Foolproof Lather Discovery Process (TM), Part 2

[gpjoe]

Agreed.

I rarely face lather directly from a puck.

If I'm using hard soap like MdC, or softer soap like Stirling I scrape some out of the container with a cheese spreader and press it into my Captain's Choice copper bowl. I drip some water onto the soap and let it sit while I soak my brush.

If I'm using a tub cream (like TOBS) or tube (like Tacac) I spread some into the center of my bowl but do not add water.

Either way, when I'm ready to shave I run the water until hot, rinse the already wet brush under the faucet to pick up some hot water, give it a shake, plug the sink, and start lathering in the bowl. If I need more water, I hold the edge of the bowl under the running water to carefully add a bit more.

By the time the sink is full, I have a bowl filled with perfect lather. Elapsed time is however long it takes to fill the sink with hot water - two minutes?...if you add prep time - three minutes.

How things change:

I never use a bowl, and PIF'ed my Captain's Choice aquamarine bowl. I'm a face lather convert now.

 

[Galibier_Numero_Un]

How things change:

I never use a bowl, and PIF'ed my Captain's Choice aquamarine bowl. I'm a face lather convert now.

So much simpler and direct. I became a convert after reading part 1 of this treatise.

You spend more "face time" with your brush, while softening your whiskers. What's not be to like?

... Thom

 

[Flanders]

So much simpler and direct. I became a convert after reading part 1 of this treatise.

You spend more "face time" with your brush, while softening your whiskers. What's not be to like?

... Thom

There is a real case for the opposite for a lot of people who are daily shavers. I am not joking, face lathering doesn't work as well with barely poking through stubble and there is no real conditioning benefits. All other points are valid, but the hybrid method might be the best compromise because you just use a standard cup(no fancy bowl needed) to get the lather started and can still get some swirl time in on your face. I really like shave sticks, but found out the hard way last year that they just don't work optimally without something to grab onto. One could actually argue that shave cream applied directly and quickly agitated with a brush is the best solution for daily shavers, I know I should be doing more of that. Sorry for the rant!

 

[Galibier_Numero_Un]

There is a real case for the opposite for a lot of people who are daily shavers. I am not joking, face lathering doesn't work as well with barely poking through stubble and there is no real conditioning benefits. All other points are valid, but the hybrid method might be the best compromise because you just use a standard cup(no fancy bowl needed) to get the lather started and can still get some swirl time in on your face. I really like shave sticks, but found out the hard way last year that they just don't work optimally without something to grab onto. One could actually argue that shave cream applied directly and quickly agitated with a brush is the best solution for daily shavers, I know I should be doing more of that. Sorry for the rant!

It will be interesting to look back at this in a year to see how I modify my opinion. At present, I've been on a progression from bowl, to hybrid, to face.

When I get stuck/confused (as I recently did), I revert to first principles - the bowl.

Before I grated my Spieck into a puck, I noticed that a bit more stubble helped to coat my face with soap. I liked the concept, and if my beard grew more quickly (or I stretched my shaving interval out too 36 hours), I could see this working nicely.

I have a half-used tube of Jack Black that my wife gifted me. It's been in my plans to dedicate some time to it. You know me however - slow & steady ... or at least that's my goal.

... Thom