Bath House Spanish Fig and Nutmeg shaving soap

What is your opinion on fine shaving creams and hard soaps? Do you like Trumpers, Coates, Taylors, Truefitt & Hill? Post your reviews and opinions here!
Post Reply
uoficowboy
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 11:50 am
Location: Boston

Bath House Spanish Fig and Nutmeg shaving soap

Post by uoficowboy »

I picked up a thing of spanish fig and nutmeg shaving soap from Bath House a little while back. I've only had miserable shaves with it. I swear I can get a better shave with just hot water than with this crap.

Has anybody had better luck? I try to work up a lather with it - but all I get is this thin lacy foam that is full of air and not much else. I'm about ready to toss it - but I figured I'd check with the experts before doing anything rash!

Thanks!

-Michael
Paddywhacked
Posts: 150
Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2009 10:47 am
Location: Macomb, MI

Post by Paddywhacked »

I haven't used the shave soap, but I got pretty good lather from their bath soap, never tried shaving with it though. Might just be their shave soap with the later problems.
Eric
User avatar
Janus
Posts: 560
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 1:14 am
Location: Finland

Post by Janus »

I'm no expert but I get thick, creamy lather from this soap, no problems at all. My favorite vegetable based shaving soap.
Janus
uoficowboy
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 11:50 am
Location: Boston

Post by uoficowboy »

Janus wrote:I'm no expert but I get thick, creamy lather from this soap, no problems at all. My favorite vegetable based shaving soap.
Interesting. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? I typically soak my brush in hot water, shake it out, then swirl it around on top of the soap for a while, then bring it to my bowl and try to work up a lather in my bowl, while adding water as needed. Does any of that sound wrong?
Paddywhacked
Posts: 150
Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2009 10:47 am
Location: Macomb, MI

Post by Paddywhacked »

I'd try to just face lather it, that's what I do with soaps. The bowl mixing may be why you are getting a weak lather.
Eric
brothers
Posts: 21513
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Post by brothers »

I've only recently "discovered" (even though many guys have suggested it) that I should be (am now) using distilled water because my tap water is too hard. The distilled water has made all of my soaps and creams come to life with more lather than I ever had before. I have not tried the Spanish Fig and Nutmeg soap even though I've seen it on somebody's internet store for sale.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
User avatar
Janus
Posts: 560
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 1:14 am
Location: Finland

Post by Janus »

uoficowboy wrote:
Janus wrote:I'm no expert but I get thick, creamy lather from this soap, no problems at all. My favorite vegetable based shaving soap.
Interesting. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? I typically soak my brush in hot water, shake it out, then swirl it around on top of the soap for a while, then bring it to my bowl and try to work up a lather in my bowl, while adding water as needed. Does any of that sound wrong?
That's what I do, except I build lather on my face, not in the bowl. I shouldn't think the bowl is the culprit here, however. I think it's more likely that you simply don't have enough soap loaded on the brush. Could also be your water, I suppose, but then you should have problems with other soaps as well. Be that as it may, if it doesn't work for you after you've given it a fair chance then it doesn't. Time to move on. Life's too short for miserable shaves.
Janus
uoficowboy
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 11:50 am
Location: Boston

Post by uoficowboy »

Janus wrote:
uoficowboy wrote:
Janus wrote:I'm no expert but I get thick, creamy lather from this soap, no problems at all. My favorite vegetable based shaving soap.
Interesting. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? I typically soak my brush in hot water, shake it out, then swirl it around on top of the soap for a while, then bring it to my bowl and try to work up a lather in my bowl, while adding water as needed. Does any of that sound wrong?
That's what I do, except I build lather on my face, not in the bowl. I shouldn't think the bowl is the culprit here, however. I think it's more likely that you simply don't have enough soap loaded on the brush. Could also be your water, I suppose, but then you should have problems with other soaps as well. Be that as it may, if it doesn't work for you after you've given it a fair chance then it doesn't. Time to move on. Life's too short for miserable shaves.
I use the bowl with my shaving creams though - no problems there.

What's a good source for distilled water? Bottled water?
brothers
Posts: 21513
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Post by brothers »

uoficowboy wrote:What's a good source for distilled water? Bottled water?
I got mine at the grocery store for right around a dollar a gallon.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
CMur12
Posts: 7461
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:41 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Post by CMur12 »

Hi uoficowboy -

Distilled water is "bottled," but it is not the same thing as bottled drinking water, which often has minerals added for flavor. People buy distilled water to use in steam irons and such. It is labeled "distilled" on the bottle.

I lather in a bowl and I start out with gentle swirling, to form a tight lather structure. Later in the process, I add compression strokes to expand the lather more, while swirling helps to smooth it. If your brushwork is too vigorous, especially early on, you will over-aerate the lather. You want to avoid sudsing in the early stages of building lather.

Some soaps aerate more readily than others. Cella soft soap, for example, aerates more than Art of Shaving soap does.

Boar brushes aerate less than badger brushes do. I can get a good lather from Cella with a badger brush, but I find it easier to get the lather I want from this soap with a boar brush.

Regardless of what kind of brush you are using, you might need to use a gentler action to build your lather, especially at the start. Soaps are more persnickety in this regard than creams are.

- Murray
nav
Posts: 90
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 4:14 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re:

Post by nav »

CMur12 wrote: Sun Feb 28, 2010 2:02 pm Hi uoficowboy -

Distilled water is "bottled," but it is not the same thing as bottled drinking water, which often has minerals added for flavor. People buy distilled water to use in steam irons and such. It is labeled "distilled" on the bottle.

I lather in a bowl and I start out with gentle swirling, to form a tight lather structure. Later in the process, I add compression strokes to expand the lather more, while swirling helps to smooth it. If your brushwork is too vigorous, especially early on, you will over-aerate the lather. You want to avoid sudsing in the early stages of building lather.

Some soaps aerate more readily than others. Cella soft soap, for example, aerates more than Art of Shaving soap does.

Boar brushes aerate less than badger brushes do. I can get a good lather from Cella with a badger brush, but I find it easier to get the lather I want from this soap with a boar brush.

Regardless of what kind of brush you are using, you might need to use a gentler action to build your lather, especially at the start. Soaps are more persnickety in this regard than creams are.

- Murray
I've been face lathering for over a decade and just getting into bowl lathering and I appreciate your advice.

I am finding the lather is very airy even though I wouldn't expect it to be!

I'll give your suggestions a go and see how I do.

(I know this is an old thread but I was searching bath house)
CMur12
Posts: 7461
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:41 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Re: Bath House Spanish Fig and Nutmeg shaving soap

Post by CMur12 »

Interesting to see what I had to say ten years ago, nav!

Nowadays, I have simplified the process by just lathering on top of the cake of soap.

- Murray
Post Reply