What Tirvine said!
If the latter (almost) drips off your razor head at the end of a stroke the lather is perfectly hydrated (IMO, ymmv).
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How wet is your brush?
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If the latter (almost) drips off your razor head at the end of a stroke the lather is perfectly hydrated (IMO, ymmv).
Sopping wet.
Same here but with a boar brush.
squeeze out synthetic brush
get the puck working to quite a thick cream not sudsy or wet then put in bowl and work that around with a few drops of water again thicker pasty cream is what I go for and I go kinda slow to fast I get more foamy and prefer the thick cream think yogurt or something wet maybe 15-20 seconds then put in some more water mix in slowly so its super shiny and then mix around a bit and put on wet face and do a bit of lathering on face
again I go for as shiny as I can get it and not the dull whip foam stuff as not a fan of that consistency
also between passes just wet my hands really well and slide around face not a full rinse or splashing either
then do the face brush thing again
for me works I find it very consistent so through the 3 passes the same amount of water was on my face each time and the same in the bowl
for me with face lathering I get a bit different each pass and it kinda works as I play with it but like the wetter consistency !
that all said I reserve the right to change my mind
get the puck working to quite a thick cream not sudsy or wet then put in bowl and work that around with a few drops of water again thicker pasty cream is what I go for and I go kinda slow to fast I get more foamy and prefer the thick cream think yogurt or something wet maybe 15-20 seconds then put in some more water mix in slowly so its super shiny and then mix around a bit and put on wet face and do a bit of lathering on face
again I go for as shiny as I can get it and not the dull whip foam stuff as not a fan of that consistency
also between passes just wet my hands really well and slide around face not a full rinse or splashing either
then do the face brush thing again
for me works I find it very consistent so through the 3 passes the same amount of water was on my face each time and the same in the bowl
for me with face lathering I get a bit different each pass and it kinda works as I play with it but like the wetter consistency !
that all said I reserve the right to change my mind
- Thread starter
- #25
At this point, it seems like it is about even with 6 guys that like a wet brush and 6 guys like just a moist brush. It can work either way. But if you have too much water, you are kind of stuck. Not much you can do then.
Sopping wet here. Marco method with a badger. With my hard water, slowly building lather with a damp brush takes forever. Marco method makes a great lather fast, for me.
I prefer a wet badger brush.
I soak it while I shower in a bowl of warm water then give it 5 gentle dip shakes (if you know what I mean. So when I go to the puck the brush is holding a lot of water.
I load the tips avoiding releasing too much water onto the soap then as I work the soapy tips onto my beard I gradually release the rest of the water in the brush into the lather I’m making on my face.
This makes enough lather for a four pass straight razor shave and I never have to add water as I go.
I soak it while I shower in a bowl of warm water then give it 5 gentle dip shakes (if you know what I mean. So when I go to the puck the brush is holding a lot of water.
I load the tips avoiding releasing too much water onto the soap then as I work the soapy tips onto my beard I gradually release the rest of the water in the brush into the lather I’m making on my face.
This makes enough lather for a four pass straight razor shave and I never have to add water as I go.
I run the tap until the water is as hot as can be and let my brush soak in my mug while I am showering. Once out of the shower, I run the brush under the hot tap and wet my face. Then I shake out the brush a couple of times. I use MWF, which I leave dry, and work up a lather in the ceramic container. My final lathering is on my face. I prefer a too-thick lather to a too-thin and might add a touch of water if needed. I find the MWF lather better when it is a thicker paste rather than a runny froth.
It is fascinating to read technique from so many brush soakers. I have been using badger brushes since the early to mid 1960s and have never soaked one or even thought to. Am I missing out on a nirvana experience?
I have an synthetic brush. I have always let my brush sit in the sink while the sink fills with hot water. I also put my razors in the sink while it fills, no idea why I just do it. I take the brush, squeeze it out, give it a shake in the shower and put it to soap. Typically I get the brush built up with mostly soap and give it a swirl or two in the bowl, dip the tip of the brush in water to build up lather. Normally a couple of dips in the water and my lather is good for my shave.
Maybe? I have not soaked and tried to build lather slowly while adding water, and it's a frustrating experience. Soaked badger plus good soap = happy shaves for this guy. I usually have a lot of leftover lather, so if you are aiming to make the soap last as long as possible, this method will not help you achieve that goal.
LOL. "a few drops of water", "proceed slowly", "move your brush carefully", "upside -down without shaking it"...
You would think that making a lather was the most difficult thing in the world.
I dip my brush in water, make a paste, put the paste on my face and keep dipping the brush while face lathering, till its right. With creams it's even easier. Three little blobs of cream on the face, dip brush and face lather. Been doing that for 30+ years, joined B&B, tried bowl lathering for a couple of months, and went back to face lathering. Keep it simple.
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- Thread starter
- #34
How do you wet your brush?
- Thread starter
- #35
How wet is your brush?
Run it under hot water briefly.
- Thread starter
- #37
The "Marco Method" never fails to produce a great lather.
This. I soak my boar in the sink while I'm in the shower. Let the water out, hold it to let the excess water fall out, then flip it over for 5-10 seconds, then go to the puck. Case in point - I lathered up some Cella this morning. The lather started out runny but firmed up by the second and third pass.
I like it on the runny side, as it seems more slick. YMMV.
- Thread starter
- #39
I don't like it too thick; it can clog up the razor.
