So I jumped in and ordered a brush and some cream off amazon, (have yet to decide on a razor/blades) and used them for the first time with my fusion. I got the cheap tweezerman brush, and TOBS Avocado cream, from the badger and blade recommendations. The brush is comfy, the cream smelled nice, what could go wrong? I just didn't get that good a lather out of it, it kind of dried my face out, and wasn't all that smooth a glide. Also, I shampooed the brush to get some of the smell it came with out, I hope that's not gonna damage anything. So anyway, tips on improving the lather/razor suggesitons? Having read the stickies, I'm looking more for opinions than anything. Thanks guys
Since you preface your thread with the notion that you are looking for opinions: You may have not had enough water in your mix??? What did the end product look like when you were done? Shampooing the brush is okay as far as I know. Suggestions for a razor and blades....wow, that is a whole shave forum in itself.... Get a blade sampler and a Tech or a Super Speed if you are looking for vintage razors. If you want a new razor, I would steer you toward an EJDE89L or a Feather Portable.
Agree Most definitely agree with above post, get you a blade sampler pack from bullgooseshaving.com, can't go wrong. I find feathers, personas, gilette yellows and super-iridiums work good for me.
I agree with Jeff. I think the water ratio could be your problem. Try loading the brush and then slowly adding more water and whipping it up. You can continue to add more water and you'll be able to see the progression of the lather. My experience with TOBS is that it forms a sort of pre lather that looks like nice cushiony lather but is not slick enough to the touch. Adding a little more water past that yields the lather your looking for. You should be able to tell when you've gone too far as it will be foamy and thin. Don't be afraid to waste a little bit of cream in search of getting the proper lather. Also, your tactile feedback tells you a lot more about how it will shave then your eyes. Don't be afraid to rub a little between your fingers to feel the cushion and slickness. Every soap and cream is different in their water requirements and tolerances.
the end product looked.. bubbly? sort of like thick suds, but only very small bubbles. almost creamy. it took some work to get a decently thick layer on my face. I had soaked the brush in water, then shook it out forcefully a few times before lathering in a mug. The reason I said opinions, is that it seems most things having to do with razor/blade/cream/etc. choice really have no one answer, so trying to get something definitive would be fruitless. Should I split the razor choice off into another thread? I really think that lots of discussion of different ones isn't useful until I've tried one and have a basis for comparison, lol. Thanks for the advice thus far.
Well maybe you had too much lather. I like to give my brush a squeeze and a couple shakes and then start lathering. Like I said, some creams tolerate more water like proraso while others are very selective. Trial and error my friend.
I may have put too much emphasis on the opinion thing in my first reply, but I just wanted highlight that there will be varying degrees of opinion on your questions and those answers may not be exactly right for you... The earlier suggestion about not being concerned with wasting cream in order to figure out what it is that you need to do in order to get a good lather is a good suggestion. The tactile feedback is also a good suggestion and perhaps the best indicator of your end product. Some creams are more tolerant of extra water than others, I guess they have a "power band" of sorts... With soaps, it seems that there is only so much soap your brush is going to load with off the puck, so you really have to pay attention to the amount of water used. With creams, your snurdle size may vary from brand to brand and also between tubs and tubes, so you have both water and cream factors to work with. I have noticed that some people pick creams over soaps because they think a cream will lather easier than a soap. I think that both lather well, and perhaps the cream takes less manual effort than a soap, but in my opinion, it is more fun to lather a soap than a cream. There is more ritual involved and that is a big part of my enjoyment in our hobby. Oh, and on your question about splitting the razor suggestions into another thread, well, that is up to you. Have you seen this thread? Before choosing a razor, I think you need to decide if you want new or vintage first. Some people do not want a used razor, some people do not care. Some people want cheap, some people want high end. Some people have a budget, others do not. Some people want to buy every razor they can, others only want one. Or two. Or three. There are so many variables that it is difficult to point you in one specific direction. Which, if any of these variables apply to you?
I second Jeff's advice. He knows much in the ways of the wetshave. When I started out wetshaving I too had a problem with the lather. I began shaving with what I considered lather but after studying pics and videos I decided that what I was creating was actually a foamy sudsy mix (good for absolutely nothing). It took me a little bit to figure out what was the right amount of water and that will change with every cream and soap you try. You'll eventually get an eye for what you need to do. Also, a description of what you should end up with that really helped me realize I wasn't doing something right was that your lather should look like "little white mountain peaks that stand up on their on". I can't remember where I read that exactly but I benefited greatly from such a simple piece of info. Just practice and it'll all eventually come together. Good luck and welcome to "The Den"!!
More good stuff guys. I used my TOBS avocado last night to see if I could offer any more advice on it in particular. Moreover on the tactile feedback department, TOBS to me feels much thicker when you are in the initial stage of getting the cream deep into the bristles. With the TOBS I would say that I could "feel" when the lather was right when I was lathering with my brush hand. When I started feeling less resistance, I knew I was getting close to the right amount of water and mixing. Like another said, you can look at your peaks to see how close you are. I like soft peaks rather than stiff peaks that can hold rigid shapes. TOBS has the ability to form stiff peaks very early in the lathering process even when it isn't truly ready. Sorry if it seems like I am giving overly detailed or arbitrary information, but it is just my experience with TOBS.
Love those mantic videos. They can be really helpful. One thing I might say about that one is it takes me a little more time on the puck to get my brush loaded with a soap. It is related to my technique and brush I am sure, but it takes me about 10 seconds of puck time to get the tips frosted with soap. I don't know why I am telling you this in a thread about TOBS. Just arguing seMANTICs anyway.:happy102
Mantics videos really help watch them! With tobs I find there needs to be more water used than some of the other creams I use. My steps are: -Soak brush in hot water while showering -After shower shake brush 2-3 times but not to hard and dont squeeze the brush -Dip brush in tobs tub so bottom bristles have cream on them but does not have to be covered all the way -Put brush in lathering bowl and swirl a few times -Add some water from faucet just a little maybe 6-8 drops -Keep building later and watch how it builds, keep checking the brush and see if you have bubbles or if its thicker. -If you look at the brush side with the handle facing away from you the brush should be loaded in the center, if the center is dry and the outside of the brush is covered keep going. This is just what works for me listen to Jeff though he is the man and knows way more than I will ever know.
Wow, I'm amazed at all the responses, given me a lot of things to experiment with. I haven't actually shaved since my posts. Ended up with Exam Week scraggly beard. From your descriptions, I think I put too much water into the lather, ended up with suds. As for razors, I really have no preference as to vintage or new, but my budget for a razor is <$20 including S&H, at least for the first one. I'm ok with 3 piece onces, but was leaning towards a twist to open, simply because I have terrible luck when it comes to injury, and I'd prefer to handle the blade as little as possible . I'm the guy who always runs into littl blades of glue on cardboard boxes and plastic bags. The feather portable does look nice, the other one I liked the looks of, but was a bit pricy, was the long handle Merkur.
Have to love the forum lots of good insight and quick. If your trying to stay on a budget you might want to look at a super speed or a tech. In stingraysrocks signature he is selling super speeds and theres where I got my first one from. Also look at getting a blade sampler to try different ones and see whats best for you, I bought my sampler from bullgoose.
I shaved with my tobs lemon lime to make sure my steps where right. I did have to add water twice to get it right. I also took a pic of how your brush should look like with a good lather so you can use it for reference.
