How To Make Traditional Shave Lather 

Interesting video. My father taught me to use a shaving brush - on the face method - some 50 years ago, back in the day of the double-edged razor (he still used the one he got around 1920). He used a tube cream for convenience, but showed me how to work with soap in a bowl; the technique is just as shown here. He also gave me shaving brushes (one of which I still have), explaining the importance of good badger bristles. I've used different soaps off and on over the years, and have long since passed on to multi-blade razors. Most often, I confess, for convenience I used canned shaving gel these days. It's not quite like a 'real' shave, but it's faster and, when traveling, less to carry along. I encourage any man who hasn't learned to use a brush and shaving soap. It's one of those life skills no man should be without!

Ah ^_^ I find it a lot easier making a good lather by swirling the brush in the tub than I did just scooping out a bit. Thanks mantic. Your videos are a godsend to a teenager like me looking for a little bit of manliness, luxury and tradition in life.

I think it's his warm, American voice that genuinely wants to teach others his skills and pastimes. I regularly use a cut-throat razor, but never get my lather 'just right', so these videos are excellent for beginners to 'experts' at it.

Over 60 and just learning how to shave so it is not a gauntlet where my face is taking the wacks. Great videos.

Let me just say I love the little clips that you use in your videos (FIFTEEN... TEN COMMANDMENTS), they're hilarious and make your videos really fun to watch.

Welcome to the club. Im 17 and recently made the switch from my mach3 and foam to a badger, bowl and straight razor. It's great fun, an awesome ritual to kick off the day, and adds an element of badass few others can equal.

I tip my hat, to you, I call myself Grandpa, not because I'm actually a grandpa, only in my 20s, but because I typically prefer to do things the old school way. Now shaving is one of those things. I have grown a full beard, well kept of course, for years simply because I hate shaving. I was introduced to it with a can of Barbasol and a disposable razor at 13. Now I love the look and feel of a fresh wetshave, and doubt I could grow back my beard. Keep up the good work.

This is my first time trying to build lather with a soap in a cup. Thanks for your tips and ideas. Very useful and helpful video!

Great video. Seeing the whole process and not skipping over video frames really makes a difference on this subject. I've actually watched this a couple of times just as a follow up reference. Thanks for the great work!

Mantic, thank you for taking the time to create videos that focus on traditional shaving! I am turning 30 in a month, and I have been using can goop and the latest multi-bladed contraption since I started shaving. For Christmas 09 I got a brush and mug (w/ soup) and have used your videos to really learn the technique. I love the brush on my face! You have convinced me to order a safety razor now (or wait till my birthday next month). I really look forward to shaving now! Thank you so much!

Hey Mark...Great video! Thanks for all your instructional articles and videos. It's much appreciated!

Thanks, this helped me finally pretty much nail doing it in a bowl, pretty much the exact same way you did it in the video.

Dear Mike: Thanks for making this high quality videos. I started wetshaving six months ago and your videos were instrumental in getting me started. Now I've got to try to control my obsession with accumulating shaving soaps and creams but I will never go back. Thanks for doing us all such a great service! ctakim

Thanks for the vid. I just ordered a brush, mug, shaving soap, shaving cream (I want to experiment a little to see which I prefer), and a safety razor. The brush/mug will be completely new to me, so your "how to" is much appreciated.

Well done, indeed! At 49, I've only just begun shaving like a man. Your expert series has contributed mightily to my enjoyment of life.

I remember back in the day when I didn't know how to lather; this video would have been a godsend but I still managed to learn. Still, it fun to watch this and see the steps as if I were a beginner and on a side note~I have found spritzing a fine mist of water from a spray bottle moistens dry lather very effectively(feels good too).

This was very helpful, I kept wondering what I needed to do to get a good lather. Thank you

@Mantic59: First of all I would like to thank you for all the videos you have posted. You convinced me to take the plunge into DE shaving, & there is no turning back! Secondly, I wanted to share an observation & see if anyone else has noticed the same thing. It may be dependent on my water chemistry, but when lathering w/ Van Der Hagen soaps the shaved stubble seems to cling less to the sides of the sink when draining. Now I always blend a little VDH into any lather for easier cleanup.

this is absolutely awesome! I'm glad wet shaving is making a comeback!

I've been using a straight razor for about 2 years and my lather was good mostly but sometimes really hit and miss. I should have checked this out a long time ago. Great video!

The sound of a brush swirling around making lather is such a comforting sound.

very informative video! Great job of showing the basics of traditional, yet non linear techniques.

I appreciate this information. I am planning to make shaving soap and have my son try it out. This is really helpful as are some of the comments on the brush to buy for him. Thank you.

This was really helpful, been doubtful of my lathering for a while (started only recently) now I know I was using to little cream! Thanks!

Great video's. helped a lot. I'm currently using the bowl method and it works wonders. Since I'm a head shaver, it feels great on my dome also.

thanks for this! I just got my razor in the mail from Amazon, a Merkur 180 Long Handle and am new to the traditional brush lather. here's to not slicing my face!

This was more than enjoyable to watch. Thank you very much for making this video. Well done, sir!

I bought a badger hair brush after much deliberation (and watching these videos) and it was without a doubt 100% the right move. If anyone out there is thinking they are too expensive, think about how many times you shave and how nice it is to have a rock solid clean shave each time. It takes some practice but I can't say enough how much the quality of my shaves has improved with it.

Absolutely fantastic video! Very happy to have found these

Thank you very much for this! This is what I needed to judge my lather quality!

I got a nice badger brush from crabtree and evelyn and thier exceptional sandalwood cream im quite pleased and I can whip up a great lather. And intrestingly enough I'm only fifteen so you have pionted me in the right path when it comes to shaving : ) thank you

Awesome video, just started to use a safety razor and was having trouble mixing with shaving soap, cheers.

Great video! Thank you for answering many of my questions concerning shaving lather. Very informative, nice viewing. 5 stars!

Another reason to finally get round to watching that film. Brilliant cheers. Oh, and good video Mantic. I've started using a proper safety razor and shaving brush because of you, and your videos have been really informative. This one especially has made sure I get the preparation right, which is always the most important step.

Thanks for the reply. After watching your videos I tried your shaving under the nose technique, it's really great and there's hardly any stubble left and feels totally smooth to touch. However I tried to create lather using a gel and some water, it was foamy and thick, but not very lubricative. After doing about 3-4 reduction passes. it felt really irritating and I still felt some light stinging after applying an after-shave moisturiser. Thanks for the tip again!

This video was very usefull. I think I made my very first lather a bit too moist, but overall the lather in a bowl worked very well for me and gave me a very pleasant experience. I am using Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving cream with a badger brush.

Hi, I just wanted to thank you for all the helpful tutorials :) I still suck at getting the lather right, but the shave is still 500 times better than a 3 blade with barbasol!

Today, after butchering and burning the hell out of my face due to making lather that was as watery as a corona, I finally went and looked up how to do it right. This video was a godsend. I am definitely a fan of the palm method now! Now if only my safety razor would come in the mail. . .

i just bought tabac shaving cream in tube. i mix it with soap of wilkinson and it great!! i just love smel of tabac. next time i'm gonna buy irisch moos to try it out

Helpful information thanks. Want to start using these methods instead of multiple blade razors.

I need a mug. Last night I just tried to use a bowl, I used some cream from the Art of Shaving company about the amount he used in the mug and couldn't get half the lather mantic got. Was my first time using a brush. Just got my Merkur HD, cant wait to try that out. Thanks for all the post mantic.

Good video, quite informative actually and it will help with the "conversion process" from my mach 3 which has been driving me nuts to the Mercur I just picked up much easier. Thanks!

that was soooo informative! thank you! not that i will use it but i'd like to get that old school stuff for my husband!

Some great information thanx mate, I'm relatively new to DE shaving and was just going direct to face and found it was actually uncomfortable to shave some areas. After watching this I realise the mix was too dry, might try in a bowl from now on. 8)

I really have to say thanks. I started to use mug, soap and brush about a month ago, but I always had problems. Due to your video, I realize, I never lathered the soap long enough (also, I used way too much soap that just went down the drain, when I cleaned my bowl

Much more useful than any other youtube video. Keep it up!

Entertaining, informative, and very helpful - thank you!

Thanks a million I was struggling with lather until I watched this video

Great video, exactly what I needed. Do you have recommendations on cleaning/drying the brush after use, too?

After shaving like this for a month, I will NEVER go back. This is so incredible. I love it, even though I have an unnaturally thick beard.

Thanks. :) I picked up some Kiss My Face from Whole Foods yesterday and it lathered up almost instantly. It's a helluva lot cheaper, too. Thanks for these videos, by the way. I'm going to invest in a good DE razor once my stash of Mach3 and Fusion cartridges runs out.

A very helpful video, a basic requirement is good lather and mine was poor, and I now know, too dry......many thanks.

What happens when you grow up being raised by a single mother with no father in sight? You find yourself watching hours of youtube videos on how to traditionally shave at 30 years of age because no one taught you how.

I have that basic van der hagen kit from target. Brush kinda sucks but I had trouble with lather being too dry or wet. In definitely gonna try out one if these techniques. Thanks! Hope its wasn't the crappy soap the whole time like I thought

the pressure you apply greatly effects your lather. and how it looks and sticks on your face. I do face lathering. I apply more pressure at the beginning. and once I feel the lather has more and more consistency I reduce the pressure. also. the cream and brush you use does play a significant role. water and cream/soap ratio, even the size of the brush. now I always make this nice rich lather. that looks awesome!.

Hi Mantic, I recently made the jump to wet shaving(method), and wanted to say thanks. Your posts, and videos have been very helpful, and have been enjoying comfortable, close shaves with your help! Best Regards, jvlb06

Thanx, this realy helped me get a good shave

excellent info--maybe i will finally get the knack of it before i hit 70!

As the silvertip badger brush and Col. Conks almond soap are on the way, now would be a great time. ;)

@mantic59 Thanks! That helped a lot. I still am not happy with the lather just yet, but I think I used too much water again. But, it was MUCH thicker than the last few days. So, I just need to remember less water and more soap. The face feels much better, and I imagine it will feel even better once I get my safety razor and stop using the Mach 3. It's time for new blades anyway, and getting a vintage one on eBay and buying the blades is actually cheaper than buying a new box of cartridges.

Thanks for the very informative, helpful video!

Thank you this has been very helpful!

Loving that sink! Thanks for the video :)

Thanks man, your like the dad I never had.

Thanks for posting these videos Mantic59. I am making the transition from canned goo, and throw-aways, to mug,brush,and old fashioned straights. You might be the Ben Stein of shaving ; )

Mantic59, you're awesome, thanks for these great videos!

Nice! Thank you great tutorial. Q: What's in the tube you squeeze and the pink substance in the cup in the beginning? Regards

@DavidSontz I know what you mean. I'm 27 and just learning how to shave now! I'm getting a Slim Gillette 1962 model from Ebay as we speak. Needs a lot of cleaning... but for $6.50 it's a working safety razor!

Thanks! great video. My girlfriend just got me a brush and cake of soap for Christmas -cause she is awesome- and i had no clue where to start! consider me subbed :)

Keep looking around and watching videos and the like. Mantic has really gotten together some good reference stuff,and maybe new things for you to try. I was a dedicated Mach3 user and now I get a MUCH better shave with a DE razor and better technique.

Thank you for this video! I just started wet shaving and today was my second adventure with it. I found while shaving on the second and third passes; I had dry fluff coming off of my face while shaving, every once in a while. I now realize that means it was too dry and I should have added more water while mixing. I also had minimal shaving cream in my bowl as I mixed it but a decent amount on the brush so I thought I was doing better (nope, looking back now, I needed more water). I'm correct in my assumptions or did I miss something? Thanks again for this informative video!

I alternate between building the lather on my face and in a wooden bowl. Building it in a bowl I find helps you stretch the cream a bit. One thing I've noticed about a lot of the barbers I've seen on youtube is that they seem to apply a dry, thin lather, which doesn't seem right to me.

hey there, i use the art of shaving shave cream and love it...havee a small thing of sandalwood and full size tub of lemon i just got today. i use a bowl and their brush, but I don't ever get a thick white lather, just a small white "coating" over my face....how does this affect my shave? and how do I fix it? one thing i may not have been doing is adding water or having enough on the badger brush... thanks!

Thanks for the tips! I used a brush for the first time today and realized that I did it wrong :P

Excelent videos,by the way I have a question,what do you think is better to work with the brush, shaving cream or soap?

Awesome information! Do you prefer creams or hard soaps? Just starting out.

Thanks for the tips, your videos have helped me immensely. +100 Internets to you, good sir.

Very informative. Thanks!

Nicely explained, thank you.

Thanks for the great video! I am a college student and I shave with an old double-edge my great grandpa owned and soap I own a Kingsley pure badger brush and have lathered the soap by just swirling the brush directly over a cake of mug shaving soap in a mug. I never get the kind of lather you got here. What should I do? Also, the box the brush came in says to "never use strong pressure", but you move the brush around forcefully. Am I being too gentle? Will it ruin it if I am more forceful?

keep in mind face lathering also includes most of the pre-shave prep. heat, moisture and raising the whiskers. For me it's the most efficient way to go.

very nice! thanks for the tips! Additionally, I'm looking for the perfect shave, any tips on what cream/soap/gel you use? I use and love the Dollar Shave Club Executive blades and love them, i just want a little closer/smoother shave. Thanks :)

Good one. I've sorta kinda figured it out. - Load the brush from a puck of soap with a very wet brush - "Mush" the brush into the bowl and pour out all but about a teaspoon worth of water From there, the brush will generate lather with very little effort. As mentioned, the amount of water used is key.

thank you for your response, How much pressure should be the MAX that one should generally apply. And since im stuck with this vanderhaagen pure badger brush I got from the "premium" kit, do you have any suggestions to make it more effective? What can one do if their brush is not cooperating? xD

Thank you. Informative and amusing.

Great video!

couple questions i have a merkur 1904 double blade i shave with and i love it ive been looking for some good after shave what do you prefer ? and do u like shaving soap or the paste better and what brands are your favorites ?

Mantic, if you had to choose your go-to everyday shaving kit, what would it be? ie. brush, razor, soap/cream, AS, etc.

What a killer de niro face at 6:07

Mantic, quick question. I am waiting for my merkur DE, and shave soap to arrive. Can I make a lather in the same mug that the soap is in, while the soap remains in the mug? Or must I rub the brush on the soap, cover the bristles, and take the brush to another mug to begin mixing for my lather? Hope that made sense. I'm completely new to this and will appreciate the help. Thanks for the videos!

I just made the transition from cartridge razors to DE safety razor, bought a cheap $20 feather DE razor to give it a try. I am not having a good experience, got more cuts and rash than I even had with the cartridge razors, but I like the new experience and will invest in a better DE safety razor, any recommendation accepted please, I don't want to invest $100 and then don't like the razor, is a adjustable razor better than a non adjustable?

Great video Mantic, thanks! 1 quick question - what type of Badger hair brush are you using?

This video is a big help, thanks. ^^

Mark I have just received 96 Derby Shaving Soap sticks and 58 Palmolive shave stick soaps from a friend who has closed his barber shop down, will it be ok in 40 years time or will these shave sticks go rancid and is derby got a better smell than Arko and does it perform better than Arko.

Great video. Thanks

Perhaps you answered this in another video but when you're done with a reduction do you relather with new lather? Or do you have enough left over that you can continue?

Hey mantic great vids. I have one question. May seem kinda dumb but i got the 4 elements of the perfect shave from the art of shaving. Is the pre shaving oil neccessary? If so how do you use it? Thanks.

What are your thoughts on using a straight razor a.k.a an open razor? One more question, how do you obtain the 5 o'clock shadow? Thanks for your videos, I'm 13, my father walked out during Christmas when I was little so I need to learn these things on my own the proper way.

I get acne a lot when I shave because my face is super duper sensitive. Should I use a toner or more soap after this to keep clean?

Are there any chain stores or online stores that you know of that sell good soaps, creams, brushes, razors, etc, that you would recommend?