Mikes Lather

[tsimmns]

So below is a picture I whipped up just a while ago using Mikes Bay Rum and the SOC brush. Was wondering if anyone could tell me if it looks ok, dry, wet, whatever. I'm still having a lather problem I believe. My question is there isn't really any videos out there showing a shave all the way through and the lather all together. Usually, I'm always running low on lather after the first two passes as it goes from brush to face. This then causes me to lather from start again. Does anyone else have this problem. Any information on these problems would be appreciated.

 

[christhach]

That lather looks awesome. I'd say quite simply that you just need to make more of it in a bowl. Question for you: do you have hard or soft water?

 

[shavefreak]

Looks great - peaks and ridges, nice!

I have hard water and Mike's lathers just fine.

 

[skleice]

Looks fine. I'd say just make more lather from the start so you have enough for the entire shave.

 

[tsimmns]

Not sure if I have soft or hard water really. If you can tell there is really no lather at the top of the brush. Do most people just take out a little at a time from the bowl if they bowl lather? Usually by the end if I'm not re-lathering I'm using lather that is basically water from the green bowl I lather in.

 

[TonyJoe]

Hard to say. Your lather is a bit out of focus so it's hard to see a couple of important details: is it bubbly or fizzy at all, and is it shiny/glossy or more matte? If it's dense, thick, and matte, try adding more water a little bit at a time as you build lather. Mike's will hold a LOT of water. You can often keep adding water and this soap will just keep building more volume as you lather.

I also find it can be a little tricky to load Mike's soap adequately. I like to use a pretty wet brush and will sometimes add a little water as I'm loading. A nice amount of pastey "pre-lather" should form and you can even pump your brush up an down to suck the soap into your brush. What form is your soap in, a tin, bar, or sample piece?

 

[tsimmns]

The soap is in a tin. I did get the pastey pre lather you mention and when it formed I just kept on loading. I will have to try the trick of pumping my brush up and down next time.

 

[rickboone1]

looks a tiny bit airy

 

[jmsodpc]

thats a lot of similar looking toothbrushes

 

[brybry642]

Mike's is not the easiest soap to lather, but when you get the water/soap combination right, it's tough to beat.

The problem for me is that it's very 50/50. Sometimes the lather will be like yogurt in consistency providing amazing glide and cushion and the next time it'll be an airy/bubbly mess...almost like a bubble bath.

 

[tsimmns]

thats a lot of similar looking toothbrushes

Ha, yes the wife would kill me if she knew the bathroom looked as bad as it did in this picture. All the toothbrushes are all the same, just different colors except for one

 

[tsimmns]

I just hope to one day conquer the lathering. I have been trying to face lathering, but it frustrates me. So now I am back to bowl lathering. A month into this and I think it gives me the best results right now. Now if I can just get a good lather down. I hope to get a video up sometime which might provide better help with my problems.

 

[shavefreak]

I liked hand lathering starting out and still do it with a new soap, it gives you much better feed back on adding water etc. Once you get it down with each soap you can do the same routine and go to the bowl with confidence.

I just hope to one day conquer the lathering. I have been trying to face lathering, but it frustrates me. So now I am back to bowl lathering. A month into this and I think it gives me the best results right now. Now if I can just get a good lather down. I hope to get a video up sometime which might provide better help with my problems.

 

[inspiringK]

So below is a picture I whipped up just a while ago using Mikes Bay Rum and the SOC brush. Was wondering if anyone could tell me if it looks ok, dry, wet, whatever. I'm still having a lather problem I believe. My question is there isn't really any videos out there showing a shave all the way through and the lather all together. Usually, I'm always running low on lather after the first two passes as it goes from brush to face. This then causes me to lather from start again. Does anyone else have this problem. Any information on these problems would be appreciated.
View attachment 322544

The Semogue SOC is is by all accounts a great brush. But, if it is like any of the boar brushes that I use, I am not surprised that you struggle to get three good passes out of it when face lathering. I have yet to have an experience where a boar brush gives me great lather for all three passes when face lathering. If you continue to use that brush, perhaps try bowl lathering. Load a lot of soap onto your brush (think 60 seconds of good loading), then go to the bowl and add water as needed. Whip the lather up well - go for as long as you think it should take, then triple that time - just until you get used to how your perfect lather looks/feels/performs.

(I use boar brushes about 50% of the time and enjoy using them. I am a big fan of boar. I am sure others can face lather with them for three passes, but I can't)

thats a lot of similar looking toothbrushes

Keep in mind that there is a mirror behind them thus doubling the amount of toothbrushes we see

 

[inspiringK]

Also, why aren't any of those toothbrushes traditional boar toothbrushes, that's what your wife should be mad about

 

[tsimmns]

What exactly does airy lather mean, to much water? And as for the boar toothbrush, I never even knew such a thing existed.

 

[TonyJoe]

What exactly does airy lather mean, to much water? And as for the boar toothbrush, I never even knew such a thing existed.

Airy lather means not enough soap usually, but could also mean too much water. If it's a small amount of airy disappearing lather, it's not enough soap.

One pitfall I've noticed when loading Mike's is that at first it can develop a very slick layer on top of the soap that the brush will skate around on without picking up much. I find that adding a little more water by dipping the tip of the brush will help dissolve this layer and allow more soap to be picked up by the brush.

When you're working with any soap, the idea is to dissolve the right amount of soap in the right amount of water, then agitate this with the brush to incorporate air and form a lather. Try loading a large amount of soap and adding water gradually as you build lather. Too much product is easier to deal with than too little.

 

[isaac d.]

Mike's is amazing once you get the hang of lathering; it's really slick and protective! How do you like the smell of the bay rum btw?

 

[tsimmns]

I love the smell of the bay rum to be honest. I'm not sure exactly how the lather is supposed to feel as far as slickness. Being only a month into this I just go with what looks good. I get the peaks and everything and then continue lathering a bit and go with it..

 

[celestino]

i would say load more soap to help solve your issue with the lather. Good luck.