How much water makes a difference?

[Jslinger]

I was wondering how much water added or subtracted to your lather makes a difference?
I have used all kinds of soaps and creams and found that if I shake my brush rather dry vs. shaking it lightly to get a little water out, my shaves are virtually identical. The amounts of water in the lather are quite different.
Does anyone share this experience, or do you find that you need to be exact with how much water you use?

 

[mdunn]

it varies between soap.

generally though, i shake the water out and then add a bit more once ive got some lather going. but for mwf and arlington I need to start much drier and then add more later.

 

[The Last Chimney]

I keep my brush pretty dry at first, regardless of which soap I'm using, just because I've found that it loads more easily.

The total amount of water required doesn't seem very specific. Most of my hard soaps seem to be perfectly content with about the same amount.

 

[hunter87597]

It depends on which brush I am using and with what cream/soap. Some of your thick. It seems that there are a lot of variables. When I am using TOBS, I soak my brush and lightly flick the water out a few times until it does not drip. Now, the brush will still be heavy due to the water it has absorbed, but I like this water.

Same goes with Proraso green tube.

However, with a soap like MWF and Tabac, Cella and my Nomad, I start significantly drier, shaking out the brush until it is just a little past moist. Then I add water as I go, then face lather with the soaps. Works great. Experiment around man.

 

[beginish]

I always start pretty dry and add water later.

 

[Rivguy]

Yes, there are many variables such as type of brush, denseness of hair, loft and then there is the water hardness and to some degree, water temperature. (pun shamelessly intended) Then there are all the variables that different soaps bring to the equation. With this many variables at play, I have found, like others, that it is best to start with a dryer brush and add water. You will soon pick up on the proper ratios required for each combination.

Best of luck,

Doug

 

[BladeRunner001]

I was wondering how much water added or subtracted to your lather makes a difference?
I have used all kinds of soaps and creams and found that if I shake my brush rather dry vs. shaking it lightly to get a little water out, my shaves are virtually identical. The amounts of water in the lather are quite different.
Does anyone share this experience, or do you find that you need to be exact with how much water you use?

it's primarily dependent on the soap/creme...not all are created equal and some shine with more water whereas others do so using less.

Whichever creme/soap you use, it's always a good idea to start with less water and add more as you go along...it's easier to add water than to remove

 

[Jslinger]

I am not talking about different soaps using different amounts of water.
Even if I use the same soap and vary the amount of water by roughly 2 tbsp, the outcome is the same. Anyone else experience this?

 

[BladeRunner001]

I am not talking about different soaps using different amounts of water.
Even if I use the same soap and vary the amount of water by roughly 2 tbsp, the outcome is the same. Anyone else experience this?

I see...No, I can;t say that I have. Have you tested to see how does the lather behaves on your face? e.g., dries fast, slow, rich, runny? any info will help

 

[Jslinger]

When I use very little water, it is thin and dense, and is quite slick. When I use a lot of water, it turns very foam-like, but not runny. It isn't very slick, nor does it feel particularly protective, but the result is the same. I don't typically wait long enough to see if either dries out.

 

[Mike Schutz]

There are so many different variables. We're not dealing with rocket science here. Depending on the hardness or the water, boar or badger, the kind of soap, how much and how you load your brush, face or bowl lather, you'll get all kinds of results. The only thing you can do is control your variables and habits and find what works best for you. Good Luck

 

[SliceOfLife]

Depends on the soaps. A good pure soap lives and dies on water. A little bit of water can change a lather profoundly.

 

[Crixus]

A little bit of water can change a lather profoundly.

So true. I'm actually going to go out on a limb here and say that about 90% of harping about this blade or that, or this blade works in that razor or vice versa...really boils down to how nice a mixture you got with your lather. Particularly with the more inexperienced wet shavers. You want the right hardware, yes, but "perfect" lather can smooth and sharpen a much ballyhooed blade, and poor lather can roughen up even the smoothest Iridium.

Work at finding the sweet spots for the soaps you use. Few fundamentals are as important.

 

[Loric]

So true. I'm actually going to go out on a limb here and say that about 90% of harping about this blade or that, or this blade works in that razor or vice versa...really boils down to how nice a mixture you got with your lather. Particularly with the more inexperienced wet shavers. You want the right hardware, yes, but "perfect" lather can smooth and sharpen a much ballyhooed blade, and poor lather can roughen up even the smoothest Iridium.

Work at finding the sweet spots for the soaps you use. Few fundamentals are as important.

+1 It took me about 8 months to really understand this. I had got most of the way there by myself, but it took reading posts like this one to really figure it out. I never thought of myself as OCD about shave lather, but in the past couple weeks I have thrown out a couple batches of bad lather. My shaves have been more consistent because of it too. As always YMMV.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Oh stop lying. If you threw out a batch of lather from one of your brushes, the garbage can would overflow.

Seriously though: When I started, if it stayed put on my face and looked like soap suds, I called it good lather. Now I am VERY demanding of my lather. If I am willing to touch a razor to my face, that means the lather I've got on it is creamy, thick, slick, moist, and stable enough for a forty year old mother of two teenagers to start a long term relationship with.

 

[rtb178]

it varies between soap.

generally though, i shake the water out and then add a bit more once ive got some lather going. but for mwf and arlington I need to start much drier and then add more later.

I agree with this, particularly for DR Harris products. By spending more time loading the brush and adding water as I go, Marlborough yields lather that *actually* has that yogurt consistency that, at one time, I thought was impossible (or just a poor analogy). Haven't gotten that with anything other than DRH/MWF.

 

[wwoof]

I recently got some 'home brew' soap from eBay that is the thirstiest stuff on earth. I soak my brush in a cup of hot water and just gently shake a small amount of water out then straight to the soap.

One thing it took time to learn is that soaking a brush in hot water beats holding it under running water any day.