Different lather; straight vs DE shaves?

[Reevers]

Hi all,

I've had 2 barber straight razor shaves now, and both used what I would have considered too runny/watery lather. Both shaves were very smooth though with no irritation. This got me thinking. Currently I lather the same for SR shaving as I do for DE; mounds of thick, yoghurty, cushiony stuff.

I mainly use creams and croaps. Is thick, yoghurty lather advisable or should I aim for thinner, but still slick lather??? Any other additional lather tips are also more than welcome.

PS I realise the two barbers who shaved me have probably carried out thousands of shaves, so their technique would wipe the floor against my own!

Thanks as always chaps!

 

[rider4life]

I use the same type of lather for both - thick, whipped cream (including soft peaks!) lather. The lather you describe to me needs a bit more water for either DE or straight shaving. That being said, lather is a definite YMMV and you should use whatever works best for you and your face. If you like the way your shaves feel with the lather you make then that's the lather you should use. If you don't like the way they feel then it's time to start experimenting. You may find that you can use the same "style" lather for both DE and straight shaves, or you may find that you need two different "styles". You may also find that when you start experimenting the lather you thought was awesome wasn't and you prefer something else instead.

Best thing to do is try the straight shave with your lather. If you don't like it, add a bit more water. Start adding in small amounts though as too much water is harder to fix than too little.

Cheers,

M.

 

[Thomas Martin]

More lather is not better. It's the consistency of the lather (slippery, not too dry and not too runny) and the quality of the soap that counts. The purpose of lather is to soften the whiskers and to reduce friction. Considered that, a thin coat of lather is sufficient. I favor a thin coat of lather since I like to see what I'm doing. The only negative point is, that it dries more quickly and has to be refreshed during passes. But that's me. If you like more lather don't let yourself be convinced otherwise. But I don't see why DE and straight shaving would need a different kind of lather.

 

[jrp316]

It's one of those YMMV things. I usually go for a thicker lather with a DE, but a thinner and slicker lather with a straight. That's the way it seems to work best for me. Try different ways and see how it goes.

 

[u2u]

High quality soap or cream for the straight. Thick enough yogurt like lather that a DE would tend to float above your skin and need added pressure. Thin it down for the DE, but just enough so the weight of the razor does the job. Always enough volume and water content that the lather does not start to dry out during the pass. Rare day that I have any irritation. Usually approach is one WTG, one ATG.

 

[fsturnz]

It's one of those YMMV things. I usually go for a thicker lather with a DE, but a thinner and slicker lather with a straight. That's the way it seems to work best for me. Try different ways and see how it goes.

+1
I' found that the lather I was using for DE shaving seemed not to work well when I switched to straight shaving. I think that the DE razor holds some moisture from rinsing, and acts with the lather on your face, while the straight blade is relatively dry as you move it across your face. So I tend to make a thinner, wetter lather when I straight shave, and it's made a big difference for me.

 

[Lmarkow]

I found lather quality to be less important for DEs than for straights. For straights, I like the lather for my first pass (WTG) to be slightly more dry than for the second (ATG) and third (XTG) passes. Final clean up, if necessary, is basically water. No other subject is likely to get more varied mileage, imho

 

[professorchaos]

Lather quality is definitely more important when using a straight. Firstly, IME, tallow and lanolin based creams and soaps work much better than their glycerin cousins. Secondly, I prefer a thicker lather. More soap, more water and more time building the lather. Lastly, use plenty of water when rinsing between passes. Aim to rebuild the lather each time you reapply it.

 

[Lmarkow]

Come to think of it, I did stop using glycerin based soaps when I switched to straights.

 

[jpcwon]

I always use a slightly thinner lather. I find that it tends to dry up if it's too thick, and it loses some of it's "slickness"....Also, like Thomas said, I like to see what I'm doing...

 

[Mo-beffah]

Come to think of it, I did stop using glycerin based soaps when I switched to straights.

This is interesting. I jut had a great shave for my straight shave finally back to the mama bear soap in a while. I thought it had a good glycerin slick that I attributed to a seemless gliding shave. Isn't glycerin a slick quality ingredient?

 

[noahpictures]

In my experience slickness has been more important than the thickness or thinness of the lather. Tallow soaps are best when using straights.

 

[Reevers]

I find that it tends to dry up if it's too thick, and it loses some of it's "slickness".

I get that feeling of dry non-slick lather on my 2nd and 3rd pass with the straight, I've not been able to get my lather thinner & more hydrating without it loosing its protective qualities. Maybe I'll try Profs comments...

More soap, more water and more time building the lather. Lastly, use plenty of water when rinsing between passes. Aim to rebuild the lather each time you reapply it.

 

[Gustav]

I am not sure if I use a different kind of lather with DEs but what I have noticed is that not all the soaps that I enjoy using together with safety razors, work well when using straights. In other words I have a short list of soaps I like using for safety razors and an even shorter one for straights.

 

[Lockedin]

I found lather quality to be less important for DEs than for straights. For straights, I like the lather for my first pass (WTG) to be slightly more dry than for the second (ATG) and third (XTG) passes. Final clean up, if necessary, is basically water. No other subject is likely to get more varied mileage, imho

I do the same DE or Straight (though I'm still a total noob on straights):

WTG - Thicker, higher volume, more yogurt consistency

XTG / ATG - Thinner, lower volume, more water

Touch ups - I dip wet fingers in the lather bowl and wipe it on where needed.

 

[ricardo9505]

PS I realise the two barbers who shaved me have probably carried out thousands of shaves, so their technique would wipe the floor against my own!

You have to realize also that, as my barber says, it's easier with you on the chair. At home, it's a lot harder.
That being said, my brother exclusively straight shaves now, he's PIF'ing me the Parker sr1 as he has some nice Dovo's.
He loves Mikes, as I do, and says, as many have here before, that a good soap/ cream holds its own. No uber lather mixin' needed. It should provide thick lather that does not dry out easily, slickness on the skin so the blade glides . (I gave up on a few soaps because of the lack of this).
best of luck, happy shaves !

 

[chuckr9]

"Quality" of lather should be the same - slick, cushion, pleasant feeling, but wetter for straights. For DE I like to see sharp Alpine Peaks of lather on the brush, for Straights I like to see more rounded glistening peaks - subtle but important IMHO.

 

[wquiles]

As others have noted already, for me, yes, with a str8 I need a slicker lather. Right now Talow-based works best for me (Tabac and Mike's).

 

[JDTTO]

I am also still strugling with getting the perfect lather for straight shaving but I do seem to prefer to have less air in it. When face lathering, I swirl less and paint more and it seems to work better when it's whipped up less.

 

[O.G.]

I use a wetter lather for straights but I do not use DE at all so I may be a bad judge. I know that its a bit runny but it stays in place and last until I finish my pass. So of course YMMV but wetter is better...