Ogallala fails me again

[atison]

For the second time, I have started a shave with Ogallala Cedar & Sage just to wipe all the lather (use that term lightly) off and grab something else to lather up with.

The Ogallala Sandelwood gives me better, although still not great, performance.

This baffles me as I have lathered like a champ with Conk glycerin soaps for a long time now. Not sure what I am not doing right with this stuff. Love the smell of the Cedar & Sage, but just can't get it going for me.

I know a lot will respond with lathering technique help, but I feel I am doing what any glycerin soap would want. Face lathering by soaking my brush, shaking a few times, loading the brush for about a minute, coating my face with the somewhat moist but mostly dry soap, then slowly building the lather with little drips of water on the brush going back to the water more than my tallow soaps.

Works every time into mounds of lather with my conks. Does ok with the Ogallala Sandlewood, but turns into an airy/disappearing mess with the Cedar and Sage.

Maybe load the brush more is the only thing I can think of. Really wanting to like this soap.

 

[beginish]

Are you not getting enough lather, or is it too dry/airy/wet?

 

[Sullybob]

Is Ogallala a glycerin soap or is it vegetable based?

 

[justinp]

Is Ogallala a glycerin soap or is it vegetable based?

I thought the two were one and the same... or does 'vegetable based' mean something other than 'the fats are coconut/palm/vegetable oils rather than animal fats'?

Because stuff like QED, which I think of as a glycerine soap, is still palm-oil based (I think, some similar plant fat.)

 

[michiganlover]

I got a couple of samples of the Ogallala shaving soap recently, and have had similar results to the original poster.

I load my brush for about a good minute at least, build what looks like a nice lather in my bowl, but once I apply it to my face it instantly evaporates away into bubbles.

After trying four times (and being forced to rescue the lather with some Erasmic cream, otherwise it would have been fully unusable), I have given up, and the sample has been regulated to a awesomely scented hand soap instead.

I am honestly surprised by these results as Ogallala seems to get good reviews around here.

 

[Shavely Manden]

Is Ogallala a glycerin soap or is it vegetable based?

My understanding is that "glycerin" is actually a misnomer (since traditionally made tallow-based soaps contain glycerin as well), and that the distinction is between tallow-based and vegetable-oil-based soaps.

 

[norton]

Maybe try the instructions for lathering on their site with the campfire mug.

I've done this technique with more challenging soaps (including modern Williams in one of those big green rubber mugs)
and it's proven to be very effective at improving the lather.

 

[ambrose]

I love this soap scent too! Although I too had the same dissipating lather. I would have to re lather each section I was about to shave and do it quickly. Too much fuss so I tossed the rest of what I had.

 

[mretzloff]

I thought the two were one and the same... or does 'vegetable based' mean something other than 'the fats are coconut/palm/vegetable oils rather than animal fats'?

Because stuff like QED, which I think of as a glycerine soap, is still palm-oil based (I think, some similar plant fat.)

My understanding is that "glycerin" is actually a misnomer (since traditionally made tallow-based soaps contain glycerin as well), and that the distinction is between tallow-based and vegetable-oil-based soaps.

"Glycerin-based" is a misnomer. What most of you refer to as "glycerin-based" soap are melt-and-pour soaps, which is the correct term. They are created by melting a melt-and-pour base, pouring it into a mold (hence where the name comes from), and then (optionally) adding desired ingredients (more glycerin, vitamins, minerals, colorants, essential oils, fragrance oil, etc.). A lot of melt-and-pour soap, though not all of it, is made up of detergents and is not real soap.

Vegetable-based soaps and a tallow-based soaps can be either cold or hot process soaps. They are made with fats and lye. The reason it is inaccurate to call a melt-and-pour a "glycerin-based" soap is because cold and hot process soaps can (and usually do) contain glycerin. Also, you cannot base a soap recipe off of glycerin, so the term actually makes no sense whatsoever (kind of like calling milk a grass-based liquid because cows eat grass).

 

[SafetyManiac]

I've been adding a shot of unscented KMF into the bowl and have been getting great results. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Altair]

To me that stuff is only good for when you get a new brush and need to do its initial defunking

 

[40boy]

The only thing I might suggest is adding a thin layer of hot water to the top of the puck for a minute or 2 before loading the brush to soften it up a little. (Dump it off before loading) That should help you get more soap in the brush.

 

[slickwillie]

hot shower, a little hot water on face, rub puck/stick on beard (I perfer sticks), give your soaking brush a good shake and lather on your face. I get a ton of lather from both sage and cedarwood and the sandlewood. (only 2 I have) I have noticed if your water is too hot the lather will tend to dy quickly. Hot from the tap is hot enough.

 

[jonwings]

Ogallala shave sticks and they work great. I get great lather everything. I have never tried creating lather in a bowl with this one though. Those shave sticks are one my go to items.

 

[Ace$N8s]

I wonder if there might have been a inferior batch or 2. I find the puck I bought last year to work very well with none of the problems described. A few drips of water on the puck and in a couple of minutes it's ready to go, loads fine and lathers well. I don't use it every day but longevity isn't an issue at this rate I'll months more use out of it. I'll add that if I use to much water in the brush this causes it to turn into a non-serviceable "foamy thin bubbly froth" (FTBF), ah, a new acronym.

I base the bad batch theory on an anecdotal report from a friend of mine that purchased a sample pack several months ago (it could have been longer). He gave 2 of the samples rave reviews. A few weeks ago he told me that one of the sample pucks just doesn't lather very well and tends to dry out before the end of his shave.

 

[Greglam]

I have the exact same experience as the OP. Col. Conk works like a dream, in fact I probably get a better shave with the Colonel than any other soap. After reading several laudatory posts regarding Ogalalla I "went long" to use an investment term and bought two pucks each of three different scents. Much to my chagrin the scent is the best part of these soaps. The lathering properties are terrible. And they dry my face. In order to try to "salvage" my investment, I got an RB scuttle (nice excuse, eh? ) and now superlather them. But they still aren't giving me the best shaves. My next move is to get a couple of bottles of Campbell's LatherKing concentrate and superlather with those. Beyond that, I'll melt them back down and put them in PIF/trade packs.

Cheers!
-Greg

 

[Bertrand]

Bonjour

Ogallala are in my favourites soaps, but, indeed, sometimes tricky to lather...
Here are my tips :
- Soak the soap, or at least cover it with water during your shower. You can put your brush with.
- Start lathering quite wet. Let water drip from your brush, one tiny shake and thats all.
- Lather ON the puck and then transfert to the face.

You'll be rewarded with an excellent lather...and hum, what a smell !

Bertrand

 

[BladeDE40]

Used it last night, lathered just fine. I do put some hot water on the puck while in the shower and load the hell out of a damp brush before face lathering.