Edwin Jagger Best Badger - And Lathering

[Maximus2]

Hey guys. Ever since I got my Edwin Jagger Best Badger brush I've been having some lathering issues. I can't find that just-enough-water sweet spot anymore. If I just use the water that's held in a shaken-out brush I don't have nearly enough water in my lather. One teaspoon of water makes pretty good lather, but not very much of it. Two teaspoons makes pretty watery lather.

This morning I went with the more watery lather and then just kept stirring. I stirred for about two and a half minutes and came up with a pretty good lather, and plenty of it. But this can't be what I'm supposed to be doing - I believe lather stirring is supposed to take about a minute, not two and a half. Any thoughts? Is the brush just sucking too much lather into its middle? Is there some way to deal with this?

Aside from this issue, though, I'm loving the brush. It feels amazing on my face, and looks beautiful compared with the Shea Moisture brush I'd been using.

 

[Vlad]

Different hair, different knot, different density...it will just take some time to get the feel for it. I would try adding just drops of water at a time until you get it where you want it. It also may require more product than your other brush.

If it is sucking the lather into the brush, you should be able to squeeze it out.

 

[gaj90027]

+1 on more product. If your lather is going from decent looking but not enough to shave with to watery then more product should solve the problem.

 

[bythbook]

you might try adding water more judiciously - when making lather, I sprinkle water in until I have enough.

I also ++ the idea of more product...

and with EJ brushes, remember: don't fear the flop!

 

[Maximus2]

I'm already using about a thing of Proraso as long as the tip of my finger. Any more would be... a LOT of shaving cream. I'll try using more tomorrow, but I really feel like this is not right.

I'll also give adding water in smaller amounts a try. As of right now, I've been literally using a teaspoon to measure out each increment.

What does "don't fear the flop" mean?

 

[bythbook]

I'm already using about a thing of Proraso as long as the tip of my finger. Any more would be... a LOT of shaving cream. I'll try using more tomorrow, but I really feel like this is not right.

I'll also give adding water in smaller amounts a try. As of right now, I've been literally using a teaspoon to measure out each increment.

What does "don't fear the flop" mean?

re: the flop... it seems that a lot of folks are rejecting their "floppier" brushes of late - and going for shorter loft, or stiffer backbone, or whatever-metaphor-you-choose brushes. My limited experience with EJ brushes (three) is that they are rather floppy and something of lather hogs. In my opinion, they are luxurious and worthwhile brushes, even if "floppy" - as you have an EJ, I suggest only that you stick with it, try various combinations of product & water... and the length of time you whip it.

I'm still learning - different brushes, different soaps/creams... require different amounts of water & energy.

...and yesterday I used a short loft boar brush, today my newly arrived EJ silvertip... so I've gone from one extreme to the other in two days - and I had great lather with both (different soaps each day, too).

But seriously [a steadfast eyeball-to-eyeball look here]... don't fear the flop. (And don't fear the Reaper, too, but that's a different diatribe.)

edit: it seems to me that a teaspoon of water at a time is a lot, do try using less. Also - if your brush is floppy, choke up a little (hold the base of the knot to stiffen it) while you load up. Or use my non-pattented velcro floppy loft-stiffener method to make your brush a little stiffer - easier to load it with soap, anyway:
turtleneck your brush!

 

[Go West Young Man]

Rather than adding water manually, try just dipping the tips of the brush in the sink. That'll bring the slightest little bit of water into your mix, it's a lot easier to control that way.

 

[rjt65]

i have an omega big silvertip and SUCKS UP WATER LIKE A SHAMWOW! ;-)

i am newbie still -but recently changed from a tweezerman--- on another note the brush hols so much more lather i find when mixing in the scuttle less lather is in the scuttle

but i found with sprinkling in a few drops in the scuttle and lightly dipping the top of the brush into water after applying lather on face helps.

different than my tweezerman but some lite adjustments in process took care of it...

another benifit is due to the water retention my later from the brush stays much hootter-- i leave the brush in scuttle in hot water

so play with your processs to add lil water and you will report back u r loving it!!!! g luck

 

[Maximus2]

I just whipped up a lather using extra product, and sure enough got exactly the results I wanted. I guess I'll just up the Proraso dosage, though I feel so wasteful doing this. I feel like I'm cheating because I can't get the lathering technique right, but I guess good lather is worth it :/.

 

[Maximus2]

Added 50% more product than usual today, but also didn't shake out my brush (I just let it drain) and then didn't add any extra water. Got way too watery of a lather. I should have just dumped it and started over, but I shaved with it anyway.

Also, I lost one hair practice lathering last night and another one this morning. Some of the hairs on the edge of the brush are now scraggily and do not point in the correct direction. I'm a little worried, but I'm hoping this is just natural behavior for a new brush that's being broken in.

 

[Go West Young Man]

New brushes can lose a lot of hair at first, don't worry unless it keeps happening after a few weeks.

Scraggily pointing bristles is known as "bloom" - it's a good thing!

My beginners setup was Proraso and an EJ Pure brush - I would start with a squeezed dry brush and squeeze the proraso on 'end to end' on the top of the brush. Eventually learned enough technique to reduce that, but still always needed at least an inch and a half if not two inches of cream.

 

[Mr.Max]

I would start out with a drier brush as opposed to a wetter one because you can always add water as you going along lathering but if the lather is too wet, you have to add more product where you shouldn't have had to.