newbie with "operator error"...!

Hi, and it's good to be here! I'm a new convert to DE shaving - and so far, I love it! Well, except that I can't create a good lather to save my life, that is. I've always wanted to grow a beard, but have to have a clean face for work (could have a mustache, but my better-half doesn't like it)...and my 19 year old college student got me into the DE thing!

So, I've been at it for a couple weeks is all, what I have is:

Edwin-Jagger DE89bl razor
Parker Safety Razor Silver Tip brush
DR Harris Arlington soap

I absolutely LOVE the smell of the soap. A couple of times I think I've gotten close to a good lather, and I do enjoy the smoothness of the blade on that soap!

I'm not sure about the brush, however. I guess it's because I'm new, but it seems to "splay" out so much. When I'm holding it directly above the soap bowl (wooden DR Harris bowl), it is just about as wide as the bowl. I'm not sure how much pressure to put on the brush while trying to load it - it doesn't take much downward pushing to get it all the way splayed out. But, if I"m not pushing down at all, it seems like I'm not getting much soap on the brush to lather with.

Really, REALLY, need help here - I've watched you tube videos until I can't stand it anymore. I've "practiced" until my wrist is tired. I do prefer the bowl to lather in - can't seem to get the brush to work in a cup, it is so big. Don't like the hand job... , I think I wouldn't mind face lathering, but believe the bowl would be best for me.

Can you help a newbie out? My "technique" so far is: soak brush while showering. Empty bowl, and gently squeeze the brush out - perhaps shake it a few times as well. I swirl on the DR Harris puck for about a minute (have gone as long as 2 min. while experimenting). Then take the brush to the bowl, and try to get a lather. The lather "explosions" I see in the videos is amazing. I'm lucky to get some white stuff to show up. Then, it seems that when I go to shave, the lather on one side of my face dries and shrivels while I'm shaving the first side. I tried adding a bit of water today, and it seemed to help a bit, but then seemed too thin.

I could use some assistance, oh wise and experienced ones!

Thanks!

Gary

 

I would suggest "Use More Product". If you choke up on the bristles you will get less splay when loading soap. Grab half the bristles and poke the soap like you are mad at it. Some soaps are hard enough that a couple drops of water left on will soften, or bloom the product.
As you are new to wet shaving, some aspects will take time to learn. Trying to lather and hurry through shaving doesn't help you to learn. When applying lather do one quarter of your face at a time. A cheek, the other cheek, side of neck, other side of neck. This has a name around here, The @Norcalnewb Baseball Lathering Pattern, or acronymed to NBLP.
If you would like some daily reassurance, tips , and tricks; Join us in the 30 Day Rule/ Focus group. All range of shavers from new shavers to old hands. Everyone striving to enhance their shaving experience.

 

Welcome to TSD, @firecaptain2009!

When using a hard soap, I often like to bloom it while my brush is soaking, like @RyX mentions. I will put a teaspoon or two of hot tap water to soak on the puck while I am in the shower. I then try to get my brush fairly dry after its soak. It will pick up all the water on the puck if soap while loading. A common phrase around here is to load like it owes you money.

It sounds like you will have to keep expirementing a bit to get the water ratio correct. As @RyX mentioned, I have found applying lather in sections of my face helps if I found it drying. I kind of split it up like a baseball diamond.

Glad you are here. Lots of friendly folks that can really help out.

 

Welcome to The Den @firecaptain2009
I usually start making lather like you do (on the dryer side), and then after whisking 10-20 seconds I dip my fingertips in water, let it drip into the bowl and start whisking again. If I don't see enough build in the lather after 10-20 seconds. I dip my fingers in water again and repeat until it has the right consistency.
Soaps and creams have varying degrees of thirst - some you can splash a lot of water on straight away and get away with it, others you ease it in a little at a time. How fast they dry up also varies, but you've gotten some good advice about that here already.

 

Welcome to TSD. The previous 3 posts had excellent advise. I start by blooming the soap, adding a little hot water on top, while I shower. I shake out most of the water and load the soap and then load a little more. Start lathering either bowl or face and dip the tips of the bristles in water and keep lathering. It takes more water than you would think.

 

Oh, and Welcome @firecaptain2009 ! I didn't realize this was your First Post.
Plenty of folks will be along to express their joy at having you join us. That's something great about this forum. You may be new to wet shaving, but you bring new insights to our group.
I looked up the products you mentioned. The Parker Safety Razor Silver Tip brush is a badger brush. I own three boar, but only one badger. Boar brushes are stiffer because of the properties of the bristles. The badger might be better called hair and do require different loading technique. Not changing my above suggestion, but reinforcing it.
Especially after looking up DR Harris Arlington soap. Good choice from the reviews I read. While your brush doesn't require soaking to soften the bristles, that soap might benefit from a sprinkle of water to soften.
When you have questions use that search box. Feel free to start a new thread if you don't find answers. Plenty of opinions, and even real information around here.

 

Hello and welcome to TSD! A lot of excellent advice above. I'm fairly new to wet shaving and I had a difficult time at first. @Norcalnewb had great advice, lather the soap like it owes you money. I also found once I started using a bowl with ridges in it I made even more lather. The advice above about blooming the soap works for me also. I am not familiar with your soap but I had one that would not lather no matter what I tried. Maybe try another soap because it sounds like you are doing it correctly. Good luck!

 

Hello and @firecaptain2009 plenty of good advise already. Enjoy!

 

Great advice all around. Welcome to TSD!

 

I have a Parker badger brush as well. It's black handle with a chrome base, it too splays out like yours and the reason I don't use use it. Currently I use a synthetic brush that came with trader joes shaving kit and I'm planning on buying a boar brush.

 

Welcome to theshaveden, my friend.

I have a few soaps that lather up nice giving a decent volume of lather. But I admit, nothing like some of the pictures I have seen or on vids. VDH lathers the quickest for me. It's cheap and can be bought at many retailers locally. I have the pink version, which isn't my favorite scent, but I'll admit it works well.

Some soaps, I can only manage a pasty lather, or it just gets too thin to use. I'm using boar and synthetic brushes, btw. I might be just too impatient. Today I tried real hard to get a lather out of Italian barber soap with my omega synthetic brush. No dice. Loaded brush well, worked in bowl for well over a minute, adding drops of water, but never got anything lather like. Just a thick slick layer on the bowl. Past experince told me more water was going to just get things too thin to be usable. So I went to face lathering. Somewhat better, but no peaks or bits of lather you could blow off your fingertips.

I've spent months trying to get my soaps to behave. Without adding a bit of shave creme to 'super lather', it's just not happening for me. A few behave, most don't. Ironically, VDH and cheapo Williams give the best lather results. I've tried a few shaveden products and they are a close second on the physical results of lathering.

I don't have the hardest water in the world here, but I'm pretty sure my mineral content is on the high side. I'm not ready to buy distiller water for shaving at this point, because....

Here's the good news. I still get great shaves. I would like to have fluffy clouds of lather to reward my trials of attempts to reach lather nirvana. But as long as I get a thick (consistency) layer on my beard, it works. I don't need 1/2" of lather on my face to get a great shave. After all the blade is right at the skin, and anything between the blade and the mirror isn't helping much.

A few months in, I decided I was fretting too much over the lather thing. Trying this and that, working hard at it. Energy put in did not match outcome results. Since I was getting good shaves, I stopped worrying about it. 1/8" of lather works for me. As with all things shaving, ymmv.

Again welcome!

 

Hello! Welcome!
Don't be afraid to add more water. That is a common beginner issue and it is not the beginner's fault. The "pros" tell them to start with a very dry brush. Then they caution them to be careful of adding water so it doesn't turn "runny."
My advice is start with a wetter brush for now, and don't be afraid of adding water. If the lather gets too wet, you can always add more soap to your brush.

 

When it comes to whipping up a lather using any advice given, know...

1 you may not have the same brush size
2 you may not have the same brush material
3 what you consider damp may be what others consider dry, and some consider wet
4 you may not have the same soap
5 your water may be harder, or softer than theirs
6 your idea of how much pressure is too much may be different than theirs
7 because of all these variables, if they say you should swirl for 2 minutes, you may need only 1 minute, maybe 3 minutes, or more

Try all the suggestions, but you'll only find what works for you and the tools you have is through trial and error.

 

Welcome to TSD! Glad you found us.

 

Lots of good suggestions.

 

Welcome firecaptain, I am sure you will be happy here it's a great forum, it may be your water in your area, hard water? Once I lived out in the boondocks and had a well and that was the best water for lather ever. So welcome again ! Mike

 

Welcome! There is nothing wrong with anything in your kit, your brush is kinda on the softer end while your soap is on the harder. This makes things a bit more difficult, but totally doable. Several options:

1.) Put this puck of soap in a mug and load it old school. There are videos to show lathering on top of your soap.

2.) Keep doing what you have been doing, but make sure your brush is just damp when you load. Try to envision scritchyness, scraping soap up off of the puck and gathering in your brush. Add very small amounts of water as needed.

3.) Watch this video. It is one of the best and simplest I have ever seen.

4.) If these don't seem to help, go to step 5 and 6

5.) Buy a softer soap to "get the hang of it" for a while. Cella and Proraso tubs are great, Chiseled Face would be a great artisan to go with.

6.) Buy a stiffer brush to "get the hang of it" for a while. Just about any Omega boar can be had for less than $15, and they will have a lot stiffer bristles, which will help to load soap.

 

Welcome @firecaptain2009 to TSD. All of your questions will be answered right here. Enjoy your time on this Forum.

 

Welcome. Great advice.

 

Welcome to TSD