I guess I'm a face latherer....

[Bearsfan]

I have been working on making proper lather for a few weeks in a bowl and it has not gone well. I know I have very hard water. I can get slick enough lather to shave with, but it's not what I see in the videos. I have tried loading the brush for anywhere from 15 seconds to a minute and the consistency turns out the same, just the volume changes.

Then I tried face lathering. I don't know what it does differently than lathering in a bowl but it flat out works. It doesn't make any sense that all other things being equal I get lather on my face that won't appear in a bowl but there it is. It's slick, rich and it lasts for three passes. Weird huh?

I'm using Kell's and Col. Conks soaps and an Omega badger brush if it makes any difference.

[DFSDAILY]

The only way to lather, IMO.

[Shaving_CHENG]

I do it every day - Proraso and Nivea cream load to the brush, then right to the face! Maybe it's the oils and the texture of the skin?

Is your bowl thrown or an ordinary bow? All the gents I know who shave with bowls all have very textured bowls and swear by them.

[Kwaka_Chris]

I prefer in the bowl, I've had no problem getting lather from most of my products that way, all save for one shave cream that doesn't seem to lather no matter what I do. Lathering on your face has the advantage of your stubble or hair acting as a second brush, more friction and greater surface area to create a better chance of a quick lather.

Try lathering in the bowl with some de-ionised water, if it works then it is 99% your tap water thats preventing it. I can manage a bowl lather in about 30-45 seconds with shaving creams, still takes longer with soaps for me.

edit: and for reference I am using an everyday small kitchen bowl, smooth glazed.

[Bearsfan]

Is your bowl thrown or an ordinary bow? All the gents I know who shave with bowls all have very textured bowls and swear by them.

It's just a regular cereal bowl. Maybe I should try another type.
It's funny, I don't mind the face lathering at all, I just want to figure it out.

[DaveNJ74]

I love face lathering as well but fall off the wagon once in a while and go back to the bowl.

[Bearsfan]

I prefer in the bowl, I've had no problem getting lather from most of my products that way, all save for one shave cream that doesn't seem to lather no matter what I do. Lathering on your face has the advantage of your stubble or hair acting as a second brush, more friction and greater surface area to create a better chance of a quick lather.

Try lathering in the bowl with some de-ionised water, if it works then it is 99% your tap water thats preventing it. I can manage a bowl lather in about 30-45 seconds with shaving creams, still takes longer with soaps for me.

edit: and for reference I am using an everyday small kitchen bowl, smooth glazed.

Those are some good points.
I'll pick up some distilled water this week and see if it makes a difference.

[proxymoron]

Bathroom real estate is precious. Face lathering ftw.

[franz]

Face lathering gives me better feedback on the consistency of the lather. It's more intuitive.

[Phat Tony]

Face lathering for me as well. More feedback, more scrubbing and exfoliating of the face, and it just seems more natural to me. The only time I break out the bowl is if I decide to play chemist and mix two or more creams together. Even then, the bowl is just about ten swirls to mix the two and then it's straight to my face for building up the lather.

[GershwinInParis]

Intuitively I would agree that face-lathering must somehow be better. Why not create lather on the face? Massage a little, raise those hairs?

However this just doesn't work for me. I gave it another shot while on vacation this weekend--left the bowl at home. No dice. I may learn to like it, but for now it's bowl lathering for me. I can fix what I've got in a bowl very easily, but don't like having overly dry/wet soap on my face and adjusting. I also feel like lathering straight from the brush doesn't give me anything to do with the brush between passes, as if by not collecting more lather in the bowl, surely it will run out. Disconcerting.

[wulfgar1976]

I have always face-lathered. One of the biggest advantages is that the soap will be in contact with your beard for longer, which helps to prepare your beard.

[Sledgehammer39]

I like using a bowl, but get a pretty darn good lather from face lathering also.

[LiveOak]

I have gotten into the habit of just swirling my brush in my soap mug until the lather is foaming over the top. It's not really face or bowl lathering. I may use more soap than necessary, because I tend to swirl a bit after every pass, but I use VDH deluxe and it is really cheap. I have been getting phenomenal lather with it.

[BlackBard]

I have always face-lathered. One of the biggest advantages is that the soap will be in contact with your beard for longer, which helps to prepare your beard.

Exactly! Bowl lathering is a relatively new practice in the history of shaving. I have face lathered for over 45 years. I didn't know there was such a thing until I came to B&B.

[Optometrist]

Who needs a bowl when the lather is intended for the face anyway?

[Big Dog]

I live in the far western suburbs of the great city of Chicago and the water out here is extremely hard. It comes from the Fox River and I can't even drink it without filtering it. It really does a number on our laundry as well. I have been wet shaving for a few months now with a brush and real shave soap and I was mostly switching back and forth between bowl and face lathering with decent results. Then I came across this thread in the Shaving Soap forum here at B&B.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/199887-My-lathering-technique-with-Italian-soft-soaps

I have been using Marco's method for about a week now on Mama Bear's soap and the results have been phenomenal for me. Like a lot of things here individual results will vary but I would definitely recommend that you give it a try.

Da Bears!

[TallyShave]

Try lathering in the bowl with some de-ionised water, if it works then it is 99% your tap water thats preventing it. I can manage a bowl lather in about 30-45 seconds with shaving creams, still takes longer with soaps for me.

I have pretty hard water and am guessing this is why I prefer face lathering and also Italian soft soaps. If I have to tell my wife that we need to buy special water for my shaving routine I may be looking for a new wife... so I will stick with what I am doing.

[jsj_297]

I say stick with the face! You will be happier in the long run! IMO

[jtb]

I only face lather, I think it preps the beard better.

[Bearsfan]

I say stick with the face! You will be happier in the long run! IMO

The more I read the replies, the more I'm thinking you're right.
I still want to see if I can do it in a bowl just for the skill, but unless I find it uses a lot less soap, I don't see the benefit.