Ditching the Bowl

[OkieStubble]

Face lathering is the way to go for me, as others have stated it works well. I do use my shave bowl to keep brush warm in between passes. I had trouble with bowl lathering but that could have been my hard water, I have since installed a water softener but had already moved to face lathering when I put it in.

In the winter months, I have a small white gravy bowl that even has a cork to stop up the small hole after filling it with water. While it doesn't look big enough to hold enough gravy for two servings, it's perfect size to hold a shaving brush full of lather and keep it warm in between passes.

In warmer months I prefer soaps and AS with menthol. Don't want a warm brush.

 

[Adam18]

I really enjoy both methods, and they both add to my wonderful enjoyment of a sublime shave.
Bowl (and scuttle) lathering of creams with big synthetic brushes, and face lathering with soaps
and smaller badgers. For any given relaxing shave, both methods are delightful !

 

[mr_houston]

I begin with a bowl always. My lather is perfectly hydrated and 75% finished when I take it to my face to finish.

I always laugh at the comment that a bowl is one more thing to cleanup. I clean my bowl as part of the brush cleaning process - you have to wash it in something.

 

[Medivh]

I also find face lathering slightly better than using a bowl. I have only the Timeless bowl, which I use from time to time, but I don't regret buying it. I've dropped mine many times in the bathroom and I always smile, knowing that nothing will happen to it.

 

[Tomo]

Making lather on your face? You might as well strop your razor on your forearm, brush your teeth with you finger and drink water from your cupped hands!

It’s too messy for me. I tried it on a few travel shaves and keep getting shaving cream everywhere. I’ll stick to the bowl.

 

[FarmerTan]

I probably face lather 90% of the time, but that 10% of the time is sublime when I take the time.

But I just love the "scritch" of a boar, or the "softyness" of a synthetic on my incredibly handsome face.

So MUCH of what I love about shaving is the sensory aspect.

 

[sexy beast]

I always face leather. I do use of bowl to catch shaving soap when I am loading my brush on the puck and set my brush in the bowl between passes.It keeps things central.

 

[BigJ]

Good man!

I also prefer face lathering:
1. Really enjoy the brush.
2. Less muss and fuss.
3. Just works for me!!

 

[RayClem]

You WILL get to know your brush when you face lather!


AA

For me that is exactly the problem.

My skin is so sensitive that my skin gets irritated when I try to face lather, even if I use a premium silvertip badger. I have only one brush that I could use for face lathering. That is a a 28 mm Maggard super high density gel tip badger. The gel tips are soft enough not to cause irritation. Even synthetic brushes irritate my face. Pure badger brushes feel like I am using a scrub brush.

Thus, I have to produce my lather in a bowl and paint it on to my face minimizing the brush contact time.

It seems that all brushes, even expensive ones, contain some hairs/bristles that have been accidentally reversed such that the thick part is up at the canopy of the knot rather than at the base. Those thicker hairs feel like a hypodermic needle is pricking my skin. I have to carefully go through the brush and remove each of those wayward hairs. Otherwise, even painting on the lather is uncomfortable.

 

[Ad Astra]

For me that is exactly the problem.

My skin is so sensitive that my skin gets irritated when I try to face lather, even if I use a premium silvertip badger. I have only one brush that I could use for face lathering. That is a a 28 mm Maggard super high density gel tip badger. The gel tips are soft enough not to cause irritation. Even synthetic brushes irritate my face. Pure badger brushes feel like I am using a scrub brush.

Thus, I have to produce my lather in a bowl and paint it on to my face minimizing the brush contact time.

It seems that all brushes, even expensive ones, contain some hairs/bristles that have been accidentally reversed such that the thick part is up at the canopy of the knot rather than at the base. Those thicker hairs feel like a hypodermic needle is pricking my skin. I have to carefully go through the brush and remove each of those wayward hairs. Otherwise, even painting on the lather is uncomfortable.

Exactly what I mean - a bowl doesn't get irritated!

And while one may not discern types of badger grade easily when bowl lathering/painting, one will when it's scrubbing your face.

I uses sticks when traveling, and a bowl most of the time at home. It's pleasant variety to mix it up.


AA

 

[Rosseforp]

 

[Jnatcat]

I’ve been face lathering for almost a year now and it’s really more efficient and as stated less clutter and less to clean up.

 

[Slock]

In my experience, the benefits of bowl lathering are:

• It's easier to add water & mix the lather to your desired consistency. If you're face lathering and want to add some water, you need to be careful to get it around to your entire face, while with a bowl it kinda takes care of itself. It's also easier to see what you're doing, so it's easier to experiment with the lather.
• You don't have to worry about how much lather your brush can store. If you like really small brushes or are otherwise having trouble getting enough lather from your brush for all your desired passes, bowl lathering makes it easier by storing the excess lather in the bowl.

It just occurred to me that I basically never bowl lather, but I do occasionally palm lather, when I'm trying out a new soap or brush, since it's about as easy to mix/experiment with the lather in palm lathering as bowl lathering, plus you can feel the brush on your palm. I'd completely forgotten about palm lathering, since I rarely use it except just after getting new shave stuff. It does have the downside that it leaves your hand all soapy, but that's easy enough to wash off after rubbing the excess lather on your face.

My Mom once caught me palm lathering. I was so embarrassed.

 

[Tallships]

I like to put my soaps in a fancy ceramic bowl, build my lather on the puck then finish off on the face.

 

[Tanuki]

I was expecting @FarmerTan to confess to sniping Arko butts from the gutter, tossing them in a cheap coffee mug with a broken handle, and leaving his drugstore boar sitting in the resulting cesspool.

I personally need a handicap if I'm going to be able to compete with his incredibly handsome face. So I face and bowl and hybrid lather with exotic soaps like Williams pucks and Palmolive sticks. If our man from Michigan could stick to shaving like a hobo's grandpa, I think that would be fair. Him constantly using imported Arko is advantage enough.

 

[FarmerTan]

I was expecting @FarmerTan to confess to sniping Arko butts from the gutter, tossing them in a cheap coffee mug with a broken handle, and leaving his drugstore boar sitting in the resulting cesspool.

I personally need a handicap if I'm going to be able to compete with his incredibly handsome face. So I face and bowl and hybrid lather with exotic soaps like Williams pucks and Palmolive sticks. If our man from Michigan could stick to shaving like a hobo's grandpa, I think that would be fair. Him constantly using imported Arko is advantage enough.

I don't think I could have described my wet shaving, DE journey any better myself!

 

[deked]

First, thanks to B&B and all of the group for all of the great info. Finally, for now subject to change, have started face lathering. Load brush with MWF and a little Proraso Green cream (love the scent) and go straight to my face. After a lot of practice making a great looking lather from bowl lathering, finally got tired of the last pass lather being a little thin and not the cushion I've read about, face lather is a little more pasty, doesn't take but a few seconds to lather face, much better cushion and way more comfortable, less harsh blade feel with aggressive blade, any clean up needed, just add a little water to face, plenty or residual slickness. One thing I've learned is there is no set in stone methods but for now going to ditch the bowl.

hi,
i,m very new with the open razors,and this forum.
so,what do you mean by face lathering m8?? I use a Badger hair brush,and I have a large lather tub,that I just take the lid of,get some hot water on my brush,rub it on that to lather it up,them put it on ma face,using circular motions mostly,as I try to get the lather right into and between all ma stubble use the hottest water I can stand for putting on my face by hand aswell,so i,ve never used a bowl.i also have a stick there,i,m guessing I just wet my brush hot an lather it up the dame way using my brush,and applying that to my face.
is all that ok,or should I be doing something elser???.
I have had 5 shaves using the brush and just lather it in it,s own tub,straight to ma face technique,and it,s worked well,it,s been a smooth shave.as am new,I don,t know all the terminology you guys yse,,,lmao,why does everything have it,s own little damn abbreviations,,,lol.
anyhoo,m I doin OK doing my lathering this way??? or am I doing anything wrong.
thanks for any info you chaps can give an oild chap,,,lmao,,,and stay safe guys,
PEACE.

 

[CJB3]

hi,
i,m very new with the open razors,and this forum.
so,what do you mean by face lathering m8?? I use a Badger hair brush,and I have a large lather tub,that I just take the lid of,get some hot water on my brush,rub it on that to lather it up,them put it on ma face,using circular motions mostly,as I try to get the lather right into and between all ma stubble use the hottest water I can stand for putting on my face by hand aswell,so i,ve never used a bowl.i also have a stick there,i,m guessing I just wet my brush hot an lather it up the dame way using my brush,and applying that to my face.
is all that ok,or should I be doing something elser???.
I have had 5 shaves using the brush and just lather it in it,s own tub,straight to ma face technique,and it,s worked well,it,s been a smooth shave.as am new,I don,t know all the terminology you guys yse,,,lmao,why does everything have it,s own little damn abbreviations,,,lol.
anyhoo,m I doin OK doing my lathering this way??? or am I doing anything wrong.
thanks for any info you chaps can give an oild chap,,,lmao,,,and stay safe guys,
PEACE.

 

[sternej]

Nope, no face Lathering for me. When I'm really rushed I might use lucky Tiger Liquid shave or there's a cream by Reuzul. Those can be toweled off don't even have to rinse. But the joy of bowl Lathering is one of my favorite parts of wet shaving

 

[Roedeer]

I had no up-front opinion one way or the other, but face-lathering turned out to be irritating for me, whatever soap I tried, while bowl-lathering most of them is fine.

Maybe there's a magical brush out there, that would make face-lathering good, but I fear it might be an expensive quest.