Loading Time =/= Loading Amount

[TallyShave]

I know this is obvious, but I think it is often overlooked. How many times do you see someone saying to "load for __ seconds"? But there are so many variables that go into how much soap is getting loaded including the type of brush, pressure on the brush, the speed it is moving, the moisture content of the brush, etc, that saying to load for __ seconds can be pretty meaningless...one man's 60 seconds is another man's 15 seconds. I had this obvious fact hit me in the face this morning when I used a very soft 3 band brush that I hadn't used in a long time. A big adjustment from the dense 2 bands I have been using.

 

[Mbuckwash]

Good point. Some people often overlook or overthink loading. Like you said, too many variables go into the equation. Thus, we will forever have the notion of "your results may vary."

 

[global_dev]

So is the title missing an ! In front of the =?

 

[TallyShave]

So is the title missing an ! In front of the =?

Whoa, that is strange...I am 99% sure I typed it as =/= . Not sure what happened there.

 

[coolbus18]

Like so many things--ymmv. I let my brush (depending on which I'm using ) tell me when it's loaded and then I use some product. It also depends on what soap I'm using also(I use only tallow based) and the brush . The time to load is a good general rule to use as a guideline ,imo. As one garners more experience, I think the counting stops and lathering /load memory takes over.

 

[bassopotamus]

I definitely agree that the soap and brush matter (funny that when I had 2 brushes, even though they were very different in size and feel, they loaded about the same, but my 3rd and 4th need more). I will say, that for newbies, a 60 second rule of thumb probably won't steer them too far wrong. It probably overloads for most combinations, but Too much product is never a problem, and unless you are trying to load a triple milled soap with a Wee Scot or something, I can't see how you wouldn't get enough product with a 60 second load.

 

[TallyShave]

I definitely agree that the soap and brush matter (funny that when I had 2 brushes, even though they were very different in size and feel, they loaded about the same, but my 3rd and 4th need more). I will say, that for newbies, a 60 second rule of thumb probably won't steer them too far wrong. It probably overloads for most combinations, but Too much product is never a problem, and unless you are trying to load a triple milled soap with a Wee Scot or something, I can't see how you wouldn't get enough product with a 60 second load.

I agree...probably a good rule of thumb. I think confusion often arises more often on the short end where someone sees a post about loading a soap for 20 seconds and then the reader tries it and "doesn't get any lather". Maybe Person A is loading violently with a stiff boar and the Person B is leisurely loading with a Kent 3 band.

 

[Mick]

When I load a brush I look at what I have loaded onto the bristles/hairs. I know what I want to have so if it does not look right to me I spend more time with the brush swirling in the soap.

Loading a brush is a visual thing not a timed race. Load your brush until you have the amount of soap you think you will need to build a good lather. If you are not sure when you look at your brush, go back and load some more, doing it again and again until you are positive you have enough soap loaded onto your brush.

THEN go to your face or your lather bowl and build your lather.

 

[TonyJoe]

I have to agree. I never understood the load times people report. They're all over the map from 15 seconds to 5 minutes. I don't ever worry about how long I'm loading but rather how much soap is in the brush. It seemed pretty obvious to me even when I was just starting out. I'm not casting aspersions against those who wish to count Mississippis while they load their soaps, I've just never found it necessary.

 

[Zoro]

When I load a brush I look at what I have loaded onto the bristles/hairs. I know what I want to have so if it does not look right to me I spend more time with the brush swirling in the soap.

Loading a brush is a visual thing not a timed race. Load your brush until you have the amount of soap you think you will need to build a good lather. If you are not sure when you look at your brush, go back and load some more, doing it again and again until you are positive you have enough soap loaded onto your brush.

THEN go to your face or your lather bowl and build your lather.

This

 

[John Von Wuggz]

+1

 

[Danricgro]

I think people giving loading time helps give a guideline. Stuff (brushes, soaps, creams) that is generally reported as longer load times you will more than likely have to load longer than you normally would. It ain't an exact science but I have found it to be quite helpful.

 

[Chadao]

When I load a brush I look at what I have loaded onto the bristles/hairs. I know what I want to have so if it does not look right to me I spend more time with the brush swirling in the soap.

Loading a brush is a visual thing not a timed race. Load your brush until you have the amount of soap you think you will need to build a good lather. If you are not sure when you look at your brush, go back and load some more, doing it again and again until you are positive you have enough soap loaded onto your brush.

THEN go to your face or your lather bowl and build your lather.

I started, using the time thing and figured I was pretty smart because Seattle water is so soft. I would just load for about 10 seconds and I got enough soap in my brush to get an okay lather, and I didn't know the difference. Now I follow the lead of Brother Turtle, and man do I get great lathers.

 

[texaninkc]

I always wondered the same thing. As a result I report the number if swirls I make rather than the time. Takes away that one variable. Like Turtle mention, ultimately it's about figuring out when you have enough. With my brushes that's usually between 60-90 swirls.

 

[Coler]

Soap is cheap.

Load like you stole it.

 

[mharris127]

I think people giving loading time helps give a guideline. Stuff (brushes, soaps, creams) that is generally reported as longer load times you will more than likely have to load longer than you normally would. It ain't an exact science but I have found it to be quite helpful.

I think most of us are making an educated guess when we say we load for ___ seconds. I certainly don't use a stopwatch when I load a soap and doubt most of us here do either. Also, some soaps require a longer load time than others -- a triple-milled DR Harris soap will undoubtedly require a longer loading time than Proraso (or Cella) croap.

 

[SiBurning]

I just tell em to load it until it looks like they have a snurdle of cream. Much more fun to answer the follow-up question.

 

[djh]

Very few poor shaves are the result of over-loading one's brush.....