Josh, I agree 100% with all your observations.It's just that I simply LOVE to have and handle mounds of lather...
I think we all have days like that (some of us, more often than others
)My lathering technique with Italian soft soaps
- Thread starter Marco
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I think we all have days like that (some of us, more often than others
)- Thread starter
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Thank you again, Joe. And, also, I'd like to remind that the lathering technique described here has NOT been "invented" by me. It's a very classic technique used by many professional Italian Master Barbers... A pic is worth more than a thousand words: give a look at the Vitos soap I lathered here (sole difference is lathering in a bowl rather than on face).
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You know what puzzles me about that pic? There's a bowl full of lather with a boar brush in it, so presumably it was used to whip it up. But if I do that, my brush will be filled with lather down to the handle, and the handle will not be clean either. Yet here we have a pristine brush, with only about the top third of the knot filled ... Mees-tee-ree-ous! 
After Marco's advice to me a couple of weeks ago, this is the technique I now use with both soft and hard soaps, and for me, it does work. Initially, with all that water in the brush, I get watery suds, but keep swirling for a minute, and a thick, and moutainous proportion of lather is formed. I then face lather and add more water if necessary. Yes, it can get a bit messy, but the lather is reward enough to ignore this minor point.
You know what puzzles me about that pic? There's a bowl full of lather with a boar brush in it, so presumably it was used to whip it up. But if I do that, my brush will be filled with lather down to the handle, and the handle will not be clean either. Yet here we have a pristine brush, with only about the top third of the knot filled ... Mees-tee-ree-ous!
We need a video.
Great info Marco! With the soft soaps like SMN & ADP, I would probalby give the brush one light shake before loading with soap.
Marco's technique is exactly how I have learned to lather Cella. He is not describing the only way one is "allowed" to lather Italian soft soaps, but rather one way that for me (and, it sounds like, many others) is very successful.
Remember, the basic ideas are not exactly new. But writing them down with some precision is quite helpful in my opinion, even if it opens one up to potshots and criticism.
Thank you again, Marco!
Remember, the basic ideas are not exactly new. But writing them down with some precision is quite helpful in my opinion, even if it opens one up to potshots and criticism.
Thank you again, Marco!
Agree. This method leaves too much water on the brush for me. Works better with a mild squeeze or a decent flick.
I have no information that the technique described in this thread won't yield excellent results, but I am mystified by the premise of the Original Post that Cella in particular (or soft Italian soaps in general) is difficult to lather, necessitating a tutorial. While I agree that they are excellent candidates for face lathering, I have never had trouble with them, even in bowl lathering.
cella has been the easiest soap to lather for me from day one. 
for me it was the P160. I got into soft soaps before I got my first hard soap and except for the first two or so lathers, what I get from P160 is a great lather regardless of what brush I use. With water a bit on the harder side I do tend to squeeze the brush a little. Other than that I use the same technique Marco does.
That's my point. I've never had anything but bad results with a sopping wet brush - of any variety. Wet enough to lift off a soft, bubble-less cream is what works. Anything more just drowns the soap on the puck. Anything less lifts of a pasty cream that doesn't work through the brush well - more of a problem for boar than badger.
Boars need a good shake, badgers a few.
You know what puzzles me about that pic? There's a bowl full of lather with a boar brush in it, so presumably it was used to whip it up. But if I do that, my brush will be filled with lather down to the handle, and the handle will not be clean either. Yet here we have a pristine brush, with only about the top third of the knot filled ... Mees-tee-ree-ous!
Precisely. It could be because it's a boar brush, but it looks to me like the lather was made exteriorly (I guess this is a word) of the brush. To me this is useless, which is part of the reason I never bowl lather. The best lather is in the brush.
You tell me, you're the native English speaker here
.Once I'm done with bowl lathering there is no difference between lather in and outside of the knot. Also I don't just paint on ready lather: there is a fair bit of gentle massaging onto the face, so even if the best lather would be in the brush, it'd still get to the spot where it matters most. I bowl lather only because it allows me to control both quality and water content precisely, and ensures that this remains constant throughout the various passes.
That seems to be where our mileages vary. I had bad/sub par results with Vitos at first as I did shake of some of the water. When I stopped doing that and left the brush wet, I got good results. Not only with boar, I have also tried it with 2 of my horse brushes, Vie-long 13800 and Vie-long professional horse brush nr. 2 (brown). But it is important to keep swirling until you have enough soap, then you will see the bubbly stuff changing into good lather
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You know what puzzles me about that pic? There's a bowl full of lather with a boar brush in it, so presumably it was used to whip it up. But if I do that, my brush will be filled with lather down to the handle, and the handle will not be clean either. Yet here we have a pristine brush, with only about the top third of the knot filled ... Mees-tee-ree-ous!
Guess Marco is a true Lathermeister. If I bowl lather my brush and the handle are full of soap
I start with a very wet brush every shave and don't have any problems. I take the brush straight up out of the bowl and hold it there until it stops dripping heavy, then one very small downward pump. The brush is MUCH wetter than the standard "soak brush, then squeeze till almost dry then add water." I use this method with badger and boar. It can be a tad messy at the start, but it works great for me.
Kyle made a thread pretty similar to this one a month or two ago.
I rather have a wet Boar brush than a soaking wet Boar brush, the lather isnt even comparable since the soaking wet brush will only give you wet sloppy suds and no lather.....just my 2 cents.
Other than that if you load any brush that long you will get loads of great lather.....the "time" loading the brush is the key thing here!
Other than that if you load any brush that long you will get loads of great lather.....the "time" loading the brush is the key thing here!
Thank you for the tutorial, Marco. Used it with great results on my Proraso sensitive, and can wait to try in on the rest of my softs soaps when they arrive!
