Post Your Shave Stick Lathering Techniques

[Scotto]

Hi, Gents. I thought it would be nice if we had a few sticky posts on how to lather various shaving items. I think new folks might find it useful. Let's start with shave sticks. Here is what I do:

1. Shower first, as usual.
2. Fill lathering bowl with wicked hot water and leave it in the sink
3. Soak brush (my favorite for this purpose being the Edwin jagger for C&E best badger, though any brush will work)
4. Get face nice and soaking wet
5. Rub that shave stick aggressively against the grain, all over the face.
6. Shake out brush well (otherswise water flies all over the place)
7. Start working that soap into lather.
8. As needed, dip bristle tips into bowl already filled with water in sink (step #2), then keep working the face until lather begins to form
9. Dump out water in bowl, then hit that bowl with the soap-filled brush for a bit. Gobs of gorgeous lather ensue.
10. Future passes are no problemo given the amount of lather in the brush/bowl

Using this technique, I can easily produce enough lather to last many, many passes.

I know others have their little tricks (Rik, Nick, etc.) - let's get them in one place!

[HlSheppard]

I use your technique, Scotto. The only difference is that I will also scrub the brush against the shave stick as well to give it a nice "loading" of soap.

[atnight]

Originally Posted by Scotto

Hi, Gents. I thought it would be nice if we had a few sticky posts on how to lather various shaving items. I think new folks might find it useful. Let's start with shave sticks. Here is what I do:

1. Shower first, as usual.
2. Fill lathering bowl with wicked hot water and leave it in the sink
3. Soak brush (my favorite for this purpose being the Edwin jagger for C&E best badger, though any brush will work)
4. Get face nice and soaking wet
5. Rub that shave stick aggressively against the grain, all over the face.
6. Shake out brush well (otherswise water flies all over the place)
7. Start working that soap into lather.
8. As needed, dip bristle tips into bowl already filled with water in sink (step #2), then keep working the face until lather begins to form
9. Dump out water in bowl, then hit that bowl with the soap-filled brush for a bit. Gobs of gorgeous lather ensue.
10. Future passes are no problemo given the amount of lather in the brush/bowl

Using this technique, I can easily produce enough lather to last many, many passes.

I know others have their little tricks (Rik, Nick, etc.) - let's get them in one place!

Honestly, I do the exact same thing!

However, if I'm travelling, I leave out the bowl and either reapply with the stick or use the lather from the brush.

-bill

[rtaylor61]

Previously, my technique was to melt the shave stick down into a bowl! However, Sue's post about the damage the could be done slowed me down on that. Now that I have Sue's New Spice shave stick, I pretty much do as Scotto suggested, however, so far I havent' used a bowl.

Randy

[Nick]

I'll do the same as Howard (#7):

1. Soak brush in super hot water.
2. Fill bowl with super hot water.
3. Embarassingly remember that I don't use the bowl with the shave stick, and dump it back out.
4. Wet my face and proceed to rub the shaving stick agressively all over.
5. Pull brush out of mug full of hot water, and put the razor in so it'll warm up (cold metal razor on warm face = bleh).
6. Flick a little bit of water out of the brush. I'm a firm believer that this is one of the reasons the stick is so great, because it takes care of the water ratio for the most part, excess water drains from the brush into the sink as I smash it against my face, instead of draining into a bowl and mucking up the works (at least, that's the case for me).
7. "Prime the Pump" by swirling the brush around the stick a decent amount.
8. Rub face with brush in circular motions until I get a beautiful lather.
9. I have a problem with going overboard, so for successive passes, I re-wet my face, rub some more shave stick over it, and then work the brush on my face a little bit more.

-Nick

[Shermdog]

I lather my Shave stick right on the face. I think it defeats the purpose to whip it out in a bowl after rubbing your face with the stick. Its great for a speedy lather and I have no problem getting a thick full lather this way...enough for several passes.

[Sue]

I have converted my husband and sons to wet-shaving. One son uses my shave stick in the shower. He has asked me if he is using it correctly so this is a very interesting thread. Apparently he isn't. He just rubs the shave stick up and down over his beard, then shaves. He has tried using his brush and working up a lather. He has tried this method a couple of times but says he gets a much better shave by NOT making a lather with the brush. He feels the brush dilutes some of the lubricity. Has anyone tried this way of using a shave stick? Is he maybe using too much water on the brush? My husband just doesn't like them, period.
Sue

[TomH]

Hello,

that sounds great but it isn't the way I use my stick, btw. the only shave-stick I use is the ARKO and my course of action is the follow.

-I cut off a piece, round about 1,5cm make it a little wet and glue it on the bottom of the bowl

-with the wet badger-brush I stir upun the soap piece, that gives me enough lather to make two shave passes

-at the end I only wipe the rest of lather with one finger out

that's all...

Thomas

[rtaylor61]

Originally Posted by Sue

I have converted my husband and sons to wet-shaving. One son uses my shave stick in the shower. He has asked me if he is using it correctly so this is a very interesting thread. Apparently he isn't. He just rubs the shave stick up and down over his beard, then shaves. He has tried using his brush and working up a lather. He has tried this method a couple of times but says he gets a much better shave by NOT making a lather with the brush. He feels the brush dilutes some of the lubricity. Has anyone tried this way of using a shave stick? Is he maybe using too much water on the brush? My husband just doesn't like them, period.
Sue

Originally, I didn't like the shave sticks. I melted them. But your shave stick is wider and easier to use in it's original format. Having only tried the shave sticks from QED, when I recieved yours, I looked at it and thought "this is messed up". But then I used it. Straight on the face and then used the brush to build the lather. I would suggest that your son shake as much water as possible out of the brush and then try. Since he is in the shower, adding water won't be a problem. I think your shave stick is great, although you might want to add a couple of labels in big bold print that say NOT DEODORANT! And no, I've not made that mistake!

Randy

[guenron]

Originally Posted by Sue

I have converted my husband and sons to wet-shaving. One son uses my shave stick in the shower. He has asked me if he is using it correctly so this is a very interesting thread. Apparently he isn't. He just rubs the shave stick up and down over his beard, then shaves. He has tried using his brush and working up a lather. He has tried this method a couple of times but says he gets a much better shave by NOT making a lather with the brush. He feels the brush dilutes some of the lubricity. Has anyone tried this way of using a shave stick? Is he maybe using too much water on the brush? My husband just doesn't like them, period.
Sue

Greetings Sue,
I occassionaly will use a shave stick without the benefit of a brush. These occassions also happen to coincide with forgetting to bring a brush, or being cranky and not feeling as though I should get into a greater lather.
While I can only speak for my experiences with the QED shave sticks, I find I get a good, presentable shave, but I miss out on the joy of the lather and the explosion of the fragrance that accompanies the lathering process.

[Sue]

I understand what you are saying about lathering up. In comparison to with/without brush....do you notice a difference in the quality of the shave?
Sue

[Scotto]

I have shaved on occasion with the stick without using a brush. It gives an adequate shave, but I find the soap tends to clog the razor too easily. I prefer to use the brush to whip things up.

I'll also concur with Randy in that I used to dislike the sticks. Now I regret melting most of mine down.

[bigDee]

bump

[TraderJoe]

I usually do stick to face first, but whipping the brush around on the stick then moving to bowl or face works well too (albeit a very messy process).


Anybody else care to share your QED stick lathering methods? I'd be interesting in any new/different ways of using them...

[Tinzien]

I go against Charles's instructions and let the stick roam over my face far more than three times before starting to build my lather. My nose gets a vacation and my brush gets a chance to warm up some more in my moss scuttle.

When I build lather I use a hot brush from the scuttle and start at the neck before working up to my cheeks. Generally I will build, let the lather sit for 30 seconds and then continue to build. My brush is not soaked but does the trick because it all seems to balance out quite well.

[Elmo]

Thanks to all. I got a shave stick dor travel(hoping I could take it abord an airplane) but then realized I hadn't a clue about how to properly use it.

Now I do.

[javyn]

I don't have any shave sticks, but I think I'm going to get one of my pucks of soap and try it this way.

[guenron]

Originally Posted by javyn

I don't have any shave sticks, but I think I'm going to get one of my pucks of soap and try it this way.

Please inform us of your results. Without a soap formulated for rub-on application, you may also wish to inform us of your recovery..

[moses]

curious to hear how it works too. But I don't see any reason it wouldn't. I doubt Charles specially formulated his for stick application; I imagine he just poured the same good stuff he had been pouring into tubs into the stick. The point seems to be just getting some somewhere to be lathered, and I think by rubbing any kind of soap on your face for a while, you'd get enough to do the job.

[guenron]

Originally Posted by moses

curious to hear how it works too. But I don't see any reason it wouldn't. I doubt Charles specially formulated his for stick application; I imagine he just poured the same good stuff he had been pouring into tubs into the stick. The point seems to be just getting some somewhere to be lathered, and I think by rubbing any kind of soap on your face for a while, you'd get enough to do the job.

I guess I must take issue with your opinion.. Please try rubbing your face with a triple milled soap for a while and relate your results.