Finished- Carnival contest # 2... CALLING ALL LATHERMEISTER'S

Tewdric · Oct 20, 2009

My dear boy, I simply pop into Trumper's, where James slathers my face in hot, creamy lather from his magic machine.

I do feel so sorry for you Americans, forced to have to lather yourselves for lack of the most basic amenities.

ShaveyMcShave · Oct 20, 2009

When I'm up for a real spoiling, I tkae my 50 cent Salvation Army store cappucino mug that doubles as my shaving mug, and fill it with boiling water while I have a shower. I leave my brush in the bowl to soak up as much as it can in 10 minutes. Once I'm out, I empty the cup, give 3 light flicks to the brush, add 1 inch of Body Shop shaving cream (love the smell!), and work that cream into a thick lather with clockwise swirling motions for about 90 seconds. After that it's nothing but beautiful warm lather on my stubbly face

ryanl7640 · Oct 20, 2009

I use the OCM oil after soaking my face with a HOT washcloth ( I may try the noxzema in the future). round 2 of hot washcloth while sink fills with hot water, and my puck of (currently amber conk) soap soaks in my US Lighthouse Service shaving mug. I wring out the brush and dump the soap water and work the top of the puck for about 15 sec, until the brush is fully loaded with soap. I splash a little of the hot tap water on my face and face lather- dipping the brush in the hot water if more is needed. If using proraso, I will later in my extra mug

Mr_Amazing · Oct 21, 2009

I soak my grandfathers newly found Ever-Ready C40 in a mug of hot water and jump in the shower.

I use a facial scrub to remove some dead skin and prep my whiskers.

Once out of the shower I empty the mug of water, shake the brush once, and put a dollop of C.O. Bigelow (Proraso) right onto the brush. I swirl it around until my arm feels like falling off (I could use a badger hair brush) and then apply the slick goo to my face.

I have found that working the bristles into my face really does a good job at getting my beard to raise up off my face and combined with the lather, it makes for a good slick shave.

petredesign · Oct 21, 2009

This is just for posterity.

So I've been reading all the posts about lather and ogling all the pretty pictures of lathered faces much thicker with lather than mine.

What's my problem I thought. After a little experimentation here is what consistently makes a fantastic lather on the cheap.

Tools:
1. Walgreens Brush and Bowl Combo. (The Green Box, don't remember the name)
2. Classic Shaving (Rose) Soap
3. Cereal Bowl
4. Very Hot Water

Method:

1. Soak Brush in Basin and fill with Hottest Tap Water available.
2. Place the shave bowl with the puck in the cereal bowl and fill with equally hot water to the point that it is almost over coming the shave bowl.
3. Place approximately 1 tbsp of hot water on the puck.

4. Shower: Generic Shampoo for hair. Kirks' Cocoa Castile Bar Soap for everything else.

5. Shake out the brush to almost dry. 3-4 shakes.
6. Pick the shave bowl out of the hot water (Ceramic...will be hot)
7. DO NOT Dump the water out of the shave bowl... you need a lot more than you think because the boar brush doesn't hold water like a badger.
8. Swirl the brush in a clockwise motion around the puck until you get a nice foam. (10-20 secs) It will look pretty wet. This is actually what you want.
9. Put the brush to the face. Face lather. Paint to finish.
10. Put the shavebowl back in the hot water. Keep the brush on the puck in the heat.

This method has allowed me to get similar results to most of the high-end solutions posted above, out of a soap and cheap set of tools.

The key points here are more water than you'd expect and heat.
The heat is key.

I'll add pics later... maybe. There are already some fantastic ones on here.

Martin BS · Oct 22, 2009

Hi.

To build lather I:
1) Fill sink with the hottest water possible
2) Place lather bowl and brush in sink so that the bowl fills with water
3) Take a shower...ahhh
4) Pick up brush and shake almost dry
5) Empty lather bowl and dry the outside
6) Add approximately 1,31415.. ml of cream (at the moment Bodyshoop macaroot)
7) Whip away and add water to desired and functional consistency
8) Lather up

I add water from the sink using 3-4 fingers held together dipped in the sink... easy way of getting small volumes of water for adjusting the consistency just right...

BytesU · Oct 22, 2009

Ok I'll use this morning's technique, I always shave in the shower.
Preheat shower, wet shaving brush.
Lather head and whiskers with shampoo, rinse.
Wet and heat brush one more time, flick/shake brush out about 3x's
Swirl brush on MWF puck about 40 secs then face lather onto wet face for about 60secs
Enjoy the abundant lather for a 2 pass shave
Finish shower, rinse face in cold water before exit
Apply Proraso AS splash to slightly damp face.

CzechCzar · Oct 22, 2009

I've got one to beat all of your submissions right here:

1. Apply motor oil to face/head.
2. Proceed to shave.

lostinperiphery · Oct 22, 2009

I either squeeze from a tube, or dip from a tub, and almond size amount of lather onto the palm of my left hand. I then take the brush that has been sitting for several minutes in a sink full of hot water and give it one sharp flick to get the majority of water out.... build lather in my palm and spread, with my hand the lather remaining on my palm onto my face (so as not to waste it :biggrin:

) then I continue to build lather on my face using what was left on the brush....

....this way, I try to use every bit of lather I built, rather than washing half of it down the drain

lradke · Oct 23, 2009

This is how I do it!
1) Grab my (makeshift) shaving mug and fill it full of piping hot water
2) Submerge the bristles of my Omega Boar brush in the water and let them soak
3) Grab my tub of Mama Bear's Welcome home and cover the soap with a layer of water and let it soak
4) After a few minutes I dump the water from the mug and do a squeeze on the bristles of the brush.
5) I dump about 1-2 tsp of the water from the soap in to the newly empty mug
6) I take my brush and aggressively swirl it on the soap for about 20 seconds
7) I them aggressively swirl the soapy brush in teh mug, while doing a few plunger-like actions, for about 45-60 seconds
8) I enjoy the never-ending amounts of lather that is thick and creamy!

Enjoy! :wink2:

KiltedShaver · Oct 23, 2009

Okay Gents, here's the routine I use.

I shave in the shower, so this will take place once you are in the hot (important) shower.
1) Turn on a quite hot shower. Rinse face and rub hot water into face and beard area with your hands to wake yourself up and to lightly exfoliate your skin and beard.
2) Prep brush by filling a mug or bowl with hot water from the shower, letting it soak for the next step.
3) Shampoo all head hair. Yes, this includes goatee, beard to be removed, sideburns, hair, etc. Then rinse, giving time to fully immerse ones face in the hot water.
4)Shake out brush and apply shave cream. I've taken to a double application of Proraso and Speick for a wonderfully rich, protective lather.
5)Take finger and distribute cream in a circular fashion around the head of the brush. This maybe is just me, but this seems to help speed up the lathering process.
6) Apply brush to face and begin to develop the lather in a circular motion. This develops the lather, building it, as well as gently exfoliates.
7) Add hot water as needed from the shower to prevent the lather from being to dry and to build a proper richness.
8) Once you have finished building a lather finish off your face by "painting" your face with the brush, giving a smooth, even surface to shave with.
9) Commence Shaving!
10) repeat lathering after each pass as needed.

Hope this works for you guys as it does for me!

Aaron

BbqMan · Oct 23, 2009

by doing it in the shower.
1. Get shower hot and shampoo hair and face.
2. Rinse shampoo and apply conditioner to hair and face. Do not rinse out until end of shower.
3. Splash face with hot water and then grooming oil.
4. Apply shaving cream using a brush (I use a Tweezerman brush and Poraso cream)
5. Shave.
6. Repeat 4 & 5 until BBS is achieved.
7. Rinse face w cold water.
8. Apply after shave balm.

As with everything else, the secret is preparation!

james_rockford77 · Oct 23, 2009

Step by step:

1. Soak brush in bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes
2. Put plug in sink drain, pour water from bowl into sink.
3. Give brush a medium to medium-strong squeeze and two shakes.
4. Put two squirts of KMF unscented in bowl.
5. Swirl brush in cream counterclockwise for 15 seconds.
6. Swirl brush in cream clockwise for 15 seconds.
7. Swirl brush in cream counterclockwise again for 15 seconds.
8. Sprinkle some water from sink into the bowl.
9. Swirl counterclockwise for 15 seconds.
10. Sprinkle a little more water from sink into the bowl.
11. Swirl brush counterclockwise for 15-30 seconds.

VIOLA! Total time: 1:15-1:30 :001_smile

sehrgut · Oct 23, 2009

My long shave:

First I fill my atomic scuttle with warm water and set my brush in it. As soon as I plug it in -- and fill and plug in a gutted perkpot (never used for coffee: what blasphemy that'd be!) full of water for my hot towel, into the shower I go. Hot shower + clean face + hot towel + "scuttle" warmup time = muy bueno.

Out of the shower now, I do my pre-shave, empty the scuttle, flick the excess water from the brush, and give it a swirl in a mug of whatever soap I have out that week. If I want a cream-type lather, I then add a snurdle or so of something delicious to the scuttle and get to lathering.

My crockpot-cum-scuttle is big enough for a lot of swirly lather-making action, so I don't do a lot of pumping, and mostly just whip it back and forth, adding driblets of water if necessary (or a bit more cream if its too wet). To get a bowlful of lather enough to last my whole shave generally takes about two minutes.

Between passes, since the scuttle is pumping heat into the lather pretty constantly, I've got to add water and re-whip a little bit to compensate for evaporation. Other than that, I can't any longer imagine a "luxury" shave without my crock!

My short shave:

1. Boil water
2. Pre-shave ablutions
3. Heat razor and brush in bowl of water
4. Cream or soap directly brush-to-face

My ultra-quick shave:

1. Wet face with hot water
2. Corn Husker's lotion as pre-shave
3. RSC cream directly wet-hand-to-wet-face

ScruffyMcGee · Oct 23, 2009

I've been doing this same routine for years and it has always worked fine for me.
I start by washing my sink out with some bathroom cleaner. (people spit in there)
Then I let my brush float around in the sink while it fills with hot water.
I fill my soap mug with hot water and dump it out so that my soap is warm and wet.
After I wash my face with Noxema I take my brush, shake off the excess water then load it on my soap. (Williams this week)
After about a minute when the brush is loaded I lather on my face, dipping the brush in water as needed.
I've been lathering like this for about 13 years and it has always worked great for me.

Jim · Oct 24, 2009

Contest update:

The contest is now closed.
We will be announcing the winner as soon as we can sort trough the 198 entries!

Thanks B&B!

Pine.Clad.Hills · Oct 24, 2009

Hey all;

Tried making a video for the lathermeister contest. Only received my first ever wet shaving supplies a few days ago.. This is my second attempt at making lather.. Was for the contest but it is not closed. Missed read the ending as today, but guess it was to close before today.

Anycase.. The video is here. Any tips. Be light on me, I am new.. lol I made another batch after this video and it came out better, little more water was needed I believe.

For my second attempt and my second shave everything is going well and am really enjoying my new shaving experience.

Thanks all.. Cheers!

P.S. I am speaking low as somebody in the next room sleeping for night shift.. Wish I could have spoke louder, but if you turn it up you can hear it ok.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vthneqJ5ryY

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vthneqJ5ryY[/YOUTUBE]

Jim · Oct 26, 2009

What you have been waiting for!
The results of the lathermiester contest.

Whew, what a job narrowing down all the fine submissions!

FIRST PRIZE-

Em's Place
www.emsplace.com

Mug with Brush Fork, choice of brown or blue tone
Em's Lathering Shave Cream, 4 ounce choice of scent
Em's After Shave & Body Splash, 4 ounce choice of scent
Em's After Shave Soother Balm, 4 ounce choice of scent
Pure Potassium Alum in Basket