Conk Amber Lather...is it just me?

[rth97601]

I'm a newbie, and my lathering technique could probably use some work.

That said, I can get a good, slick lather, enough for multiple passes, from Tabac, C.O.Bigelow SC, VDH Deluxe, and an experimental homemade soap pour (w/ bentonite and oils), but I just can't get a good lather from Conk's Amber.

It builds well enough on my face (I do the face lather routine), and I can get one good pass if I move quickly, but if I wait too long it dries out. A second pass, even if I reload a bit, fades so quickly it's practically useless.

I've tried different ratios of soap and water, with no improvement. I only have the one brush--a VDH budget boar--so there's no consistency issues there.

I've used it thrice, and I won't be using it again, as it also makes my face itch (though that should have no effect on the lather, should it?). If anybody wants it, BTW, I'll send it off to you gratis (CONUS, of course, unless you want to pitch in on shipping).

But the question remains: why am I falling flat with the soap that's supposed to be an idiot-proof lather-bomb?

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[joto]

Some people just don't get good results from some products. You may simply dislike the lather that soap makes- I had a Col. Conk Almond that smelled wonderful, but absolutely bombed with the lather as well. At least I have a new hand soap!! I often wonder if there might just be something in people's house water that disagrees with certain soaps. I get better (but not great) results with glycerine melt and pour shaving soaps (even from respected makers) away from my home, where they are just terrible, often with the results you describe. You could always try lathering with distilled water from the grocery store and see if it makes a difference. At that point though, I personally just get a different soap! The last thing I can think of is just to put it away for a few months and come back to it later. I have come back to products after a time, and sometimes something has changed (not better or worse, just different) in my technique that benefits the product and gets more mileage out of it. In the end, YMMV. Trumper's Rose is a loved and revered product here by many, but for me the scent is a little artificial and the lather isn't up to snuff. I get much better performance out of Tabac and Harris soaps.

 

[rth97601]

Good call on the water--that didn't even occur to me. Just when you think you've got most of the variables pinned down, another pops up ...

 

[Sodapopjones]

Its not just you, I had a Conk lime soap, which would make a great slick lather, but still seemed like it needed way to much water and would dry on my face.

Really it was a worse lather than Williams imo, and my god the conk soap lasted about a week before it was gone.

 

[wilsonent]

I too found Col Conk amber to fall apart after the first pass. I too used different ratios, soap to water, to no avail. I did notice an improvement when I was on vacation near the coast. However, I consider Amber to be the disappearing lather. However, the bay rum Col Conk is much better. Still glycerine based, but a much better and more cushioning lather. I am going to give the amber to my 9yo girl who loves to make lathers and potions.

I was wondering if anyone has tried Col Conk amber as a shower soap?

 

[Ru4scuba?]

I used Conk's Amber during my first few months of wetshaving and still use it from time to time. The sticky on lathering glycerine soaps helped...as did multiple tries, practice tries and just messing around with the soap. Eventually I could get enough lather for a four pass shave. But the "more water, more soap" principle can't be overstated here. I watered, lathered and soaped this stuff up more than most to get the desired end state.

 

[ShaveAddict]

First soap i bought was a Conk Bay Rum ,,i liked to scent of it but that is all,,i found it impossible to have a good lather whit it.
Now i use Proraso and it lather so fast and easy,,i would never go back.

 

[Gravy]

The only soap I ever used up was the Conk Bay Rum when I was starting out w/ DE. I got great lather from it. Of course now w/ SAD I've got soaps coming in faster than I can use them.

 

[OldSaw]

I'm not a fan of Conk amber either. However, I get good results from Conk almond. I am told that the only difference is the fragrance, but for some reason I don't get very good results from the amber.

 

[Zot!]

I have Col. Conk Bay Rum. My first experience was using a EJ Best Badger and it was hard to lather. Next, I tried an Omega 30005 boar and it did wonders, making a very nice cushioning lather. Also, I go back to the puck for every pass--the soap is cheap and I enjoy the extra lather without trying to go four passes on one charge of the brush.

 

[Hughies_online]

I'm not a fan of Conk amber either. However, I get good results from Conk almond. I am told that the only difference is the fragrance, but for some reason I don't get very good results from the amber.

Same here

 

[Mr. O]

I've never used amber but am currently using Col Conk almond. Col Conk products are all I have ever used so I really don't have anything to compare it with. That said, I feel like I'm getting a real good lather. Nice, creamy, thick lather. The batch I whip up usually lasts me two passes. Prior to my third pass I whip us some more to cover the third and touch ups.

 

[Boba Fett]

I have used all of the Colonel's soaps, and never had a problem once I started making proper lathers. My experience is that they are a bit picky with the amount of water you use. I have found that starting out with the brush a little dry and adding water WHILE BUILDING LATHER ON THE PUCK works very well. I can control the amount of water and soap that is used, because you can easily see the lather developing. Compared to Tabac, which I can't get to build on the puck at all, it has a slicker lather, but it doesn't last as long. Compared to Williams, which is pretty common in Meijer's and Wal-Marts, the Colonel is more difficult to lather, but for me is much slicker.

Of course, your experiences will be different. Hard and soft water can make things a little crazy, and I have found even the brush you use effects the soap as well. I get better lathers when using my badger brush than I do when using my boar brush, but I can get way more lather with my boar brush.

Try a few different things, and don't give up. The Colonel is still my favorite soap, and unless something changes, it will be for quite some time.

 

[BobCochran]

I just used my Col. Conk Amber for the first time yesterday and I didn't have a problem working up a lather with my Edwin Jagger Best Badger brush, but the shave experience wasn't real good, I felt a lot of razor burn and my face didn't feel good for about an hour after. That was with two passes of the Amber. I don't feel such unpleasant burn with either Trumper's Rose, which I love, Cremo, or Omega Eucalyptus. The Trumper and Omega are both extremely soothing to my skin. Indeed a second pass of either cream is bliss itself. I've been spending a huge amount of time looking over cream and soap offerings from different vendors. I've ordered some from St. Charle's Scents and I want to order from Mama Bear too. I don't think I'll order any more Conk products. But I will give the Amber another try when I'm in Florida for Thanksgiving since the water chemistry should be different there. Regarding the water I use...I live in the Washington, D.C. metro area and use water provided by the Washington Suburban Sewer Commission. I don't know how the water tests out for hardness or the exact chemical makeup of the piped-in substance we call water here. I'm sure it has plenty of metal content by the time it comes out of my bathroom spigots.

--Bob

 

[_JP_]

I face lathered with Col Conk Amber today, I really like it! Nice smell, good performance.

Here's the thing: It dries fast on the brush. When I do my second pass with it, the stuff goes on like paste. So I paint on the paste, then dip the tip of the brush into hot water and work up more lather. Subsequent passes usually require going back to the puck to load up more soap.

 

[FreezerBurns]

I'm just now finishing up a puck of Conk Amber. I think it's great, probably my overall favorite and I'll be ordering more soon. I use the "glycerine soap sticky" method, making lather in a bowl. I use very, very small amounts of water and a lot of soap.

 

[Boba Fett]

I face lathered with Col Conk Amber today, I really like it! Nice smell, good performance.

Here's the thing: It dries fast on the brush. When I do my second pass with it, the stuff goes on like paste. So I paint on the paste, then dip the tip of the brush into hot water and work up more lather. Subsequent passes usually require going back to the puck to load up more soap.

I'm just now finishing up a puck of Conk Amber. I think it's great, probably my overall favorite and I'll be ordering more soon. I use the "glycerine soap sticky" method, making lather in a bowl. I use very, very small amounts of water and a lot of soap.

The Colonel is picky. In my experience with these soaps (big fan, have all but the bay rum--just don't like the feel of it) the best lather comes from a brush (badger, not boar, as it seems to hog all the lather and makes it difficult to generate more right on the puck, though this could be something weird with my water or my brush) soaked in the sink or a bowl, then shaken so it is almost dry, at least as dry as a just soaked brush will get. Then, building the lather right on the puck, you dip the brush in the sink as needed until you get a proper lather. This method has never given me a lather that dries out, or goes on too thick or thin.

You know you've got it when you can lather up a wet face without the lather changing consistency. Like I said, this stuff is picky, but its performance, price, and scent makes it worth mastering.

 

[_JP_]

After looking back through this thread, there's a couple of points I want to make. One is that the Bay Rum soap is a different formulation from the Amber and Lime, so the Bay Rum behaves a differently.

The other is that if you are using up the Amber in about a month, then you may be using too much soap! I find it takes surprisingly little of the Amber soap to lather up. I've actually painted it on my face very thinly (to the point of being translucent) and then proceeded to add water and work up a nice lather.

 

[cowtown_horn]

Tried the Conk Lime with Aloe. Aloe's good for you, right? No success.
Now, thinking it's the blade (Israeli Platinum Plus).
Still, better luck with Conk with Avocado vs Aloe.
Badger hair brush with Merkur sensitive razor.

Nice trick for 2nd pass (when you have a blade/whiskers from h3ll), cut on your faucet barely and slightly wet your brush. Squeeze brush for problem areas.

Too many moving parts with wetshaving. Kroger dbl blades have worked best for me with the brush and conk avocado based soaps. Get closer, nicer shave with Kroger. Would LOVE to find blades for me. BUY A BLADE SAMPLER PACK FROM BULLGOOSE LIKE I AM FINALLY GOING TO DO. I am endorsing him because I like the selection.

 

[whereisandy]

I've been using Col. Conk amber for the past 2 weeks and trying like crazy to build a lather that lasts more than 2-3 passes. When I was using VDH deluxe I had no problems getting lather for 3-4 passes.

I am using my Bobe (Walmart flower-pot scuttle) and thought the heat was causing the lather to break down. However, after reading this thread I don't feel so bad anymore.

I love the smell of the amber so I've been doing a superlather with my KMF cream.

Maybe tonight I'll be daring enough to try some of the hints here to use the Conk amber alone (like squeezing almost all of the water out of my Vulfix best badger brush before I load it up).