Lather Questions: Before stropping? Warm lather

**FTG** · 07-28-2009, 11:55 AM

I've been working on my lather lately and haven't quite hit something I like.

Did it work better before?
Before I started straight shaving, I was wetting my face with hot water, rubbing it with a shave stick soap and then lathering with my fingers (and then with a brush). This seemed to produce a decent slippery surface. I'm thinking of revisiting this - and just re-wet with hot watered brush and dab of soap/cream.

Recent issues with lathering
Recently I've been using the Body Shop maca root shaving cream and have tried:

Lathering in bowl
Lathering on face (seems best with hot water in brush).

First application - hottest and best lather seems to be when I lather directly on face.

2nd application -

Bowl lathering -haven't been able to get it warm enough in bowl (and I've been experimenting with double bowl combinations sitting in sink of water)
Face lathering - I could do 2nd and 3rd applications with fresh load of hot water on brush and new load of cream - but it seems wasteful of the cream.

Will keep experimenting with variations on above (if that makes sense).

2nd big Q - Lathering before stropping?

Noticed that this seems to be popular.

But doesn't the face cool down, the lather dry out and you need a re-application?

Do people go straight into the shave without a new lather?

Any feedback or tips, gratefully appreciated.

All the best,
Michael.

**dannywonderful** · 07-28-2009, 12:04 PM

I bowl lather, apply to my face, strop, reapply lather, then shave. Works for me.

**gssixgun** · 07-28-2009, 03:34 PM

Here is what I learned back in 1981 with my introdution to straight razors,,, and it works

Make your lather how you make your lather it will get better the more you practice with it...

Splash face with hot water (regardless of previous prep) lather face... Strop, dance, sing, it don't really matter,,, just take 1-2 minutes doing it....

Take a very wet hot washcloth, and lay it on the lather and your face, leave on until it cools....

Splash face with HOT water re-lather, Shave.... ENJOY !!!

I am sure there are techie reasons why this works so well, and it does work so well

**Alraz** · 07-28-2009, 04:18 PM

From your post, t is not clear what defines the "lather you want" but I gather that you would like warm lather throughout the shave and you are wondering what the best way to achieve this is. I normally strop my razor before I take a shower to minimize heat loss. In fact, I get the water hot and heat up a bowl and also add a couple of drops of hot water to my milled soaps if I am using one that day. I do not soak the brush or do anything else at that point. Then I take my shower and get ready to shave. I am now an avid facelatherer (thanks to gugi) but as Glen says, you should pick whatever method looks promising to you and stick with it, at least for now. Later you can change the method. I run a bit more hot water and soak my brush for a short amount of time, then load the brush for a couple of seconds (for soaps; for creams I just use a suitable quantity depending on the product I am using) and lather up. I do not use more cream or soap during the shave. Before every pass, I apply hot water to my face and dip the brush lightly in the bowl containing hot water to relather. I find that I can get way more lather than I need using this method. If you notice that your lather is too dry, it is likely that you are not finding the peak of the soap/cream. Independently of what your method is, I would just add a tiny amount of water to the lather and work it in. The results should be seen. Some people use scuttles or fill the sink with hot water to keep the lather warm. These all should work too but you need to find what wrorks best for you. If you have not done so already, a visit to the wiki is perhaps in order: Category:Lather - Straight Razor Place Wiki.

I found this video to be extremely helpful when I was first working on my lathering skills:

YouTube - How To Build And Apply Traditional Shaving Lather

This thread my also be informative for you: http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...oap-cream.html

Al raz.

**JimmyHAD** · 07-28-2009, 04:29 PM

When I was a DE shaver I was a face latherer and that was adequate. Since I shave exclusively with straights I have gone to bowl lathering and that is much better IME.

I strop the razor and put it aside. I shower while my scuttle, brush and lather bowl preheat in a sink full of hot water. I splash hot water on top of the puck I intend to lather with. I wash my face vigorously twice while in the shower. I come out and dump all that is in the sink and put fresh hot water in the scuttle. Shake out the brush and wet it again with fresh hot water from the tap.

Load the brush and lather in the bowl adding hot tap water if necessary to get a thick and creamy lather. Apply lather and leave the brush in the small Moss Scuttle to keep the heat for my second pass. A very comfy shave. If I want a little more ommph I throw an almond sized dollop of cream in the bowl to go along with the soap.

**Pabster** · 07-28-2009, 07:07 PM

I do warm up my soap by floating the container in a big plastic cup of hot water. This is Col. Conk soap and it comes in a plastic container. Also in this cup is my badger brush submerged and soaking in hot water. Before I figured this out, the soap (cold) would steal the heat from the badger brush when lathering and when applying to the face, less heat transferred.

I don't lather in a mug anymore. Creams, lather in my hand since my hand is warm and then apply it to the face and lather more. Soaps, I make the most with Col. Conk soap containers and lather 30 seconds on the soap for the 1st pass only, then 30 seconds on the face. For the second and third passes, the time is much less...10 - 15 seconds.

Soaps without containers, I think others are putting their soap mugs in a bigger mug of hot water

Necessity is the mother of many ideas and inventions.

I hope this helps!

Pabster

**slt5103** · 07-28-2009, 08:20 PM

Does anyone use an electric mug warmer? Right now I'm thinking about playing around with that. Put the shaving mug with some water on the warmer and turn it on. Take a shower, come out and have some really hot water and soap ready for lathering.

Right now I use the hot towel and hot tap water (although the tap isn't as hot as I'd like it) with a shaving mug method. I think Glenn's methodology will be tried with my next shave.

**zib** · 07-28-2009, 08:38 PM

I've posted this before, but here goes again anyway. I have a little potpourri crock pot. It's not heat adjutable, but works great as double boiler if you will. I put my SRD Scuttle, (looks like a flower pot) inside it with water in the crock pot. It fits perfectly. It's a great design, it holds the lather, and it won't spill over the sides. It holds the heat well, and the crock pot keeps it warm throughout the shave. I have found no better method for keeping lather nice and hot. To me, there's nothing worse than cold shave cream. Maybe a mug warmer, or electric candle heater may work. I've seem them in Hobby shops, like Michaels or Bed, Bath and Beyond, places like that...

**FTG** · 07-28-2009, 11:55 PM

Thanks everyone.

I had checked out the wikis and the videos and been scouring posts - but still wasn't quite happy. I'll keep experimenting and incorporate your suggestions.

I guess I'm trying to work towards the nice warm lather for each pass, keeping the face warm and beard soft. Also - trying to be efficient with respect to the cream / soap and the water (we've got water restrictions going on in this part of Australia).

Re. the face lather and strop / wait a couple of minutes -I guess this helps soften the beard more before the shave. (Comparable to holding hot towel over face for couple of minutes but more convenient?)

Thanks again,
All the best,
Michael.

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