I'm on the road and decided to bring along my Speick shave stick for its first go. The results left a lot to be desired. First tried the wet face-rub lightly tactic and got what I can only describe as the worst lather of my life. Washed it off, re-wet my face, and then went at it again, this time applying good pressure with the stick so that the soap really came off on my beard. This was better, but the lather was still pretty weak and did not at all build easily on my face. Any tips for the first-time stick user?
What am I doing wrong with the shave stick?
- Thread starter MaxJ
- Start date
I use Gents best or LaToja on the road, I wet my face real well, and also wet the end of the stick, spread it on until I get a great white film and them lather like mad... works great for me...follow this link for a great tutorial http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=40
I have had the same problem with Speick so I usually just bring along a tube of Proraso and use that instead. For some reason Speick is the only soap or stick in which my lather is poor.
Max --
This may be obvious, but you are using a shaving brush, right??
Soak brush, wet face, dip tip of stick in warm water, scuff a generous amount of soap on beard, squeeze most of water out of brush, use brush to build lather directly on your face. Use the brush vigorously for at least two minutes, occasionally just touching the brush tips to water, then continue lathering.
This should build a really creamy lather that is like a wet frosting. Others describe it as like a coating of yogurt. It may take a little practice, but shave sticks work so well that many guys use them by preference.
-- John Gehman
This may be obvious, but you are using a shaving brush, right??
Soak brush, wet face, dip tip of stick in warm water, scuff a generous amount of soap on beard, squeeze most of water out of brush, use brush to build lather directly on your face. Use the brush vigorously for at least two minutes, occasionally just touching the brush tips to water, then continue lathering.
This should build a really creamy lather that is like a wet frosting. Others describe it as like a coating of yogurt. It may take a little practice, but shave sticks work so well that many guys use them by preference.
-- John Gehman
- Thread starter
- #5
I can only assume you're asking because it's happened before! I am indeed using a brush, and I think part of this may be that the Duke 2 I brought along is nearly brand-new. That was only its second shave. The tips are much appreciated, thanks!
My method is basically the same as John's.
I wet my face and then dip the tip of the shave stick in water. I rub the stick on my face until I see my whiskers kind of outlined by the soap.
I then flick the water out of my brush a couple of times (I don't squeeze it) and start to build lather. If I need more water, I also just dip the tips of the brush in water. I usually get enough lather for 2 1/2 - 3 passes. I apply a little bit of the stick again if I need more lather.
The lather I get doesn't look like the meringue you see in some pictures but like a layer of not-that-thick moist frosting. I've gotten some of my best shaves from shave sticks.
I wet my face and then dip the tip of the shave stick in water. I rub the stick on my face until I see my whiskers kind of outlined by the soap.
I then flick the water out of my brush a couple of times (I don't squeeze it) and start to build lather. If I need more water, I also just dip the tips of the brush in water. I usually get enough lather for 2 1/2 - 3 passes. I apply a little bit of the stick again if I need more lather.
The lather I get doesn't look like the meringue you see in some pictures but like a layer of not-that-thick moist frosting. I've gotten some of my best shaves from shave sticks.
One tip I took from Joel's shave stick tutorial was that once it looked like you had good soap coverage on your whiskers, apply more. The old adage of use more product definitely applies with the sticks. By all accounts, GB is a great soap, but I had a very hard time making lather with it. Added more product and problem solved.
The new brush is a likely suspect here. Most take some breaking in before they perform as they should.
Shave sticks are great, and not just for the road. It was interesting to read in a link recently posted to the old Gillette Blade magazines from the WWI era how one writer at that time expected the new fangled shave stick to replace the shaving mug, since it was more convenient and sanitary.
I think from a strictly practical level, he was right.
Shave sticks are great, and not just for the road. It was interesting to read in a link recently posted to the old Gillette Blade magazines from the WWI era how one writer at that time expected the new fangled shave stick to replace the shaving mug, since it was more convenient and sanitary.
I think from a strictly practical level, he was right.
I shaved with the Speick stick not 20 minutes ago, and got a fantastic amount of lather, ended up washing a bunch down the drain.
Basically, wet face wet stick, rub a nice thick layer of soap across your whole face and then start in with the brush. Always err on the side of using too much product.
Basically, wet face wet stick, rub a nice thick layer of soap across your whole face and then start in with the brush. Always err on the side of using too much product.
I tried Speick before and got good results.
I'm guessing you didn't use enough products. Try rubbing the shaving stick longer on your face to spread more product. I often need to wet the tip of the bristles half way when I face lather. I then get an explosion of lather!
I'm guessing you didn't use enough products. Try rubbing the shaving stick longer on your face to spread more product. I often need to wet the tip of the bristles half way when I face lather. I then get an explosion of lather!
I overlooked soaking the stick for several moments prior to applying to my face when I first tried it. Two days of growth took plenty of the soap, though, and I got away with it. The next day I tried again, but didn't get enough soap. Then it hit me to soak the stick. Huge difference in how much soap gets from the stick to your face!
In addition to the above advice, you might find that the water quality is different to what you're used to...hard water is notorious for messing up otherwise excellent lathering.
+1 for not enough soap.
Another thing that may help is to rub the wet stick against the grain of your beard.
Another thing that may help is to rub the wet stick against the grain of your beard.
I always give my well soaked brush a good squeeze out first before I start lathering. I have never had a problem with the Speick stick, its phenomenal. Pumpkin makes an excellent point, hard water high in mineral content is very difficult to lather with.
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- Thread starter
- #16
So, to check back in, I used it for a couple of days and got better results but still nothing amazing. I took care to use a lot more product than I thought necessary and it definitely helped in the build-up. But overall still a little thin and slick for my taste. I think I'll stick to the Speick cream from now on.
I haven't tried Speick but have used Arko. I got a stick thrown in with 100 Derby blades that I picked up on Amazon a while back. Prior to the Arko, I had used creams exclusively. (I had tried a puck of Classic Shave Co. soap quite a while back and didn't like it at all). The Arko gave me the best lather I had ever experienced. Since then, the SSAD kicked in bad and I use soaps about 80% of the time. The point I was trying to get to is that maybe it is the Speick. Your technique sounds right and I know from personal experience that this approach should generate excellent lather. I am interested in your experience because Speick is on my short list of shave sticks to get next. It is between Speick and Valobra but after reading your post, the Valobra is now at the top of my wish list.
The harder the stick is the more important it is to wet the tip of the soap. Valobra and Speick are both fairly hard. The glycerin soaps are going to be much softer and the palmolive stick, while not soft is not as hard as speick - and in my experience I don't need to wet the tip when using it.
If you have problems lathering with shave sticks, do you normally face lather or bowl lather? If you bowl lather, that could be part of the issue as your face lather technique might need to be adjusted.
If you have problems lathering with shave sticks, do you normally face lather or bowl lather? If you bowl lather, that could be part of the issue as your face lather technique might need to be adjusted.
Then there's always the tabac stick. I get good lather by wetting my face and then going nuts with the application of the stick. A relatively dry boar brush (given several vigorous shakes after soaking for 10-15 mins) starts the lather building process.
Throughout the lather building process, additional moisture is added as and when necessary and once the lather is up to par, the shave begins.
Throughout the lather building process, additional moisture is added as and when necessary and once the lather is up to par, the shave begins.
Bummer, Speick stick gives me a fantastic slick lather. I rate it as a top product.
