Can you overload a brush?

[ccrowder]

Ok.. I have been having some issues getting a good lather made. I am using conks (just got an AoS puck to try too) but I have fairly hard water. I am trying to figure out where in my attempts am I going wrong. I think I am loading up the brush well enough but how can you really tell? It looks like the pics I see posted here but still not sure. Can you overload a brush? If I just keep at that puck to ensure it is really loaded are there any drawbacks other then I might go through it faster?

[Drubbing]

Need more information. But no, the only downside to excessive loading is making excessive lather and burning through your soap.

[ccrowder]

Well I am going to try and get some pics tonight.. The issue mainly is that I just cannot seem to build a lather. What bit of lather looking material I can make seems to vanish from my face before I can even finish with a cartridge razor (waiting to use the DE until I get the lather right). Plus it is not even lubricating that well resulting in some skin irritation.
One thought was maybe I am just not loading the brush enough although I go at that puck for about a min. I wanted to see if this was the case by just super-loading the brush and wanted to make sure the only drawback was wasted soap.

[SCYankee]

Well I am going to try and get some pics tonight.. The issue mainly is that I just cannot seem to build a lather. What bit of lather looking material I can make seems to vanish from my face before I can even finish with a cartridge razor (waiting to use the DE until I get the lather right). Plus it is not even lubricating that well resulting in some skin irritation.
One thought was maybe I am just not loading the brush enough although I go at that puck for about a min. I wanted to see if this was the case by just super-loading the brush and wanted to make sure the only drawback was wasted soap.

I am a newbie also but it sounds to me like you're using too much water. I had the same problem until I read the tutorial at the top of this forum and now all is well. But since I started using KMF shave cream, I've barely touched my Omega soap. :thumbup1:

[ccrowder]

I am a newbie also but it sounds to me like you're using too much water. I had the same problem until I read the tutorial at the top of this forum and now all is well. But since I started using KMF shave cream, I've barely touched my Omega soap. :thumbup1:

Yeah.. I thought I might be using too much water too but I can't seem to get my boar brush any dryer before I load it up. I squeeze the hell out of it and shake it for all its work. Other then not soaking it while I am in the shower no clue what else to do (might try a badger brush.. the Target one is getting good reviews).

[T_M]

I've only owned one puck of Col. Conk's. It was ok, but I've definitely found other stuff I like a lot better (like the AoS soap you mentioned). In order to get what I thought was an acceptable lather, I had to use a lot of Col. Conk's soap. Really load that brush up. Then scrape off any lather left on the puck with your finger and use that too.

I would start with a pretty dry brush and then add water slowly. It seemed to me if you got Conk's too wet it won't be lubricating enough. I would just take it just to the point that it won't dry out on your face, no farther.

After you try out the AoS soap, you may just find that you toss the Colonel however. Art of Shaving's soaps are some of the finest in the world.


---------T_M

[takeshi]

Sounds more like under-loading.


I think I am loading up the brush well enough but how can you really tell?
Sound, feel, consistency of the soap.

[causalfault]

I had similar problems when I started, too, but primarily with Glycerin-based soaps. I've found that the best way to work out a good soap-to-water ratio (and it differs with every soap formulation on the market) is to start with a ton of soap on a relatively dry brush (I generally give my brush a good couple of shakes, but squeezing the brush is okay too), then add warm (not too hot!) water slowly as you build your lather.

You might try building your lathers in a bowl at first, to help you determine how thirsty your soap is. That way, you can dribble a little bit of water at a time into your bowl, which is in my opinion a little easier than adding water to a halfway-lathered brush. Keep adding water and working your brush in your bowl until you get something like the consistency of whipped cream. At that point, your lather should be more or less ready.

I've basically discovered that using too much water results in a lather that's too thin and airy to cushion the blade, and not using enough water will create a lather that's nice and thick, but it'll start to dry out on your face. It'll provide plenty of cushion, but virtually no glide. I've found this to be the case with both soaps and creams, but of course, YMMV.

I've noticed that some soaps I've used (like AoS) are super-thirsty, and nearly impossible to drown. I finally, after months of using AoS soap with mediocre results, really played around with my water usage and found that the soap really likes to be a lot wetter than I had been making it. The quality of my shaves increased dramatically as a result.

It's all trial-and-error, of course, but the bottom line is this: don't be afraid to use "too much" soap at first, when you're trying to work out your perfect lather. Keep adding water until the breaking point -- one of the great things about tallow soaps is that they're generally very hard and long-lasting, so even if you drown your lather and have to start over, you're not wasting that much soap. Don't be afraid to experiment. A few test-lathers might be in order. Remember that even though you have to make a lather every time you shave, you don't have to shave every time you make a lather.

[rogueinfomaniac]

being pretty new myself I found that was was loading my brush a bit too much and I was only able to get a good lather with alot of time and water working the lather in my mug. I find with my Conk soap I only need about 20s or so of loading to get enough lather for 3 passes and a bit of clean up.

[Luc]

Sounds more like under-loading.


Sound, feel, consistency of the soap.

+1

The brush must be wet a bit, don't squeeze all the water and charge it until you get a 'pulling' sensation from the soap. It must be a good 20 seconds.

[Drubbing]

Yeah.. I thought I might be using too much water too but I can't seem to get my boar brush any dryer before I load it up. I squeeze the hell out of it and shake it for all its work. Other then not soaking it while I am in the shower no clue what else to do (might try a badger brush.. the Target one is getting good reviews).

It's not the brush. Boars need to be a bit wetter than badgers, and if it's new, it'll need a bit of time to break in, retain water better and make good lather.

Soak well, shake it and load up. If it's too wet, just squeeze it against the bowl to get out some excess. You want to lift off paste, not foam and bubbles.

If you're loading for a minute and still can't get a good lather, your brush is either way too dry or too wet.

[peacefrog33756]

+1

The brush must be wet a bit, don't squeeze all the water and charge it until you get a 'pulling' sensation from the soap. It must be a good 20 seconds.

Yes, depending on the particular soap, it may take 20 seconds to perhaps a minute. Also depends on the brush to a great extent.

[ccrowder]

Well last night was able to make something that more resembled lather with an AoS puck. Not sure if the consistency was right but it definitely was better. Did not squeeze out the brush this time; only gave it a couple of shakes which may have helped.

How can you tell when the lather is in the good spot? I have heard a variety of descriptions but the more I know the easier it will be. I know it should be yogurty (yes I know that is not a word) and glossy. If it is matte I need to add more water. Problem was it 'felt' slick to my fingers for most points through the building process so I don't want to go by touch. Any other comments as to what it looks like or how to tell? And if I have a good lather how long should it stay lathered if I spread a layer on my face/hand? Figure I can use that as a judge of if it is done right or not as well.

Guess I am just apprehensive to shave with it until it is perfect after the nasty irritation I got trying it when the lather was awful.

[tater_salad]

Your lather sounds like it's a lot better than it was before, it should be like whipped yogurt, (maybe). It's hard to describe...

With what you have now you should be pretty good, when you start shaving (if you've only got 1-2 days worth of face hair) the razor should kind of glide on your face with no pressure. You shouldn't feel any pulling / tugging.. if you do then it's time to add more soap/cream. A bad lather can lead to a crap shave...

I've found that most people starting use way too much water, ( it doesn't take much moisture to build a lather)

[Jim]

You may want to try using distilled water to make your lather, a mugful nuked to warm is enough to soak your brush and make the lather.

[SCYankee]

You may want to try using distilled water to make your lather, a mugful nuked to warm is enough to soak your brush and make the lather.

+1 for the distilled water. My water is also rather hard and when I posted lathering problems, distilled was suggested and it made loads of difference. Loads of lather too and I don't have to use nearly as much soap or cream to get good results.