How much lather?!?!

[AimlessWanderer]

You are probably right that you get an equally slick shave with a smaller amount of soap, but for me I have to build a rich yogurt/creamy lather that makes the whole shave complete.
It's hard to say why this means so much but I think it's because I use all my senses when the soap turns into a rich lather. The scent, to feel, the sound of lathering my face, and the sight of a beautiful white lather that also performs above all expectations.

I do know what you mean, but whilst that kind of lather feels luxurious in itself, I find it lessens the feel during the important bit - the shave. If I don't have enough feel when the blade is on my face, the more likely I am to have a poor shave.

It's a balancing act. Today I was using a different shave to normal, and it was fine with a DE razor, but pathetic when I tried a shavette. I find different soaps/creams need mixing to different viscosities to give me the performance I need. I happen to prefer the products that give me that performance with lower viscosity and enough blade feel for me to be precise in my shaving. I get my best shaves that way.

I know the lather in the opening post would give me a fantastic shave with any razor, but today's soap lathered like that, would be like shaving with dishwater.

 

[Tomo]

Enough is never enough.

 

[Harald]

I do know what you mean, but whilst that kind of lather feels luxurious in itself, I find it lessens the feel during the important bit - the shave. If I don't have enough feel when the blade is on my face, the more likely I am to have a poor shave.

It's a balancing act. Today I was using a different shave to normal, and it was fine with a DE razor, but pathetic when I tried a shavette. I find different soaps/creams need mixing to different viscosities to give me the performance I need. I happen to prefer the products that give me that performance with lower viscosity and enough blade feel for me to be precise in my shaving. I get my best shaves that way.

I know the lather in the opening post would give me a fantastic shave with any razor, but today's soap lathered like that, would be like shaving with dishwater.

I understand, and it is very nice that is works optimally for you, but I think we have two very different experiences.

I shave 2-3 times a week, and to get the most optimal and comfortable shave i need this quality time where I set aside plenty of time where I value the face lathering as much as the shave itself.

I have a dense beard growth and I start quite aggressively with an adjustable razor at the first pass. There is no point for me to build a thick lather where the blade have less contact, but the intention is to build a rich lather where the razor blade slides through a silky soft lather with good contact to my skin.

When I then start on the second pass, I still have a lot of lather on the brush, and for me it is a fantastic feeling when I apply the lather on the skin for the second, third and fourth time...

 

[preidy]

Each to his own.

 

[NatJag]

This is an interesting thread.

Unlike the OP, I do generally have enough lather for half - full pass left at the end. Handy for any touchups. I may look like a rabid dog while building my lather on my face, once I start painting for the actual shave I get a nice dense layer. Not as thin as the OP probably gets.

I have seen some youtubers that seem to use loads of cream or soap, only to barely hydrate it and just use the paste to shave with. If I use a tub of TOBS daily, it would last 3/4 months of daily use. On one forum a guy reported that he got under 20 shaves from a tub. At the end you get others that build masses of lather, that seem to end up washing most of the leftover down the sink.

 

[South Dakota Guy]

I use a DR Harris soap puck and it stays in the bowl. I use a large Viking stainless steel bowl and what ever foam I don’t use stays in the bowl. I also don’t “bloom” my soap puck. That just seems wasteful. I soak my synthetic brush thoroughly in hot water under the tap and give it a good shake or two to dump excess water then build my lather. Takes about thirty seconds. If I decide I want to buy another soap puck I will probably get another bowl for it. I have been thinking about getting the small Viking stainless steel bowl to use for the TOBS and DRH shaving creams that I have.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I face lather. To me, it makes everything simpler. If I need to I just add more soap or more water, usually more water, directly to my face, via the brush of course.





The soap I use most every day is very slick. I'm not sure I have any soaps which are not plenty slick. None come to mind.





I like it very wet and also kinda foamy. Maybe a bit on the Santa Claus side, but just a bit.

As long as it is wet and slick and covers the whiskers it will work I think, but I like to work the soap into my face and feel the brush building a good, very wet lather. Running down my chest is a bit too wet, but just a little bit.

I have to have really good residual slickness. A lot of my shaving is done on ghost lather.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Eben Stone]

I get good results face lathering and I like the thinnest possible layer without being translucent. Just just thick enough to look like I dipped the bottom half of my face in white paint, not cool whip.

Sometimes I use a bowl to help load the brush. It looks like the bowl is almost empty/clean.

 

[Tomo]