Using Glycerine Soap

[2bit_collie]

Hi All,
I have a puck of Colonel Conk Amber, which is my only glycerine soap. I have struggled to get a good lather out of it. Specifically, using my standard technique I keep struggling to generate lather and what I do get seems to be over hydrated, literally dripping off of my straight razor in mid-pass. Also the lather fades rapidly from my face, so have to relather the 2nd side by the time I finish the pass on the 1st side of my face.

I’ve looked through ”Soap of the Day” and certainly other people seem to be getting nice, thick lather with the exact same product. Could this be an issue with water hardness (medium hard tap water)? Any other suggestions? I most recently tried with a synthetic brush instead of badger and that helped a bit.

For the record, my standard technique:
1) put a little water on the puck before my shower (last few times I have poured off all excess water immediately)
2) after the shower, shake off the brush, swirl on the puck about 20-30 seconds
3) transfer to a mug and work it further in the mug. I’m not adding any water to the mug, as I said it seems to be overydrating very easily.’

It seems to me that the solution likely involves getting more product onto my brush, but not clear how to modify my existing routine.

Thanks in advance.

 

[HazMat Shaver]

More product is key with bad soaps. JMO.
I tried the Conk and it was one of the worst soaps I ever tested. Now it's not because it's a Glycerine soap. As Mama Bear soaps are Glycerine and in my top tier of soaps. Lather easy and have great scents. YMMV when it comes to soap but Conk is not that good. I'd rather use Arko, and that's saying something.

Good luck if you continue to use "The Conk".

 

[Frinstance]

We have much the same procedure and water rating and I'm a big fan of Conk. When I load it's always scraping a cake until the brush isn't picking up soap, but just moving it around. A brush worth (squeezed out ) of water is waiting in the bowl to doctor the lather.

I hope you find your trick for this stuff because the glycerine base does offer some variety from tallow and palm.

 

[Tricky]

Soap is relatively cheap, don’t show lightly when loading your brush. Makes a bid difference. Plus, then you can try more soaps, more frequently!

 

[SydneyShaver]

I found it didn't need any special treatment to get a good lather out of it. Maybe you are using too much water?

 

[gpjoe]

I use Col Conk Bay Rum at times to shave my head. I load a 24mm synthetic brush and lather on my head, occasionally adding water by dipping the brush tips in hot water.

Seems to work fine for me, though I can't remember trying to lather it in a bowl.

 

[Drew]

conk amber soap is one of my favorite shave mediums. Lathers great for me, thick lather that stays on my face, slick as goose snot. I don't need to do anything different to get that result.

Now the Trumpers Eucris soap OTH...

 

[stoof2010]

Here's what I do.
Hottest water out of your tap on the soap then get in shower.
After shower and when ready to shave use water on soap to put on face. Make sure brush isnt really wet. If it's been soaking shake everything you can out of it. Then load.
Early on I left too much water in the brush and it ends up with airy lather more like you were washing your hands lol.
The hot water softens a layer on the puck.
I also recommend remelting the puck into a wider container. More surface area. I got to like the Ziploc type storage twist lid round containers at the store. They aren't the best but they're cheap and if you only need one you can use the rest for their intended purpose in the kitchen. I do a lot of melts and mixes with glycerine soap but no matter what I always at least melt and pour them into a wider container. This will allow more surface area when soaking to "loosen".

I love the smell of the lime but I think they don't make it anymore. It's not even on their own site anymore. Luckily I have 5 or so. Also you could take a part puck of VDH unscented and melt in with it too that could help with latherability. I do this with some really hard scented soaps like I had a dragons blood one I think from kells. Too strong and irritated so I mixed it after melting together with VDH deluxe I think. Mellowed it right out. They don't sell an unscented deluxe I don't think and I haven't seen deluxe straight glycerine bar for a long time either but their luxury has a blue box unscented that won't change the scent but you will lose some scent.
I would try just melting it into a wider container first.

 

[Lane101]

Hi All,
I have a puck of Colonel Conk Amber, which is my only glycerine soap. I have struggled to get a good lather out of it. Specifically, using my standard technique I keep struggling to generate lather and what I do get seems to be over hydrated, literally dripping off of my straight razor in mid-pass. Also the lather fades rapidly from my face, so have to relather the 2nd side by the time I finish the pass on the 1st side of my face.

I’ve looked through ”Soap of the Day” and certainly other people seem to be getting nice, thick lather with the exact same product. Could this be an issue with water hardness (medium hard tap water)? Any other suggestions? I most recently tried with a synthetic brush instead of badger and that helped a bit.

For the record, my standard technique:
1) put a little water on the puck before my shower (last few times I have poured off all excess water immediately)
2) after the shower, shake off the brush, swirl on the puck about 20-30 seconds
3) transfer to a mug and work it further in the mug. I’m not adding any water to the mug, as I said it seems to be overydrating very easily.’

It seems to me that the solution likely involves getting more product onto my brush, but not clear how to modify my existing routine.

Thanks in advance.

I occasionally use Van Der Hagen Luxury that has somewhat similar types of ingredients including glycerine. Basically I load it until the lather starts to build on the puck. Easily a minute or so. Finish building via face lathering. Also I use a large synthetic plissoft brush with a 26mm knot that picks up plenty of soap. Your synthetic should work.

 

[DEgeezer]

Col. Conk isn't my favorite, but I have no trouble whipping up plenty of lather with it. IMO it's one of the better less expensive soaps.

 

[CCS]

I once had Conk's Bay Rum. Hated it and tossed it early on. Life is too short to Conk. I was ashamed of myself for buying something with such a stupid brand name. No offense to you folks who like it.