First Lather Fail

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Flash G
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Post by Flash G »

Try with a drier brush and add one or two drops of water after 15 sec. you should be getting a cream like paste. Then lather up while adding some more water. I find it best to lather up in my hand to get a better feel with the lather, but you can of course use a bowl or face. Spend some time practising lathering with out shaving. You don't want to lather up on the soap due to the mess.
Eric
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Kirasdad
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Post by Kirasdad »

jww wrote: I found that the less scientific and analytic I was about shaving, the easier it became.

Good luck moving forward.
I think that Wendell, the Lord of Woolfat, is right on the money with this comment. Shaving is not rocket science, 5-10 seconds of swirling vs. 15-20 of "pumping" and swirling is far too precise. For soaps I simply load my brush until I think there is enough on it, then either face or bowl lather, depending on my mood that morning. If I don't have enough soap I add more (duh), and if it is a bit too think I add a little water. After 3-4 mornings you will figure out the balance that works best for you. The bottom line is, if your lather doesn't develop properly rinse and start again; you can afford the 2 cents worth of soap you wasted :D
Peace,
Andrew

Those who danced were thought to be insane, by those who could not hear the music - Friedrich Nietzsche
cadfael_tex
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Need a little nudge

Post by cadfael_tex »

Ok, so I've been hanging in there so far. I've committed to just using the soap this week. Overall, the quality of the lather has improved, but still isn't as facile as the two creams I have. My biggest problem is with the messy nature of it. As I try to load in that silly wooden bowl, it overruns and covers the bowl, the sink, my hand, etc. Would it be better to move it to a cup or something?

I had planned to use up my blades and soaps/creams before getting anything more but I'm wavering. I've still got plenty of blades (especially if I count the Derby's that aren't too much to my liking). I can see the bottom of my Harris Arlington bowl and only had a tube of the Trumper's violet to begin with. I'm fighting back the inclination to PIF the Derby's, put the Harris Rose soap back in the cabinet, and order 100 Personnas and a couple of tubs of cream.

Help me obi-wan, you're my only hope...
Flash G
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Post by Flash G »

Do you manage to get a cream like paste before the lather overruns?
If you do, move it to a large mug or cereal bowl and lather up there. If not, try slower brush strokes on the soap. I use gentle back and forth strokes for 20 - 30 sec. and found this more effective with all soaps.

Also, check out cymric's last post in this thread
Eric
Gene
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Post by Gene »

DesertRat wrote:For soaps, this video helped me big time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIsj58fqVjY
Had me interested in watching, but it's been deleted...bummer.
Gene

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Alan Moore
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jww
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Post by jww »

Mantic's videos, are, imo, the best of the youtube crop of shaving videos.
Wendell

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cadfael_tex
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Post by cadfael_tex »

Went back and watched a couple of Mantic's videos on lathering. I'm confused. He says three second load in both videos. I had zero luck with doing that little.
notthesharpest
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Post by notthesharpest »

cadfael_tex wrote:Went back and watched a couple of Mantic's videos on lathering. I'm confused. He says three second load in both videos. I had zero luck with doing that little.
His experience and mine are not too far apart. Perhaps he and I both favour similar soaps and brushes, and both have soft water.

However, three seconds sounds to me like a nice ideal-lathering-conditions base line to work from. (excellent water, an efficient brush, and a soap that lathers easily.) Using that as a starting point, increase till you get good results. A different brush, a different soap, or especially shaving in an area with different water quality, can throw everything off.


You know what they say. :)
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jww
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Post by jww »

notthesharpest wrote:....

You know what they say. :)
ymmv?

:wink:

What I meant by supporting Mantic's videos was that generally speaking his directions are really solid to start from -- then you elaborate from there. I don't actually count how long I spend loading brushes when using soaps. Over time, I have just "figured" it out -- and like previously noted -- if you need more soap or water, you can easily add it bit by bit as needed.
Wendell

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Blue As A Jewel
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Post by Blue As A Jewel »

notthesharpest wrote:
cadfael_tex wrote:Went back and watched a couple of Mantic's videos on lathering. I'm confused. He says three second load in both videos. I had zero luck with doing that little.
His experience and mine are not too far apart. Perhaps he and I both favour similar soaps and brushes, and both have soft water.

However, three seconds sounds to me like a nice ideal-lathering-conditions base line to work from. (excellent water, an efficient brush, and a soap that lathers easily.) Using that as a starting point, increase till you get good results. A different brush, a different soap, or especially shaving in an area with different water quality, can throw everything off.


You know what they say. :)
Vancouver has terrific water - I always get a great shave whenever I'm there! :lol:

Out of curiosity I went onto Wikipedia to look at water hardness...

"Prairie provinces (mainly Saskatchewan and Manitoba) contain high quantities of calcium and magnesium, often as dolomite, which are readily soluble in the groundwater that contains high concentrations of trapped carbon dioxide from the last glaciation. In these parts of Canada, the total hardness in ppm of calcium carbonate equivalent frequently exceed 200 ppm, if groundwater is the only source of potable water. The west coast, by contrast, has unusually soft water, derived mainly from mountain lakes fed by glaciers and snowmelt.

Some typical values are: Montreal 116 ppm, Calgary 165 ppm, Regina 202 ppm, Saskatoon < 140 ppm, Winnipeg 77 ppm, Toronto 121 ppm, Vancouver < 3 ppm, Charlottetown PEI 140 – 150 ppm."


These figures would explain my great shave in Vancouver... So either I need to move to Vancouver or purchase a water softener to deal with the likes of MWF!!!
- Ravi -

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JarmoP
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Post by JarmoP »

Anyways to original poster, my advice:
You shake the brush quite clean of water as much as you can.
Then load the brush thick with soap, much more than few seconds, more like half minute or more. Really work on it.

Then you go to build the lather on your face if face latherer like me or on ur separate bowl if you are not. Take in both cases to not add too much water.

With face lathering it is to dip once or twice to sink the brush tips while building the lather, but you don't want it too watery, no way. Finish your lather with paint brush motions on ur face.

Hope this helps.
Jarmo
Jarmo
95%
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Post by 95% »

Jarmo is right, in my opinion, down to the last detail of his post. As for the soap overflowing the wooden bowl, I find that's not much of a problem unless my brush is too big or too wet. In any case, I always turn the bowl upside down and rinse it after the shave, then dry it with my cleanup towel.
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cadfael_tex
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Post by cadfael_tex »

Another update: Flash your tips ended up being right on the money. Had the best experience so far with the soap. Drier brush and slow brushing movements rather than 'whisking'.
notthesharpest
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Post by notthesharpest »

Blue As A Jewel wrote: Some typical values are: Montreal 116 ppm, Calgary 165 ppm, Regina 202 ppm, Saskatoon < 140 ppm, Winnipeg 77 ppm, Toronto 121 ppm, Vancouver < 3 ppm, Charlottetown PEI 140 – 150 ppm."[/i]

These figures would explain my great shave in Vancouver... So either I need to move to Vancouver or purchase a water softener to deal with the likes of MWF!!!
I stayed in Medicine Hat for a while, and then Calgary. If Calgary is around 165, then Medicine Hat must be around 265. :(

But I just used more MWF and everything was fine. Well, covered in thick soap scum, and not QUITE as good a shave as usual, but fine more or less. :)
Flash G
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Post by Flash G »

cadfael_tex wrote:Another update: Flash your tips ended up being right on the money. Had the best experience so far with the soap. Drier brush and slow brushing movements rather than 'whisking'.
Glad it worked out!
Eric
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