Lather Shots

Pbgoose said:
I've been using a kiwi cutter to scoop about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of soap then paste it into the bottom of the bowl. It's a habit I got into as I wanted to keep my pucks clean so I could sample off them for family/friends. Consequently I've never developed any skill in 'loading' a brush and have come to prefer bowl lathering as I feel it gives more control. Also I find the soap tubs confining, I like plenty of space, hence my Robyn Bloom bowl (spaghetti bowl as you referred to it:)) has become a favourite.
The down side is if you overload the bowl to start with then there is soap wastage but that's not an issue for me as I've got plenty (though probably not in the realms of @SpeedyPC 's legendary soap stash).
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Thanks PB, I admire that "Spaghetti Bowl" everytime I see it on SOTD. For speed and efficiency I have accepted that I will not achieve yoghurty goodness from loading and lathering on the puck because I waste too much soap. A quick load and onto the face suits me but does not create a photogenic lather. Scooping some soap into the bowl is not something I have experimented with except for whole sample pucks. Will have to give it a go. Cheers (y)
 
Holiday said:
Thanks PB, I admire that "Spaghetti Bowl" everytime I see it on SOTD. For speed and efficiency I have accepted that I will not achieve yoghurty goodness from loading and lathering on the puck because I waste too much soap. A quick load and onto the face suits me but does not create a photogenic lather. Scooping some soap into the bowl is not something I have experimented with except for whole sample pucks. Will have to give it a go. Cheers (y)
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Scooping soap into the bowl gives you a good opportunity to really work the soap with a barely-moist brush, so you can get the emulsion happening regardless of how much (or little) soap you use. Doing this on the puck uses up quite a lot more soap, which doesn't bother me, but I can understand why this might not work for a soap miser. :LOL: The important thing is not to add too much water at once, especially in the early stages. I always say it's like making mayonnaise: if you've ever done that, you'll know that if you add too much oil to your egg yolk in one go, the emulsion will break out into its separate components. Same goes for lather with water.

Incidentally, the scoop and smear approach works well with softer creams like TOBS, giving you (IMO) a much better consistency.
 
Pbgoose said:
mm...... should've written @SpeedyPC 's legendary soap and blade stash:LOL:
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Gargravarr said:
Lather's looking good - seems to me that the more I get all over the handle (and maybe myself) the better it is :)
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Agree @Gargravarr this is now my aim to make as much lather as possible and not worry about the mess, the more than runs down your hand like a melting ice cream the better. If it starts flinging off and hitting the far wall may be too wet :) shoulders, chest, feet and floor are all fair game - even the cat if she happens to be in the wrong place at the right time 🐈

Other useful lather videos with slightly different method is Zaclikestoshave who posts in DFS Lather Shots. He uses a dab of Kokum and Mango butter which I have not yet tried - soaps like this Ogallala - Bay Rum, Limes & Peppercorns seems to have enough buttery goodness but blooming and using the bloom water to wet tips I have adopted. I poor the bloom water into the soap lid creating a nice shallow pool for dipping the tips and makes it easier to control the amount of water and not overhydrate compared to dipping deep in the mug

One example of his method:

 
Holiday said:
Agree @Gargravarr this is now my aim to make as much lather as possible and not worry about the mess, the more than runs down your hand like a melting ice cream the better...
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Heh, I used to do all my lathering in my bowl, keeping everything nice and neat, but lately I've only been using that for generating a nice proto-lather before doing the rest of the work on my face and head, just adding a few drops of water at a time directly into the brush as I go. That big Forgotten Art brush just feels so nice, it seems a shame not to get the full benefit of it on my skin. The bowl gives me somewhere to plonk it while I get on with the actual shaving.
 
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