My first complete DE shave & a couple Q's!

[Nicks&Cuts]

Morning Gents, first up sorry the post is a little long!
Since joining B&B at the begining of the month I've only been able use my DE with a Nivea can cream since its taken a while to get some soap/cream and a brush in...but the soap came yesterday and the brush came this morning so I got to have my first full shave experience!

Nice hot shower...
Gillette '64 SS
Astra blade
Tabac soap
EJ Med. BBB

I do have a couple questions, open to anyone with more experience than me (i.e. everyone!)

I had trouble building my lathe, I've re-watched Mantics videos this morning, but cant quite pick how you tell when you've got a good thick & rich lather (apart from when Mantic says "there ya go!"). Mine turned out a little on the thin & watery side. I'll just keep experimenting here.
I know its very early days but any tips are very apprecated!

Also I was wondering how much shedding on a brush is normal first up, mine lost about 6-8 hairs just in the first shave, I know if it keeps happening then theres a problem but what about just over the initial use period?

Overall the shave was quite good, Tabac's unique scent is growing on me and the experience was excellent - I am one happy camper this mornin!

Nick.

Edit. Yep I use a nice large bowl. Heated while i'm in the shower. Its good!

 

[Dalejr]

If your lather is thin and watery, its either not enough soap or too much water, be patient, with practice you will get the hang of it. Don't hesitate to load the brush full of soap. It took me a few weeks to get my technique down. As far as the brush, it varies from brand to brand, it will usually lose a few for the first week or two of use, after that it shouldn't lose hardly any. If it does then you probably got a dud.

 

[grouse79]

Soaps are a bit more of a challenge to get a lather from than creams. If you have a cream you might want to give that it a shot instead and see if that works any better for you.

I tend to spend longer loading up the brush with soap than Mantic demonstrates - a good ten seconds or so. Doesn't seem to use up any more soap - I've used the puck I have (TOBS sandalwood) for 2 weeks straight and it looks exactly the same as when it was brand new.

Are you making the lather in a bowl or on your face? If it's in a bowl a useful guide, which I'm sure is mentioned elsewhere here, is whether you can wipe the bowl clean of lather with the brush. If you can't, your lather is ready. Spend a good minute or so whipping it up and if it doesn't seem to be building up, add a little water. I do this just by dipping my fingers in the sink and shaking off a few drops into the bowl.

Ultimately, whatever the lather looks like, if you get a good shave with it with no cuts, tugging or razor burn, that's what really counts!

Welcome to the fold.

 

[40_Caliber]

Don't be afraid to practice making lather. Soap is inexpensive.

Try putting a tablespoon of water on the puck and letting it sit while you are in the shower. This will help soften the soap and make loading your brush easier.

Don't be afraid to put some pressure on the brush. You need to splay the bristles and twist to help work the soap deep into the brush. You have enough on the brush when the bristles tend to stick together.

Try these two simple things and let us know how it works.

.40

 

[TheGrooveking]

It took me a while and thankfully Mantic had the wisdom to do his videos (the man should get a Nobel prize for them). I found that if I soak my brush in hot water while I take a shower, then give it a few small vertical shakes to unload some of the water. I then run the brush over my soap for 3 seconds approximately (again watch the Mantic59 video on youtube on making good lather). I then start working the brush in my large cappacino mug (4.5" diameter). I then every so often wet my fingers and drizzle maybe 10 drops of water. I do this a few times and I'm golden.

One of the key things for me was getting a larger container to make my lather in. I was using my Truefill & Hill silver soap dish that came with a stand for a razor and brush I was given and it was just too small. That $1.99 cappacino cup at Walmarts made a big, big difference.

I've since have learn how to build lather on my face, so I think I could migrate that to making lather on almost any surface/container.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Try putting a tablespoon of water on the puck and letting it sit while you are in the shower. This will help soften the soap and make loading your brush easier.

+1 to that advice.

Soak the brush...smidge of water on the Tabac.

Shower and get ready to shave.

Dump the water into your scuttle or just dump it off the soap.

Soft/Medium brush pressure...slow-medium speed. When I first started, I went too aggressive on the soap. The soap subsequently was bubbly and too watery. Take your time and stay within the bowl and on the puck. Get those bristles to stick together with Tallowy goodness.

After that, its lather time! Add a few drops of water and work that brush into a great, cushion filled lather.

Have you checked out the Soap sticky on the Soaps forum? It provides top notch advice for great lather with Tallow based soaps, which your Tabac is.

 

[pal]

Looks like you have gotten some good answers so I will just say, "Welcome!"

 

[Nicks&Cuts]

Thanks all for your replies - they are appreciated! The advice will definitly make its way into my shaves from now on. And that sticky will be well read tonight, I think over the weekend I'll have a few experiments with soap/water combos too. I'll have the time to play a little then

Cheers again gents

 

[xgunterx]

You can also buy the Tabac stick and lather directly on the face.
Once you've done this a few times, you know how a good lather should be like and then you shouldn't have any problem with the soap anymore.

 

[Commander Quan]

1. Have you read this? How to make great lather from a soap ~ Tutorial It really makes a huge difference.

2. Don't be afraid to use lots of soap especially if you have hard water. Soap is cheap and chances are you'll have bought 3 or more soaps/creams long before you'll have used up that one puck of soap.

3.Practice. It takes time to figure out the soap to water ratio and how much water to add each time. Instead of pouring water into the bowl (if you use one) dip the tips of the brush in some water so that it's being added a little at a time. This will help you see the later building up, and prevent you from going from too little water, to too much water at one time.

 

[guru]

I use Tabac and a Body Shop synthetic brush and a bowl. I just soak the brush well and pull some off the puck with a swirl and whip it like whipping cream in the bowl. I usually have to dip the tip of the brush in hot water a couple times but you will judge that. Takes about a minute. Poster above may be right about the cream. It's a little easier to whip it up.

 

[strat1117]

Hot water in and out of the bowl first (like the Vermouth in a real martini), and then not too much water in the brush. Soak it well with HOT water from the tap, and then two or three soft shakes to get the excess out. I do it with the bristles pointing down, not across, which lets out too much water. It is more of a smooth "droop", as if you were squeexing ketchup out of a bottle, than a violent "flick". Start swirling purposefully in your bowl (no need to be overly gentle) and you should have thick lustrous lather in no time. If it is coming out too thin, you have too much water, shake a little more into the sink. You can always add more if your brush gets too dry.

For me, lathering up is the most enjoyable (and easiest) part of the wet shaving experience. I much prefer soaps to creams, becasue they give me a more substantial lather. Keep at it, you will get he hang of it sooner than you think, and, IMO, the rewards are more than worthwhile.

Enjoy!

 

[TuX_DK]

A little tip that I discovered a while ago. When I'm adding water, I put it on the upper part of the brush hairs. Like right under the handle, rather than just putting it in the bowl. Seems to help speed up the production of a good lather.

 

[Nicks&Cuts]

Thanks for all the generous replies! I read (and re-read!) the soap tutorial and the glycerine one for good measure (i'm keen to try some Col Conks at some point!) and incorporated the rest of the advice above from all the posts...now today was only my second time making lather, and I have had only a few barber shop shaves in my time however to be honest this was the warmest, most rich thick & creamy lather I've ever touched. I had enough for 4 passes - tho I only made 3 (2x WTG + 1 XTG). Dont get me wrong - I know it wasnt my mad lathering skills but rather the great advice I got. Thanks all! I'm looking forward to building my skill up here! And the tabac which I previously thought smelt like moth balls actually smells great. Especially post shave - I just grabbed a cuppa and found a comfy chair for 10mins and fully relaxed. Out of the tub that tabac smell is great!


I found the most useful advice so far was less water in the brush ( a better draining after the soak) longer soap loading - about 10 seconds, and then only adding the water slowly, giving it time to do its thing. Of course I've a long way to go before I really can consistently get a really good lather but your advice has put me in a great place to start! Cheers again