Lather Shots

[Gargravarr]

I think I am whipping too much air into the lather and creating a mousse instead of yoghurt and TBH most videos online have the same results.
I'd like to achieve a shaving cream consistency in the bowl without lather explosion and lather on the face where the painting strokes seem to break down micro bubbles ¯\_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_/¯

I think @alfredus has it spot on. I usually like to load my brush quite slowly, which of course takes longer, but I find it's worth it. I give the knot a good hard squeeze before I start loading, to get it only slightly damp. If I find I've overdone that, and can't load properly, I add a drop or two of water to the soap to help things along, but not enough to bloom it. I like to load until the brush has plenty of nice thick proto-lather before I really start beating water into the mix.

You could well be right about too much air. All that creates is a froth that collapses and doesn't lubricate properly.

 

[alfredus]

Excellent advice here...and once you think you are done (and I am talking about the add water very slowly method) add water another 2-3 times...

You know you are there when you brush has more than doubled in size and is very heavy...this is all the wonderful lather sitting in your badger knot

 

[Holiday]

Still overhydrated but at least tonight instead of starting with too much water I noticed the exact moment I went too far

after watching a few videos especially this one from Chris (Another Cut Above) where he was trying to redeem the OSP soap from previous day and after another overhydrated bowl lather reloaded the brush with more product and thickened the lather (saving grace). At least now I know what to do when I have over hydrated. The real issue I have with bowl lathering is the wastage even if I do body wash with it and take a shower. I'd rather be loading the perfect amount for three passes instead of eight

Here is the same lather after loading a bit more soap and thickening the lather

and with the lather being this thick I was still able to hydrate on the face and get a bit of that scrubbing I enjoy so much

 

[Gargravarr]

Still overhydrated but at least tonight instead of starting with too much water I noticed the exact moment I went too far

after watching a few videos especially this one from Chris (Another Cut Above) where he was trying to redeem the OSP soap from previous day and after another overhydrated bowl lather reloaded the brush with more product and thickened the lather (saving grace). At least now I know what to do when I have over hydrated. The real issue I have with bowl lathering is the wastage even if I do body wash with it and take a shower. I'd rather be loading the perfect amount for three passes instead of eight

Here is the same lather after loading a bit more soap and thickening the lather

and with the lather being this thick I was still able to hydrate on the face and get a bit of that scrubbing I enjoy so much

Looks great. Though I'm not so sure you were overhydrated in the first place, but you're the best judge of that. I'm very rarely able to capture that sheen that most typically represents a perfect lather with my camera (that moment when the lather "lets go" and relaxes just a little from its stiff "meringue" form) but even when it's there, I still make micro-adjustments with drops of water directly into the brush while I'm actually using the lather.

 

[Gargravarr]

I'm glad Mrs Gargravarr isn't reading this thread. I can imagine her shaking her head and rolling her eyes. Maybe I even sort of agree, but not enough to make me stop chasing the perfect lather. She only occasionally shaves any part of her body (I know better than to insist) so what would she know?

 

[Holiday]

Looks great. Though I'm not so sure you were overhydrated in the first place, but you're the best judge of that. I'm very rarely able to capture that sheen that most typically represents a perfect lather with my camera (that moment when the lather "lets go" and relaxes just a little from its stiff "meringue" form) but even when it's there, I still make micro-adjustments with drops of water directly into the brush while I'm actually using the lather.

I was thinking overhydrated from the point that I could not break down the micro bubbles without adding more product.

 

[Gargravarr]

I was thinking overhydrated from the point that I could not break down the micro bubbles without adding more product.

Ah. Maybe just stirring rapidly with your brush rather than beating your lather like it's a whisk?

 

[Holiday]

Tonight was an exercise in how dry can I keep it

Hopefully by the end of a month bowl lathering I will have mastered it

 

[Nanook]

Ah. Maybe just stirring rapidly with your brush rather than beating your lather like it's a whisk?

That would definitely help. I don't even lift my brush when stirring a lather. I can feel the knot get sucked down onto the concentric circles of my bowl. As soon as I feel that, I know the bubbles are disappearing.

 

[Gargravarr]

Troycraft/AP G5C 28mm
Seaforth! Heather

A sprinkling of air bubbles included here (first time I've used this soap, and I think I overworked the proto-lather) but the product was forgiving enough for that not to matter...

 

[Holiday]

That would definitely help. I don't even lift my brush when stirring a lather. I can feel the knot get sucked down onto the concentric circles of my bowl. As soon as I feel that, I know the bubbles are disappearing.

Ah. Maybe just stirring rapidly with your brush rather than beating your lather like it's a whisk?

Will test this theory tonight. I think you may have nailed it. I do tend to impatiently whisk the lather.

 

[Gargravarr]

Will test this theory tonight. I think you may have nailed it. I do tend to impatiently whisk the lather.

Even stirring slowly will get you there. Patience, my friend...

 

[Holiday]

Tonight's first attempt was such a dismal failure used it for pre-shave and body wash
As many of you have suggested my major problem appears to be not loading heavily enough
Below lather was leftover after 2 x passes without any added water and just loading the brush very heavily
This load method seems to work for me so tomorrow will experiment more with hydration

 

[Nanook]

Tonight's first attempt was such a dismal failure used it for pre-shave and body wash
As many of you have suggested my major problem appears to be not loading heavily enough
Below lather was leftover after 2 x passes without any added water and just loading the brush very heavily
This load method seems to work for me so tomorrow will experiment more with hydration

After having another think about this, I'm wondering if you aren't putting enough pressure on your brush when trying to create a lather.

All the advice I've seen on the internet says "don't put too much pressure as you risk bending the brush hairs" so people, especially those that have expensive knots, don't use enough pressure.

My view is that, yes knots can be expensive but like brake pads in your car, they are a consumable designed to wear down and be replaced when worn out.

Next time, try pushing down a bit harder when stirring your soap so you aren't whisking the lather which in turn will create more bubbles.

 

[Holiday]

After another dismally thin and airy lather last night I have finally found a method that works for me.
Not trying anything fancy just loading the brush as if I am about to face lather and then loading some more, not adding any more water in the bowl and just a quick whisk.
Most lather videos are using synthetic brushes and I suspect this is why they can hydrate so much whereas the natural already has enough water stored in the fibres

I appear to have destroyed the poor knot experimenting with dry loads its now shedding like a wet dog
Hairs hidden by a strategically placed razor (above)

 

[Gargravarr]

After another dismally thin and airy lather last night I have finally found a method that works for me.
Not trying anything fancy just loading the brush as if I am about to face lather and then loading some more, not adding any more water in the bowl and just a quick whisk.
Most lather videos are using synthetic brushes and I suspect this is why they can hydrate so much whereas the natural already has enough water stored in the fibres

I appear to have destroyed the poor knot experimenting with dry loads its now shedding like a wet dog
Hairs hidden by a strategically placed razor (above)

Hmmm, I hadn't thought about your bowl. Maybe all those ridges are what's introducing the air. Shame about the brush. I seem to remember @alfredus mentioning that he loads with a fairly dry brush. I'm sure we would have heard him complaining if he buggered up his premium badgers by doing this...

 

[alfredus]

I load and build lather directly in my soap tub...not really experienced with bowls as such...

However I would still stick the puck to the bottom of the bowl and lather that way?

The problem could be, no matter how much you load, the bowl gives you too much empty space and the lather gets therefore airy? By having the puck at the bottom, you always fill the void with product?

 

[Gargravarr]

Interesting, I had never thought of bowl lathering as such a black art (and I do both face and bowl with equally good results, except that I can get a bigger helping of lather if I use the bowl. @Nanook might have a point about pressure on the brush (I use quite a bit). So there's no empty space under the brush. Stirring rather than beating like an egg , keeping the brush firmly in contact with the bowl should help...

 

[Holiday]

Different bowl and brush tonight made a huge difference to airiness but then again most of the lather stayed in the brush

Hmmm, I hadn't thought about your bowl. Maybe all those ridges are what's introducing the air.

Have to just change the one variable to determine if it is those ridges

 

[Gargravarr]

More food for thought. I wonder @alfredus, do you ever use milled soaps? They're mostly pretty small and, unless they're already fairly well worn down, don't really leave a whole lot of room in their dish (if any) for building lather on the puck. I only ask because, for reasons best suited to another discussion, these soaps tend to give me my closest and must comfortable shaves...