I have been making a reasonable lather for years just by dipping the tips in water and stirring brush in a bowl. I was watching IAMCDB on Youtube videos and Chris can crank out a nice hydrated lather. So I had a small 50 ml sprayer and it pushes out a fine mist and thought why not and I like to bowl lather. I was curious and tried the mister and I can tell you it will knock your lather up a notch. The mist smaller droplets hits a larger area of the soap and seems to keep a little less air out of the lather (foam). He is the first person I seen using the mister on his face and he is open about using it with his lather making. He has around 3 different tutorials on this subject for those lather keeners. Any ways why not pass it along for folks who have a minute or two to create a nicer rich creamy lather. All I do is press some soap in my bowl, pour some warm water in the bowl and dump. With a damp brush all I do is what I usually do is stir and as the lather gets a little pasty I just mist instead of dip the tips and repeat about 6-8 times and Walla just nice hydrated lather. It will take a few 1-2 minutes more time but it is worth the effort I believe if time allows. I picked Cyril R Salter Indian cream with a Yaqi 2 band badger just for demonstration purposes that any brush will work. This morning used a boar brush with Razorock Don Marco croap and lather was excellent using this little mister. Creams are one of the hardest to mix in a bowl and it was just easier to get a nice lather with it. Anyone else using a mister or other techniques. I thought I would try this on NEW Williams Mug soap and had good results. The secret to Williams soap is less water and more a pastier cream and this mister will work well for this soap IMO. I give the soap a quick dunk of water and then dumped the water out of the lather bowl and with my damp Omega 10005 22 mm boar started mixing and spraying for a few minutes. Like I mentioned Williams does not like airy lather and a pastier cream works very well for less dissipation of lather I have found. If a person likes to scrub you need a pastier lather to not introduce a lot of air to lather is my opinion. I did apply lather to my face you see in photo and it did not dissipate is my findings, it could of been pastier possibly but I'm bowl lathering. Williams Mug soap is a good test for this mister method because it works well. Painting lather also allows less air to Williams Mug lather but I like to scrub a little and it still worked well. Have some great shaves!
Most interesting. I voted “dip the tips” but I usually only do that after applying lather to my face and finding it too dry. My method for starting is a wet brush and then if I need to add water I dip my fingers in the sink and flick it into the bowl/mug. Now that I think about it, it might be more of a dribble than a flick. I’ve got plenty of spray bottles so I might have to give this a try.
I think it is worth the try, it is kind of enjoyable to get a nice lather with lots of moisture in it. A fine mist works the best I believe.
I am an IAMCDB (Chris Bailey) fan. However, I am not a fan of using the mister. If it works for you, then that's great! I use my brush to wet my whiskers. It serves 3 purposes. First, it wets my beard! Second, it releases the excess water in the brush onto my face. Finally, the brush is still somewhat wet which is good to get an airy preshave lather. I just keep on adding soap not water (I have more than enough with my method) until I get my desired lather.
I use the mister mostly for lather generating of lately in my bowl, There are so many different ways to generate lather and it is up to operator of the brush to find his niche making his or her lather like all of us have. I use a dedicated Yaqi 24mm cashmere synthetic brush for the last 2 years for just pre- shave routine of brush washing my whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser and really enjoy that part of my daily routine( I use 2 different brushes ever shave most of the time). It works and as I bump along I some times come across a way of doing something better possibly. Maybe misting my lather is another part of my routine? I have been experimenting with difficult soaps that can be finicky and results are indicating better results so far. Oh well like I mentioned I can always go back to dipping my brush tips like the last 4 years with mostly good results. Have some great shaves!
Hi Ron I just noticed that you have coins in your bowl. Do they help build a lather ? I’m wondering if having them in there are acting as is if the bowl has ridges. Paul D
I have been making lathering bowl improvements for 4 years and this arrangement I like the best. I press most of the soap between the coins so the soap does not give clumps up in the lather as swirling and stroking the soaps & creams. The ridges are smooth and agitate the whiskers better IMO. 4 years ago, folks did not have 3D printers for making bowls and finding my bowl online was not available unless you knew some one who did pottery. I use JB Weld marine grade and it works the best I have found. I use Q-tips with alcohol to wipe up any excess around the coins. I have a jar out side in the elements with a nickel epoxied for 3 years and it gets rained on, direct sunshine, -40C to +40c and it is still holding like the day I started the experiment with JB Weld. This bowl has not had any nickels come lose for the last 3 years using JB Weld and I'm very happy with this handle to hold the bowl(it is a Fondo bowl that came with lid). I even have a spare Fondo bowl if this one happens to break that is identical.
This morning I mixed up some Haslinger Schafmilch and I have used dipping the tips for years and is a easy soap to generate a good lather with any method . I used the mister and results were very good with rich hydrated creamy lather with nice testing peaks on the face. I use to make lather in a quick in 1.5 minutes and know it takes a few minutes more as I refine my procedure. When I was mixing my Schafmilch I was thinking it would be interesting how MWF soap would work with a mister because folks can have issues with it. The two soaps use Lanolin and sheep's milk in their soaps, I do not have MWF soap to tinker with. Have some great shaves!
I went and bought a water mister at the dollars store $2.50 Canadian that pushes a little more volume. 1 squirt equals sprayed in the palm of the hand is about approximately 6 + drops of water equivalent spread evenly over the soap base. You do not need anything real fancy IMO for a mister. I had some remnants of soap left in the bowl from yesterday and quickly whipped up some great Haslinger Schafmilch lather. ( Still tinkering) Great results if you have a few extra minutes usually, good way to bowl lather if your having lather problems IMO or Newbie trying bowl lathering or just enjoy near perfect hydrated lather. The lather spraying is a good way to make a great rich creamy hydrated, peaked lather fairly quickly for most folks. A different way of making lather from many different methods of bowl lathering. Have some great shaves!
Because there is 3 shaving tools when bowl lathering with a mister, bowl, brush & mister and we have only two hands to do the task and if you have ceramic bowls or scuttles you do not want to break them. One of the fellows who has been experimenting with the mister places a wash cloth on the vanity and then places the bowl on the cloth and finds it a better way of mixing. All I have been doing mostly is gripping my brush between fingers holding the bowl at the same time with reasonable ease, if a person has copper or plastic bowls it should not be a worry of breakage. Oh the joys of experimenting with lathering differently does bring some cautions I guess.( having some fun to break up my routine) Have some great shaves!
I Puck lather. I just add a bit of water on the soap while my brush soaks, shake brush, start lather, adding water as needed by dipping brush or fingers in the water filled sink. My soaps Cella, Vitos (kilos) and Arko stick (bowl pressed) simply make lotsa fast great lather just building on the puck. I like the idea of the coins glued to the bottom of a bowl, it would be a new way of making lather for me.