- Joined
- Jul 13, 2011
- Messages
- 2,090
Ive been face-lathering exclusively for a month now, and Ive decided to write up a short report on my experience with a few observations on the products I chose.
Never having face-lathered or used a soap stick before, I found that applying product and building lather directly onto my face took a little getting used to since I'd only ever used a bowl before. At first, I had a problem knowing how much soap I was supposed to be rubbing on my face. As many of you experienced face-latherers probably predicted, I didnt apply enough product on my first shave. I made sure to rub plenty of the stuff on my beard area after that. Then the problem became not knowing how much water to add during the lather-building. I ended up with a lather so thick that it clogged the razor. But little by little, with each passing shave, it got better. It seems that you have to add just enough water by dipping the brush tips in water--and you have to spend just enough time lathering--so that you fully incorporate all the soap into the lather and get a good, slick lather on your beard and in the brush. After a month of practice, I can now more-or-less quickly whip up a good lather that's good for three passes.
I really like the products I chose: a Simpson Duke 2 brush and a Speick soap stick. Ive heard that the Simpson Duke 2 was purposely designed for face-lathering; I dont know if thats true or not, but it certainly seems like an ideal brush for it. The knot is dense and stiff with plenty of backbone. The loft and handle are short. These characteristics make the brush very controllable in the hand, with a firm, exfoliating bloom. Yes, you can use any brush for face-lathering, but I can tell you right now that I wouldnt want to use my Vulfix 2234 for face-lathering. Its a big, floppy brush more suited for bowl-lathering softer creams. I think it would be less wieldy and would take longer to build the lather correctly on the face with the 2234. An interesting characteristic of the Duke 2 Ive discovered is that the knot is so dense that the lather doesnt penetrate into it very deeply. This makes cleanup quick and easy since I dont have to run the knot under a strong stream of water to get all the lather out.
With regard to the Speick stick, after a month of use I can say that I really, really like it. I know that some folks dont like the design of the Speick stick, with its foil covering and lack of a twist-up tube dispenser, and some folks dont like the scent. I dont mind peeling off a little foil every few days; the foil is thin and comes off easily. As for the scent, I absolutely love it. It is very classic--possibly too classic for some younger men. The smell is spicy and classic and a bit old-fashioned, but I love it. Of course, a shaving soap/cream is not only about scent; its also about performance. And the performance of the Speick stick has been excellent, in my short experience of one month. Once you get it down (and it does seem to take some time and practice if you are not used to soap sticks or face-lathering), it makes a fantastic lather.
Heres my new routine:
1. Dip the tip of the soap stick in the hot water and set it on the counter to soften up, then put the brush in a bowl and run it under hot water. Take a shower.
2. After I finish my shower, the brush and soap will be ready to use directly. Dip the tip of the soap stick in the hot water again, and it is ready to go. Rub it all over the beard area.
3. Take the brush out of the bowl of hot water and shake it out well. Begin brushing vigorously all over the beard area to incorporate all the soap and turn it into lather. This has the additional effect of exfoliating and stimulating your beard and skin. While doing this, the brush will quickly turn the soap into a very thick lather, possibly pasty and not sufficiently hydrated. Just dip the tip of the brush in hot water occasionally and continue to vigorously attack the beard until youve got the lather consistency you want. The brush should be loaded with enough good lather for two passes, too.
4. Shave as usual.
Note: some face-latherers report that they re-lather with the soap stick between passes. That makes sense since the lather in the brush gets pretty thin by the third pass. So far, that hasn't been necessary for me, but that could be due to many factors (the quality of my water supply, the soap I'm using, etc.).
Cheers,
Mag
Here's the Duke 2 standing next to the 2234:
Never having face-lathered or used a soap stick before, I found that applying product and building lather directly onto my face took a little getting used to since I'd only ever used a bowl before. At first, I had a problem knowing how much soap I was supposed to be rubbing on my face. As many of you experienced face-latherers probably predicted, I didnt apply enough product on my first shave. I made sure to rub plenty of the stuff on my beard area after that. Then the problem became not knowing how much water to add during the lather-building. I ended up with a lather so thick that it clogged the razor. But little by little, with each passing shave, it got better. It seems that you have to add just enough water by dipping the brush tips in water--and you have to spend just enough time lathering--so that you fully incorporate all the soap into the lather and get a good, slick lather on your beard and in the brush. After a month of practice, I can now more-or-less quickly whip up a good lather that's good for three passes.
I really like the products I chose: a Simpson Duke 2 brush and a Speick soap stick. Ive heard that the Simpson Duke 2 was purposely designed for face-lathering; I dont know if thats true or not, but it certainly seems like an ideal brush for it. The knot is dense and stiff with plenty of backbone. The loft and handle are short. These characteristics make the brush very controllable in the hand, with a firm, exfoliating bloom. Yes, you can use any brush for face-lathering, but I can tell you right now that I wouldnt want to use my Vulfix 2234 for face-lathering. Its a big, floppy brush more suited for bowl-lathering softer creams. I think it would be less wieldy and would take longer to build the lather correctly on the face with the 2234. An interesting characteristic of the Duke 2 Ive discovered is that the knot is so dense that the lather doesnt penetrate into it very deeply. This makes cleanup quick and easy since I dont have to run the knot under a strong stream of water to get all the lather out.
With regard to the Speick stick, after a month of use I can say that I really, really like it. I know that some folks dont like the design of the Speick stick, with its foil covering and lack of a twist-up tube dispenser, and some folks dont like the scent. I dont mind peeling off a little foil every few days; the foil is thin and comes off easily. As for the scent, I absolutely love it. It is very classic--possibly too classic for some younger men. The smell is spicy and classic and a bit old-fashioned, but I love it. Of course, a shaving soap/cream is not only about scent; its also about performance. And the performance of the Speick stick has been excellent, in my short experience of one month. Once you get it down (and it does seem to take some time and practice if you are not used to soap sticks or face-lathering), it makes a fantastic lather.
Heres my new routine:
1. Dip the tip of the soap stick in the hot water and set it on the counter to soften up, then put the brush in a bowl and run it under hot water. Take a shower.
2. After I finish my shower, the brush and soap will be ready to use directly. Dip the tip of the soap stick in the hot water again, and it is ready to go. Rub it all over the beard area.
3. Take the brush out of the bowl of hot water and shake it out well. Begin brushing vigorously all over the beard area to incorporate all the soap and turn it into lather. This has the additional effect of exfoliating and stimulating your beard and skin. While doing this, the brush will quickly turn the soap into a very thick lather, possibly pasty and not sufficiently hydrated. Just dip the tip of the brush in hot water occasionally and continue to vigorously attack the beard until youve got the lather consistency you want. The brush should be loaded with enough good lather for two passes, too.
4. Shave as usual.
Note: some face-latherers report that they re-lather with the soap stick between passes. That makes sense since the lather in the brush gets pretty thin by the third pass. So far, that hasn't been necessary for me, but that could be due to many factors (the quality of my water supply, the soap I'm using, etc.).
Cheers,
Mag
Here's the Duke 2 standing next to the 2234:
