Hi all, brand new around here and to wetshaving. I bought the VDH starter set with the boar's hair brush, puck and bowl. I was able to get a decent lather with the puck in the bowl and swirling the brush around on the soap. Then after reading this thread http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=21136 I got a separate bowl to house the soap and i get some on the brush, put a few drops of water in the other bowl and start "building" the lather. Now I usually end up with a lather that's gone by the time I reach the other side of my face. What am I missing here?
VDH Deluxe lathering
- Thread starter ajirons97
- Start date
Swirl the brush on the soap for at least 30 seconds, pushing down occasionally to really load the brush with soap. It's better to get too much than too little.
Take it to the second bowl and work it for 30 seconds or so, then add hot water a little tiny bit at a time. If your brush was dry enough when you started loading the soap and you properly loaded the soap, you'll probably have to add water 3 or 4 times before your lather gets to its best condition. It should have the consistency of yogurt, make small peaks that hold their shape, and be shiny.
Then lather it up on your face for another 20-30 seconds before finishing with some paintbrush-like motions to get a smooth covering. Wait 1-2 minutes, and shave.
Take it to the second bowl and work it for 30 seconds or so, then add hot water a little tiny bit at a time. If your brush was dry enough when you started loading the soap and you properly loaded the soap, you'll probably have to add water 3 or 4 times before your lather gets to its best condition. It should have the consistency of yogurt, make small peaks that hold their shape, and be shiny.
Then lather it up on your face for another 20-30 seconds before finishing with some paintbrush-like motions to get a smooth covering. Wait 1-2 minutes, and shave.
+1 Excellent advice!
Some may say that my soap experience is very limited (and it is), but the VDH Deluxe is just fantastic stuff that does a great job, and is very kind to your face. Have patience and don't give up on the VDH Deluxe. It took about 2 weeks for me, even after all the advice, to finally get my lather right.
I'm also a fan (bought a case of the stuff from Amazon: View attachment $P1010120_resized.jpg )
I prefer to face lather, so I load the heck out of it then move to my face instead of the bowl. I sometimes add a little water to it (by dipping the brush tips) while I build the lather but it doesn't need much. I can get a full four passes worth of lather out of my $5 Burma-Shave brush this way.
- Chris
I prefer to face lather, so I load the heck out of it then move to my face instead of the bowl. I sometimes add a little water to it (by dipping the brush tips) while I build the lather but it doesn't need much. I can get a full four passes worth of lather out of my $5 Burma-Shave brush this way.
- Chris
- Thread starter
- #5
wow, quick response and great info. thx guys.
Boy, Mattoon must be a big place. You're not the first member from there. 
How-a-bouts holding the wet puck in the palm of your hand and mashing/dragging/swirling your brush on it with the other hand. When done, put the puck down on a soap dish, and your loaded brush in a warming bowl. Massage your beard area lightly with some soap from your hands and a bit of warm water. Now, whip up the lather in your warm bowl and/or begin to face lather with your brush. I get four passes if I want to doing this protocol. Granted I use a dense badger brush which may be easier to load and lather than a boar brush. 
I'm a major VDH fan myself. I face lather nowadays, but when I used to lather in a bowl I would put a teaspoon of water on the puck as a showered then dumped it into the bowl and then charged my brush up and mixed it with the soapy water in the bowl. Try out a few options and see what works best for you.
How-a-bouts holding the wet puck in the palm of your hand and mashing/dragging/swirling your brush on it with the other hand. When done, put the puck down on a soap dish, and your loaded brush in a warming bowl. Massage your beard area lightly with some soap from your hands and a bit of warm water. Now, whip up the lather in your warm bowl and/or begin to face lather with your brush. I get four passes if I want to doing this protocol. Granted I use a dense badger brush which may be easier to load and lather than a boar brush.
Sure, that will work. I made a VDH Deluxe shave stick using an old deodorant housing and I get good results using this, too:
View attachment 70752
*shrug* do what works. I always lather VDH right on the puck.
I have been thinking about getting that, too. That would keep me supplied in soap for a while.
If you can't lather VDH don't even bother with williams 
Seriously though VDH is pretty darn easy to just face lather, I don't understand why people bowl lather non "Gourmet" soaps.
Seriously though VDH is pretty darn easy to just face lather, I don't understand why people bowl lather non "Gourmet" soaps.
I agree. VDH is a great value which is capable of a nice lather. You can get some good shaves out of it. It was my first soap and it took me about two weeks to learn to lather with it properly as well.
- Thread starter
- #14
Actually Mattoon is only about 20k, who else on here is from there?
R
Reverenddave
Well, I'm not too far away. I'm in Urbana.
I use this soap and brush daily and love it.
How I lather it:
*Before shower, run hot water into sink
*Put brush under hot water to soak up some hot water between bristles
*Set brush in sink, completely but barely submerged
*Shower
*Get brush out of sink, give it a squeeze and single light shake to get rid of most but not all water
*Swirl on my soap for 15 seconds or so, took longer when soap was newer. (If needed do a quick dip of the brush tip into sink for more water, not usually necessary)
*Lather up face
*Shave
*Run brush under hot water, then cold to rinse. Squeeze, shake and hang up.
How I lather it:
*Before shower, run hot water into sink
*Put brush under hot water to soak up some hot water between bristles
*Set brush in sink, completely but barely submerged
*Shower
*Get brush out of sink, give it a squeeze and single light shake to get rid of most but not all water
*Swirl on my soap for 15 seconds or so, took longer when soap was newer. (If needed do a quick dip of the brush tip into sink for more water, not usually necessary)
*Lather up face
*Shave
*Run brush under hot water, then cold to rinse. Squeeze, shake and hang up.
- Thread starter
- #18
This is basically what I was doing before, and I got a thick protective lather, I think I'll be going back to that.
I use VDH as my every-day soap. What works for me:
I place the lather bowl with the brush inside in the sink, then run hot water into the bowl, which overflows and then fills the sink. I fill the sink until the bowl and brush are completely submerged (It is a VDH bowl and brush BTW).
I then place a about a tablespoon of hot water onto the VDH soap puck that has been melted into an Em's stainless steel soap bowl with cover. I place the cover over the soap and water, and then shower.
After my shower I drain the sink and re-fill the the sink with hot water, submerging the brush and bowl again. I then remove the bowl and empty it, pouring the water that covers the soap puck into it. I then wring out the brush and swirl the brush on the soap until it is completely loaded with soap. I then lather up the brush in the now heated bowl with the tablespoon of soap-water in it. When I am satisfied with the lather I then brush it on my face and shave the first pass. During the first pass, I partly submerge the bowl, brush and lather to keep it warm for subsequent shaving passes.
I place the lather bowl with the brush inside in the sink, then run hot water into the bowl, which overflows and then fills the sink. I fill the sink until the bowl and brush are completely submerged (It is a VDH bowl and brush BTW).
I then place a about a tablespoon of hot water onto the VDH soap puck that has been melted into an Em's stainless steel soap bowl with cover. I place the cover over the soap and water, and then shower.
After my shower I drain the sink and re-fill the the sink with hot water, submerging the brush and bowl again. I then remove the bowl and empty it, pouring the water that covers the soap puck into it. I then wring out the brush and swirl the brush on the soap until it is completely loaded with soap. I then lather up the brush in the now heated bowl with the tablespoon of soap-water in it. When I am satisfied with the lather I then brush it on my face and shave the first pass. During the first pass, I partly submerge the bowl, brush and lather to keep it warm for subsequent shaving passes.
I tried VDH it works ok then I took som C&E and melted them 50/50 and got a great shave with the smell and lather I was looking for.
