Very nice guide, I've had small issues with making enough lather to make 3 to 4 passes, but with this I should be good to go now!
Wow, this is as valuable a guide as exists, in my admittedly limited experience. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to put this together.
Nice post. I am using a puck without a cup so i do everything in the bowl with the puck in it. Will have to get a shaving cup to do it right. Had the best most comfortable shave. The pre-shave ritual (showering, then shaving really helped). Keep up the great posts. I won't be a newbie for long with such great advice. Jeff
There is no "right" way. If you're getting the results you like, then there is just "your" way Back when I started here we had a few folks who insisted that their way was the only way, the best way, etc. and if you weren't doing it their way, you were doing it wrong. That's when I came back with, "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way." Funny, but those folks aren't around any more
There are bowl pucks and cup pucks and everything in-between. English soaps are generally bowl sized soaps, and American soaps are generally cup sized. Never thought about it that way before.
Question: Will I get better lather from a small mug that holds the puck tighter, or can I use the larger cheap ceramic mug I already own? Either way I'll be coming back here when my soap arrives...thanks for sharing!
Thank you for a very helpful post I'm a newbie, learning to sahve DH with a DE razor as and experiment for getting him some kit for his birthday next month. I'm finding lathering difficult - we have very hard water here & will be looking for tips for dealing with that, as well as what works better for a lathering bowl..
I've heard that substituting your hard water for distilled water works. Just what I've heard - I've never tried it. But, hey, can't hurt, might help. As for a lathering bowl, just take a trip to your kitchen. A dessert bowl, a soup or chowder mug, a latte mug, a large coffee mug - whatever suits your fancy. They all work!
Thanks Swarden43 Used a very smooth bowl & wondered if a rough one helped - seems not Good idea on the water - I'll try boiled water to start with - see if it works. Cheers
There are hand-thrown pottery bowls out there made just for shaving - not really cheap, though. Many have ridges on the bottom that are reported to help create lather. I have one and I really don't see much of a difference.
Suribachi's are a lather builder's dream come true. They are the Japanese equivalent to a traditional mortar and pestle. They come in various sizes and the lower half of the bowl is textured, unglazed ceramic. Best of all, they are a fraction of the price of a top of the line scuttle.
Thank you, thats really useful as I'm also looking for bday/xmas gifts too. Also have devious plan forming that if his son comes to stay for a while over the holidays, I would like to have an inexpensive 'kit' ready in case he likes the idea of trying himself.
Update After 5 shaves - have a new slightly larger bristle (boar) brush which has made a big difference, also am finding part of it is technique/practice Also have added another lather/shaving product which is helping, hubby giving feedback on what feels better to him and slowly it's improving. Watching the videos have helped, but am finding one product seems to need loads more water to lather, than another - which hasn't helped when I didn't have the knack in the first place still feel like I'm getting there
Don't be afraid to practice. You can make lather without shaving. When I first started, I spent about 2 hours making lather, rinsing out the bowl and brush, and starting again. You'll waste at most $1.00 worth of product, and gain far more value than that in knowledge.
