Ogallala Bay Rum Lather Problem

[jwcarlson]

I simply cannot get my Ogallala Bay Rum or Cedar and Sage to lather worth a crud. I soak my brush then squeeze it out enough that if I shake it there's still a good amount of water that can still come out. But it's pretty dry.

Then I work it over the soap right on the puck after the puck has been soaking with a little water on top for a minute or so. Seems like all I get is what I'd call the 'slag'... it's slippery but it's pretty bubbly. The brush acts dry so I add more water after a minute or more of scrubbing vigorously. Same issue... softball size of bubbly stuff and a brush that doesn't act like it's getting loaded.

So finally after a few minutes on the puck I've got a wad of soap in/on the brush. I move to the bowl where I have a tiny bit of water. Start to make lather and it acts dry, so I add water and it's still dry. If I put it on my face at this point it dries out quickly so I add MORE water and it seems like I can't get it right and eventually I'm over the 'hump' and I end up with runny nothingness. At no point would I describe the lather as creamy.

After a pass and a half I rinsed it all down the drain and face lathered with Arko and had a DFS. I have been using Proraso cream but I have a feeling the menthol may be causing my face to break out a little in areas I don't necessarily shave but that do have lather on them.

Any help? I'd really like to give the soap a try but I'm about ready to trade it off or sell it. And I made the mistake of putting it in wood bowls before I was sure I wanted to use it fairly frequently.

 

[jwcarlson]

Well... I was determined to beat it.

Took my recently acquired VDH Boar brush and soaked it. Went aggressively at the puck with a far 'wetter' brush than before (was using my tweezerman earlier). Loaded up the brush probably more than it needed to be but I was erked.

The bowl is where it seemed to make a difference this time. I think before I was not being patient enough to work up a lather. I beat the hell out of the brush for what seemed like 2-3 mintues and finally about a pass worth was formed. Then it started getting better and better and here's how I ended up:

Still on the dry side but WAAAAAY better than my first two attempts this evening. Will have to give it another shot on Saturday!

 

[MrMoJoe]

In my experience with Ogallala soaps, they produce a uniquely dense lather; not fluffy like a lot of other fine soaps. I think they even describe it as a lather that resembles clay stage make-up (or something like that). They contain shea butter and for me, yield very close, comfortable shaves and leave my face feeling smooth and moisturized.

 

[decypher]

I've never used their pucks but am in love with the shaving sticks (Bay rum & Sandlewood..). I don't have any problems with those but understandably the process is different. Perhaps the use of the shaving stick across the whiskers pulls off some more of the soap than can be pulled normally into a brush?

In either case, the foam is very dense but makes for a wonderful shave.. Definately high on my list!