The Art Of Lathering

[PaceShave]

A good lather is instrumental to a good shave. Thanks for sharing!

PaceShave*com

[cashu1522]

how long did you do that for?

[mantic59]

@cashu1522 probably a total of about 10 minutes "end to end" with a few more pauses to look at the lather (edited out of the final video).

[cuprohastes]

If not for these videos I'd have no idea how to get a decent shave. For the first time I actually don't hate shaving and for the first time, my skin hasn't felt like it's gone three rounds with a belt sander afterwards.

[gatorcellman]

Hi Mantic, I took the plunge and bought a silvertip brush and Edwin Jagger shaving soap in a small travel style container. Problem is I can't work up a lather that seems to really provide lubrication. I swirl the damp brush about 5 seconds in the soap then continue in a mug with a small amount of water in it. Ideas? Also, the brush seems to irritate my face a bit. Will this go away with use? Used Gillette gel in can before and I'm a little frustrated as the (gasp) gel feels better. Thx!

[mantic59]

@gatorcellman new brushes will often not take lather very well for a while. Be sure the brush is clean (I have a video on it, check my channel page) and swirl longer (maybe 10 seconds) until the brush is "broken in" (could be several weeks, depending on the brush)

[IcrossfireI]

ok i recently started shaving this way but everytime im making the lather it ends up foamy and watery, do you have any tips on how i can fix that

[mantic59]

@IcrossfireI use more cream/soap and mix longer.

[j4m35k4n9]

how long does it take from cream to 'sweet spot'?

[mantic59]

@j4m35k4n9 there are variables, like the mineral content of the water, the cream/soap used, and the type of shaving brush. But I would say an average would be about 90 seconds.

[eyepatchinc]

wow... when you hit the sweetspot, the lather looked great. much better than mine. Manic, how much water should you leave in the brush when lathering? i use a puck of soap with a pretty decent badger brush.

or can you direct me to a video on this? thanks!

[mantic59]

@eyepatchinc see my video called "how to build and apply traditional shaving lather"

[eyepatchinc]

@mantic59 will do. Thankya sir!

[MrAjcooper83]

i just bought crabtree & evelne shave soap nomad was wondering what do you think is better the cream or soap and how do you lather the shave soap do you have a video on the subject and one more thing i have 2 homes a winter and a summer but my summer home has no crabtree stores near what other high end stores are out there thank i love the videos been de shaving for about 2 weeks now thanks to you

[mantic59]

@MrAjcooper83 i prefer the shaving soaps a bit more than the creams but I think they are both excellent. Yes I have a video on lathering, check my videos page.

[manylocc]

which cream did you use? which one to you recommend for a beginner?

[mantic59]

@manylocc I think I used Proraso, and it is good for the beginner (also sold under the CO Bigelow name at Bath & Body Works)

[cstokes47]

Yeesh, just watching that made my arm tired!

Great video as always!

Any chance you could make a video on Williams soap? Please, please, please!

[salazch12]

Mantic59, where did you get that huge rad bowl! I've been looking all over for one but i can't find anything like it.

[mantic59]

@salazch12 it was actually given to me as a gift. Look in department stores or mega-marts for latte-cups or "soup mugs"

[cairnnation]

At 55 y.o. I've been there and done that, set it aside, and now I'm doing it again. And with advice from videos like this, and the ease of finding the correct tools, I'll do it much better this time.

Do you know of guys who shave their heads with a DE razor? I shave my head almost daily, and I really like it that way. I've been doing it all with a Trac II for quite awhile and that's been acceptable, but not great. Once I get the lather thing down, I'll just keep going.

Thanks for the video!

[mantic59]

@cairnnation i know several people who shave their head with a DE

[redhaint]

Thanks a bunch, I think I made just about all those types (except the right one). This video should help tremendously (as all yours seem to).

[Roberco]

wow - that's gorgeous. I've def. been doing this all wrong. Thanks!!

[goshensquash]

I rub the bristle tips of not-very-wet shaving brush on my shave soap, and then build the lather on my wet face. You can add a little bit more water, if needed, to the bristle tips.

[TeslaDRay]

what about the shave soap bar? the bar i have is about 3/4 of an inch, how much water, depth wise, do i put into the shave bowl? i tried and it seemed like it didin;'t lather well even after mixing for a while. is the tube cream better?

[bloodseedrums]

kinda like the opposite of making meringue

[stayfocused214]

nice video. what song is this playing ? anyone know

[mantic59]

stayfocused214- "Dueling Guitars" by Ivan Bridewater (used under Creative Commons from Archive(dot)org.).

[okeken]

what is the song playing in the video?

[JasonTyberiusKirk]

@okeken 20th Anniversary Non-stop B-boy Mix according to Shazam.

[djsmithy]

What would be cool,

is finding outhow many gms of cream and how many mls of water,

it takes for the perfect lather haha.

Not that whats "perfect" isnt subjective that is!

[epbeket]

@ball1nalb0: any bowl can be used, as long as you can swirl around with your brush. Both metal and porcelain/ceramic bowls have their advantages and disadvantages: metal is unbreakable but loses heat fast, porcelain/ceramic bowls break easily, but help to keep your lather warm for a longer period.

[ball1nalb0]

hello mantic, i was just wondering does it really matter about which lathering bowl you use? can it just be anything thats not that big and you can put the shaving soap in it and just lather it with the brush. Can it be like a stainless steal also not weed. Thank you very much.

[mantic59]

ball1nalb0- The bowl can be just about anything you want. I've even seen people use cereal bowls!

[FLASH1080wxjc]

Video request: Grow full beard then use you're shaving techniques to trim it down the proper way.

[mantic59]

FLASH1080wxjc- I'd have a tough time getting mrs. mantic59 to agree to that, LOL

[Axbent]

@FLASH1080wxjc can beard be trimmed with a straigh razor? or are u joking?

[FLASH1080wxjc]

@Axbent yeah...if ur amazing :D

[zigeunerviolin]

Thanks for posting these videos, they are very helpful and educational. I bought all the material necessary for wet shaving and am now just waiting for my razor and blades to arrive in the mail, and these videos are very useful. Just one complaint: it is kind of painful to watch the water continue running when you're not using it. I hope I don't sound accusing, but I, and I'm sure many other people, would appreciate seeing water turned off when it's not being used.

Again, great videos.

[mantic59]

zigeunerviolin- I normally fill my sink a single time then turn off the water. I admit it was running more than normal due to the way I was filming.

[bis90]

Stevo, stop complaining.. The man is helping a lot of people! Keep lathering, mantic haha

[BlazingRebelDiamonds]

It appears that you have to much time since you just wrote a meaningless paragraph that will have no effect on anyone's views or thoughts on this video.

[soppaNnN]

Take it or leave it. Nobody is saying you must with anything.

[Zioniu]

People who enjoy what they do in life make time for the things they enjoy, then cut back on things they enjoy less. Balance is the key, kinda like building lather i guess.

[GodBlessGeorgeWBush]

bro, you're an idiot. the video takes so long because he is demonstrating a progression of different amounts of water to the lather- too little, just enough, too much, etc.... It takes less than 10 mins, start to finish, for an experienced wetshaver to get a good shave.

[allened1987]

Im 21 years old, and i have tried every razor and shave cream on the market, but nothing beats a good traditional lather, but I do use a MACH 3 razor to shave, but i get a nice and smooth shave everytime.

[sexiw0lf]

I'm 22 and find that really close to home. I've tried a bunch of creams and gels, but once I tried building up a lather I knew it'd be the only way for me in the future.

And I also use a Mach 3

[EGOSUMFILMS]

Mantic, the only thing that could make this video better is if you had a pirate in it. Everything is better with pirates. ;-)

Keep shaving,

prof

[mantic59]

Arrrrrrr....

[Hichemcj]

Yarrr, this bewitched portrait be pleasin' to me eye' !

[mantic59]

Shivver me timbers!

[edybarkoczi]

Hi mantic'59. I am watching your videos from a long time and I apreciate them much. I am very curious about your brush used in this video: brand, knot size, height, where I can buy... Thanks a lot. Respectfully: edy

[mantic59]

edybarkoczi- That particular brush is a limited-edition Shavemac.

[edybarkoczi]

I was close. Thank you very much. Before I asked I already visited shavemac(dot)com, but I didn't saw it. Thanks again.

Respectfully: edy

[hardrockerdave94]

I did everything you said i the video yet the lather was crap, is it just because of shitty shaving gel?

[mantic59]

hardrockerdave94- right, shave gels won't lather correctly. You need to be using traditional lather shave cream or soap.

[hardrockerdave94]

I actualy meant to say shaving cream not gel. Any way, could it be because of the shaving cream (men-u, it came free with a cheap brush) or does lathering just come with practice? Up until now I've just been using a 2 blade razor with gel so I'm not that knowledgeable in one blade razors or lathering yet.

[mantic59]

I've used the Men-U shaving cream and its a good little cream but I noticed that it doesn't lather quite as well as other products.  Yes, there is definitely an element of practice that comes with making a good lather!

[chobbney]

Thanks very much for these videos - they're invaluable.

This morning I shook off much more water from the brush and ended up with a rich, creamy lather. For the first time I experienced resistance from the foam when applying it to my face, as the thick cream was much richer than before.

I was thinking the foam should be wet because the only other option would be 'dry'. Wrong. The other option is a rich cream and my razor glided like never before.

Keep up the good work.

[mantic59]

SJRNWT- Its a public domain song I got off of archive(dot)org. I don't have much info about it.

[SJRNWT]

What song is that by the way? :-)

[PolieCat]

Very helpful to see that range from too little to good to too much water.

[NewColdness]

My lather "runs" up the brush into the middle where it refuses to come out onto my face, and seems way too thin. Any idea what I'm doing wrong, or do you need more info?

[mantic59]

NewColdness- What kind of brush do you have?

[NonLethalDeath]

I have quite the same problem with a C&E badger hair brush with some proraso, should I be using a boars hair perhaps?

[NewColdness]

Actually, I managed to "fix" the problem by pressing the brush against my face slightly harder and using a little bit less water.

[mccote]

I cant believe how much water he uses here. I use the taylor of old bond shaving cream and it doesnt take much water at all. I get a super nice lather in like 30 seconds.

[sparkster123]

he is giving a example of not enough water to using to much water so we can see the difference of lather.

[mccote]

Yeeeees, I understand that. But at 2:00 he says "this is the sweet spot". By then he has used way way more water than it takes me to get to my sweet spot. All I'm saying is i guess it depends on what brand of creme you're using :)

[jcstrabo]

Can foam doesn't contain water, the reason why you actually use something aside of a blade on your face.

[cmremley]

Most of us have already used the canned foam or gels that smell like deodorant and come out cold on your face. Warm lather from a brush in a variety of scents is quite a bit more comfortable, and just plain more fun.

[ScottieWP09]

That is a large brush head and I dig this music too.

[moalisiddiqui]

I've been wondering. Is the shaving soap any different than the cream? Because I'm unsure if I can find any of the shaving cream.

[mantic59]

moalisiddiqui- From the lathering standpoint, no. Generally speaking soaps will cut a bit closer than creams and creams are a bit more cushioning than soaps.

[moalisiddiqui]

Ah, cool thanks! I found a Crabtree and Eveylyn near my house so I was thinking of seeing if I can find some stuff there.

Oh, and these videos are great I even subscribed because they are pretty cool and helpful.

[dumpling9999]

is it possible to remove the excess water?

[mantic59]

dumpling9999- Its possible, sometimes you can add a little more cream and it will firm up, but most of the time its easier just to start over.

[rmesjim]

I have six different shaving soap brands, because all of them seem it to make not enough and good lather. Today I tried Proraso with warm bottled (because of very hard water in my area) water adding more water than usual.

Wow, the lather was coming out of the bowl!!. :)

Thanks a million.

[lewisp123]

ubber helpfull mine was far to dry !!! cheers matic59

[auberjon]

Thankyou! I now realise why my later was well..utter crap. I didn't realise you had to put in quite so much water. Looking forward to my next shave now...

[SimonSpain]

I second auberjon - I've been using far too little water.

[toptop90]

it looks your whisking an egg there

[mubirshu]

I read that solid soap cakes are better than creams because they produce a "dryer" lather that is denser, which therefore holds the beard up better than the smoother lather produced by a cream. Aside from which lathers quicker, which lathers thicker (denser) -- in your experience?

[mantic59]

mubirshu- I've noticed virtually no difference in the lather between a quality shave soap and a quality shave cream. Others may disagree. :)

[masterfly]

Wow, this is great! You've completely inspired me 100% to switch from my "traditional" electric razor to a metal razor with lather and real facial creams. I've loved watching all of your videos, great stuff!

I'm also wondering what the name of the song is in this video? Very relaxing. Thanks for making these, thumbs up.

[masterfly]

Sorry, didn't see the song answer below. Thanks again!

[Jennobvm]

Any advice for those of us in really very hard water areas? I could never get a lather looking like the one in your "sweet-spot" point.

[mantic59]

Jennobvm- I also have very hard water. I just takes some practice, though I have learned that some traditional creams and soaps lather better (Trumper's, Crabtree & Evelyn, Speick, J. Peterman, Col. Conk) than others (Truefitt & Hill, Taylor's, DR Harris). I find Kiss My Face Moisture Shave almost bullet-proof against hard water (cheap too!). YMMV of course.

[bonchbonch]

I can't tell you how helpful these videos of yours are.

[davorb]

Thanks for the video! That was very useful, altough I rarely every have any problems whipping up my soap.

[rafikz77]

Well, here in Quebec it's available in EVERY drugstore

[whiskerino]

Proraso is definitely NOT available in Canada.

[zedcaster]

I buy Proraso in Vancouver at Momentum www.momentumgrooming.com.

[zedcaster]

Google Bondele Cigar, they feature Proraso in Canada

[henriquemaia]

Another great show!

I'm already using a single blade razor and I'm very pleased with it. I enjoyed watching this one because lather is my weak spot, even though I'm improving.

[whiskerino]

Just a coment aout rafikz77's post.  Proraso is NOT available in Canada at all.

[rafikz77]

Well here in Quebec it's in EVERY drugstore

[ponczex]

The next episode should be about brushes - choosing a good one, recommended manufacturers, taking care of a brush etc.

[mantic59]

As a matter of fact, I've been working on that one. Its been a difficult episode to make, particularly trying to describe the grades of hair without a standard to go by.

[ponczex]

I love the backgroud music :) What is it?

[mantic59]

Dueling Guitars by Ivan Bridewater (used under Creative Commons from Archive(dot)org.).

[icepik1234]

any recommended brands for cream that wont hurt the wallet?

[rafikz77]

Proraso is available in both US and Canada

(Proraso at Target in the US, spa section, and in most canadian drugstore)

Palmolive in the US drugstores (red tube, not the green)

Florena in canadian drugstores

[jackypaper]

Ack, I went to Target in NY the other day, but I couldn't find Prorasso. What is this illusive Spa section that target has. I was in the Shaving Section.

[mantic59]

Some Targets have it in an area called "Bath & Body", adjacent to the lady's cosmetics.

[mantic59]

Proraso, Polmolive (red), Kiss My Face, and Tom's of Maine all come to mind as "best bang's for the buck."

[mannylokskasama]

Hi mantic59 huge fan of ur vids. I need ur help. I have really sensitive skin so I would like to know what brand do you recommend and why??? I was thinking maybe Truefit and Hill or Taylor Of Old Bond Street??? when it comes to sensitive skin I heard they got the best stuff. What do u think?

[mantic59]

Hi Manny-- Hard to say without knowing exactly what you mean by "sensitive" (allergic reactions? Lots of redness? Ingrown hairs?) but a safe bet might be the hypo-allergenic creams from Art of Shaving or Taylor's of Old Bond Street.