That is the beauty of our hobby. Everyone is different. I wish I could get the same results face lathering. I'm still a newbie and trying compared to more seasoned pros.
Palm Lathering?
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That is the beauty of our hobby. Everyone is different. I wish I could get the same results face lathering. I'm still a newbie and trying compared to more seasoned pros.
I'm sure if your bowl lathering skills improved you would see the error of your ways.
I palm lathered today.
Not bad.
I call it hand-bowl lathering.
Not bad.
I call it hand-bowl lathering.
as @Wtd1911 says, everyone is different and has their own preference. anyway you prefer is good. i find it all depends on the soap i use. i haven't ventured into creams yet, so for me, if i'm using williams for example (and that's an entirely different conversation) i'll bowl lather. but if i'm using proraso i go straight to the face after a few turns loading up the brush. whatever gives me the lather i'm looking for is what i go with. then of course, there are some days i simply like to bowl lather and get lost in thought. isn't that why we shave like this?
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- #25
Glad to hear it. I've only been using Tcheon Fung Sing's Tabacco verde, which is a soft soap, so far. Think I will experiment with a cream next time to see how it works. Normally, with cream, I put around an almond-sized amount in the bowl. Think I will start out with less than this, maybe a pea-sized amount and use a small Omega boar.
Palm-Lathering is a more "hands-on" approach. Some folks will out-right reject it once they realize they didn't really need the scuttle or bowl. In the end, Face-lathering, palm-lathering, and bowl/scuttle lathering all have their place. Now, armpit lathering...not so much.
I pulled out my 70th-anniversary S.V. shave soap yesterday. It's the only SV soap I have and, so far, each time I use it I remember why I'm not in a hurry to pay international shipping for more at the moment.
But, that said, I used my Rudy jade egg on bone 25mm Shavemac and the Captain's ceramic bowl to lather. I over lathered my brush. And thought I'd built a nice lather in the bowl with thick clouds I started applying the lather. After the first wtg pass on my face I found myself doing something I very nearly never do; I made sure my brush was well loaded from the bowl, and, added more direct from the puck going straight to the face. I tried to make thicker richer lather from the soap by over concentrating it on the face and working it there. All around serious disappointment. Yet, it does demonstrate a benefit for combining bowl and face lathering in the same shave. This can bring more soap to enrichen the lather without overdoing things in the bowl.
Ya, I know, generally frowned upon by us elitists... but, when you gotta do what you gotta do: this is a way to maybe save the day and come away with a comfortable shave. (Or, decide a downgrade on your opinion of a particular soap product.)
But, that said, I used my Rudy jade egg on bone 25mm Shavemac and the Captain's ceramic bowl to lather. I over lathered my brush. And thought I'd built a nice lather in the bowl with thick clouds I started applying the lather. After the first wtg pass on my face I found myself doing something I very nearly never do; I made sure my brush was well loaded from the bowl, and, added more direct from the puck going straight to the face. I tried to make thicker richer lather from the soap by over concentrating it on the face and working it there. All around serious disappointment. Yet, it does demonstrate a benefit for combining bowl and face lathering in the same shave. This can bring more soap to enrichen the lather without overdoing things in the bowl.
Ya, I know, generally frowned upon by us elitists... but, when you gotta do what you gotta do: this is a way to maybe save the day and come away with a comfortable shave. (Or, decide a downgrade on your opinion of a particular soap product.)
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- #29
Just to say that I'm still palm-lathering and enjoying it. Working from creams has proved more difficult than soaps in that the badgers tend to suck up the lather whereas the boars and horse-biassed knots tend to shed it well for cream-lathering purposes but involve a larger knot. Also, as there is no where to place the brush but on it's base while shaving, the lather tends to descend in this way. Perhaps a rare argument for a shaving stand (for use with shaving) after all! In any case, it's time for me to haul out the Omega bigger bambino boar and return the Vie-Long tiny horse-badger "pony" to lick this beast.
I palm lather in the shower. Don’t want to drop a bowl.
I have palm lathered when testing a new soap and it seems just fine. Weather you bowl lather, face lather by loading the brush first, face lather using a shave stick, or palm lather, it is all a matter of preference. I prefer using a shave stick but I can make just as good a lather with a bowl. I just think the stick is the superior method to the rest.
I palm-lathered for about the first three years when I started with a DE.
There are advantages, like being able to make an entire batch of lather exactly to your specifications without needed an extra piece of equipment. It can also handle scritchy/new brushes no problem. I also think you can rub the brush against your palm pretty more vigorously, which I find speeds up the process when using a boar brush or using a hard-to-lather soap. I got into large brushes because they could hold three-four passes of lather no problem. I could make all the lather then dispense it slowly after each pass.
Now I face lather. I tend to prefer smaller brushes now - in fact, my favorite is the Wee Scot. In any case, the main limitation that I see regarding face lathering are that you can't start out with too wet of a proto-lather or else it gets slung all over the place (big problem with my Omega pro). I also don't like using boar brushes with hard-to-lather soaps, as it just takes too long face lathering alone (I'll use badgers for those).
There are, of course, hybrid methods you could use (e.g., half palm, half face lather). Whatever suits you and is interesting and works is good enough. And palm lathering works for sure.
There are advantages, like being able to make an entire batch of lather exactly to your specifications without needed an extra piece of equipment. It can also handle scritchy/new brushes no problem. I also think you can rub the brush against your palm pretty more vigorously, which I find speeds up the process when using a boar brush or using a hard-to-lather soap. I got into large brushes because they could hold three-four passes of lather no problem. I could make all the lather then dispense it slowly after each pass.
Now I face lather. I tend to prefer smaller brushes now - in fact, my favorite is the Wee Scot. In any case, the main limitation that I see regarding face lathering are that you can't start out with too wet of a proto-lather or else it gets slung all over the place (big problem with my Omega pro). I also don't like using boar brushes with hard-to-lather soaps, as it just takes too long face lathering alone (I'll use badgers for those).
There are, of course, hybrid methods you could use (e.g., half palm, half face lather). Whatever suits you and is interesting and works is good enough. And palm lathering works for sure.
Why not, you could do feet lathering if it works for you...
I do the initial break in and first cleaning of every brush in the palm, but switch to face lathering as I want to prep my skin as much as I can.
But hey, whatever works!
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I do the initial break in and first cleaning of every brush in the palm, but switch to face lathering as I want to prep my skin as much as I can.
But hey, whatever works!
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- #34
Just to say that I've been exclusively palm-lathering since I started this thread. The only thing that it seems to demand is a smallish knot and a bit of know-how.
I'd say it's a viable option but it's probably uncomfortable for me. I like to use both my hands for certain occasions and having one hand be a lather bowl is restricting.
Guys, I tried palm lathering recently a few times (as I'm trying new brushes) and it's oddly satisfying. I like it.
Ahhh I understand the rational now however, as others have mentioned you could use some other brushes and get both ample lather and precision.
The yaqi brown ferrari is one such brush.
SG$ 25.02 | 24mm Ferrari Rough Complex Black Version Best Quality Brown Synthetic Hair Shaving Brushes
SG$ 25.02 | 24mm Ferrari Rough Complex Black Version Best Quality Brown Synthetic Hair Shaving Brushes
The knot is very precise and doesn't splay all over yet, it lathers beautifully.
I dislike huge splays as it makes applying lather under the nose a real pain.
The brown ferrari allows me to face lather great and apply lather like very precisely.
Happy shaves,
Mawashi
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- #39
Thank you for the link to the recommended synth brush. Haven't posted on this in a while, but I am still exclusively palm-lathering and it has also helped me to use less lather during a shaving session. For example, where I used to need an almond-sized amount of cream in the bowl, I now only need a dried chickpea-sized amount in the palm.
Also, I've pretty much switched over to small horse-knots as they are otherwise a bit too prickly for face-lathering for me and work quite well in the palm. The little Vie-Long 13120 "pony" travel brush and a Vie-Long 14095B 20mm x 50mm knot on a turned wooden handle, the latter being just the thing for this. From there, I've wanted to take things further in an "animal-friendly" direction with synths, but I have not liked the way they have performed compared to the horse knots. One exception, however, has been the 21mm x 46mm Vulfix VS1 synth shaving brush, which has plenty of backbone and less of a tendency to shed water.
Also, I've pretty much switched over to small horse-knots as they are otherwise a bit too prickly for face-lathering for me and work quite well in the palm. The little Vie-Long 13120 "pony" travel brush and a Vie-Long 14095B 20mm x 50mm knot on a turned wooden handle, the latter being just the thing for this. From there, I've wanted to take things further in an "animal-friendly" direction with synths, but I have not liked the way they have performed compared to the horse knots. One exception, however, has been the 21mm x 46mm Vulfix VS1 synth shaving brush, which has plenty of backbone and less of a tendency to shed water.
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- #40
Just to say that I'm still hooked on face-lathering. My goal has been to find a brush that will keep the lather on the palm of my hand while developing it and hold enough developed lather for a second pass plus touch-ups. One brush that surprisingly has done well for this is the Semogue 2020 best badger. As the loft is longer than the smaller brushes I've been using, I scrunch up on the knot with my fingers towards the tips of the bristles at the start, to narrow the bloom, before backing off in creating the lather more gently while gripping the handle. Also, by changing the water used to soak the brush from time to time, one can maintain a warm lather with occasional dipping of the tips there as needed. Simpsons Beaufort 2 also works well for the entire session. Small pure badger-type knots work well, the palm not being sensitive to scritch, followed by painting the lather on the face.
