What is the Time measuring, building the lather in the bowl?In my experience, the worse my lather looks, the better it performs. Only the 0.1mm film between your skin and the razor is relevant to the shave. If the lather were 20cm thick, would it improve your shave? Nope. Lather is bubbles, bubbles are air, and air is not a particularly effective lubricant. The thinner the lather, the better the ratio of water to air, and the slicker the lather is.
The only time thick lather has any utility is if a shaving pass takes you several minutes, because the layer of foam keeps the thin, slick film on your skin from dehydrating. Some folks take 15 minutes for a single shaving pass, (new straight razor shavers for example), and thin uber-slick lather dries out before they've even done their side-burns. The downside to thick "yogurt like" lather is that it isn't as slick, the upside is it maintains a reasonable level of slickness for a very long time. Lather is always a trade-off between slickness & longevity, and is best determined by the how long a single shaving pass takes for you.
Here is a helpful chart from the Academy of Tonsorial Science to illustrate the trade-off between slickness and time. Put succinctly, "if you want it slick, you've got to be quick".
That's my 2 cents anyway. YMMV.
Face v Bowl Lathering
- Thread starter Enclave68
- Start date
Just to clarify, when I'm talking about "time" in the chart above, I'm talking about actual "razor on skin" time. It's the time from when lathering stops, to the time the shaving pass is complete. Putting down the brush and picking up the razor starts the stopwatch on how long you have before the lather starts losing slickness via dehydration.
At any rate, I'm a face latherer, and I typically spend the first 20-30 seconds building lather prior to the first pass. Each shaving pass usually takes me about 15-20 seconds of razor on skin time. How long the whole shave takes really depends on the number of passes and the razor in use. Usually, total shave time (lathering + dewhiskering + alum) for a normal 3 pass shave is around 2 minutes. If I'm testing a new soap or razor, I'll do an 8 pass shave with an R41/Feather, and those usually run closer to 8 minutes. That's not a razor that likes to be rushed.
There's obviously no real advantages to shaving quickly for it's own sake, especially if you enjoy shaving as much as I do. It's a worthwhile trade-off for me though, because it's improved the quality of my shaves dramatically and more or less eliminated irritation. YMMV.
At any rate, I'm a face latherer, and I typically spend the first 20-30 seconds building lather prior to the first pass. Each shaving pass usually takes me about 15-20 seconds of razor on skin time. How long the whole shave takes really depends on the number of passes and the razor in use. Usually, total shave time (lathering + dewhiskering + alum) for a normal 3 pass shave is around 2 minutes. If I'm testing a new soap or razor, I'll do an 8 pass shave with an R41/Feather, and those usually run closer to 8 minutes. That's not a razor that likes to be rushed.
There's obviously no real advantages to shaving quickly for it's own sake, especially if you enjoy shaving as much as I do. It's a worthwhile trade-off for me though, because it's improved the quality of my shaves dramatically and more or less eliminated irritation. YMMV.
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I bowl lather. I keep my lather bowl sitting on a candle warmer that keeps the lather temperature at a nice warm 120 degrees F. However, that does tend to dry out the lather. Thus, before every pass I add a few drops of water and whip up the lather for about five seconds to rehydrate it. That restores the balance of slickness and protection.
I started out bowl lathering, but once I started face lathering and got hooked on the exfoliation/lift and performance of the soap (easier to control the amount of water) to the point that I can't remember the last time I used a bowl. Nothing against bowls, but it adds a step and loses the benefits of working the lather on the face--I guess it also marks the time period that I stopped using my badger/synthetic brushes and gravitated to preferring boar, badger/boar mixed knots.
His lathers are horrific. He spends so much time whipping a lather that he introduces way too much air.
I wouldn't recommend it myself either. I just thought it was an interesting video for massive amounts of lather, and he seems like he's half in the bag to boot lol.
When you face lather the soap is distributed between the brush and your face. When you bowl lather that distribution is now divided between three elements: brush, face, and bowl. More for the bowl, less for your face.
I use a "hybrid" approach:
First step is to rub some soap/cream on my face and massage it with wet hands, so it forms a film layer all over.
I will then build the lather in my scuttle until it develops the sheen (that's when it's ready).
Finally, I'll apply the lather to my face swirling, mashing and painting, so in essence face-lathering.
Works like a charm, so give it a try!
First step is to rub some soap/cream on my face and massage it with wet hands, so it forms a film layer all over.
I will then build the lather in my scuttle until it develops the sheen (that's when it's ready).
Finally, I'll apply the lather to my face swirling, mashing and painting, so in essence face-lathering.
Works like a charm, so give it a try!
Ma dude… are you going for UNDERSTATEMENT of the year?He certainly isn't exciting!
Seriously, just because one is KNOWLEDGEABLE does not make one the best COMMUNICATOR of said info.
I’ll bet you there are TONS of chefs WAY better than those famous faces you’ll see on “Food Network” and the like.
The difference?
They have SUPERIOR communication skills.
Eh…, who said life was FAIR? (smh)
That said, I do enjoy watching “CDB’s” stuff on YouTube.
The guy is CONCISE, to the point, and just “pops” on the screen (despite his name giving me a craving for EDIBLES!
)@RicoSuave I agree Chris (CDB) is one of the best on YouTube and he has been doing it for years, originally as the Wet Shave Evangelist. Some of his earlier videos weren't particularly great, but he has certainly become more polished over the years and one of the ones I still watch from time to time.
Although, for those celebrity chefs etc. I don't even think it's as much communication skills as it is a unique personality. All of those famous chefs you can name tend to be the ones that have either larger-than-life personalities are are extremely relatable and likable.
Although, for those celebrity chefs etc. I don't even think it's as much communication skills as it is a unique personality. All of those famous chefs you can name tend to be the ones that have either larger-than-life personalities are are extremely relatable and likable.
its a bit like saying which way pizza is best ? everyone has what they like 
I used to face lather now do bowl and some face to finish off kinda thing working Ok reckon I will always play around a bit as this is all fun to do
I used to face lather now do bowl and some face to finish off kinda thing working Ok reckon I will always play around a bit as this is all fun to do
I was a bowl latherer never could get it going on my face. Simple sliver of soap in the bowl make lather with my synthetic and lather my face up.
A nice fat hungry badger changed that
I can load that badger easily and make lather on my face.
I still prefer the brush to load in either the soap jar or a separate bowl in which I stick enough soap for a week
A nice fat hungry badger changed that
I can load that badger easily and make lather on my face.
I still prefer the brush to load in either the soap jar or a separate bowl in which I stick enough soap for a week
Sometimes I bowl lather; sometimes I face lather; sometimes I do both. Depends on how novel I am feeling at the time. Lately. as I've recently acquired a Captain's Choice copper bowl, I've been using that. But next month? Who knows? Chasing the perfect shave is part of the fun. Ain't that why we're here?
I pinch the skin below my adams apple. This stretches and elevates the skin over the adams apple. This helps me.
I started out face lathering with TOBS and still do with that and Proraso cream but, I find many of the soaps work better with bowl lathering. Either way brush time is meditative.
I dont't have a bowl, always face lather. I have tried using the lid of some soaps as a bowl, as well as my palm, but lathering in the face is faster by a factor of 2 to 4. Both can get you sufficient protection during the shave, so if one method fails for you you are missing something.
When I bowl lather, I use “The Stone Method”!
I get the best of both, I can work up a great lather, get the face massage, whisker hydration, and pleasant face feel.
