Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Thanks. No doubt it will get better over time. I soaked it for a couple days first even though people said these require little break-in. Last use, I tried squeezing all water out and loading for 90 seconds. After it still dissipated after only the first pass, I loaded more and palm lathered--I found that really whipping it and slapping around a lot in the hollow of the hand, getting more air into it, did wonders and there was plenty of lather for a couple more passes. Not sure I can replicate that whipping on my convex face (loft is 65mm), but will try it in a bowl. Probably shows what the future holds once it's fully broken in.
The Mondial boars (mine anyway) are great from the get go, but then they improve.
With every soap I've tried with the Mondial boars here's what I do. I soak the brush in a mug with cold tap water while I shower. When I'm ready to lather up, I shake the brush about twice (or once or three times depending on the soap). I get some of the water out, but certainly not anywhere near all of it. Then I swirl the bristles on the puck. Depending on the soap the puck may or may not have been bloomed; if it was I've poured the bloom water into a cup. Depending on the soap I may have to load for maybe 10 to 20 swirls.
Then I face lather. First, I load onto my face what soap I can from the relatively dry brush. Then I build lather by scrubbing my face. Then I begin adding water with the tips of the brush, dipping it into either the poured off bloom water or into that cup with cold tap water in it, scrubbing and painting and building lather. I like this process and take my time with it.
I have never had a failure with any of my good boars unless the soap was just one of the very few which need to be thrown out because the soap won't lather.
Happy shaves,
Jim