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Eureka!!! I figured it out.

I have a newb tale for you all that I will x-post in the clinic, but it's more relevant here.

So I've been using Proraso/Bigelow green tube shaving cream in the brief time I've been wet shaving, but decided to try out a soap based on their popularity (this board always has more people viewing it than the cream board). So two weeks ago I bought a puck of AoS Lavender in Grand Central and gave it a go when I got home. I read Jim's thread about soap lathering with the damp brush method and followed it as closely as possible.

The results were poor.

I tried shaving with it, hoping that it would magically transform into pillows of lather on my face. To make a long story short, I more or less used the razor to pluck the hairs out of my poorly lubricated skin. :a46:

On my next try, I dipped the brush a few more times, figuring there just hadn't been enough water to hydrate the soap. It was better, but I didn't see what the big deal was. Two more times like this and I went back to the green tube, dismayed. This was about a week ago.

Fast forward to tonight. I decide to do more research into tallow-based soaps and how much water they need. I happened across this video in a thread: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIsj58fqVjY

Though the brush and soap are different, I thought that I should just try this method - my puck wasn't cheap and I didn't want it to go unused. The order of the moment was simple: use tons of water. To that end, I soaked my AOS pure badger brush for 15 seconds, held it over the sink until the drips slowed, then went to town on the dry soap puck for about 10 seconds.

The soap's mug isn't big enough to lather in, and I didn't want to use too much of the stuff, so after the 10 seconds on the puck I had to change tactics. Looking around, I realized I had no bowl and no mug big enough to lather in.

Stinging from my lack of foresight, and desperate to not let the mix on my brush dry, I stuck out my left hand and tried out that hand lathering mumbo jumbo.

After a minute or two of clumsily trying to keep the product of my efforts on my hand, I was blown away. See for yourself. I'm sure this is old hat to most of you, but I didn't realize what I had been missing. It was like a thick, melted marshmallow. Can't wait to shave with this in the morning!


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I also find that more water works best for me with soap. If its too much, I just keep lathering on the puck - sure it might use up a little more soap - but id rather enjoy my shaves than worry about a few bucks.
 
That video helped me as well, however, I don't use as much soap (as the video) anymore, and I do face lather. Seeing how much water he used was a big help too.
 
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Sweet lather, and the AoS lavender smells great, too.

Let us know how your shave was when you try it.:001_smile

I didn't get it quite that nice this morning. In my grogginess I did something differently, but it was still very nice. So much to learn.
 
I wonder if he leaves more water in the brush because boar brushes hold less water than badger. Just speculating. Nice job, though.

-Andy
 
Excellent Lather, glad you got it to work so nicely.

I saw that and wanted to shave right then and there. I will wait till morning, and use Fraser's Polar Ice.
 
I too have found the method used in Zach's video (starting with a wetter brush and letting excess water drain) far preferable to the squeeze-the-heck-out-of-the-brush method.
 
I also find that more water works best for me with soap. If its too much, I just keep lathering on the puck - sure it might use up a little more soap - but id rather enjoy my shaves than worry about a few bucks.

I have the exact same attitude and take the same approach. It's not like I have money to waste either, but I don't feel like it's THAT large of a waste to take a few more swipes if need be.
 
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Dude!

That's what I'm talking about.
I'm strictly a cream user, but never had lather like that. Going to watch that vid clip, lock myself in the den and make lather until I get a similar result. If there is no posting from me in the next 48 hours, know one of two things. Either I'm still locked in trying or that carpal tunnel syndrome has set in and I can't type out an update.
 
I tried this out, but I still prefer the method demonstrated in the Building Amazing Lather thread of this site. To me, it's much less messy than the method used in the video posted here. I don't have any overflow lather on my soap and can put it away without washing it off, and my hands stay nice and dry and clean for when I pick up my razor...
 
Congrats my friend on the lather and learning!

I am new to WS as well and had very poor results with my VDH and "squeeze the brush dry technique" I do believe that that technique would work great with a badger brush.

That beings said.....

The youtube video you referred to helped me with my boar brush to get great results, i use more soap, but as others have said, it is for a fantastic result.

I expect to get an Omega professional in the mail today along with some Tabac...is there anyway to make my beard grow faster????:biggrin:
 
Hmm, perhaps the previous post has a point. I have a badger brush, and it's certainly possible one method works better with badger and one with boar...that hadn't occurred to me.
 
I prefer Jim's method, which in my experience achieves the same result as in the video, though with much less soap "overboard".

I have found that with Jim's method the explosion of soapy foam that would otherwise spill out, as seen in the video, is instead loaded very, very densely into the brush.

For me, I submerge the brush in hot, hot water, remove, and then drip about a heaping tablespoon's worth of that hot water onto the puck. Re-submerge the brush in the mug for a minute or two. By the time the brush is done soaking, most of the water on the puck of soap has been absorbed. I remove the brush, shake it out dry. I then hit puck for about a 30 seconds to a minute.

I take this densely loaded brush and begin to face lather on a wet face, dipping the tips of the brush in hot water as needed. I face lather for a good couple of minutes. I face lather as long as it takes to get the consistency I like, and until I can actually feel my stubble soften to the optimal softness. About 3-4 minutes.

What I get is what you see at the end of the video, very thick, very slick, lather. And no "overboard" soapy mess.

I think the trick is to apply enough hot, hot water onto the puck and then letting it set in for a minute or two. Again, save for a drop or two, most of the water absorbs into the puck.

This has worked for me using either boar or badger. But I'm finding boar to be more fun!

That said, there's nothing wrong with other methods. As long as you're having fun, who cares!
 
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