Creating Lather from Tabac

Hi all,

I just got my first tub of Tabac and wanted to know the best way to make a lather with it. My first two times the lather was kinda thin......it was usable but I've heard this soap makes a very silky lather so I wonder what I may have done wrong. I previously have been using TOBS Avocado, and have been using the Yellow 7 O'clock blades with a Edwin Jagger DE89L.

Doug

Thin watery lather usually means you need more soap. You may not be spending enough time on the puck.

Ok. But how much time do I swirl the brush on the puck? Also how wet do I get the puck......a few drops....or a bunch and let it soak then swirl? Thanks in advance.

Doug

I would say a tablespoon of hot water on the soap while you soak your brush. Give your brush a few shakes but do not squeeze it, poor off the water from the puck and then start loading. This may take time, do a few plunger motions now and again and keep swirling until the brush it saturated with soap and all the bristles are clumped together (2 minutes at least). There may be some so called proto-lather flying off the puck and out of the container but do not worry about that, you can use that on your face to moisten the stubble if you are worried about wastage. When you can see spikes of thick lather on your puck that is another good sign that proper lather is developing. Then put the heavy loaded brush on your face and start face lathering. Face lathering may take you a few minutes but I love it, it is so pleasant to rub fragrant lather around your face that I could do it even if I did not intend to shave. I you follow this you should get fantastic lather by now. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

I'll give that a try but I use a shaving bowl, would this be the same procedure? Or do you have any other tips.

Doug

Magicrat said:

I'll give that a try but I use a shaving bowl, would this be the same procedure? Or do you have any other tips.

Doug

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Hi Doug,

it is the same principle- after loading your brush by swirling it on top of the soap puck you can then start to build lather in your bowl and add a few drops of water at a time while watching your progress. Tabac is quite an easy to use soap and hopefully you will be up and running with it in no time. Good luck!

Check out the How to make great lather from soap tutorial.

Shake your brush well and put some elbow in it. What kind of brush?

Andy, thanks for the tutorial, it has given me an idea of which I should be seeing and feeling from the brush. About the brush, its a Edwin Jagger Best Badger. I think its a softer type of brush so I will swirl the brush a lot longer than I have been doing. I think I also have more water in the brush than I need. Today's shave was better as far as lather but with these tips I may get the hang of it tomorrow. Keep the tips and ideas coming......THANKS

Doug

Is this your first soap? I would suggest also getting a glycerin based soap, since they both lather a little differently, and in my experience glycerin is a little easier to lather, so it might help you figure out the general methods of soap lathering: building in the puck, building in a bowl, building on the face etc. etc. until you can consistently build great lathers. Then, each soap kind of has it's own personality.

But those who have responded have given some great tips. Tabac is a great soap and builds a great lather once you get it right. Enjoy!

I don't put water on top of any puck that I use. I let the water drip out of my soaked brush over the sink and then get work on the puck. About 30 seconds or so of loading up the brush usually works and then I start lathering up. If there isn't enough soap then I return to the puck to load up more.

_JP_ said:

I don't put water on top of any puck that I use. I let the water drip out of my soaked brush over the sink and then get work on the puck. About 30 seconds or so of loading up the brush usually works and then I start lathering up. If there isn't enough soap then I return to the puck to load up more.

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I usually don't have to lather as long as everyone else says they do either. Soaps especially, maybe because building on the puck keeps pulling soap and mixing it into the same amount of water?

Just wanted to say thanks for all the good tips and the tutorial on making lather with Tabac or other soaps. I'm getting much better lathers and it seems to working out well on my face. Thanks again for all of your help.

Doug