding more water if needed. It works a treat, even with fussy soaps like MWF.

+1, started doing this last few months and it works a lot better than swirling the brush on dry soap.

Face lather, I try and build enough lather in the brush for three passes. I add a little water to thin it out on each pass.

I agree. You have to soften up the soap before you try to load the brush.

Also, the brush needs to have been soaked and then shaken out before you start building a lather. It is better to start with a "dryer" brush and build up lather than the other way around.

Another point. Time. Some soaps require much more time to load them up before you go to the bowl.

Finally, time and a soft touch during the lather building. You need to be patient and let the lather build in the bowl. As well, a lighter touch in building the lather in the bowl is better than putting lots of pressure on the brush.

I use soaps and creams. Some of my favorites only come in cream form (Musgo, Castle and Forbes). I really don't have a preference. I usually get my lather started on a mug but keep it not dry, but really on the creamy side. Just before bringing the brush to my face, I throw a fresh splash of water on and use the remainder to work into the lather. The lather get slightly thinner with each pass.

For me different soaps need a slightly different approach.

For Hard soaps I will soak the puck for
a couple minutes. It's the first thing I will do when I walk into the bathroom in the morning. Then take care of none shave related things.

Next complete saturate the brush. You can ether soak it when you soak the puck or run it under the faucet. If you run it under the faucet you will know when it is saturate cause you will feel a noticeable weight change in the brush.

Then just hold the brush bristles down till you are only getting a couple drops of water at a time out of it.

Dump the water off the puck and begin to load the brush. Using just the tips of the brush and no downward pressure. Continue to load the brush till you notice a thick paste forming on the puck and on the tips of your brush. It will look almost like wet toothpaste.

At this point you are ready to go to a dry face or bowl. Spend about a good min or two at this point and you should have good lather.

You may need to add a few drop of water to the brush as you re lather for later passes.


For soft soaps and creams.

I will not soak the soap.

I will saturate the brush and go to the soap with out losing any water or with cream add the cream to the brush.

With cream you will go to the face or bowel.

For soft soap using just the tips of the brush and no downward pressure. Continue to load the brush till you notice a thick paste forming on the puck and on the tips of your brush. It will look almost like wet toothpaste.

At this point you are ready to go to a dry face or bowl. Spend about a good min or two at this point and you should have good lather.

You may need to add a few drop of water to the brush as you re lather for later passes

For shave sticks

I will wet my face and the tip of the shave stick. I will then load my face with the soap for about 30 secs to 1 min.

I will then complete saturate the brush. Run it under the faucet and you will know when it is saturate cause you will feel a noticeable weight change in the brush.

Then just hold the brush bristles down till you are only getting a couple drops of water at a time out of it.

Then face lather.

I enjoy messing with lathers, almost as much as honing,,, Almost

When I absolutely positively want a really excellent lather I use an Uberlather...

Since joining this forum I have tried most of the different methods of making lather and finally settled on the one I use now which works about as well as any of the others I had tried. It does not change much if I use a boar or silver tip badger brush, hard soap, cream, stick, hot or cold water.

I just fill the sink with cold water, swirl the brush in the sink water to soak it and give it a couple of shakes to get rid of the excess water.

For hard soaps I start loading the brush on a dry puck and then dip the tips in the water and load some more. After it is loaded I apply the brush to my whetted face and build the lather again dipping the brush tips in sink water as needed to get the lather I want. There is usually enough soap loaded in the brush for a 3 pass shave.

For creams the same as for hard soaps except the loading is much easier, just put a snurdle of cream on the brush tips. Build lather on the face as per hard soaps.

Just a little different for shave sticks. Apply the shave stick crayon like to my whetted face after dipping the stick in sink water. Take the soaked and shaken brush and choke the knot between thumb and fore finger so it won't spread. Rub the shave stick over the knot tips and go build a face lather as per hard soaps.

Some soaps and creams work better than others but they all work that I have tried. About the only time this does not work is if I don't load enough product to begin with and/or add too much water too soon. Really no real tricks involved.

Bob