Lather Failure

[cathdeacon]

What went wrong? I have been face lathering for a year, have a stable of great soaps, and always, always get a great lather no matter what I use. I received some Sterling soaps, and put one into a vintage Old Spice Mug, and had at it. Day one: used my Monster synth. with excellent results. Day two: today, went to my Semogue 620, did everything as I always do. I could NOT get a lather built that I was happy with...tried more product, usual amount of water for tallow based soaps, and ended up with a thin and short lived pseudo lather...This has never happened to me before...Any ideas what could have gone wrong?

 

[Virginian]

Just to confirm - you used two different brushes?

 

[rockviper]

Try again with the synthetic.

 

[tpwpny]

I have the same two brushes - I've had the Monster for two weeks and the 620 for one week. Similar issues. It's likely the 620. Tough to lather at least for me until it's fully broken in, since I fist lather. Not that it's a bad brush- just a bit of a different character in the way it holds water. I noticed the difference between the two. I'm using Stirling soaps also.

 

[cvargo]

How old is the boar? I've heard of them eventually getting to the point where they won't lather anymore for a number of reasons. If it is older you should poise the question in the brush thread and see what those gents say. It might just need a good cleaning

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[Mostho]

Try again.
Too much water for sure.

A spoon of warm water over the soap and let it rest for a minute
Soak the brush, and shake it very very well.
Load like crazy.
Lather adding drop by drop water over the tip of the brush

It should work...

 

[cathdeacon]

Thanks gentlemen...just to answer a few of the questions...yes, used two different brushes...the 620 is only 6 months old...I will give it another try today...It very well may need a good cleaning out...It is fully broken in at this point. Appreciate the responses, thanks.

 

[BSAGuy]

Just some bad shaving karma. Somedays things just don't work out.

 

[cathdeacon]

Just some bad shaving karma. Somedays things just don't work out.

Most likely some type of cosmic synergy leading to a bad lather yesterday. Today, same set-up, same brush, prep, etc. But switched out to tried and true Tabac...no lathering issues...could it be that sterling soap has some lathering quirks I have not yet discerned?

 

[JayEddie]

One other thing to consider is that the synthetic is likely more dense, and will grab more soap in less time. The boar probably takes more time to load the same amount of product than the synthetic on the same soap.

 

[jcs266]

Just some bad shaving karma. Somedays things just don't work out.

Yep, sometimes it's just inexplicable. If you have a bad shave shrug it off and chive on. Tomorrow is a new day.

 

[Jaidmaster]

Switching between 2 different kinds of brushes can throw off your lathering technique. Boar holds more water on its own, so will require less added. The bristles are also a bit different size and overall brush density is different. I find I can get a creamier lather with the synth than with boar.
If you stick with the boar and stirling for a week or so, I'd imagine you will get it worked out.

 

[Jarick]

I have the same problem with Stirling. One day I get a great lather the next I can't shave with it. It's not you, it's the soap. When I use a great soap I get great lather every day. Tabac, Speick, Haslinger, Art of Shaving, and others are consistently great performers for me. Stirling isn't the only one that is inconsistent for me either. Cella, Mitchell's, and Arko (so far) are hit or miss.

 

[AeroBoarder89]

I use Stirling soap pretty regularly, and use a RazoRock Plissoft and Semogue 620 for lathering those soaps. The lathering technique is definitely different. I find I need less water when I use the 620, but Stirling can be a thirsty soap for me sometimes.

Since you've indicated that your 620 is broken in, maybe it just needs a good cleaning? Sounds like you've had success with the 620 with other soaps.

 

[Ad Astra]

A thin, watery lather can be saved by dropping the brush your using, and sticking a dry boar brush into that mess.

The dry brush will suck the unwanted water out of the lather, and you'll get a second chance- without wasting that soap.


AA

 

[LabGuy]

A thin, watery lather can be saved by dropping the brush your using, and sticking a dry boar brush into that mess.

The dry brush will suck the unwanted water out of the lather, and you'll get a second chance- without wasting that soap.


AA

Great tip!

 

[Haggises]

Most likely some type of cosmic synergy leading to a bad lather yesterday. Today, same set-up, same brush, prep, etc. But switched out to tried and true Tabac...no lathering issues...could it be that sterling soap has some lathering quirks I have not yet discerned?

Yes. I don't think Sterling is for everybody. I know it wasn't for me. I needed to load much more than the supposedly finicky MW and got less usable drying lather to boot.

 

[Ad Astra]

Great tip!

Thanks. Try it and see!

Usually when I over-water lather, it's when I switch back to a synthetic from week(s) of using a boar. Synthetics just don't absorb (like boar/badger); they just get wet. Hence the watery lather.


AA

 

[celestino]

More than likely, if you haven't used the 620 in a little while, you just didn't load enough soap on the brush compared to your synthetic.

 

[cathdeacon]

Going with the 620 and Sterling again tomorrow morning....will report back. In the meantime, I did give the 620 a good cleaning out...we'll see. Today used Haslinger....great lather. Yesterday, used The Fat...great lather.