I have been using DE Razors since July 2021, and have experimented with numerous razors and soaps. My well water is about as hard as water could be and still be a liquid. I have used, and continue to use MWF, Tabac, Stirling, Mike's, TOB soap and cream, DR Harris, Maison Lambert, Speck, La Toja, Sir Hare, Prorasso, Haslinger's Sheep. After a few months of various techniques to load the brush (Badger, Boar, and Synthetic) I began using the scoop technique, and have had a virtual 100% success rate with lathering each soap. I scoop a small amount of product into a warmed shaving bowl, spread it out with my fingers, and sprinkle a bit of water on it. Then, after a shower, I lather it up. The only downside is that I quite often end up with a massive amount of lather, which is wasteful, and sometimes some unused product in the grooves of the bowl. I don's consider this a real problem because I have enough soap to last a decade. I am curious as to other people's experiences with this method.
the scoop method
- Thread starter Jonn
- Start date
What you are doing is great if it works for you.
You could sprinkle some warm water directly on top of the puck and let it bloom while you shower and achieve similar results.
BTW, a belated welcome to the forums!
You could sprinkle some warm water directly on top of the puck and let it bloom while you shower and achieve similar results.
BTW, a belated welcome to the forums!
It works fine. I'm not sure how you would scoop hard soaps like MWF, though. You could grate these soaps into soap flakes and press a small amount of flakes into your bowl. There is actually one German soap I know of that is sold as a packet of loose soap flakes.
It does not have to be wasteful if you use a "loading bowl" to load your brush and do the lathering in a separate bowl. You can just use the same soap for a few days in a row until it's used up. I've done this by putting about a week's worth in the "loading bowl" at a time. Just rinse the bowl when done shaving and the soap will remain pressed onto the bottom.
If you load in a separate bowl, it will be easier to control the soap:water ratio in your lather.
It does not have to be wasteful if you use a "loading bowl" to load your brush and do the lathering in a separate bowl. You can just use the same soap for a few days in a row until it's used up. I've done this by putting about a week's worth in the "loading bowl" at a time. Just rinse the bowl when done shaving and the soap will remain pressed onto the bottom.
If you load in a separate bowl, it will be easier to control the soap:water ratio in your lather.
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Glad you found a method that works!! 
Our water is fairly soft, so no problems generating lather.
Our water is fairly soft, so no problems generating lather.
Leave the excess lather in the bowl until the next shave or use it as a post shave while you clean up, then rinse off.
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
I face lather and if I have a problem with a hard soap then I use my thumbnail to scratch three or four narrow grooves across the surface of the soap. No soap is removed in the process but it seems to be a great help with loading/lathering and it can be done on a dry or damp soap, sometimes days before the soap is then reused. I do not soak or bloom soaps prior to use.
Lathering with the same method as you and am very happy with how it works, plus as you say, it delivers pretty much 100% consistency.
I also enjoy having "clean" soap pucks that don't require drying and all.
