Is there a trick to getting a synthetic brush to create a fence lather?...newbie to synthetic brushes.
make sure you have enough product loaded on the brush. Synthetics are softer and may require more time loading than a boar/badger. I usually push the brush so the bristles splay outwards to get product to and from the center. Very nice for face lathering as the bristles are soft.
With mine before starting I sort of shake most of the water off seems the brush holds a lot of water. Then if using a puck hit it hard for a minute then back off and there you go, lather. For soft stuff and lathering in a bowl again lose the water get some product on the brush and work it in the bowl . You can always add water but it's hard to take it out. Face lather same deal pretty much.
I get my brush to be a bit more wet than my badgers, then I load heavily for about 30 seconds to 45 seconds. Then I build my lather adding a little water at a time.
It depends a little on the brush, but it shouldn't be a problem. You might need to experiment with the soap/water ratio if you dont have an extremely easy to lather soap
Should not be too different from boars or badgers really. Find the initial wetness that works for you, and the brush loading time, and lather away. Foamy lather means that the product / water ratio is off.
Ok I shall soak my brush and see if this works...I didn't soak it the first time and see if that works better...thanks guys.
With my synthetic I like to shake out the water and I will pinch all the bristles to the center and go in circular motions on the puck. Once the bristles have a decent load I move to my dish and mix up a lather and like redfisher said, it's easy to add water but hard to take away. So what I do if I need more water is barely wet the tip of the brush and keeping mixing. And continue until I'm happy with my lather. Pinching the hairs together makes the brush thicker like a boar brush so loading is easier.
Well I soaked the brush I used TOBS sandalwood and got a rich thick lather today...I splayed the brush while face lathering (I smashed the bristles into my face) overall the brush worked well and it is a decent brush.
I'm using the Whipped Dog 22mm and it is great! I ordered another knot the same size from him and it's going into an old Made Right handle l found. I love the brush it holds water well and has a nice balance of softness and backbone. I also have a Satin Tip and it is similar but the WD is better. You figure out your water in the brush to start and really it's easy after that. No soaking and synthetics dry quick. I'm always surprised at how much water is in that brush.
All I know is that is a synthetic knot from TGN. I won it along with a tin of "flannel in the rain" shave soap,a Washington works 5/8 Wosty and a stroping and the brush in a drawing at the Seattle shavecon.
IMO the best lather, regardless of soap, comes from blooming the soap (add hot water to the surface and let it sit while you're brushing your teeth or something) and then dump the water off the puck and start loading with a completely dry brush (in the case of sythetics). As you load you will get a very thick paste that forms on top of the puck, add a few drops of water and work that into the "paste" until it starts to look dry and pasty again. Keep adding a few drops of water to the top of the puck, working it in each time, until you start to get a nice smooth creamy consistency instead of the dry pasty consistency. Then move it to your face to complete building it, adding in small amounts of water using "paint brush strokes" once you've laid down an even foundation. You won't get super fluffy lather like you may be used to, but I think fluffy=airy which is not ideal in terms of slickness or protection. It should be dense and look wet to get the most out of the soap. Just my opinion.
If you bloom the soap don't pour the water down the drain. I pour it into my hand and rub it into my beard to help hydrate the hair and start a bit of foundation for building lather.
