Thread: Questions! (Recommendations for soap/cream, brush, etc.)

Hello there yall !

I just finished my 2nd shave only one small nick on the 1st day! I am using a dovo prima silver steel (ebony handle) honed by Lynn. It passed the hanging hair test a few times to the amazement of some friends and family. I have a cheap boars hair brush and some soap I found at walgreens, williams mug soap. I tested the lather on it and decided I needed something a little better, I got some co bigelow green tube stuff, added it on top of my cheep stuff and seemed to get an ok lather.

The first shave I tried to just do the side jaw and neck...but lets face it who is going to stop there! Not me! So that little 45 minute session had me sweating and re-lathering several times...did I mention i had a 2 month beard I was hacking off...maybe not the best to start but its what I had so on to day 2. With just a one day growth and one shave under my belt I tried to speed up on the areas I felt comfortable with on the previous day and did the shave in better time and less feel of trying to kiss a cactus.


so a few questions....

Is there a soap that is known for its length of life on my face...non caking?

Is there a good coconut soap/cream out there? I have have seen it on motherbear and pirate soap and one expensive place but am a little lost in the lather area...I looked at making uberlather but yeesh that’s a little much for me at this point.

When I get sufficient stuff on my razor I hold it blade down under the water and sometimes if there is still a little on the edge of the blade I will wipe it on a towel with the same stroke as when I am stroping. Is this bad?

I have yet to do any other strokes besides wtg, would yall recommend to wait until I am proficient with the whole face wtg then add xtg and atg? or should I add them in after I am ok with that area of the face...for example my sideburn area seems to be pretty flat/easy.

My next purchase will be a good brush, from what I can tell I am looking for a silvertip badger hair. When I look online i get ranges from 15$-600$ and all these are silver badger hair...do I really get what I pay for here to a newb sr shaver? What I should ask is what’s the best bang for my buck to get a good brush.

My strop is a purchase from a knife store that a piece of nice cow leather I for got the name it starts with L it doesn’t have a cloth underside or anything fancy but seems to do well with the blade and sounds/feels like its doing good more than bad! is there a way I can tell if my stroping is working other than feeling it out on a shave? I feel like not having any experience this would be a hard judgment call for me.


Thanks,
ATX sRnewb

Originally Posted by Kamer

Is there a soap that is known for its length of life on my face...non caking?

Most soaps are fine. There are exceptions though. AFAIK the Williams is good, once you get the lather right. Try adding more water to the lather if you think it's going on too thick, & re lather as necessary. They'll all dry out when you first start, as you're taking your time. That's a good thing.

Originally Posted by Kamer

Is there a good coconut soap/cream out there? I have have seen it on motherbear and pirate soap and one expensive place but am a little lost in the lather area...I looked at making uberlather but yeesh that’s a little much for me at this point.

Leave uberlather alone till you're able to make a good standard lather. It's not really needed, we just have a habit of taking this beyond what's required!

Not tried coconut creams, but check the review sections on the various shaving sites. They'll guide you.

Originally Posted by Kamer

I have yet to do any other strokes besides wtg, would yall recommend to wait until I am proficient with the whole face wtg then add xtg and atg?

Yes

Originally Posted by Kamer

My next purchase will be a good brush, from what I can tell I am looking for a silvertip badger hair. When I look online i get ranges from 15$-600$ and all these are silver badger hair...do I really get what I pay for here to a newb sr shaver? What I should ask is what’s the best bang for my buck to get a good brush.

Pretty much. Different makers grade the hair differently. You don't need silvertip. It's not everyone's favourite & some guys like a stiffer type. There are some amazing brushes out there that aren't silvertip. I'd get better quality with a lower grade than a cheap silvertip.

Originally Posted by Kamer

Is there a way I can tell if my stroping is working other than feeling it out on a shave?

Watch these videos & read this. The ultimate stropping test is if the blade is working.

Good luck & enjoy it.

Welcome to SRP, Kamer.

Originally Posted by Kamer

Is there a soap that is known for its length of life on my face...non caking?

Have a look at our review section. Basically, any of these will do nicely: Shaving Soaps/Shaving Creams Reviews - Straight Razor Place Forums.

Originally Posted by Kamer

When I get sufficient stuff on my razor I hold it blade down under the water and sometimes if there is still a little on the edge of the blade I will wipe it on a towel with the same stroke as when I am stroping. Is this bad?

No, many members do that. Personally, I do not really care (nor do I experience this problem as my lather is never that thick, and therefore rinses off nicely).

Originally Posted by Kamer

I have yet to do any other strokes besides wtg, would yall recommend to wait until I am proficient with the whole face wtg then add xtg and atg? or should I add them in after I am ok with that area of the face...for example my sideburn area seems to be pretty flat/easy.

Give it a go. As long as you keep the angle flat and pressure to a minimum, you won't be able to do much harm.

Originally Posted by Kamer

My next purchase will be a good brush, from what I can tell I am looking for a silvertip badger hair. When I look online i get ranges from 15$-600$ and all these are silver badger hair...do I really get what I pay for here to a newb sr shaver? What I should ask is what’s the best bang for my buck to get a good brush.

Again, I recommend consulting the reviews section: Brush Reviews - Straight Razor Place Forums. Personally, I would not pay more than USD 100 for a brush (unless it was an especially fancy design, or a Thäter brush). http://straightrazorpalace.com/brush...130-range.html might also be useful.

Originally Posted by Kamer

is there a way I can tell if my stroping is working other than feeling it out on a shave? I feel like not having any experience this would be a hard judgment call for me.

A microscope will help.

Good luck, and keep us posted,
Robin

Welcome to SRP Kamer! The soaps all depend on what you are looking for. I'm starting to classify soaps as American made and European made. Some of the best European soaps are Mitchell's Woolfat (English), Tabac (German), O'Mehor (Portugeese) and La Toja (Spanish). The top one IMO is Mitchell's, It has a very creamy lather that cushions superbly! As do the other three. But all things considered, mainly cost, the overall winner is La Toja which can be found at Vintage Scent, along with O'Mehor. Tabac you can get at SRD as can Mitchell's.

Then there's good olde American soaps. My Favorite American soap is Ogallala Bay Rum, and is very affordable, TGQ is another excellent line of soaps.

You actually can't go wrong with any of these soaps, and some people have trouble getting lather with some of them. But I think it boils down to your own ability. It is so rewarding when you make your own lather instead of getting it out of a can! So experiment and have some fun! Take care and God Bless! Ray