Campbell Lather King - didn't know where else to put it

My barber and I have a business relationship that goes beyond 'shave-and-a-haircut'; I'm a computer guy and as part of my pay on any job I do for him, I either get free grooming or, as happened today and will probably continue to happen from time to time, some barbershop paraphernalia to add to my burgeoning shave den. I've always been good with machines, so he passed me an old and somewhat disused Campbell Lather King- a hot lather machine, for those not aware. It'll be a simple matter to get the thing repaired, cleaned and running again- mostly it needs a heating element- but I was hoping to get everyone's thoughts on it. Does anyone use a latherizer of any stripe, and if so what're your impressions of the device?

Tips for cleaning a years-disused machine of this sort would also be nice; the outside is just soap and water, but the inside is gonna call for clearing out the soap and I'm not certain if alcohol will be enough...

They are slightly complicated to repair yourself, but can be done. Do an internet search for 'Lather King repair parts' or ' Campbell Lather King parts'. This will give you a nice starting point as to who to look for when ordering the heating element, plus, you can see pics of the parts you'll be needing, and some sites may even have schematics of the Lather King with slight notes on how things go together. BestClipperParts.com is usually who we go through for our parts, on-line (clipper parts only though). I haven't had to have my Latherizer repaired as of yet, but if we ever need to, we'll take it to our authorized Oster/Andis Clipper repair center... they repair Latherizers as well.

Also, it is important to purchase a bottle of the Campbell lather machine CLEANER. Using their cleaner as per the directions will keep your lather machine running fantastic! P.S.- make sure to use only Campbell's liquid lather soap in your machine. There are other manufacturers of latherizers, and from what we've been instructed, Campbell's is specially formulated for their machines.

Hope this helps in your endeavor.

I've got the cleaner; Brian (my barber) gave it to me today when I mentioned actually making sure the machine was workable once I replaced everything. It seems to work; spit out watery stuff intermittently as I cycled the cleaning solution through- since there was no actual soap involved, I suspect this is normal. Motor's got a bit of a high-pitched grind at the end; it I can get to it it may benefit from a few drops of oil. Found a heating element for like $8, but I'll google up that stuff as well as a schematic would be nice.

Both times I've been for a hot shave he's made a superlather using this machine's soap and a cream whose name escapes me at the moment. Works like a dream, so as my shave den expands I'll probably experiment with it for that purpose as well.

If memory serves, Joel has some ancient reviews(or maybe just postings) on the forum regarding the Lather King. I think it was mostly positive. It is worth a search. I am sure there was nothing on repair though.

Regards, Todd

I use one once in a while. It makes a nice soft lather, which feels great, but the heat disappears quickly. Since I am only shaving one man, I plug it in about an hour before each shave. I prefer my stick and brush or lather shave cream and brush, but once in a while the hot lather is a nice change of pace. Since you know how to repair them, would you tell me how to clean mine?

The idea of a hot lather machine is enticing. Anyone know how long the soap lasts in the machine??

For an expanded drawing of the Latherizer, do a Google search on Images. That drawing will lead you to a supplier of parts. (There are several, so check shipping costs as well for the best price.)
I repaired a Latherizer for a local barber and I am now waiting for a new heating element I ordered. Pay a lot of attention how you remove the old element so you will remember how to insert the new one.
When I fist got the machine, it was completely disassembled in a box. Another party had examined it and declared it “junk.” I tested the motor and the heating element and both were good. I ordered new parts, cleaned it out and got it working.
The heating element is now burned out and now I’m not really sure if I put it in correctly. Anyway, I’ll give it a try and hope for the best. Good luck with your project. The drawing will help a lot and it has the part numbers listed as well.

Whoa! Thread going back five years!
How about that!
And, Welcome Sir Hamguy!!

sarimento1 said:

Whoa! Thread going back five years!

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I was so happy to find this site,I didn't even notice the date! Thanks for the welcome!

what kind of alcohol is in latherizer cleaner?

mike72 said:

what kind of alcohol is in latherizer cleaner?

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The material safety data sheet (from a supplier on line):
Ethanol (SDA 40B)
CAS# 64-17-5
OSHA PEL 1000 ppm
Percentage of weight :66.46

I just use 70% off the shelf isopropyl . I am unclear on the percentage of what, but the instructions say 4 cap fulls to a soap cup of water which works for me.

Buford said:

The material safety data sheet (from a supplier on line):
Ethanol (SDA 40B)
CAS# 64-17-5
OSHA PEL 1000 ppm
Percentage of weight :66.46

I just use 70% off the shelf isopropyl . I am unclear on the percentage of what, but the instructions say 4 cap fulls to a soap cup of water which works for me.

Click to expand...

I'd imagine 66.46% alcohol by weight (not by volume)