Lathering Bowl vs. Face lathering

**Z man** · 10-31-2010, 05:50 AM

Have been a long time face latherer until my wife returned from Trumpers with a pewter shave bowl

. Since, I have use it daily with my creams and it has changed my shaving routine for the better. I have attempted to use it with my soaps but my technique is not quite up to speed for that.
The lather has less water and is softer with plenty of volume. What do you think?
Regards,
Andy

**bananaman** · 10-31-2010, 06:43 AM

I know that this post helped me a great deal in figuring out how to use soaps. I also bowl lather.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=21136

**_MementoMori_** · 10-31-2010, 07:25 AM

I do both, though I find myself face lathering more and more often now. I feel like the extra brush time on the face helps to prepare the beard for removal. I also just really enjoy the massaging effect a nice brush with backbone can give.

**Luc** · 10-31-2010, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by bananaman

I know that this post helped me a great deal in figuring out how to use soaps. I also bowl lather.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=21136

+1 good tutorial

Practice will get you there.

**Voomie** · 10-31-2010, 04:25 PM

I have hard water so I need more time to build proper lather so I bowl lather.

**BladeRunner001** · 10-31-2010, 04:50 PM

Both are great but I enjoy bowl lathering

**Tha Baron** · 10-31-2010, 05:03 PM

When I first started using a brush and DE, I only used a bowl to lather. For some reason, I was focused on filling up the bowl with lather. Until I started face lathering, I found that the extra time and application directly to the face helped with the prep and slickness.

**Codfish** · 10-31-2010, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by Tha Baron

Until I started face lathering, I found that the extra time and application directly to the face helped with the prep and slickness.

+1

The time I used to put into my bowl is now used on my face. The lather is re-moistened and re-warmed on each pass. I don't think I'll ever go back (but I may try a scuttle some day).

Codfish

**boctok** · 11-01-2010, 04:04 AM

New guy here (second shave). I have been face lathereing but I'll switch to bowl for a while because I haven't gotten the lather technique down so well. I'm thinking I will over exfoliate my face with all the extra brush action that is related to my inexperience. Just my two cents.

**ridgerunner** · 11-01-2010, 04:06 AM

Originally Posted by _MementoMori_

I do both, though I find myself face lathering more and more often now. I feel like the extra brush time on the face helps to prepare the beard for removal. I also just really enjoy the massaging effect a nice brush with backbone can give.

+1 I like the feel of the brush as I build the lather.

**Shavely Manden** · 11-01-2010, 04:44 AM

I enjoy both. I agree with _MementoMori_ that it helps with prep (plus, it's just so nice to give yourself a face massage!), but I also like bowl lathering since it gives me more control over what I'm doing and allows me to use soft, floppy silvertips that might not be ideal for scrubby face-lathering.

**gull** · 11-01-2010, 04:46 AM

I would love to face lather, but I'm too dependent on the bowl. I have a lot of control when I use a bowl, and if I have excess lather, I just store it in the bowl for the next day, instead of wasting it.

**Optometrist** · 11-01-2010, 04:48 AM

I bowl lathered in my first 2 weeks, but face is now the way for me. I find it far easier to judge the quality and slickness, not to mention the lovely feel of badger hair massaging my face. IMHO a bowl is just piece of unnecessary equipment.

David

**The Count of Merkur Cristo** · 11-01-2010, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by Z man

Have been a long time face latherer until my wife returned from Trumpers with a pewter shave bowl

. Since, I have use it daily with my creams and it has changed my shaving routine for the better. I have attempted to use it with my soaps but my technique is not quite up to speed for that.
The lather has less water and is softer with plenty of volume. What do you think?
Regards,
Andy

Andy:
I like both (I have a Becker Scuttle), but I must say I like face lathering more because I can massage my face more and I just love the feel

Christopher

**Slash McCoy** · 11-01-2010, 08:09 AM

I thought I settled the bowl/face thing already. For the optimum shaving experience, first face lather and then whip up some lather In a bowl and pile on all that will stay on your face. You get the best of both methods.

**ackvil** · 11-01-2010, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by BladeRunner001

Both are great but I enjoy bowl lathering

As I do. The wiki at http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Lathers is a great guide for lather. Mantic59 also has a good video on youtube dealing with this subject. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7Aj9vwrtc

**ProphetNoir** · 11-01-2010, 11:42 AM

Both!
For me it all depends on the product. I bowl lather my Nancy Boy creams and I face lather soaps. The single exception has been Castle Forbes cream, which I treat as a soap and face lather. I will go so far as to say that I believe that different brushes are actually suited to one or the other. That being said, I use one brush almost exclusively for both forms of lather building, but if Santa brings me a custom Shavemac that may become my go to brush for face lathering all of my soaps.