Barrister and Mann

When I was new I squeezed almost all water out of my brush.

Just out of curiosity, do you still do this, or do you now start building a lather with a brush that has more water in it?

When I was new I squeezed almost all water out of my brush.
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Eventually with practice you'll figure out the right ratio and can start nearer the soap:water ratio you need with the given equipment so the whole process will speed up significantly.

Just out of curiosity, do you still do this, or do you now start building a lather with a brush that has more water in it?

Maybe with a new soap from an unfamiliar vendor I still try that method, not bone dry but definitely start on the dry side and start building up the water content.

With practice and familiarity with a soap you can start much closer to where you need to be.  However it's always easier to start drier and add water rather than the other way around.  I habitually treat all my B&M soaps like the white label so sometimes start too wet for the glissant base.  You can recover by loading a little more soap or spreading the lather over a larger area like maybe decide to shave your neck but it's harder.

Thanks, beardybrewer. My “default” is to start with a fairly dry brush, but I do like to experiment a bit every now and then. What you said makes a lot of sense. Of course, the type of brush may also determine the outcome. Leave too much water especially in a synthetic, and one forceful move could cause it to spill out in the middle of the lathering process.

I agree with you that Barrister and Mann soaps have a wide water tolerance compared to many other soaps on the market.

Well I had better luck with the latha Lavanda, the Reserve line really likes a lot of water. I may have used too much soap from the sample, next time I'll start with more water.
I hope I get the residual slickness I look for in a soap or cream cause I really like the scent of both the lavender and fern.
Thanks for all the advice and recommendations.

Agreed,

I still use other soaps but i've generally been very impressed with barrister & mann