lather

[sidendle]

Well ive looked at the pictures of lather posted recently.
How do you achieve it so 'big' mine tends to go on my face fairly thinly - am i not 'lathering' enough? its hard to describe - its almost more like a smooth coating than a full on thick foam!
I have tried in a mug, and also face. Face seems to work better, but theres still nothing like the crazy stuff some of you guys achieve!!!

 

[Ron Scott]

The ice cream cone approach is funny. I get three solid passes and a neck clean up from a lathering that shows the brush clear through from the get go. Face lather and add a bit of water as necessary.

 

[01HDFXD]

Sidendle, it's a matter of trial and error combined with practice, practice, practice. I find it hard to get a decent lather using just a mug. Try loading the brush with soap in the mug, then building the lather in a separate bowl. I think that ridges or other texture in the bowl will help. It takes experimentation with the amount of water, soap, and working the lather to get it right. But then, I'm just a newbie at this, and maybe others with more experience will have other input.

Also, check out the stickies and the shaving 101 re: lather.

 

[Atalk]

Something to keep in mind - The best looking lather does not always equate to the best shaving lather. Mounds of lather looks awesome but what should matter is how it feels.

 

[ackvil]

Don't confuse lather that looks nice and thick with good lather that shaves nicely. Some of the folks like to show off the lather and load the brush with far more soap and cream that is necessary. It just looks nice for a photo. I am reminded of the old Campbell soup commercial which showed soup overflowing with meat and vegetables. The trick they used was to put marbles in the bowl so that the ingredients would show better.

As Vic said above look at the stickies for guidance. Also, take a look at the wiki. This post may help you, too.

So, if you want thicker lather read the wiki and the post I mention. And remember to load more product on your brush, add the right amount of water, and spend more time whipping the brush to create lather.

 

[sidendle]

I did wonder if it was purely for effect - being a newbie the shave i get feels great, and never suffered with any razor burn issues or anything... so guess im doing it ok! will read the above wiki and posts etc! Thanks as always

 

[Allegrabene]

Some of the worst shaves I've ever gotten came from lather that looked the best in a picture

 

[WVUfanMG]

Some of the worst shaves I've ever gotten came from lather that looked the best in a picture

Very true. There is a fine line between the nice yogurt looking lather, and good shaving lather. In my experience, most of the thick photo worthy lather is either too sticky or too airy to be of any real use. Find a good water to soap/cream ratio and use what works for you. Testing your equipment and "software" when not shaving can also give you a good idea of what each product is capable of. Sometimes, after a long day at work, I'll come home and whip up some lather and experiment by adding more water, less water, more "whips" etc. That way, when it's time to shave, I know what to do and expect from my stuff. Of course, YMMV!

 

[Ashley Rosser]

I did wonder if it was purely for effect - being a newbie the shave i get feels great, and never suffered with any razor burn issues or anything... so guess im doing it ok! will read the above wiki and posts etc! Thanks as always

If it feels good do it, as the old saying goes.
Seems to me you've found the right way for you already, don't change a thing.

 

[bemiller]

There are other variables not mentioned, notably water hardness will play a role (although I have been able to lather most soaps despite this issue, but it certainly impacts lathering), brush size (e.g., I cannot for the life of me lather MWF with my 20mm knot but 24 does it fine) and even the bowl you are using (e.g., I had significant problems when I was using a smaller, rounded coffee mug which seized once I upgraded to a larger bowl), and lastly effort in lather (dinky swirls don't really cut it).

Lastly I don't think you mentioned what soap you were or are trying to use, as some just perform better than others fundamentally.

The most important thing is that it is working for you, some people just enjoy thinner, wetter lather, me personally, I prefer thick dense lather.