3P ($18/kilo) and Vito's Extra Coco ($12/kilo) come to mind.
My lathering technique with Italian soft soaps
- Thread starter Marco
- Start date
My face has a little brush burn from testing this method out today with different brushes and soaps!!
It seemed to work every time with badger and boar brushes. Hard vegetal soaps and tallow soaps all worked really well. I sometimes struggle with how much water to add to my badger brushes. This method seems to have really helped. I love a rich, dense creamy lather and this method produces that for me. Thanks @Marco
It seemed to work every time with badger and boar brushes. Hard vegetal soaps and tallow soaps all worked really well. I sometimes struggle with how much water to add to my badger brushes. This method seems to have really helped. I love a rich, dense creamy lather and this method produces that for me. Thanks @Marco
Once these rosy red cheeks have healed!
I do almost exactly the same thing as Marco with my hard soaps. It works a treat. Loading with the damp tips of the vertical brush is very effective. Then turn the brush over and watch the lather explode! Note that we are blessed with very soft water in Melbourne.
I do two slight variations. I made the switch to bowl lathering recently which I find easier on my face more convenient for holding enough lather for multiple passes. After the initial lather I whipe all lather into the bowl and go back to the puck to load up again. Tons of lather for three passes with lather to spare is the result. I keep it warm by floating the bowl in the sink while shaving. The method is essentially the same in the bowl as on the face.
I do two slight variations. I made the switch to bowl lathering recently which I find easier on my face more convenient for holding enough lather for multiple passes. After the initial lather I whipe all lather into the bowl and go back to the puck to load up again. Tons of lather for three passes with lather to spare is the result. I keep it warm by floating the bowl in the sink while shaving. The method is essentially the same in the bowl as on the face.
Ok good to know. I'm going to give that a shot next. I have always face lathered but have been experimenting with bowl lathering lately. I like the immediacy of face lathering but want o try the bowl to see if I can get an overall thicker and better lather. It just seems to take more time in a bowl.
I started face lathering at first and always got a good lather. Bowl lathering takes a little bit longer because after you apply the lather after building it and there is a bowl to rinse out. It really doesn’t take much longer.
For me bowl lathering has the following benefits. Better post shave feel because there is less stress on the skin from the brush. Better shave as there is more lather available to be generous on subsequent passes. Better feel during shave because lather temperature can be maintained. I float the lather bowl in the sink to keep it warm.
I never thought that I would like bowl lathering but, for me, there are several benefits and I am starting to move that way.
I have not tried a shaving specific lather bowl or scuttle. The best bowls I have found are as close to a half sphere as possible. Diameter 90-120mm. Depth no greater than 60mm. Metal bowls seem to do better at heating the lather between passes. I currently on the lookout for an ideal bowl.
If ridges make a difference as some people say this may be it.
Try the Turkish copper bowl from the bay that is mentioned on the forum. I got it for Christmas and it's fantastic. Dimensions are good, nice grip with the handle, and the dimples speed up the lathering like mad. Load the brush (Marco's method), few seconds in the bowl and woop, a full bowl of thick cushioning lather!
I tried a few simple, smooth metal ones. They worked well but lacked relief for easy lathering and a handle for better grip. Most of the special lathering bowls are way overpriced in my opinion.
For the price of the Turkish copper, I would not bother to scavenge the shops for a household bowl to re-purpose.
Marco's Method is basically you use a lot of product and a lot of water. It does work more reliable on more soaps than any other method I have tried.
When I first tried using shave sticks I was having a hard time, then I tried applying a lot of soap to my face and a very wet brush and everything just came together then.
When I first tried using shave sticks I was having a hard time, then I tried applying a lot of soap to my face and a very wet brush and everything just came together then.
Thanks for the tip. There seem to be a lot of good reviews for this bowl on the forum. I found one on eBay and placed an order. Good value, materials and design. If it works as well as people say it will be a steal.
A silicone pet bowl or stone mortar (rough) also work nice
I’ve been bowl lathering more lately and am still working on technique. Initially it was taking me longer to work up a lather as good as that I have been getting with face lathering. But when I read Marco’s method again and used a bit more product and more water then it got easier to get a big bowl of nice lather.
I agree that bowl lathering can avoid face irritation since you’re not building the initial lather on your face. That’s a plus but I didn’t find that was an issue for me. I’d like to be able to do both so I can have the option. In the end it’s all enjoyable.
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I kind of stumbled into a similar method with WMS and a Cremo horsehair brush based on general recommendations to use more water and more product. It does use a bit more soap, but it's worth it.
Today's shave (powered by Marco's method):
I gave the Marco method a try today and wow did it work. I just bought a Shavemac 26 mm silvertip 2-band badger brush (54 mm loft, bulb shape), and I couldn't build a decent lather with it while using Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna beta 4.3 soap. The lather I was generating before was thin and shaving with it was painful. My lather after using the Marco method for the first time (I can tweak it a bit by adding slightly more water) came close to what Cris produces from "Another Cut Above" on YouTube.
It's kind of counter-intuitive starting with so much water, but just keep moving the brush on the soap and in short order you have exceptional lather (enough for 4-5 passes in my case). What a blissful experience... I'm looking forward to hydrating the lather more on my next shave.
It's kind of counter-intuitive starting with so much water, but just keep moving the brush on the soap and in short order you have exceptional lather (enough for 4-5 passes in my case). What a blissful experience... I'm looking forward to hydrating the lather more on my next shave.
AoS Lavender using this method today. Yogurty goodness! A pleasant experience with a RFB NEW!
Thanks for teaching me this technique. I used it this morning with Cella and had a fine shave.
Ed
Ed
Used it this morning with my brand new Semogue 610 and La Toja shaving stick pressed into a tub. Amazing!
Creamy lather and plenty for my 1.5 pass
Creamy lather and plenty for my 1.5 pass
Thanks for the tutorial. I have two soaps that fit this category.
This method is spectacular! I cannot believe how luxurious and slick the lather is! I have been enjoying some P160 daily for a few weeks now and I am always impressed with the results.
