I've been using Col Conk's Amber shave soap along with a EJ Best Badger brush. I've read the help threads and applied their advice: I make sure to soak the top of the puck in warm water form a few minutes then dump it, I soak the brush and then squeeze it out, when I lather up the brush in the shaving mug I make sure to get a thick, full lather on it before I bring it to the bowl and start working it up. Despite this, no matter what I do/what variations I try in water level, I get a thin, watery lather that doesn't want to stick well on the face, and for that matter, that tends to rub off if one brings the brush over the same area of the face twice. Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?
Tips on Col Conk's?
- Thread starter Geo Dude
- Start date
Using Col Conk is the problem, IMO of course.
It's very easy.
1. hold puck in right hand and extend over trash receptacle.
2. drop puck in trash receptacle.
3. order anything other than Conks.
1. hold puck in right hand and extend over trash receptacle.
2. drop puck in trash receptacle.
3. order anything other than Conks.
Not sure why there's so much hate going on for Conk's...I'm a big fan of their Almond variety.
All I can really say is, add water very, very slowly, and make sure all the water you've added is fully integrated before trying to add more. If you have hard water, I think you'll need substantially less than you might think.
First soap i used was Conk Bay rum soap.
The lather was very bubbly, maybe it was my lack of experience using soap,
but for the price i would rather buy an Ogalla soap witch lather a lot better.
The lather was very bubbly, maybe it was my lack of experience using soap,
but for the price i would rather buy an Ogalla soap witch lather a lot better.
I've been using Conk's Amber for a few months, also with an EJ brush (although I started with a VDH boar brush).
Conks works well for me, but my technique may be a bit unorthodox, I haven't been on the forum for long, so I'm not sure. The water in my area is very hard, so what works for me may not work for others.
I soak my brush in hot water and pour a bit of water on the soap before I shower. Nothing new there.
When I'm out of the shower, I squeeze and shake all the water out of the brush and dump the water off the soap.
Then I vigorously lather right on the soap, adding just a bit of water as needed to the brush as I go along. It doesn't look like I'm making much lather, but I've found that most of the best stuff gets drawn up into the EJ brush, so after I apply some lather directly to the face, I find that I can squeeze a good bit more of nice lather from the brush to my hand, which I brush back onto my face for a comfy shave.
As I said, it works well for me. And I like Conk's soap...I just ordered another puck in Bay Rum.
Conks works well for me, but my technique may be a bit unorthodox, I haven't been on the forum for long, so I'm not sure. The water in my area is very hard, so what works for me may not work for others.
I soak my brush in hot water and pour a bit of water on the soap before I shower. Nothing new there.
When I'm out of the shower, I squeeze and shake all the water out of the brush and dump the water off the soap.
Then I vigorously lather right on the soap, adding just a bit of water as needed to the brush as I go along. It doesn't look like I'm making much lather, but I've found that most of the best stuff gets drawn up into the EJ brush, so after I apply some lather directly to the face, I find that I can squeeze a good bit more of nice lather from the brush to my hand, which I brush back onto my face for a comfy shave.
As I said, it works well for me. And I like Conk's soap...I just ordered another puck in Bay Rum.
Nothing wrong with Conk soap at all, sounds like too much water or not enough soap. Swirl the dry brush on the moistened soap for a full 60 seconds, really dig the brush in, you won't hurt it, and make sure it's really loaded well. Start swirling the loaded brush in your bowl 10 - 20 times and add a few drops of water, repeat until you have something acceptable.
I got my girlfriends brother into wet shaving last year and he told me he was having a hard time with conks soap. I had him bring it over and showed him how to load the brush properly and he was amazed at how much harder I was pushing the brush into the soap and how much longer I took to load it. He was just swirling the brush lightly over the soap, hardly picking any up and the resulting lather was a runny mess.
I got my girlfriends brother into wet shaving last year and he told me he was having a hard time with conks soap. I had him bring it over and showed him how to load the brush properly and he was amazed at how much harder I was pushing the brush into the soap and how much longer I took to load it. He was just swirling the brush lightly over the soap, hardly picking any up and the resulting lather was a runny mess.
- Thread starter
- #8
Maybe that's the problem. I've been getting a good loap of soap on the tips of the brush, but I haven't spent much time really hammering it in. Maybe that will work, and the hard water problem (and thus, less water) could be an issue, too. I'll make sure to try those tips tomorrow.
If the problem gets bad enough after several more attempts, I may have to do this. I have some Old Tabac coming in but I'd like to have at least a few different soaps in my rotation to start and already have some other Conk's scents, too.
I have three Col Conks soaps w/ a cheap Col Conk(for now) brush; I soak my brush for several minutes and add about a teaspoon of water to the soap at the same time(this is a big helper for me!). I then swirl the brush for about a minute, paying attention to "mush" the brush in the soap(twice) to load it into the middle - I face lather, and have enough soap for four passes. I recently ordered some Tabac(for better quality, more lather, slicker......), but while waiting, discovered a "super lather"(talked about here) by doing the same, but just adding about a dime sized amount of KMF cream to my brush after getting lather from the soap puck. Add just a touch of water to the cream on the tip of the brush, and wham!!, super lather! It is easy, awesome!! Works equally luxuriant with Conk's lime, bay rum, and amber.
Last edited:
I like Conk soap for the mild fragrance and how it works on my skin.
That is the main reason for putting up with the extra effort to generate good lather. I can get the lather thick enough to maintain a peak, but when it is like that the soap is too concentrated and it dries on my face rather quick. I get by that by lathering and shaving a section at a time.
I haven't give Ogallala a good try, because I try to curtail changing too many variables. I read it is a good soap. Then there are many other soaps with good reviews to try...
That is the main reason for putting up with the extra effort to generate good lather. I can get the lather thick enough to maintain a peak, but when it is like that the soap is too concentrated and it dries on my face rather quick. I get by that by lathering and shaving a section at a time.
I haven't give Ogallala a good try, because I try to curtail changing too many variables. I read it is a good soap. Then there are many other soaps with good reviews to try...
Well I'm a newbie, but I find Conk's pretty easy to lather actually. I don't think I'm doing anything all that different from what you're doing, except for perhaps starting with less water, and brushing the top of the soap longer. I watch for a good, thick paste to start forming. You can feel that the surface of the soap is pretty "tacky" because your brush gets harder to push around. It sounds different as well (I liken the sound almost to a crackle when it's tacky). I move that to a bowl, where it's pretty obvious right away if it needs more water. Usually a few DROPS of water starts to make the difference.
That said, I'm working with a Rooney 3/1 Super Silvertip - I think it could lather sand.
That said, I'm working with a Rooney 3/1 Super Silvertip - I think it could lather sand.
There's nothing wrong with Conk's for many folks. We just poke at each other a bit but in good nature and know everyone is different.
I think the problem with Conk's is it's inconsistency between the different scents. But at $3 it's worth its $3.
Now Tabac....that needs to go in the trash
I think the problem with Conk's is it's inconsistency between the different scents. But at $3 it's worth its $3.
Now Tabac....that needs to go in the trash
- Thread starter
- #14
Exactly, which makes it perfect for a cheap-assed newbie!
Now Tabac....that needs to go in the trash
Not a fan of the infamous scent, I'm guessing?
I can't wait to get it in just to see what everyone is so divided over.
Make sure you load the soap for about a minute and also press the brush deeply into the soap. Also when you lather your face press the brush deeply when you go in circles so you get the soap from the center.
Exactly, which makes it perfect for a cheap-assed newbie!
Not a fan of the infamous scent, I'm guessing?
I can't wait to get it in just to see what everyone is so divided over.
It works for a lot of folks. I bet I have the oldest puck of Tabac here. Been sitting in my box a drawer for I think 2 years now.
I have used the Conks Bay Rum. I can get it locally which is a plus. I find it OK, but there are so many better products out there. It was OK at first, but only unbtil I started trying some other products. It only gets the occasional use for me, and I am left saying why didn't I use my Tabac, Arko, TRSC ect...
I have also been having trouble with Col Conk's soaps. I have the Bay Rum, Amber, and (my favorite) Lime. I like the fragrance, but I can't get a really good lather. It seems like my best attempts have been when I've loaded the brush with way more soap than I thought necessary. Next time I shave I will have to try loading the brush for a full minute.
I also have a dish of Kent soap. I don't care for the fragrance much, but it seems to lather much better than Col. Conk's.
I just got my first tube of Proraso in the mail today, and finished shaving with it about 30 minutes ago. Oh my gosh! So far Proraso has given me the most amazing shaving experience in my two months of wet shaving. I couldn't believe how thick and creamy and moist it was! Is that the kind of lather I should be getting with my soaps? If so, I have a lot of practicing to do.
I also have a dish of Kent soap. I don't care for the fragrance much, but it seems to lather much better than Col. Conk's.
I just got my first tube of Proraso in the mail today, and finished shaving with it about 30 minutes ago. Oh my gosh! So far Proraso has given me the most amazing shaving experience in my two months of wet shaving. I couldn't believe how thick and creamy and moist it was! Is that the kind of lather I should be getting with my soaps? If so, I have a lot of practicing to do.
The hate for Conk is purely user preference, I too prefer other soaps' performance, but Conk is a doddle to lather.
Puck soaking really isn't neccessary with a glycerine soap, they're pretty soft. Load the brush. Overload it. Time taken to do this depends on the floppiness, or lack thereof, of your brush. Then work up a lather.
Puck soaking really isn't neccessary with a glycerine soap, they're pretty soft. Load the brush. Overload it. Time taken to do this depends on the floppiness, or lack thereof, of your brush. Then work up a lather.
I think you'll find that creams will give a much creamier lather, while soaps will create slicker lather.
I certainly recommend spending time working the brush with the Col. Conk's. I have the Bay Rum and spend about 30 seconds on the soap, with a good amount of swirling and not-too-vigorous pumping with the brush. Load it up more than you think you need to - it's not that expensive and the more soap in the brush, the more control you'll have in creating lather.
