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Can’t make a proper lather

Hello gents

I’m “new” to the wet shaving club and I’m looking for your help.

I just can’t make a proper lather with my current technique. I use a proraso red shaving cream (in tube) and an omega boar brush (11137).

Here is the issue:

I start my routine soaking the brush in warm water for 15-20 minutes.Then I squeeze the brush to leave it damp and apply an almond size of cream on the tip of the bristles.

I start bowl lathering and after 30 to 40 seconds I seem to get a good amount of creamy lather with almost no bubbles. But when i apply the lather on my face it feels very “thin” and dries quickly. If i add a couple of water drops and continue lathering, the brush seems to eat the lather and disappears from the bowl. If i apply the remaining lather on my face i can feel only water on the brush and the soap disappears as well.


I’ve tried starting with a wet brush and face lathering but the result is the same.

I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Maybe the brush is too wet? Or i should keep lathering for more than a minute?

I tried an Omega hard soap before( via barberia aqua) but the result was very similar.

Maybe a synthetic brush would be better?

Here are some pictures of the brush after eating the lather.

Thank you guys.
 

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How old/new is your brush? Boars need time/action to get soft and release lather easily.

+1 what the others said, use more product and water. Double your initial cream amount, whisk away and add water until the bowl is full with lather.
 
Try starting out with the synthetic brush. You will find they are more forgiving and don’t eat the lather. Put the dollop of cream in the bowl and then build your lather in the bowl adding small dribbles of water into the lather as the previous dribble disappears. Keep working the lather in the bowl and adding water and you will get there.

The photo of your starting lather doesn’t look like it could have possibly been an almond sized dollop. If it was, it must be buried in the brush somewhere.
 
Boar can be grate, but not the easiest, especially if it is not broken in. Is it broken in?
It also likes a little more product then a synthetic.
 
My boar brush still eats lather like crazy!

I alternate between it and a badger brush, and the badger is easy mode for whipping up lather. The boar feels nice on my skin, but even heavy loading isn't enough for a second pass. I have been loading again, or smashing a bit of soap into my lather cup to keep it going.

Try a synthetic, or even a badger, but don't give up completely on the boar!
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
Hello gents

I’m “new” to the wet shaving club and I’m looking for your help.

I just can’t make a proper lather with my current technique. I use a proraso red shaving cream (in tube) and an omega boar brush (11137).

Here is the issue:

I start my routine soaking the brush in warm water for 15-20 minutes.Then I squeeze the brush to leave it damp and apply an almond size of cream on the tip of the bristles.

I start bowl lathering and after 30 to 40 seconds I seem to get a good amount of creamy lather with almost no bubbles. But when i apply the lather on my face it feels very “thin” and dries quickly. If i add a couple of water drops and continue lathering, the brush seems to eat the lather and disappears from the bowl. If i apply the remaining lather on my face i can feel only water on the brush and the soap disappears as well.


I’ve tried starting with a wet brush and face lathering but the result is the same.

I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Maybe the brush is too wet? Or i should keep lathering for more than a minute?

I tried an Omega hard soap before( via barberia aqua) but the result was very similar.

Maybe a synthetic brush would be better?

Here are some pictures of the brush after eating the lather.

Thank you guys.

Modified @Marco Method.

For hard and medium soaps and croaps:

1. Soak your brush in medium hot water for a couple of minutes..

2. Turn your brush upside-down. I usually give a very slight flick of my wrist, but do not shake. Keep most of the water in the brush. You want a nice wet brush.

3. Hold your soap over the bowl (I use the Captain's Choice Copper), slightly pointed down. Start making swirls on the surface of the soap. You have to proceed slowly, without pressure on the brush. Remember that it's very wet.

4. Heavily load your brush for about 45/60 seconds making around 100/120 swirls. Please keep in mind that the loading time and number of swirls also depend on how big your brush is and how much water it can retain. Try to aim the overflow so it goes into the bowl.

5. After the brush is loaded, get any excess lather from your puck into the bowl, set youe puck down, pick up your bowl and begin building your lather in the bowl.

6. Add a few drops of water as needed to get the lather consistency dialed in.

7. Apply the lather to your face.

Note: If you are using soft creams, place an appropriate amount (usually ~1/4 teaspoon) in the center of the bowl. Soak your brush. Partial (small) flick of the wrist. Swirl your wet brush around in the bowl until your lather is the consistency of yogurt.

Full attribution: This is taken from the 'Marco Method' originally posted here:

My lathering technique with Italian soft soaps - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/my-lathering-technique-with-italian-soft-soaps.199887/

I modified it slightly to suit my preferences.

Hope this helps. :)
 
I've never used a boar brush so I don't know if that's the issue. I have made lather with a badger brush and a Captain's Choice Seaworthy bowl and Proraso Blue cream, though.

My way is to squeeze out about an almond sized amount of cream into the bowl and then fill up the bowl with enough water to cover the cream. I let that soak (and I also soak my brush in another cup) while I shower. Afterward, I dump out the water from the bowl (into a container), gently squeeze out my brush, then use the brush to whip the cream into a lather. If I need to add water to my lather, I slowly pour out whatever little water (I used to soak the cream earlier) from the container on to my brush then I continue beating my lather.

This same process also worked for the soaps and croaps I've tried it with so far.
 
Perhaps this thread may be helpful.

 
You're not using enough cream. I'm not a boar brush guy, but If that first picture is all the lather that you're left with after the first pass, you need more cream. I would recommend a synthetic brush. They don't eat lather at all.

Yes that's the remaining lather after the first pass. If i keep whipping, the cream ends up disappearing from the bowl. I'm thinking of buying an Razorock brush. Thank you for your reply!
 
How old/new is your brush? Boars need time/action to get soft and release lather easily.

+1 what the others said, use more product and water. Double your initial cream amount, whisk away and add water until the bowl is full with lather.

That's the issue. I 've been shaving with this brush for 8 months now. It should be broken by now right? How long does it take to brake in a boar brush normally?
 
Try starting out with the synthetic brush. You will find they are more forgiving and don’t eat the lather. Put the dollop of cream in the bowl and then build your lather in the bowl adding small dribbles of water into the lather as the previous dribble disappears. Keep working the lather in the bowl and adding water and you will get there.

The photo of your starting lather doesn’t look like it could have possibly been an almond sized dollop. If it was, it must be buried in the brush somewhere.

Thanks! I'll buy a Razorock brush next week. I also add more cream although i think i add more than an almond size. The cream in the photo is the remaining lather after the first pass. The lather just disappears from then brush and if a keep whipping the cream in the bowl then brush ends up eating the lather as well.
 
Boar can be grate, but not the easiest, especially if it is not broken in. Is it broken in?
It also likes a little more product then a synthetic.


Thanks! Yeah it's already broken in. I've been using it for a 8 months now with an Omega Hard soap.
 

lasta

Blade Biter
Nothing wrong with your brush. Boars are great.

By the looks of it, I would triple or quadruple the amount of cream. Don't be stingy.
 
Modified @Marco Method.

For hard and medium soaps and croaps:

1. Soak your brush in medium hot water for a couple of minutes..

2. Turn your brush upside-down. I usually give a very slight flick of my wrist, but do not shake. Keep most of the water in the brush. You want a nice wet brush.

3. Hold your soap over the bowl (I use the Captain's Choice Copper), slightly pointed down. Start making swirls on the surface of the soap. You have to proceed slowly, without pressure on the brush. Remember that it's very wet.

4. Heavily load your brush for about 45/60 seconds making around 100/120 swirls. Please keep in mind that the loading time and number of swirls also depend on how big your brush is and how much water it can retain. Try to aim the overflow so it goes into the bowl.

5. After the brush is loaded, get any excess lather from your puck into the bowl, set youe puck down, pick up your bowl and begin building your lather in the bowl.

6. Add a few drops of water as needed to get the lather consistency dialed in.

7. Apply the lather to your face.

Note: If you are using soft creams, place an appropriate amount (usually ~1/4 teaspoon) in the center of the bowl. Soak your brush. Partial (small) flick of the wrist. Swirl your wet brush around in the bowl until your lather is the consistency of yogurt.

Full attribution: This is taken from the 'Marco Method' originally posted here:

My lathering technique with Italian soft soaps - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/my-lathering-technique-with-italian-soft-soaps.199887/

I modified it slightly to suit my preferences.

Hope this helps. :)


Thank you! I've seen other comments about the Marco method before. I thought it worked best with badger brushes and hard soaps. I'll give a try.
 
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