Disappointed with No. 63

[shave/brush]

I bought some PRE de Provence-No. 63 shave soap. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong but not sure what. I had a hard time getting a decent lather from it. I know I loaded the brush for about 30 seconds with a fairly wet brush and I got a very thin lather.
My next attempt I may try the "Marco Method". I'll see how that works out.
Any suggestions? I am very disappointed.

 

[ChriWilson]

Load longer with a less wet brush ?
Sounds like you have introduced too much water up front rather than incrementally adding when needed.

 

[brucered]

Load more. Way more. Less water to start.

It's a phenomenal soap. I've been using it exclusively (3017) for just over a year now and highly recommend it. It's up there with the best soaps I have used over the past 10 years.

It took a couple weeks to dial it in for me. I now use a synthetic brush ring out water, load soap, slowly, very slowly, add additional water as needed during face lather.

This is an old pic, but load lots. Likely more than your 30 seconds, probably double. Go off soap on the brush, not a set time. I posted this pic a few days ago regarding soap loading, but I don't take many pics, sorry.

Marco Method was a horrendous failure for me with PdP 63, using various boar and Badger brushes. It's too hard a soap to use this method, unless you want to load for 30 minutes.

 

[ChriWilson]

For soaps that allow, I like to load by holding the puck in my hand.
That way I can take the residual directly to my face and proceed building from there.

Definitely limit the water upfront

 

[Ron R]

I know I loaded the brush for about 30 seconds with a fairly wet brush and I got a very thin lather.

Thin soap indicates not enough initial soap load on brush & or to much water !

 

[shave/brush]

Thank you gents, I will try loading longer with less water. I know this soap is well liked around here. That's why I bought it.

 

[Rosseforp]

Thank you gents, I will try loading longer with less water. I know this soap is well liked around here. That's why I bought it.

Try blooming it for 5-10 minutes also. Load it like you hate it!

~doug~

 

[beginish]

Load more. Way more. Less water to start.

It's a phenomenal soap. I've been using it exclusively (3017) for just over a year now and highly recommend it. It's up there with the best soaps I have used over the past 10 years.

It took a couple weeks to dial it in for me. I now use a synthetic brush ring out water, load soap, slowly, very slowly, add additional water as needed during face lather.

This is an old pic, but load lots. Likely more than your 30 seconds, probably double. Go off soap on the brush, not a set time. I posted this pic a few days ago regarding soap loading, but I don't take many pics, sorry.

Marco Method was a horrendous failure for me with PdP 63, using various boar and Badger brushes. It's too hard a soap to use this method, unless you want to load for 30 minutes.

View attachment 1586657

What Bruce said. It’s phenomenal when you have it dialed in. It’s one of the few where I didn’t get the itch to ‘just kill it already.’

 

[shave/brush]

Try blooming it for 5-10 minutes also. Load it like you hate it!

~doug~

I don't believe in blooming any soap. I feel it can damage the soap. Should not be necessary.

 

[shave/brush]

Today I will try taking a soaking wet brush and give it one good snap of the wrist. This should get out most of the water. Then I will load for about 60 seconds. Then take it to my lather bowl to whip up lather.
If that don't work, I will try the "Marco Method". It always works for me, but I end up with too much lather sometimes.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Today I will try taking a soaking wet brush and give it one good snap of the wrist. This should get out most of the water. Then I will load for about 60 seconds. Then take it to my lather bowl to whip up lather.
If that don't work, I will try the "Marco Method". It always works for me, but I end up with too much lather sometimes.

The @Marco Method always works for me with PdP No63.

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

I don't believe in blooming any soap. I feel it can damage the soap. Should not be necessary.

So are you saying that you think the soap…can be damaged by water?

 

[shave/brush]

So are you saying that you think the soap…can be damaged by water?

Yes, if left sitting on the puck. No soap manufacturer would ever recommend doing that.

 

[brucered]

Yes, if left sitting on the puck. No soap manufacturer would ever recommend doing that.

Agreed.

Blooming is used as a method for people who don't know how to load a triple milled puck properly. The same as adding glycerine or cream to a soap to make it work. A lather product should be able to stand on its own, if it can't, it's not worth using.

As for the brush to water ratio. I'd go so far as to give it a squeeze at the base, a flick, then load. Super easy to add more water during the loading process.

I hope you get it dialed in, it's worth it. If you don't give up after a few attempts, you will be greatly rewarded with an amazing soap.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Yes, if left sitting on the puck. No soap manufacturer would ever recommend doing that.

Saponificio Varesino does.

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

Yes, if left sitting on the puck. No soap manufacturer would ever recommend doing that.

Some soaps benefit from a thin layer of water floated on top for a few minutes, MWF in particular, for me anyway. SV recommends it (as mentioned below) even though I don’t don't bother doing it with their soaps, I don’t see the need.

Blooming may be wasteful on soaps that are easy to load, but water is part of your lather, there’s nothing harmful about blooming a soap, it’s just water.

 

[NorthernSoul]

The thing with #63 is it is an extremely hard soap, hard like a rock. That means it takes either a stiff brush such as a larger boar, or a longer length of time to get enough soap.

It may be easier to lather if you can remove the soap from the tin and hold it in one hand. That way, you won't be constrained by the size of the container. Just use the tin for storage.

My favorite brush for #63 is a larger boar such as the Omega 49.

 

[mata_66]

Saponificio Varesino does.

"Saponificio Varesino’s formulations contain active ingredients that, in order to obtain the best perfomance, need to solubilize and/or melt. The maximum performance can be obtained in this way: cover the soap surface with a thin veil of hot water for few minutes. Soak a badger shaving brush, rinse it well and then pour the thin veil of water that bloomed the soap on the brush, and then start loading (20-30 seconds), face or bowl lather without adding water...."

 

[shave/brush]

Blooming is used as a method for people who don't know how to load a triple milled puck properly. The same as adding glycerine or cream to a soap to make it work. A lather product should be able to stand on its own, if it can't, it's not worth using.

I agree with you. I use a synthetic brush and usually have no problems loading any soap. I guess this one is extra hard as 'NorthernSoul' pointed out.

 

[brucered]

I agree with you. I use a synthetic brush and usually have no problems loading any soap. I guess this one is extra hard as 'NorthernSoul' pointed out.

I started out using PdP with my regular, go to badger brushes (Paladin, Simpson) and couldn't get it dialed in. I was discouraged as I don't normally have issues with soaps. I tried a couple boars (Semogue), using various methods, no luck.

Finally, I gave some inexpensive synthetics (RR) a try and they just clicked. It took a bit of adjustment in terms of loading with an almost dry brush, but it just worked for me. I know others have conquered PdP 63 with badgers, so know it was my own user error. That said, once I got it dialed in with a $15 synthetic, I enjoyed my shaves and have used that brush for almost an entire year now and started to look at adding a couple more synthetics to my brush rotation.