I don't palm lather per se, but when face lathering I'll often start in the palm to "prime" the brush. Just a few swirls to get things going then directly to the face.
Palm Lathering?
- Thread starter Alum of Potash
- Start date
^
I usually do the same. Wipe the palm on my face then continue face lathering. Sometimes I add just a touch of water to my palm to really get the brush going. Splays better too.
I usually do the same. Wipe the palm on my face then continue face lathering. Sometimes I add just a touch of water to my palm to really get the brush going. Splays better too.
I use palm lathering to wash brushes these days. When I was making and testing soaps, I used it alot for testing and comparisons. It definitely produces the best lather possible... but it's not something to do when you're shaving. Who wants a palm full of lather when shaving?
- Thread starter
- #84
Paul, I have found that by gradually dipping the tip of the brush into a glass filled with warm to hot water from time to time in building up the lather, warmth is maintained for the first pass. As for the second and touch-ups, it isn't; but much holds the same for me when face-lathering, or for bowl-lathering minus a scuttle.
As far as I'm concerned, palm-lathering remains the best method for me. The palm is removed of lather prior to the first pass by the simple method of wiping the palm of my off-hand on my face in the shaving area, followed by smoothing this out with the brush. The remaining lather remains in the knot of the brush, and if it descends towards the handle, bring it back up to the top of the knot with a forefinger. ~20mm x ~52mm Horsehair knots work quite well in this regard, provided that one soaks the knot for no more than thirty seconds and that it is given a light shake to remove standing water prior to initiating the lathering process.
Last edited:
I suppose that would help to bring the heat up a bit.
I actually spend so little time "making lather" that its hard to best my current set up, but I will try anything once.
After 20-30 seconds soaking in water covered soap, water dumped, then 7-8 swirls on the puck and straight to the face. Its about 20-25 seconds from first swirl to finished lathering. Its a thin very wet lather.
I found the palm method built lather pretty quickly though.
- Thread starter
- #86
Thanks for giving it a try. As I recall you are dedicated to the Colonel and to a Semogue HD silvertip. I like a Semogue 2020 for this. For the speed you mention, I suppose that you've arrived at the right amount of water to be carrying in the knot from the start. As I mix and match different soaps, I tend to lightly shake off a brush before loading, followed by a gradual reintroduction of water via the tips in building the lather as mentioned. It takes me a little bit of time in so doing, but I enjoy the process and the lather
I've moved away from hard soaps in this; I'll have to try loading from one the puck before building on the palm to see how that goes again. Here I've gone so far as to apply small bits of soap to the palm, but calculating the right size for each lathering is not that easy.
I have moved away from the Colonel and Semogue although I feel they are both still exceptional.
Mostly Tabac now with the occasional B&M Seville along with some superb Silvertips from a friend and member here in some first class handles made by your truly
Its very hard to use anything else now, I have been spoiled rotten with quality and nothing can really compare.
I suppose what you say about finding the water content right away is exactly right.
I seldom feel the need to add any water due to my releasing too much prior to loading.
Practice I suppose, but it has become second nature at this point.
After trying some DE's I was given I believe that if I used them regularly I would incorporate a thicker lather and perhaps settle on a different method.
That day will come eventually I suppose but I really enjoy using straights at this point.
- Thread starter
- #88
I have moved away from the Colonel and Semogue although I feel they are both still exceptional.
Mostly Tabac now with the occasional B&M Seville along with some superb Silvertips from a friend and member here in some first class handles made by your truly
Its very hard to use anything else now, I have been spoiled rotten with quality and nothing can really compare.
I suppose what you say about finding the water content right away is exactly right.
I seldom feel the need to add any water due to my releasing too much prior to loading.
Practice I suppose, but it has become second nature at this point.
After trying some DE's I was given I believe that if I used them regularly I would incorporate a thicker lather and perhaps settle on a different method.
That day will come eventually I suppose but I really enjoy using straights at this point.
Still with the straights, stuck with one for the past 18 months before trying that flat-head DE, which I like, and more recently, the Dovo Astrale out of curiosity. Lather for these, straight or DE, seems to demand one thing, that it stays on the face and easily rinses off the blade. But I resist the super-size me trend. >2-1/2" wide strops, >6/8 wide straights, >24mm wide knots, >2" wide hones are not my thing. Palm-lathering has taught me that a 20mm wide knot is quite sufficient for a two-pass plus touch-up shave.
Not at all. I’ve bowl/mug lathered many years. Only face lather when rarely using a stick.
I've given it a shot and I don't think it's for me. I prefer face lathering so I can feel the consistency of lather directly on my face. I do occasionally bowl lather just for fun though.
- Thread starter
- #91
After a long diversion with face- and bowl-lathering, headed back to dedicated palm-lathering for 2022...
I palm lather in the shower while doing my manscaping. Anything else might lead to an excessively long shower.
Works well with Williams for me.
After about 12 years of shaving with soaps, creams and brushes I finally tried palm lathering a few weeks ago. Back when I first started I thought that lathering in a bowl was the only real way to do it and that's what I did. Then a few years later I discovered shave sticks and face lathering which I found to be even better for me. Even then, palm lathering seemed like something I would never try.
I recently got a couple of new boar brushes (Semogue C3 Galahad and C5 Torga). Rather than try to face lather with them right off the bat I decided to open up this old never used tube of Super-Max cream and do some practice/brush break in batches of lather in my palm. Wasn't expecting anything but to get the new brushes through a few cycles. I was immediately rewarded with some of the best lather I had ever managed to conjure. It was like I suddenly had soft water or something. I repeated these practice latherings with various tube creams many times and was always impressed with the results.
Today I decided to face lather with the Galahad C3 and a stick of Lea which has always works very well for me. After the usual face lathering was done and it seemed like it wouldn't get any better I took the brush to my palm and boom, another batch of magical premium lather appeared in seconds. Maybe my face lathering technique is bad or something but palm lathering is definitely legit. If you're like me and have always just dismissed it, you should give it a try. You might be surprised at the results.
Also, tube creams are awesome.
I recently got a couple of new boar brushes (Semogue C3 Galahad and C5 Torga). Rather than try to face lather with them right off the bat I decided to open up this old never used tube of Super-Max cream and do some practice/brush break in batches of lather in my palm. Wasn't expecting anything but to get the new brushes through a few cycles. I was immediately rewarded with some of the best lather I had ever managed to conjure. It was like I suddenly had soft water or something. I repeated these practice latherings with various tube creams many times and was always impressed with the results.
Today I decided to face lather with the Galahad C3 and a stick of Lea which has always works very well for me. After the usual face lathering was done and it seemed like it wouldn't get any better I took the brush to my palm and boom, another batch of magical premium lather appeared in seconds. Maybe my face lathering technique is bad or something but palm lathering is definitely legit. If you're like me and have always just dismissed it, you should give it a try. You might be surprised at the results.
Also, tube creams are awesome.
