Importance: Lather vs. Blade

[churchilllafemme]

While I was shaving this morning I realized that the blade I was using - a vintage Gillette 'Swede' - was making the lather, from a sample of the rather mediocre Sultans Arabian Sandalwood cream/soap, seem markedly better than usual, something I have noticed previously about these fine blades. And at times in the past I have noted that my best lathers, such as those from tallow-based Penhaligon's English Fern soap, can make just about any blade work better on my face. So I was mulling over which is more important to me, the lather or the blade. Fortunately the majority of the creams, soaps, and blades I use these days are really top quality, so it might be a moot point most of the time; nearly all my shaves are wonderful. But overall I think I lean just a bit toward favoring the lather as being more crucial for a great shave, possibly because the quality differences are for me a little more obvious than the differences in quality among blades. Thoughts?

[Gene]

I have noticed some blades perform better in certain razors than they do in others, but have not considered that the lather itself might be a factor quite the way you describe it.

I have noticed that blades might feel different on my face depending on how I developed the lather - a bit thicker and more cushion if I face lather, as opposed to if I bowl lather...I attributed that to some of the soap wiping off onto my face before I got the lather started.

It's funny - I prefer to bowl lather, but I think I like the way my face feels after I shave if I face lather. Contradictory, but what can you do?

[Squire]

John I lean toward the lather taking precedent. I can make most any blade work but I can't make an ordinary soap/cream perform any better than ordinary.

[TheMonk]

John I lean toward the lather taking precedent. I can make most any blade work but I can't make an ordinary soap/cream perform any better than ordinary.

Same here. Except for the BIC blades, I can make pretty much any blade work decently, but if I've got an inferior lather, even my favorite blade doesn't perform too well.

[EL Alamein]

John I lean toward the lather taking precedent. I can make most any blade work but I can't make an ordinary soap/cream perform any better than ordinary.

+2

It begins with lather and ends with the blade.

Chris

[brothers]

There wouldn't be any reason to find oneself stuck with only one blade, and a bad one to boot, so I think that's an erroneous assumption. Always start with a good blade. Then, eliminating blade from the equation, a better lather gives a better shave, a worthy blade being a constant.

[CMur12]

I'm with Squire and Chris, and with Gary's conclusions posted directly above: Most any good quality blade works fine for me, so it all boils down to the lather. The lather, in my shaving paradigm, is what determines if I get a smooth and effective shave. (By the way, the razor has a helluva lot to do with it, too!)

- Murray

[pausted]

I agree. Given a good razor and good blade, the quality of the shave is a function of the lather. In fact, the pre shave (shower or not) is still not as important as the lather. IMHO.

[Rufust445]

As long as it's not current Williams, or a soap or cream that irritates my skin, I can get a usable lather, some better than others.
Recently I've been in transition from a spell of using vintage Gillette adjustables to a Lord Smart razor or a Lord L.125 (L6), both Merkur knockoffs.
With some adjustments to technique, I like the shaves I've been getting with these new (to me) razors, especially with a Gillette Spoiler blade.
I'm down to my last Spoiler however, so shaves are to be evaluated with new stock, with Shark SS yet to be tried. Practice with these new razors
has led to more refinements in my technique, which gives the blade a lesser role in the equation.

As always, YMMV, especially with blades.

[Squire]

I recently went through a cake of Williams (no particular reason) and though I reserve the right to do it again probably won't. I have so many good blades that area is covered and moving forward find a high quality lather is what tips the scale toward a really good shave.

[ShadowsDad]

Squire you have more patience than I do with modern Williams! The last puck I tried to use I couldn't tolerate from more than a few shaves before finishing it off in the shower. I wondered as I was using it why I had defended it at all previous to that puck. At one time I was a Williams apologist... why? My only excuse is that I was younger and foolish those few years ago.

Lather and lather making is critical to a good shave. I don't know how many times I've written that. I'm probably more tired of writing it than folks here are of reading it.

I don't know if a great blade can make a mediocre lather better, but a great blade and a great lather are an unbeatable combination. One barely feels the blade at all when it's right. I know that a great blade and a terrible lather doesn't work. I did that once and I'll never willingly do it twice. Come to think of it that shave with terrible lather was with Williams; really.

[Squire]

Brian I would like to claim patience (which is a virtue) but the truth is I'm just hard headed which is not.

[Rufust445]

Squire you have more patience than I do with modern Williams! The last puck I tried to use I couldn't tolerate from more than a few shaves before finishing it off in the shower. I wondered as I was using it why I had defended it at all previous to that puck. At one time I was a Williams apologist... why? My only excuse is that I was younger and foolish those few years ago...

Squire may hard headed, but in all fairness, I believe the Williams he has is from that grey area period of 1999-2005 when it was in a state of decline.

Anything after 2005, I agree, is virtually useless. I was only able to finish the puck I tried around 2009 by loading up a brush, then whipping up lather in a bowl laced with some KMF fragrance free.

[brothers]

Agreed. Modern day Williams at a price of at least one Dollar is an over-priced bath soap. For that price I can get a bar of Yardley.

[Squire]

Closer to 1995 I expect, have forgotten actually.

[SirCur]

I tried exactly ONE cake of Williams soap - one of the first I ever purchased (around 2000 I believe). Even compared to other, inexpensive soaps it was not great, but I finished it eventually.

Agreed that a great lather is key, although certain blades work better for me and others don't.

... Steve

[Ouchmychin]

Back in the 40" or 50's I believe Williams was a great tallow soap. It was the kind of soap my father used in the 30"s I believe. Anyhow I will add that If I get my lather too rich, it cushions the blade so well that I have trouble getting a really close shave. I really load up on cream and face lather after I first collect it all from an empty bowl that I use for the purpose. After the first wtg pass I dip the end of the brush in hottest water and lather up for the second atg pass. That lather is slightly thinner than the original. Do the same for the xtg and posish passes, each time the lather getting thinner and the shave closer. If necessary, I smear some later from my bearded chin to where I need to thicken it up a bit. Works with all blades, but I can feel the extra pull when a blade has lost its edge

[Raze R. Blade]

So I was mulling over which is more important to me, the lather or the blade.

That is like asking which is more important in your car, the engine or the transmission. Both had better be working well or you will have trouble. It is not like one is more important than the other. It is the same with shaving. You need to have blades that work well for your AND a lather that works well for you. Like the engine and the transmission, both lather and blade are linked and both are essential.

[fallingwickets]

some blades are just useless, but all things being equal; lather trumps the blade

clive