For those of you who have used Castle Forbes creams, I have a question. I have read that their creams are more like a soap than a soft cream. I am a fan of Cyril Salter wild rose and TOBS Mr. Taylor, both quite nice. I have an interest in CF Lavendar. I normally put a dollop of cream in a lather bowl and whip up the lather..How do you CF users and experts use it. Lather directly from container or load the brush and transfer to lather bowl? Another method?
Castle Forbes Creams
- Thread starter jtc33
- Start date
I load my brush like a soap and then face lather. I never use a bowl, but if I did, I'd still load like a soap.
load like a soap
lather in bowl
lather in bowl
I load my brush for just a few swirls then face lather.
I also use it as a soft soap, then face lather.
I must have a soft batch of CF Lime, because if I loaded like a soap I would have half the jar on my brush. Is CF typically almost Cella-like in consistency? Mine is definitely denser than AoS, but nowhere near Cella. I scoop out a dollop on my finger, smear in a bowl, then lather up.
I do the same as you with the CF - BUT - use a smaller dollop. You will get plenty of lather from the CF.
I just load like soap. Don't need to load long though because it is soft than a hard soap. Stuff is great though.....slick that snot on a door nob!
I just scoop out an almond sized dollop with my finger, flick it into a bowl, and lather from there. With that said, I think I use too much at an almond sized dollop. CF creams will lather for days. 
I smear a pea-sized dollop in the mug and lather it up. Amazing! I used too much when I first started, and ended up with sliver of unlathered soap when rinsing my mug. Going to try loading the brush next time though, I'm sure it will lather well.
Gf
Gf
My CF creams are definitely like a soap, harder then Cella
I just scoop out an almond sized dollop with my finger, flick it into a bowl, and lather from there. With that said, I think I use too much at an almond sized dollop. CF creams will lather for days.
+1. I smear the dollop all around the inner rim of the ridged shaving bowl attached to my Sarah Bonnyman Texan Moss Scuttle. I also smear some on the bottom of the bowl. GrimmFu mentioned slithers of unlathered soap and this sometimes happens to me if I DON'T smear CF around, so I smear it all the time now. In fact, I do this with all my creams. I chronically use too much product because I'd rather have too much than not enough. Plus, I like to lather my face after shaving to let those great essential oils moisturize. Do this with Castle Forbes and then use the aftershave balm, are you kidding me? It's luxurious! I'm not a lavender man myself, but the CF Cedar & Sandalwood is a special line and one I won't be found without!
Load like a soap. My CF is similar to a QCS cream, though not quite as dense. I load for a few seconds, then hit the face or scuttle. CF lather is like the Energizer bunny...it keeps going and going and going.
this stuff certainly doesnt need an almond sized amount to lather up a three pass, and it can take a while to break down in a bowl, i load on top of cream like a soap just with a single ring around or two with a fairy wet but shaken out excess'd brush
My CF Lavender is still a bit harder in texture than my CF Lime now is - I have probably softened them both quite a bit by now (I'm 12-15 shaves in on both of my jars of CF) because I load my brush directly into the jar and some drops of water may have been spilled into the jars thus making it feel softer in texture than it originally was. Originally they were both quite hard, almost as gel like hard as my Acqua Di Parma in the pot was and still is, but my CF's have softened up quite a bit by now.
If I was to dip my brush hard into my jar of CF Lime I would take half the cream out of the jar, so I dip it gently and softly now.......
I put a SMALL dollop in my scuttle and then lather. It is difficult to use a small enough amount.
I load like a soap then lather in a bowl. I always seem to get a great lather.
