Dry brush, I bloom my soap, maybe a couple of tablespoons of water, add water to brush tips as needed.
I tend to use a damp, but not wet brush. If I'm using a hard soap, the soap will also have some water on it before I start, but croaps and creams don't get any presoaking treatment. I find that if a brush is too wet when I start, it just makes a goopy mess and I can't load enough product. If a brush is too dry, it just forms a thick paste on the bristles that is difficult to work with. Either way can be fixed, but having the perfect amount of moisture in the brush to start helps to make the lather quickly the first time.
I soak my badger then shake out the excess water. I just add a bit of water to the Plisson Synthetic then add water slowly as I build the lather.
I soak my boar brush and soap along with my razor to cleanup anything left on it.....then a shake and lather up
Fairly wet. I soak for 30 or 40 seconds, most times. Just enough to get plenty of water in the brush. Then I shake it 3 or 4 times, depending on the brush I'm using. I want a fairly wet brush, but I don't want it to drip, and if I press it down on the puck I don't want water coming out of it.
Personally I get the best results soaking the brush, squeezing/shaking out enough water so the bristles are just damp, then adding water as needed while I lather. I have a hard time judging how wet the brush is just shaking it out a few times, so I was ending up with runny lather fairly often. I don't like dry brush though because I feel like my brush is more scritchy if I don't soak it and it's easier to load damp. That last bit could all be in my head, but that's how I feel. Omega boar and mug lathering, btw.
Soak in hot water while I shower then one shake. I also put a little hot water on the puck if I'm using a hard puck. With my wet brush I load for 1 minute. I'm a four pass shaver so I need to make allot of lather. I'll add water or soap as necessary.
I soak my badgers while I shower and then shake excess water off (3-4 shakes). Synthetics I just dip, shake the excess off and go (3-4 shakes).
I'm mostly a boar brush user. I soak the brush and the soap in warm water while I'm in the shower. (5-10 min.) Remove the soap and drain the water, then remove the brush and give it 2 or three brisk shakes. When I'm loading soap into the brush, I want to see a thick paste or gel developing, never bubbles or actual lather. I add water later as needed. I guess I'm more of a dry/damp brush user.
Fairly dry. I only dip the tip of the brush in water and squeeze even that out. Then on to the soap and add water when lathering up.