What ever happened to puck lathering?

I have had issues with a soap recently that I finally resolved. During that time I was frustrated. Not with the shave or results, they were both fine. I was confounded that I could not get the brush to load enough for multiple passes. Why? When I was taught to shave my Dad taught me to build the lather directly on the puck In a coffee cup and refresh the brush with each pass. Somewhere down the line I forgot this and bought into the idea that multiple pass loading is the "correct" way. Why has this become the norm now and does anyone still lather on the puck and reload for each pass?

I really enjoyed it once I dropped my frustration.

I do! I set the lathered brush in a warm scuttle after creating the lather, and sometimes go back to the puck for a bit more.

I tried that when I first started, but it seemed to create an overly dry lather w/ too much soap. Could be a technique thing, of course.

That said, when I lather I am generally getting the beginnings of lather while still brushing on top of my soap, then finishing the building on my face.

(07-02-2012, 12:00 PM)Songwind Wrote: I tried that when I first started, but it seemed to create an overly dry lather w/ too much soap.

I can see that happening. I just dipped my tips before going back to the puck. It is strange that mug lathering has fallen out of favor. It seems that back in the day it was more popular and even marketed that way i.e. mug soaps and such.

I usually lather on the puck and reload for each pass. But yes, you have to keep an eye/feel on the later. If it is too dry, dip the tips. If it is too wet, hit more soap. Adjust on the fly.

For some pucks I start building the lather on the puck and fine tune it on my face. The general consensus is you use more product that way. But I have plenty of soap

There is no right or wrong way of building lather, as far as I'm concerned. Whatever works satisfactorily for someone is the right way.

(07-02-2012, 01:04 PM)freddy Wrote: There is no right or wrong way of building lather, as far as I'm concerned. Whatever works satisfactorily for someone is the right way.

+1

+2

I don't do it because I didn't learn to do that and what I do works for me.

BTW, the one "mug soap" I had was really the pits. I wound up putting it in the compost or something.

(07-02-2012, 01:04 PM)freddy Wrote: There is no right or wrong way of building lather, as far as I'm concerned. Whatever works satisfactorily for someone is the right way.

True, but in shaving "americana" face lathering and mug lathering have a long tradition. From old movies to advertisements, both were prominent. You can't find a movie or an ad that features bowl lathering. The best selling US soaps in the 20th century were available as either a stick, powder or mug soap. Palmolive, Colgate, Williams, Old Spice etc.

Face lathering with stick is making a comeback due to the popularity of Arko. Mug lathering, building the lather on the soap, seems to have died off. I am just curious how a traditional method of lathering has quietly faded away. It is not a bad method. There is nothing about it that will result in a bad shave.

It could be due to the demise of most US shaving soaps that were designed to fit in a mug or coffee cup had something to do with it. English soaps became prominent and their shapes and containers were not conducive to the method.

Just curious about it because it is a tradition and wet shaving seems to be about traditions.

(07-02-2012, 11:43 AM)SteelTown Wrote: I have had issues with a soap recently that I finally resolved. During that time I was frustrated. Not with the shave or results, they were both fine. I was confounded that I could not get the brush to load enough for multiple passes. Why? When I was taught to shave my Dad taught me to build the lather directly on the puck In a coffee cup and refresh the brush with each pass. Somewhere down the line I forgot this and bought into the idea that multiple pass loading is the "correct" way. Why has this become the norm now and does anyone still lather on the puck and reload for each pass?

I really enjoyed it once I dropped my frustration.

That's what I do,always made sense,always works well,so I've been incurious about other methods.

While TABAC & MWF won't fit into a coffee cup (w/out grating of course) they do have their own containers where one could build their lather directly on the puck. I've often thought that the reason people have a hard time with modern Williams is that it's designed to be a mug soap. Thus lathering on top of the puck will use more soap & water, both of which are needed in large amounts for modern Williams to work properly.

As for reloading the brush between passes, this isn't something I find is needed most of the time. Occasionally it will happen but I've never looked at it as something that didn't work that time. To me it was just an opportunity to use my brush more on this occasion.

(07-02-2012, 05:22 PM)SharpSpine Wrote: While TABAC & MWF won't fit into a coffee cup (w/out grating of course) they do have their own containers where one could build their lather directly on the puck. I've often thought that the reason people have a hard time with modern Williams is that it's designed to be a mug soap. Thus lathering on top of the puck will use more soap & water, both of which are needed in large amounts for modern Williams to work properly.

As for reloading the brush between passes, this isn't something I find is needed most of the time. Occasionally it will happen but I've never looked at it as something that didn't work that time. To me it was just an opportunity to use my brush more on this occasion.

Yep...Williams my mug and I get along quite well,I also do the same with my Mike's Natural.

Colgate Mug Soap! That's the one! It was terrible. Maybe I had the wrong mug? Actually I tried to face lather it. It might have worked better in a mug, but I'll never know.

Years ago, I built lather in a coffee mug with Williams and Colgate shave soap and a wet Fuller boar bristle brush,

These days I load the brush heavy from the puck and face lather, or build lather in a bowl, adding water as necessary to the brush. I rarely go back to the puck for more soap.

(07-02-2012, 09:06 PM)wknicholas Wrote: Years ago, I built lather in a coffee mug with Williams and Colgate shave soap and a wet Fuller boar bristle brush,

These days I load the brush heavy from the puck and face lather, or build lather in a bowl, adding water as necessary to the brush. I rarely go back to the puck for more soap.

Me too. I was just curious why a lot of people have stopped. When I remember back a chipped coffee mug was standard equipment in the shave den, not the large scuttles we see today.

With my MWF, TABAC, and vintage Old Spice I always lather from the puck. I use my scuttles to set the brush in and refresh with a little water if needed. But once I load the brush from the puck, I don't go back a reload.

I've kind of frowned on going back to the puck for re-lathering, figuring that I didn't do it right the first time if I didn't have enough lather for 3 passes and a touch up.

This is odd and wrong when I think about it! I've had to do it and of course, there is no real issue with going back to the puck. It's just an oddity that I fell into,sort of creating a superstition for myself.

I find the idea of mug soap in a true mug, not a bowl, scuttle etc. to be very appealing and at some point, I will find an old fashioned shaving mug and a true mug soap, (that hopefully lathers well).

(07-02-2012, 06:31 PM)ShadowsDad Wrote: Colgate Mug Soap! That's the one! It was terrible. Maybe I had the wrong mug? Actually I tried to face lather it. It might have worked better in a mug, but I'll never know.

I have some Colgate cup soap that lathers quite well - no scent to speak of but the lather is tallowy goodness. The Colgate barber soap is also very well regarded. I believe they altered the the formula in the 80s.

Personally, I load the brush with soap directly from the bowl.
Then I bowl lather what soap has been loaded on the brush.
It works for me, always have plenty of lather for multiple passes.