I read that low volume personal use has a negative impact on the performance of the latherizer. Does anyone have one? Can they say whether or not that is true?
Latherizing Machines-Personal Use?
- Thread starter jaxon
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No advice?
sorry 
My impression is that with the space that they take up, the cost, and the cost of operating them they are not worth it. I can make hot lather fast enough with a puck of soap and a brush.
I don't see them getting a whole lot of use in a barber shop and they seem to do okay. Having said that, Jon is correct in that there is no practical use for a Lather King in a home setting.
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I'd love to have one, even if I wouldn't use it very much. Too bad that nobody is creating custom shaving cream mixes for it.
The guy that turned me onto straight razor shaving was a very experienced and expert straight razor shaver who used had owned and used all sorts of brushes and creams and soaps over the years concluded that a Campbell Lather King professional lather machine was the way to go. He recommended that I simply buy one and not bother with brushes at all. He used one virtually every morning and said it worked flawlessly and was as fast as using a brush, etc. I think he used a 50-50 mixture of the Campbell brand shaving cream designed for the machine and regular shaving cream designed for brush, plus water I would think, but I am not sure of the details.
I have never bought one, but I am surprised not to read more about them around here. In my experience, he has never been wrong about anything shaving related, and I have been frequently initially skeptical about his advice.
I would say that used correctly "low volume personal use has [no] negative impact on the performance of the latherizer."
I have never bought one, but I am surprised not to read more about them around here. In my experience, he has never been wrong about anything shaving related, and I have been frequently initially skeptical about his advice.
I would say that used correctly "low volume personal use has [no] negative impact on the performance of the latherizer."
Maybe it comes from this page: http://stores.atlantabarber.com/-strse-184/Latherking-Latherizer-Machine/Detail.bok
D
doleeo
Jaxon, nice to see a fellow Hoosier!
As for the latherking, IIRC Joel or maybe Corey Greenblog once had a latherking that was modded to take the english creams.
As for the latherking, IIRC Joel or maybe Corey Greenblog once had a latherking that was modded to take the english creams.
If I recall, the machine is fairly loud as well.
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oops
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this was exactly what i was looking for. thank you!
I can't see using one at home.
With $185, you can buy a large assortment of soaps and creams and brushes for your rotation. Using the machine, you'd get the same thing every single day. Might as well use goop in a can.
I've seen lather machines in use when I go to get my haircut. They use a shavette on the back of my neck. The lather that it makes doesn't look or feel all that great.
Finally, the physical act of making the lather from scratch is a major part of the "Zen" of wet-shaving. Why deny yourself this simple pleasure?
With $185, you can buy a large assortment of soaps and creams and brushes for your rotation. Using the machine, you'd get the same thing every single day. Might as well use goop in a can.
I've seen lather machines in use when I go to get my haircut. They use a shavette on the back of my neck. The lather that it makes doesn't look or feel all that great.
Finally, the physical act of making the lather from scratch is a major part of the "Zen" of wet-shaving. Why deny yourself this simple pleasure?
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I wouldn't consider myself a Hoosier. I just live here. West Coast for life!
I work in a barber shop and one of our customers was interested in one (we use them in the shop). I didn't want to push him to get a latherizer if he's not going to get everything he expects out of it.
I have a tub of the original Sandahls Lucky Tiger Shave Cream and there are mixing directions for lather machines on the side of the tub.
Clayton
I agree with you about the $185. My barber who just retired also used a shavette but she used soap and a brush to make lather. If I'm pressed for time I use the yellow can of barbasol and I whip up the lather in my mug. I can get hotter lather than the machines can produce.
Clayton
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I don't know if I would use it if someone gave it to me free.
Zen doesn't include something with a motor.
I think one thing that has happened over the past few years is the the price/availability of a truly excellent shaving brush has dropped enormously. That there was a time when a good brush and a professional machine were not all that different in price. You need something to keep the later warm in that mix, too. I think warmth is an advantage to the machine.
I think one can get a Campbell Lather King for $165. I wish I knew more the advantages my good friend saw in this particular machine over traditional brush and soap/cream. I am also pretty sure that he mixed in a variety of creams from the usual sources. He was about as far from a machines over manual old-fashioned ways of dong things as is imaginable. Very old school kind of guy.
From what I have heard, a shavette is going to be a little rough no matter what one uses for lather, but I do know that YMMV on shavettes, a lot.
All of this discussion make me want to get a Lather King to give it a try!
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