After reading this http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/overlathering-i-know-you-do-it-pics.33226/ I realized Carl Jung was right: "Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible." I'm a confirmed face latherer. I wasn't always this way. Here's my story... I remember as a lad playing with my father's can of Barbasol foam. I built a huge foam beard, played with the peaks, and still fondly remember the smell. Since then, I have a hard time seeing the point of face meringue. I'll not deny it's fun, but the appeal from my salad days eludes me. Skipping my earliest shaving days and the torture of twin blade cartridges, I will say it didn't take me long to convert to an electric razor. It didn't produce real smooth results, but neither did it turn my neck to hamburger... much. You see, I have a rather tough beard and semi-sensitive skin. It was the best I could do for about 30 years. My son got me into wet shaving. I funded half of the initial startup costs. He was content. I was taken by the ADs — all of them — but I'll get to the point. I was happily trying brushes, soaps, and creams, merrily working them in first the VDH green bowl and later a white mug from the thrift store. Though I never approached the plethoric peaks of the overlatherers, I had (for me) copious quantities of face foam. Then I tried Arko. It felt akward at first, but the straight-to-face of Arko appealed to me. I also discovered the extra brush-to-face pleasure of whipping the Arko from a nearly invisible film to a nice opaque coating of razor-zooming slickness: it feels great! My bowl sat idle. Even extended rotations move to the next in line and the siren song of other soaps lured me. I went back to the usual routine until... there I was, whipping up a favorite in its container, preparing to transfer to the bowl. The brush was well loaded and ready for the bowl. It needed a nice spinkle of water to get the foam started, but I paused. I stared at the brush, locked in one of those suspended moments of momentous decision. The brush felt heavy and dense, the soap a thick, pasty film. I swirled and brushed. My face looked like an in-process picture from Arko week. I knew it would work. I ran my brush under a thin trickle of hot water. Its character changed on my skin. The dense, clumpy boar's hair now floated across my skin. Spreading bristles danced and massaged. Translucent paste darkened and formed a comforting layer, 3 or 4mm thick. The razor glided. Jung could have been a face latherer. We aren't quite shunned by the larger community, but we lack the evidence to claim bragging rights: no photos of overflowing bowls or whippy dip brushes; few disciples asking for tips on face lathering; few secret recipes for fomenting foam. However, the road less traveled has its high points. There are benefits to joining the silent minority: we claim the quiet pride of saving time and the sybarite's pleasure of face sensation.
OK I will face lather today as well. However, when the outside temp approaches 50 degrees, it is back to my scuttle for me.
Very nice. Being a newb, I have only face lathered. At this point in my Wet Shaving journey, I see no reason to do anything but face lather. After all it's all about me and my personal time.
And if you've never tried pizza, how do you know if you would like it or not? (asks the person who prefers to bowl lather )
Point taken. So for my first shave in the new house it will be TSD Wheat Shaving Cream Lavender Tea Tree bowl lathered. Then a TSD Lavender Aftershave Splash and a then some TSD Lavender Cologne.
Great post! You said nobody asks fit you'd on it, but I'm going to ask: what are your tips on face lathering?
Chuck, I'm glad you liked my exercise in creative writing. I had fun and trusted the good folks at TSD to receive it in the proper spirit. (Thanks, gang!) It is going to be difficult to top the advice you recently received here: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/face-lathering-woes.34434/ but I'll add my two cents for soaps, which probably just echo the link above (I like creams well enough, but just groove on soap!)... 1. load the brush - Have you ever painted anything (miniatures or maybe even a wall) using the "dry brush" method? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drybrush I have and, though it is a little tough to compare paint and shave soap, I think my "about right" loaded shave brush resembles the "about right" loaded paint brush for dry brushing paint. The loaded brush texture and "clumpiness" is similar, though acrylic paint and soap properties are different. If you haven't drybrushed, this tip may as well be Greek, I guess. 2. add the water - I first "sneaked up" on the water. I set the tap to the merest trickle and quickly waved my brush through. Work your face. Repeat. The worst that happens is you get too much water (which runs down your chin to neck) and have to load more soap (and wipe your chest!). I didn't like wiping my chest (interrupted my focus!), so sped through the trickle really fast until I started developing a feel for how much water. It's a case of "You have to go through to get through," but you will develop a sense for it. Trial and error. 3. let go of the fluffy foam face - Though Monkeylord (and others?) can overlather on just the face, I find the foam creeping past my preferred borders for my beard (up the nose, anyone?). I sacrifice mountainous peaks for greater control. It could be my lack of talent showing through, but there you go... 4. keep it wet - Dunk your razor. A lot! Fluff carries more water, so adding it as you go can really make a difference! Keep ahead of the "oh, that feels a little dry" sensation... but try to stay behind the "oh, it's dripping down my neck again" sensation, too! It ain't much, but it's what I got. Caveat emptor, brother! AND... to quote the Foam Meister himself: "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."
I used to bowl lather exclusively. Then I ordered an Arko stick, followed by a Derby stick, followed by a Spiek stick, followed by a Palmolive stick etc., etc. the next thing I knew, it had been quite a while since I used a bowl. Then I moved on to MWF (works much better when face lathered, or so I have been told) I have never looked back. I haven't used a bowl in about six months or so. I don't see any reason to go back. To each his or her own and all that, I just don't miss the bowl at all.
Glad to see you've found your preferred lathering technique maltedmilk... Another thing about face lathering is that with a very small amount of effort you can make any soap puck into a stick..By simply putting it into an old deoderant holder or buying a new holder thats just for making puck soap into stick soap, so you have endless variety..You can find many posts here about doing it... I'm glad your enjoying using a stick so much and face lathering!! Although I could never find love face lathering,I just need my bowl to find happiness .... I can definately see the many advantages of using a stick...
Yesterday, I did the face lather thing with Col. Conk's Lime Shaving Soap and my Parker Best Badger brush. It had been a long while since I had face lathered, and I must say that I really enjoyed making lather on the face. It was every bit as good as TOBS cream that I bowl lather. It was smooth and rich. And, I did it with a badger brush. I did two passes and touch ups, and still had lather left in the brush. For the foreseeable future, I am face lathering. The bowl is getting a rest.
Welcome to the dark side 2No...wait! ... I mean welcome to the path of enlightenment. Your fellow padawan and Road Less Travelled pilgrim, MM
