Finally Got Good Lather and Good Shave on Neck

I've been trying to figure out how to get a good lather since I started using a brush and soap. I've watched many videos and read methods on B&B. Everything worked OK, but I watched this video by Geofatboy, and decided to mimic him. Although he used cream with the soap, I just used the soap.

He started with a rather wet brush (I had usually started with a mostly dry one and tried to add the right amount of water bit by bit). I decided to try the wetter brush like what I saw in Geo's video. I have MWF in the ceramic bowl, and I held it tilted over a lather bowl so that all the soap slobber would fall into it. After I loaded the brush, I swirled it in the lather bowl, and since there were lots of big bubbles, I pushed the brush up and down, too, thinking the bristles would pop the big bubbles. Anyway, I got a fantastic lather.

Next: shaving the neck. I know the direction my whiskers grow, and it's not north to south. It's a mixture like most peoples. But Geo had another video demonstrating shaving the neck. He goes north to south then south to north, and then shaves ATG in the various directions the whiskers grow. I tried it, and it worked well! Previously, I tried strictly following grain direction. Geo's method worked better. BTW, I started with a fresh Personna blade. That probably helped with going S to N and against the grain.

So, I'll try this method again and hope it continues to work for me.

RosaryMan said:

I've been trying to figure out how to get a good lather since I started using a brush and soap. I've watched many videos and read methods on B&B. Everything worked OK, but I watched this video by Geofatboy, and decided to mimic him. Although he used cream with the soap, I just used the soap.

He started with a rather wet brush (I had usually started with a mostly dry one and tried to add the right amount of water bit by bit). I decided to try the wetter brush like what I saw in Geo's video. I have MWF in the ceramic bowl, and I held it tilted over a lather bowl so that all the soap slobber would fall into it. After I loaded the brush, I swirled it in the lather bowl, and since there were lots of big bubbles, I pushed the brush up and down, too, thinking the bristles would pop the big bubbles. Anyway, I got a fantastic lather.

Next: shaving the neck. I know the direction my whiskers grow, and it's not north to south. It's a mixture like most peoples. But Geo had another video demonstrating shaving the neck. He goes north to south then south to north, and then shaves ATG in the various directions the whiskers grow. I tried it, and it worked well! Previously, I tried strictly following grain direction. Geo's method worked better. BTW, I started with a fresh Personna blade. That probably helped with going S to N and against the grain.

So, I'll try this method again and hope it continues to work for me.

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+1 on both counts. I always followed the tutorial and used a dry brush. I thought I was going "OK" until Marco advised otherwise, and to use a wet brush. My lather, with all soaps tried so far with this method, is simply exploding now. As to grain on neck, I gave up trying to follow it closely, long ago. The method you are now using suits me just fine also.

Glad to hear it is working.

I have not seen the video you referenced - but his shaving the neck is how I do it.

Bravo for finding and trying out a different way of making lather and shaving your neck. Your discoveries are excellent hints, also, for others to try.

Congrats.

Congrats and thanks for the tips, it's something i'm still not happy with.

Thanks for the congrats & thumbs up. I'll tell you, it felt like an achievement to get a lather like that.

Hate to be the one to point this out, but both video links in the OP go to the same video.

SilverKarn said:

Hate to be the one to point this out, but both video links in the OP go to the same video.

Click to expand...

Oops. Fixed the link in the OP. Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/user/geofatboy#p/u/1/Zbl4eYNW7lg

Ohhhh man, i WISH i could shave like that under my chin. I cannot as the hair grows almost flat to the skin and any ATG under my chin result in weepers-a-plenty.

The neck to the left and right of the adams apple i do basically the same, my neck beard growth goes S-N instead of his N-S so i have to reverse directions.