I threw in a tub of JM Fraser's with my last WCS order. I noticed right off the bat that it looked a little dry compared to the other tub cream I own (AOS Sandalwood). Didn't think much of it, so I used it for today's shave. I scooped out a little than usual, and proceeded to bowl lather. I noticed that it didn't break down very much, it sort of stayed in chunks until I really started whipping. Didn't get near the amount of lather I thought I should have. Shave-wise, it was decent for the first pass, but not very protective for the second. Is there a different method to using this cream?
Is there a trick to JM Fraser's
- Thread starter bryan1980
- Start date
Try swirling your brush directly on the cream to load your brush. If it's a firm cream, you should load it like a soap.
When exactly did you get your Fraser's cream? I know there was a bad batch of the cream around the June/July timeframe. This batch did not lather very well and it was acknowledged by maker. Depending on when you got it, you should contact Fraser or check-in with WCS about it.
I have used it several times in the past and find it to be an extremely underrated cream. Load it like a soap with a medium wet brush.
I have used it several times in the past and find it to be an extremely underrated cream. Load it like a soap with a medium wet brush.
+1 This is what works for me as well.
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- #5
I am having the same issues. Thought it might be a bad tub, but the owner kindly sent me a new tub and having the same issue. It's not that it won't lather; it's that it takes a very long time and a lot of effort. But I do get a great shave with it!
Does anyone find it easy to lather?
Does anyone find it easy to lather?
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- #7
Okay, tried it again today, starting with the "croap" method. If its possible, I got worse results than last time. So, then I used my finger to scoop out a huge dollop into my lather bowl. Got some usable lather, but with much more effort than anything else I use on a regular basis. Same thing as last time, okay lather for the first pass, lousy for the second. All I can say is thank God for Thayer's Superhazel! One thing I've noticed is that this cream really likes to stay in solid form, and I still had chunks of it left in my brush after my shave. And this was using a Semogue 830, a known soap and cream devourer!
I've never seen such a non-water soluable cream before. Now I'm really wondering if I got a bad batch.
I've never seen such a non-water soluable cream before. Now I'm really wondering if I got a bad batch.
I've had my tub for a while now (over a year for sure), and it has dried out over time. I give my brush some enthusiastic swirls right on the surface of "croap". It still gives me great later in the bowl (a recently as yesterday, in fact). No problems with stubborn chunks. Sounds like something's wrong with yours.
I went searching for where I read about the recent bad batch and found it at Mantic's Sharpologist's website. I am assuming it is ok to link to the important page:
http://sharpologist.com/2013/05/shaving-creams-that-shaving-soap-guys-should-try.html
There is also a note/reply that can be read at the product's review page at the Italianbarber website.
http://sharpologist.com/2013/05/shaving-creams-that-shaving-soap-guys-should-try.html
There is also a note/reply that can be read at the product's review page at the Italianbarber website.
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- #10
Thanks for the link. Interesting, sounds like the same issue I'm having. I'll contact WCS tomorrow to see if I received part of that bad batch. If that's the case, I have full confidence that they'll make it right.
After trying mine out again tonight, it looks like I got some of the bad batch also. It just won't lather, and it stays together like glue.
Does anyone have contact information for someone with the company that can send a replacement?
Does anyone have contact information for someone with the company that can send a replacement?
I'm not sure if it is a bad batch or if that is what is normal for this cream. I thought I had a bad batch and reached out to the owner who kindly sent me a new tub. I find the new one lathers the same as the old, though. That is, with quite a bit of work I get a thick, yogurt-like lather as opposed to something with more volume like TOBS.
Has anyone out there gotten a more normal (higher volume) lather from this without a ton of effort? I have more luck with a badger than with a boar and with face lathering as opposed to bowl lathering, but still nothing like TOBS.
I find it hard to believe I could have gotten two bad tubs, but I've tried everything... More product, less product; more water, less water; face, bowl; boar, badger, etc. It does still give a great shave, though...
Has anyone out there gotten a more normal (higher volume) lather from this without a ton of effort? I have more luck with a badger than with a boar and with face lathering as opposed to bowl lathering, but still nothing like TOBS.
I find it hard to believe I could have gotten two bad tubs, but I've tried everything... More product, less product; more water, less water; face, bowl; boar, badger, etc. It does still give a great shave, though...
I just wanted to add that, bad batch aside. a normal batch of Fraser's is a great cream, and economical to boot.
Mr. Flay, what has been your experience lathering it in the past?
I'm interested in hearing that also.
I find that Fraser's doesn't need a lot of cream to make a lather. Give it a couple swirls in the tub and then face lather, adding water drop by drop as needed.
Oops, I'm just finding by way back to this thread, sorry. My experience is a lot like JCBarber's: It doesn't take much cream (when my jar was new I'd dip the brush in to get the bowl lather going), and adding just enough water gradually to get it where I want it. I think I tend to like my lather thicker and dryer that most, but I think Fraser's it tolerant of variances in lathering/water.
As I said above, I'm still working at my current jar and it has dried to a croap-like consistently. It's easy enough to swirl the wet brush on the surface of the croap to load the amount I need. The product is still fully usable and I get the same quality lather as when the jar was new.
The jar is huge, cheap and a great daily cream. If you get a good batch. Since Fraser's has been around since the 1950s, I'm guessing most batches have been top quality.
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Funny... I've found just the opposite. The only way go get a good lather is to use more rather than less product.
Mr. Flay, do you find that the cream increases in volume when you lather? ... like TOBS, Proraso, etc? Or does it stay roughly the same density?
Mr. Flay, do you find that the cream increases in volume when you lather? ... like TOBS, Proraso, etc? Or does it stay roughly the same density?
It act pretty much like any other cream for me, but I'm not the least bit finicky when it comes to lather it seems. There does seem to be a wide range of opinions, but you'd get that related to any product.
Here is a nifty old thread all about Fraser's (don't know if you've seem it yet, but you'll see what I mean about opinions).
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/3148-JM-Fraser-s-shaving-cream?highlight=JM+Fraser
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Sorry -- which thread?
I used it again this morning and, I must confess, if something doesn't change, I am unlikely to buy this cream again. I face lathered and had better luck when I used a ton of water, but I still got a pretty bad lather compared to other creams I've used in the past. Fine shave, but unsatisfying lather.
I used it again this morning and, I must confess, if something doesn't change, I am unlikely to buy this cream again. I face lathered and had better luck when I used a ton of water, but I still got a pretty bad lather compared to other creams I've used in the past. Fine shave, but unsatisfying lather.
