A nice departure from the norm

From the point that I started traditional wetshaving, I have been a bowl-latherer - either in bowls, or (more recently) scuttles. I like building up a nice lather and seeing it in the bowl or keeping it warm in the scuttle.

While I did face-lather on and off, it was a rare thing. Of course, when I traveled, I used a shave stick and face-lathered.

Anyway, for some reason I recently started face-lathering. No idea what brought this departure from normalcy up, but I've run with it and I'm enjoying doing it. It seems that most of my brushes are fine for face lathering, and I like watching the lather build up as I add more water.

I've always felt that this method gives the best results, as the soap gets a long time to work its magic on the skin and hair. I've no proof of any benefits, of course, but the main thing is that I enjoy doing it.

I still bowl lather now and then, and I may return to it as the primary method of lather building, but I've really enjoyed face lathering over these last few weeks.

Did anyone else change techniques radically? What caused you to do so?

I started out using a bowl but usually just face lather now and use a bowl occasionally. I think after using a couple shave sticks and seeing how they performed helped to nudge me in the face lathering direction. I think some products may respond a little better to one technique or the other. I would like to know if anyone has been able to face lather with MWF? I think that would be a difficult challenge.

Karl -

I face lather MWF. I think the main thing with MWF is to pick up enough soap off the puck. After that, it's a breeze (for me anyway).

I face lather almost exclusively and have for the most part of my wet shaving experience. The only thing that I have changed up in the past few months is that I now rinse/wet my face between the passes of my 3-pass shave. Don't know what caused the change but I seem to get a better face lather this way.

(07-05-2012, 01:19 PM)yohannrjm Wrote: I face lather MWF. I think the main thing with MWF is to pick up enough soap off the puck. After that, it's a breeze (for me anyway).

Ditto! with regards to Mitchell's Wool Fat and face lathering.

I purely face lather, and have found as long as the shaving brush has picked up enough product (can be a little more difficult with some soaps) or put another way, I've taken the time to load the shaving brush properly, any product can effectively be lathered on the face...

(07-05-2012, 01:19 PM)yohannrjm Wrote: Karl -

I face lather MWF. I think the main thing with MWF is to pick up enough soap off the puck. After that, it's a breeze (for me anyway).

I had the Bluebeards Revenge version of the MWF and ended up PIF to someone else as I could not get it to lather at all. I read up on it and tried all the different methods but was never able to get more than a thin lather which dissipated so quickly it was unusable.

I had wanted it to work because of all the goo things people had to say about it but alas, it just wasn't meant to be for me.

Face lathered with MWF today, and it was true to form - great lather, and an excellent shave.

I'll be honest and say that it took me a long while (months) to figure MWF out. The only reason it stuck around all that time is that I liked look of the ceramic bowl on my bathroom counter. Now that I have worked out how to effectively use it, I won't ever be without it in the den.

For me, face lathering is therapeutic. Kinda like mowing the yard without the noise.

Welcome back to a great way of lathering. i only bowl-lathered for two weeks as i tried face-lathering and never went back.

Face lathering is the only way I have done it. When I got on the internet and saw all the bowl lathering going on I had to try it. It felt like I was filling a bowl with canned cream and applying it on my face with a brush. Something about buliding the lather on your face feels much more satisfying.

I load my brush and face lather with MWF and TABAC but I bowl/scuttle lather when using my creams. My soft soaps like P.160 or Proraso can go either way.

I usually face lather b/c I have many more soaps than creams, and I agree that this style is most beneficial to one's shave. I still use my lather scuttle as a brush scuttle when face lathering. I always bowl lather creams though, anyone face lather creams regularly?

(07-06-2012, 08:47 AM)emcphers Wrote: .... I always bowl lather creams though, anyone face lather creams regularly?

I do. If it is a tube I place a dab in the middle of the brush. Tubs, I swirl the tips of a damp brush on the surface.

I have to go "against the grain" a little bit here and say that I always bowl lather in my scuttles and have no inclination whatever to face lather instead. I simply like the warmth of the scuttle lather too much. So no departures for me.

I use a small Becker scuttle. It works admirably as a brush scuttle.

If I could afford it (or find someone willing to trade), I'd buy a small Moss.

When using shave soap, I always lathered it in the mug. When using creams, I started out face lathering because I did not have a lathering bowl. Face lathering works great for me, so there was never any reason to get a bowl.

(07-06-2012, 08:47 AM)emcphers Wrote: I always bowl lather creams though, anyone face lather creams regularly?

I purely face lather, doesn't matter if I'm using a cream or a soap...

Face lathering all the way - creams & soaps. It just seems to work better for me. And with cold water too. I guess that makes me the polar opposite of John. Variety is the spice of life.