Superlather--sans bowl and super cheap!

Discussion in 'Shave Soaps' started by SuperSpeed, Mar 17, 2008.

  1. SuperSpeed

    SuperSpeed New Member

    A Superlather?
    Without the bowl??
    For super cheap???

    :think002

    I lather directly on my beard, without the use of a “lathering bowl.” For me, anyway, this procedure offers several advantages. They are, in no particular order:
    > I have one less piece of shaving paraphernalia to clutter our already cramped, small bathroom!
    > This eliminates an additional step in the shaving routine.
    > It requires more time with the brush and soap or cream on my face, which I think is a good thing because:
    -- it feels good!
    -- it works better…setting up the lather directly on my beard results in additional time spent getting the lather to each whisker and provides exceptional beard softening.

    Well, I wanted to try a “superlather.” You know, that concoction of soap and cream heralded by so many who use a lathering bowl as the very best way to go. But alas, I don’t lather in a bowl. How, then, could I try a superlather?

    [cue the trumpets…] :happy102

    I had an epiphany:
    Why not use a shaving stick, directly on the beard, then apply some shaving cream to the wet brush and “have at it” all over your (unsuspecting) face?


    One could employ any shaving stick and any shaving cream, provided there exists harmony between both regarding their respective scents. For starters and to avoid complicating this experiment with aromas and unique ingredients (silicone in cream, like Williams, and shea butter in soaps…for example) I used the Arko Shave Stick with Arko “Regular” Shaving Cream. At $2.00 for the 75g stick and $2.75 for the 100g tube, this is an “almost free” (as the sidewalk vendors on my only trip to Mexico were fond of saying) way to lather up for a shave!!!

    As for the brush, I chose an old (pre-WWII) British badger & horn, made by Benwell of London and imported by my father and my uncle (an interesting story…but I digress). The tips in the center are worn and/or missing, but the “chubby” style with short loft (not to mention the built-in “hollowed-out” area for depositing the cream!) works very well for face-lathering using shaving creams.

    For the razor, I chose my exceedingly-worn (and soon-to-be-replaced!) 1962 Gillette Slim Adjustable. And for the blade, I pulled the NOS Wilkinson Sword (UK) “Chromium Edge” used 3 or 4 times from my British “NEW,” dropped it in the Slim, and set the adjustment to “3” for the entire shave. I had been getting outstanding results with the British “NEW”/British Wilkinson combo, but my last shave showed the unfortunate results of “pilot error.” I got too heavy-handed and rushed with the left side of my neck, and paid the price with a couple of full-blade-width cuts from my carelessness. OUCH! A great vintage razor and blade, but not very forgiving when paired. Superb results, however, can be achieved by exercising proper technique and taking one’s time—not unlike, I would imagine, using a straight razor. Okay, with enough attention paid to the background details…on to the shave!

    As a result of the recent carnage, I had a 3-day growth with which to “scrape off” a significant amount of soap from the Arko Shave Stick onto my wet face. I ran some hot tap water over the brush and filled the hollow where the center tips are gone with a “medium-pistachio-in-the-shell-sized” dollop of the Arko Regular Shaving Cream. Now when I lather on my face, I LATHER on my face! There was no shortage of pressing, twisting, and swishing the brush around in circles. This is not a “gentle” way to treat a brush, but given its condition I wasn’t concerned about babying it. After a minute or so of such (very much fun!) activity, I had LOTS…no, wait, INCREDIBLE AMOUNTS…no, wait, HUGE BILLOWS of rich, thick, moist lather!!! My poor little brush had all but disappeared in a snowball of lather…handle and all. I set it down, resting on its base, on the sink ledge. :cool:

    First pass—WTG—and no resistance whatsoever. I began to wonder if I was cutting the whiskers or not. After around twice the usual number of “rinse the razor off and proceed” drills, I sat it down also and rinsed my face. Incredible—very effective whisker removal for a first pass! :D

    I ran some hot tap water and rinsed the lather from the brush’s handle (which also applies a little water to the breech of the brush for the next pass!), and re-lathered. I got virtually the same amount of luxurious lather as the first attempt! Second pass—XTG ear to nose—and just as slick and cushy as the first. The same procedure was repeated for a third pass—XTG nose to ear—with exactly the same results! How all this lather could come from such a small and worn-out brush is beyond explanation. :think001

    Not wanting to stop the experiment, I re-wetted my face and ran some more hot tap water over the handle of the brush—adding a tiny bit of water to the breech—and lathered up again. Now wait, is this even possible? The same amount of lather with the same consistency as the FIRST application? YES!!! :shocked003 I proceeded with my fourth pass—ATG—and felt absolutely NO DETERIORATION in the lather’s quality. Just for fun, I took the same steps and re-lathered again (for what would have been a fifth pass). Almost, but not quite, as good a lather as the first four attempts. I could have easily shaved again, but only ran my wet fingertips all over my soapy face—checking for stubble. Nope, none there! Amazing.

    A warm-water rinse and the alum block application. What, NO STING? That’s right. Felt like a wet cue ball gliding across my (s-m-o-o-t-h) face! This is the first such experience for me with the alum block. I usually encounter mild to moderate "stinging." Rinse off the razor, brush, and my face with cold water and apply witch hazel. Put all the gear away (except the brush, sitting out to dry) and another cold-water rinse. The final treatment…an application of my own “witches brew” as an aftershave balm. Two ounces witch hazel, one ounce aloe vera gel, one drop tea tree oil and two drops vitamin E oil—dispensed from a used-up Dial hand soap pump dispenser. Very soothing and quickly absorbed. FULL CREDIT for the formula (minus the Vitamin E) to RICK, a Mod here at TSD. :happy088

    So there you have it—the Superlather without a bowl, and ALMOST FREE!!! :D
    --Morrie
     
  2. Queen of Blades

    Queen of Blades Mistress of Mischief Staff Member

    Moderator Supporting Vendor
    Niiiiicccccceeeeeeee!!!! :happy088
     
  3. Sejanus

    Sejanus New Member

    and the MacGyver prize in ingenuity goes to...

    Nice idea!!
     

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