How do you do it and what would be the pros and cons compared to bowl lathering?
Face lathering with soap, how?
- Thread starter Thomas Martin
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Load the brush with soap, lather on your face, adding small amounts of water as needed (I like to dip the tips of the brush in a basin of water) until the desired consistency is achieved. I find that: A) it feels nice; B) It saves time; C) Is easier to get a good lather, even from finicky soaps. YMMV. Cons: None.
Check out vids from Mantic59 like this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7Aj9vwrtc&list=PL016978658069AF94&index=1&feature=plpp_video He gets into face lathering around the 5:50 mark. All of his videos are good and many on this forum started out by watching his stuff. You can also find many other vids on YouTube that get into the pros and cons of face lathering.
- Thread starter
- #4
Thanks. I just purchased a very nice silvertip brush by Thäter, Germany. They claim that face lathering may reduce the life of a brush. True?
I really don't see how building lather on your face vs. in a bowl would cause additional or different stress on the knot. Obviously, that is just my opinion. Myself, I use sort of a combo lathering technique. I start the build in my scuttle and then finish on my face. Just seems to work best for me.
- Thread starter
- #6
I don't know. The whiskers may put stress on the very fine silvertips of the badger bristles?
The reason some manufacturers claim face lathering puts stress on a brush is because they think swirling the brush with lather instead of painting it puts stress on a brush. I don't buy that theory myself, however, since I have been using a swirling motion for years without any problems on my brushes. As long as you apply gentle pressure and don't mash the brush against the soap puck or your face you should be OK.
As for face lathering, there are many ways to do it. The easiest way is with a shave stick in which you rub the stick across and into your beard and then take a wet brush to make the lather. Here are some other ways to face lather:
Take a look at the wiki for a detailed explanation.
As for face lathering, there are many ways to do it. The easiest way is with a shave stick in which you rub the stick across and into your beard and then take a wet brush to make the lather. Here are some other ways to face lather:
- Swirl your wet fingers or brush around a soap puck or tub or cream and apply the soap to your face. Then use the brush to make lather.
- Apply a little cream to your face or brush and again use the brush to make lather.
Take a look at the wiki for a detailed explanation.
Honestly, the most stress any of my brushes go through is loading... twirling with the hairs held straight, and the soaps grip pulling at them (when the puck is getting dry). Nothing I do during either face or bowl lathering puts anywhere near that level of stress on a shaving brush.
For me the easiest way to a good lather is palm lathering, with face lathering just behind it, with bowl lathering WELL behind face. Something about the lather being built on skin (texture, oils, being able to feel the lather develop, etc) makes lathing absurdly faster and easier for me. A heavily textured bowl helps bring bowl lathering closer to face/palm, but it's still not comparable.
Other advantages would be that it does help soften up the beard a bit (see old Williams ads where they talk about applying lather and then reading the paper to soften your beard up before shaving) and I think it feels pretty good too. And frankly, I think it gets lather applied better by building up a base of unlathered soap+water or a film under the lather, that is hard to get with bowl lather as well as working the lather in and around the hairs on your face better than simply painting bowl lather on can.
How? Wet but not dripping face. Paint a base of soap film with a loaded brush, then start working the brush back and forth, moving around cheeks and neck as the lather starts to build. Add water to the brush as necessary and occasionally catch any lather that's getting pushed down to my collar with the brush or else just wipe it off.
For me the easiest way to a good lather is palm lathering, with face lathering just behind it, with bowl lathering WELL behind face. Something about the lather being built on skin (texture, oils, being able to feel the lather develop, etc) makes lathing absurdly faster and easier for me. A heavily textured bowl helps bring bowl lathering closer to face/palm, but it's still not comparable.
Other advantages would be that it does help soften up the beard a bit (see old Williams ads where they talk about applying lather and then reading the paper to soften your beard up before shaving) and I think it feels pretty good too. And frankly, I think it gets lather applied better by building up a base of unlathered soap+water or a film under the lather, that is hard to get with bowl lather as well as working the lather in and around the hairs on your face better than simply painting bowl lather on can.
How? Wet but not dripping face. Paint a base of soap film with a loaded brush, then start working the brush back and forth, moving around cheeks and neck as the lather starts to build. Add water to the brush as necessary and occasionally catch any lather that's getting pushed down to my collar with the brush or else just wipe it off.
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+1 Most pleasurable way to lather!
If it's a hard soap, I pick it up and rub it directly into my scruff. Then, I start with a damp brush and add water to the lather gradually by wetting the tip of the brush.
I use to only face lather but ive moved onto palm lathering... I feel that the soap dissolves a lot when youre shaving. Palm lathering makes it easier to find the right consistancy, to me.
I rub the soap on my scruff too, under my jawline, and do the lathering there. Simple and quick.
+2 to this. Also, as someone mentioned earlier Mantic59's videos are great.
i think using creams its easier to bowl lather, but using soaps i've always got a lot better lather by face lathering. i have VDH, Arko (sick and milled in to bowl), and Palmolive stick. each one of those face lathering is the way to go. especially with the VDH. when i used the VDH i had to load the brush for bout 3 solid minutes then repeatedly go back to the soap to build a lather in a bowl. when i face lather (which is all i do with it now) i can load the brush for about a minute or less and get enough lather for 3 passes. the stubble/hair on my face builds the lather better than the smooth bowl.
I mostly face lather because it saves me from having to clean out a bowl and I like the feel of working the soap into my beard. If it's too hard on your brush you need to consider another brush.
I will bowl lather if I am having problems making lather from a soap I find it easier to debug by lathering on the puck or in a bowl. The other reason to bowl lather would be that in the winter I float the bowl in a sink of hot water to make a poor man's scuttle. I like the warm lather.
I will bowl lather if I am having problems making lather from a soap I find it easier to debug by lathering on the puck or in a bowl. The other reason to bowl lather would be that in the winter I float the bowl in a sink of hot water to make a poor man's scuttle. I like the warm lather.
yup! (except I don't dip the tips, I hold the brush under the faucet and allow a few drops of water on the brush)
+7.63
Nail has been hit squarely on its head.
Do not worry about wearing out a shaving brush.
It's not going to happen unless you're abusive.
It's not going to happen unless you're abusive.
I tend to face lather on the days that I have to work as it is quicker for me and there is less to clean up when I'm through. On my off days when I have plenty of time, I tend to bowl lather and just take my time and enjoy.
