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I'm lousy at face lathering

So I just got my Irisch Moos stick from superlather last night. This morning I pop a feather in my old type, grab the rooney 1/1 and try to face lather for the first time.

Oh man. I really need to learn to listen to the little voice that says "That lather looks thin. Do you really want to go ATG with a feather with that lather?"

I suppose I need a lot more practice. My neck is really angry now.

Note: The IM works fine and wasn't to blame. I whipped up a bowl of lather after the bad shave just to be sure. Looks/feels just like Tabac. Smells different.
 
I started out bowl lathering, but after receiving my scuttle I switched to face lathering. It definitely took me a while to get face lathering down pat.
 
It took forever and I thought my arm was going to fall off. I don't actually care to face lather regularly but I'd sure like to be able to if needed. Time for more practice with a gentler blade.
 
You'll definitely learn it, gents!
I have the opposite problem. I've face lathered for +30 years, and it gets perfect 99,8 percent of the time. A couple of months ago I started bowl lathering and now I really feel like a newbie.
Why can this be so difficult when face lathering is so easy (to me)?
There is only one reason I think: experience. And lathering in a bowl becomes easier and better now I think.
Let's keep up the good spirit and keep on keepin' on till we get our tecnique right. Whatever that tecnique may be :001_smile
Enjoy your weekend
cop
 
There's no reason to shave with crappy lather! It is easy to correct problems when face lathering. If the lather is thin, then add more soap, cream, or shave stick. If it is pasty then add water. The trick is to keep working with the brush and adding what's needed to create the rich lather that you want.
 
Owen

How long have you had the 1/1? That's my brush of preference, but it took about a week before it's ability really started to show.
 
There's no reason to shave with crappy lather! It is easy to correct problems when face lathering. If the lather is thin, then add more soap, cream, or shave stick. If it is pasty then add water. The trick is to keep working with the brush and adding what's needed to create the rich lather that you want.

Yep. :thumbsup: Its like a tailored lather for each pass.
 
A couple of other thoughts here...

I sometimes do a combination of face lathering and bowl lathering when lathering up. I'll start it in the bowl and improve the lather on face. I came across that method by accident when I realized what was happening as I worked the lather from the bowl into my beard.

So you can use face lathering as a way to improve the lather from the bowl. More water or cream, soap, or shave stick can be added at any point of the lathering process. And you can correct it during the shave as well, if need be.
 
There's no reason to shave with crappy lather! It is easy to correct problems when face lathering.
If the lather is thin, then add more soap, cream, or shave stick.
If it is pasty then add water.
The trick is to keep working with the brush and adding what's needed to create the rich lather that you want.


This should be a sticky.



'nuff said :cool:
 
There's no reason to shave with crappy lather! It is easy to correct problems when face lathering. If the lather is thin, then add more soap, cream, or shave stick. If it is pasty then add water. The trick is to keep working with the brush and adding what's needed to create the rich lather that you want.

+2 on this.
 
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More importantly Argh...how do you like the Moos?

The IM is pretty nice. It's exactly like Tabac but has a greenish mossy sort of scent. Not bad but it'll take a bit of getting used to.

Owen

How long have you had the 1/1? That's my brush of preference, but it took about a week before it's ability really started to show.

I got the 1/1 around New Year's. I like it quite a bit for soaps but it is a pain trying to lather creams :001_smile

I'm still mixed on it really. I wish it held a bit more lather and the handle is a bit small for my hands. It was pretty noticable during the face lathering since my hand started hurting. I do have pretty big hands and from the measurements I think the size two would be a bit more than I need.

A couple of other thoughts here...

I sometimes do a combination of face lathering and bowl lathering when lathering up. I'll start it in the bowl and improve the lather on face. I came across that method by accident when I realized what was happening as I worked the lather from the bowl into my beard.

I've done this many times. Some of them on purpose. It is occasionally easier for me to fine tune the lather on the face.
 
Did you read the face lathering tutorial?


Nope. I didn't. This was a last minute decision because I had forgotten the IM stick had arrived. When I went to choose a soap I was already at the sink and ready to go.

Having read it, I did accidentally follow it pretty closely. I'll try again soon enough!
 
You'll definitely learn it, gents!
I have the opposite problem. I've face lathered for +30 years, and it gets perfect 99,8 percent of the time. A couple of months ago I started bowl lathering and now I really feel like a newbie.
Why can this be so difficult when face lathering is so easy (to me)?
There is only one reason I think: experience. And lathering in a bowl becomes easier and better now I think.
Let's keep up the good spirit and keep on keepin' on till we get our tecnique right. Whatever that tecnique may be :001_smile
Enjoy your weekend
cop

+1 - I've done nothing but face lather for 10 years. I can't get soap to lather in a bowl...just can't. I can get great lather with cream in a bowl, but not soap. If I face lather with soap I have great lather and enough for 3 passes. Must be some sort of mental block :tongue_sm

Keep practicing...I am!

~Paul
 
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