I swim a couple times a week before I shave. The products with lanolin leave my face feeling much more re-hydrated after the chlorine than products that don't have lanolin. Good selection you mentioned, I enjoy them all. I think QCS soaps and creams can be added to that list. I'm not sure if Mike's has lanolin, and the labels are long past readable.
beginish's lathering journal
- Thread starter beginish
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #22
Slick was lacking again today. I'm going to have to monkey around with loading times as I'm getting into the heart of the soap now.
One thing you forgot to mention is that PSGT soap smells heavenly.
At least to me it does.
Alas, I could not get the lather exactly the way I wanted it no matter how hard I tried, so I sold it.
At least to me it does.
Alas, I could not get the lather exactly the way I wanted it no matter how hard I tried, so I sold it.
Thanks Bob. I'm finding this thread quite informative. How about increasing your load time just so i can selfishly read your experiences with more soaps faster? 
- Thread starter
- #25
the scent is fantastic, and easily one of my favorites.
Thanks Bob. I'm finding this thread quite informative. How about increasing your load time just so i can selfishly read your experiences with more soaps faster?
I've been loading for 45 seconds, but am going up to a minute tomorrow. I worry a bit because my experience with Institut Karite, which has a similar feel and density to PS, was just obliterated with 1 minute loads, and I finished it in a little over a month.
- Thread starter
- #26
A very impressive bowl lathering today. After loading for a minute, I took the BK8 to the bowl and worked it for about 20 seconds. The bubbles were large and horrid, but I did a single dip in the sink before working it in the bowl for another 30-40 seconds,mans the lather exploded. It was a touch in the dry side, but a far cry better than my first attempt with it last week. More tinkering is needed, but it has real promise. I must say that the post shave feel for this is outstanding.
Seems every new soap requires that 'bracketing' of hydration to find the sweet spot. Too wet, then too dry, etc.
Then there's the visual cues and perception/deception when comparing to others in the rotation. Da Fat always looks a bit drier than other soaps (to me) when it's tuned in to my liking, yet it has a few more bubbles as well.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #28
Bubbles are a bit of a red herring as far as lather quality goes. A bubble here and there isn't a big deal. If it has a foamy appearance, then we're in big trouble.
- Thread starter
- #29
This week, I've broken out the Simpson P8 in Best, which was a custom brush that the company did for The Shave Nook. It has a very unique, comfortable handle, and the knot is (to me) a dead ringer for the one in the Duke 3. That is to say that it's a well-stuffed knot with a high enough loft to give a great combination of density, scrub and flow through. It is, for all intents and purposes, the polar opposite of the Kent BK8. After soaking soap and brush during the shower, I gave the brush a good squeeze, poured the water off of the soap and proceeded to load in the mug for a minute I got a very nice protolather going in no time flat, and after I face lathered for a minute (including one quick dip in the basin for more water), I had a stellar lather. Volume was great, cushion was excellent, and it was as slick as all get out. My two pass shave on 2 day stubble passed uneventfully, and was very close and comfortable. The soap holds up to a good lathering, but really doesn't require much water at all to give that explosion we like to see, and stay nice and slick.
- Thread starter
- #30
I used the same technique as yesterday, loading for a minute then lathering directly on a very wet face. One trip to the sink was all that was needed to give me a very rich, slick hydrated lather. The lather and shave were both phenomenal. I'm coming to the conclusion that a fair amount of product + a very little water is all that is needed to make the PS Green Tea soap perform at a very high level. This is not one of those "3 swirls = gobs of lather" soaps.
Very true, very true. I would take that as far as to say that if there aren't some bubbles on the face upon first application (I face lather after the bowl), it's likely too dry.
da Fat does have a noticeably larger volume of bubbles compared to many others - lanolin really changes things I guess, even the consistency of the finished product.
My triad: Tabac, MWF, Proraso Green. I've dabbled in quite a few other soaps as well and Stirling and Cade are next on deck to dial in...
- Thread starter
- #32
Today's P8 lather was stellar, face lathered on a two day growth.
Soak soap and brush, pour off water and three shakes from the brush, loaded for 1 minute with no trips back to the sink:
Face lather for about a minute, with one trip to the sink to wet things a bit:
And the brush post-lathering:
It was a stellar 2 pass shave.
Soak soap and brush, pour off water and three shakes from the brush, loaded for 1 minute with no trips back to the sink:
Face lather for about a minute, with one trip to the sink to wet things a bit:
And the brush post-lathering:
It was a stellar 2 pass shave.
- Thread starter
- #33
This week, I'm using the Savile Row 3722, a dense, bulb-shaped silvertip brush. Its density is comparable to the P8, and softness is like the BK8. Using a wet brush (soaked with one good shake) I loaded for a minute on the puck, and generated a nice protolather with some volume to it. Straight to the face and one minute of lathering (including a quick trip to the basin for some more water) gave me an overflowing brush with very rich and slick (but dry looking) lather. 2 passes later and a smooth face was the result.
- Thread starter
- #34
I tried the Marco Method this morning for kicks to see how that lathering technique affected the quality of the lather. For those who aren't familiar with it, the trick is to use a very wet brush and keep loading from the puck until the lather assumes a very rich, slick, wet appearance. No big bubbles! This takes a little trial and error and I ended the loading a bit early and had to go back to finish up. In the end, I got a very nice lather and a really close shave for my trouble.
- Thread starter
- #35
2 and a half weeks in, now, and I'm calling this soap dialed in. The quality of the lather is outstanding, post shave feel is great and I'm really enjoying the scent. As far as face and puck lathering go, all systems are go.
- Thread starter
- #36
So what do you do in a journal when everything seems to be working just fine? Just mess around and try some other techniques, of course. For several days this week, I used Marco's Method with a very wet brush, and the verdict for me is.......that I don't like that method. The whole process kind of turns into a sloppy mess for me, and I find that I just don't have the control I like. While I agree that you can hit a lather consistency that is as good as anything you'll find, for me, it's a bit hit or miss. Too wet some days, and too dry on others. I went back to the damp brush load, building with water as I go, and added too much water anyway, giving me a fluffy, dry lather.
No matter, I'll keep tinkering and see where we get.
No matter, I'll keep tinkering and see where we get.
Did you use the Savile Row for all of those?
- Thread starter
- #38
I did. It has a very different character to the P8. Despite being smaller in dimensions, the Savile Row feels bigger somehow.
I'm wit you. I can go wet for certain soaps but it always feels like I'm fighting to get the lather back to where it needs to be. I can't use the method for some soaps like MW because it just never works and I never seem to get past foam.
Going in in damp and building works for every soap, every time.
You're either adding soap to water or water to soap. Probably the same in the end. I also prefer the damp method just because it makes less of a mess.
Similar threads
