Face Lathering --- Do you get a closer shave?

[goby]

I got a $10.00 boar brush a few weeks ago. Of course I knew it could NEVER be as good as a badger.

I have loved the boar. I have loved face lathering. And the strange thing is that I feel that I am getting MUCH closer shaves. I only shave after showering, but for some reason I am getting a great BBS shave more often then with my badger.

So face lathers... do you agree? Even after you take a shower?

I remember some "fool" selling his Chubbies and other $100+ badger brushes because he said he preferred boar. Wow... now I understand. And I don't even have a top quality boar.... yet!

 

[Klarion]

Hah. Your boar should be pretty good as is. Always good to try a high dollar boar, though! I bought a Semogue Owner's Club as a backup to my LE 09, and then got a 1250 to maximize shipping costs and get it a little brother.

Maybe you're just putting in a little more effort with your shave because you like the feel of boar on your face better? I certainly like the fell more, and believe it elevates my enjoyment of the shave. I've never noticed better or worse shaves because of my brushes. Soaps and creams? Yes. Different blades? Naturally. Never the brush, though.

Maybe that big ol' smile on your face is just pulling things tighter, that all.

 

[Luc]

Does it give closer shaves? Maybe a little.

I think your technique probably got better. The fact that you are face lathering prepare the skin a bit more than just painting the lather in.

 

[Klarion]

Maybe a "Boar vs Badger - closest shaves?" thread will need to be made next, if this one is inconclusive.

 

[theperfectstorm]

Anything that is simple, easy, satisfying, low-drama and that I enjoy doing automatically gives me a better shave by allowing me to enjoy the process. So, I would say, "yes."

 

[DE Shaver]

As a personal observation, I don't see much of a difference between face lathering and bowl lathering in terms of shaving closeness. It's possible that face lathering stimulates the skin a little more, tightening it a little as blood engorge the dermis. A more taut skin may provide a better shaving surface.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

As a personal observation, I don't see much of a difference between face lathering and bowl lathering in terms of shaving closeness.

Yup

 

[akokandy]

Does it give closer shaves? Maybe a little.

I think your technique probably got better. The fact that you are face lathering prepare the skin a bit more than just painting the lather in.

What he said. Maybe leaving the lather on the face and working it in to the beard is better prep than you had done. Maybe your face lather is better than your bowl lather (I know mine is). Since I started on boars, I exclusively face lather. I just do better. I get better lather easier.

YMMV.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Face lather rocks! Face latherers rock! Bowl lathering is only second best and will always be so. YAY, FACE LATHER! Who's yo daddy, bowl latherers?!? OOOOO-Wah! <fist pump>

Okay, I won't bore you with any more logical arguments like that. But it stands to reason that the extra scrubbing around the face is going to lift the whiskers better and get more lubrification to the skin underneath them. The difference may be so slight that you don't notice it, though. But certainly, your technique is improving by now, and that will give you better shaves by itself.

 

[Gaston]

I get better shaves when I face-lather at least a bit - by that I mean rather than just wiping on the lather I build in a bowl, I rub it into my beard as I apply it. Maybe that's a hybrid method, in which case "I saw it first" and patents will be forthcoming. Look for my new how-to guide entitled "It rubs the lather on it's face", to be released when I can find a publisher who'll agree to my perfectly reasonable terms. That's just a working title, by the way, we're still checking copyrights.

It's better than "or it gets the hose again", at least.

 

[Leche]

You build lather in a bowl, the bowl wins. Build it on the face, well...

 

[BladeRunner001]

I got a $10.00 boar brush a few weeks ago. Of course I knew it could NEVER be as good as a badger.

I have loved the boar. I have loved face lathering. And the strange thing is that I feel that I am getting MUCH closer shaves. I only shave after showering, but for some reason I am getting a great BBS shave more often then with my badger.

So face lathers... do you agree? Even after you take a shower?

I remember some "fool" selling his Chubbies and other $100+ badger brushes because he said he preferred boar. Wow... now I understand. And I don't even have a top quality boar.... yet!

I think your technique got better, not the brush. If you spend enough time working the lather into your beard, you will get a good prep and a good shave as a result of it...regardless of boar or badger. The choice between badger or boar is ultimately a personal preference and has more to do with "feel" than anything else, IMO...Personally, I am a badger (Silvertip) kind of guy...I do like the luxurious feel it provides.

Cheers,
Robert

 

[rodeo]

I've only "face lathered" for the past two days shaves and I loved it. My only problem seemed to be too dry of a lather initially and I think I may have shaken too much water out of the brush before putting it to my face. I was using a very inexpensive VDH Boar, which I like and have used for bowl lather before this. But as to the lather, yes face lathering works very well for me and it crossed my mind that I will do this more often then just while travelling. I won't give up bowl lathering anytime soon though as I just have too many soaps at home. My soap stick is QED.

 

[andrew98]

I like face lathering because I don't have to fuss with a bowl in my counter-less bathroom. Even when I had a counter, I preferred face lathering because it reduces the number of things I have to use and clean, and I think it preps my stubble and skin better because of the amount of time I spend doing it. Even if it doesn't help me get a better shave, I just think face lathering is more fun that using a bowl.

-Andy

 

[California Cajun]

I got a $10.00 boar brush a few weeks ago. Of course I knew it could NEVER be as good as a badger.

I have loved the boar. I have loved face lathering. And the strange thing is that I feel that I am getting MUCH closer shaves. I only shave after showering, but for some reason I am getting a great BBS shave more often then with my badger.

So face lathers... do you agree? Even after you take a shower?

I remember some "fool" selling his Chubbies and other $100+ badger brushes because he said he preferred boar. Wow... now I understand. And I don't even have a top quality boar.... yet!

I'm happy with the shaves I get with my Omega Boar 10005 brush, Irisch Moos shave stick, and Merkur Slant razor. In fact, VERY happy. Any time my lather begins to dry or get thin, I dip the brush in water and it explodes on my face.

 

[goby]

Well, I did it again. An amazing shave with the boar and a 3 day old Dorco blade.

The only thing different is the boar.... I like the boar.

 

[Klarion]

Let me ask this:

Do you look forward to using your Fuller boar, than all your other brushes?

 

[goby]

Let me ask this:

Do you look forward to using your Fuller boar, than all your other brushes?

Yes I do. And I got a Semogue coming in the mail.

 

[kingfisher]

No difference in shave closeness with face lathering versus bowl lathering, IME.

I actually prefer the lather I get from bowl lathering. And I'm not saying that just to be a contrarian.


As to the righteousness of boar brushes, I will add my vocal support! Boar brushes uber alles!

 

[ackvil]

I don't see any difference between bowl and face lathering. I prefer bowl lathering since I like to use uberlather.

As for me, badger just plain feels better.