Um, ok. I was disappointed with my soap experience with my shave today. I got some Mike's samples a while back, and have enjoyed the scents, although I'd been becoming increasing baffled with the inconsistent lather I was getting. I had some ok days, but hadn't ever gotten a lather that was on par with what I could mix up with Col. Conk. I'd spend 5 or more minutes after showering, and not being happy with what was in my bowl, but decide to just get on with it when I would use Mike's. It was just so easy with the other stuff, and the result was good. Didn't have to load forever, didn't have to mix forever, it just happened. Well, today after having crap lather again (I had to stop in the middle of my first pass and relather), I dumped out my Mike's and went back to Conk and was quite pleased. That's not the revelation, read on. So tonight I was still kind of bummed about this. I mean, I want to like this soap, so I decided to read a couple other threads and watch a few videos. Then I went for some practice and something magical happened. I figured out how to make lather! Great, massive gobs of slick lather! MY MIND IS BLOWN! I'm sure this is no secret to you guys, but it is a game changer to me: instead of a swirling, stirring or mixing motion of my brush in the bowl, I started doing a rapid "fwap-fwap-fwap" motion with the brush against the sides of the bowl and immediately I got pillows of creamy lather that started to build up! Better lather with Mike's than I had previously ever had with Conk! Faster than I had ever gotten lather! The lather stayed hydrated when I put it on; it wasn't airy and dry! It was the lather of the gods!
Lather revelation
- Thread starter VeLoRoK
- Start date
Way to go! It is great when things work out. Mike's is great stuff.
Whatever technique works is the right one! Congratulations.
Ben
Ben
I liken it to whipping up cream with a whisk. So how were you mixing the conks? Just swirling and stirring also? And that worked? I would think you'd have the same problem. For me I whip the soap (any soap) like I'm whipping egg whites into fluff!
- Thread starter
- #5
I liken it to whipping up cream with a whisk. So how were you mixing the conks? Just swirling and stirring also? And that worked? I would think you'd have the same problem. For me I whip the soap (any soap) like I'm whipping egg whites into fluff!
Swirling and stirring with the conk worked pretty dang well with my badger brush. I would load for 10 seconds and go, add a couple drops of water and it'd pretty much do the lathering for me. I reckon that's why I never really knew how to whip up lather with Mike's.
I've been loading Mikes for about a minute or a little less and have been considering trying less. After 20-30 seconds I am usually already getting lather right on the soap and if I go to long I'll be lathering rather than loading. I'm thinking I might be able to get away with less than a minute of loading. I don't want to waste soap or eat away it the soap unnecessarily. I'm still new to Mikes/tallow so I'm feeling things out. I usually have a lot of lather to clean off my soap when I'm done shaving; and I'm a bowl latherer!
