Soap or Cream???

When I started I got a free shave cream, and 2 cake soaps all free with purchase of my starter set. I had the hardest time getting the cake soaps to lather up good with either my badger brush or my boar brush and resulted in an inferrior shave the same with the cream but not as bad.

Now that I have used them up any suggestions on what to buy and from whom? I have a very tough beard and need to get a good cake soap or cream with lot's of lather!

I have been using a shave gel on the end of my brush and it works much better than the cake soaps and cream that I was given. The shave gel really lathers up and I get a nice close shave.

Have you watched some of the lather making videos available yet? They are pretty good as a start. If you have, give us some more details on the problems you're having and we'll try to help.

Yes I watched some of the videos. I just need to know the name of a good soap or cream that will give me a good lather and close shave because I have a real tough beard. The freebee's just did not cut the beard. Some one suggested that I could add olive oil while whipping up the lather with the brush.

Michells wool fat or Tabac soap are pretty much the best, though I hear DR Harris soap is as good. You can't go wrong with any of those three.

GEL!! :gaah:
You don't say what you were given, but if you make lather correctly, the difference between modern gel's & the like compared to proper soaps & creams is simply incomparable. Even a bad soap should be better. Sounds like you really need to practice your techniques.
Read this.
Category:Lather - Straight Razor Place Wiki
& watch Mantic's video's on the tube.
Hopefully things should improve. Just practice & you'll get it. Using gel with a brush is just kidding yourself, & you deserve better!

As far as choice goes, there are plenty, at all price ranges that will do a great job. Read the reviews here & just make the choice. A lot is down to personal preference, but for creams, the Edwin Jagger range is phenomenal for the money.

You can also soften your beard using Proraso pre-shaving cream. Works wonders for me.

I like Trumpers soaps and creams, and I have examples of both. Great lather and a great shave.

Tabac is also a good choice, or Castle Forbes.

Taylors of Bond Street are also good, and Mitchells Wool Fat.

Go to Connaught Shaving.com as they have some great soaps and deals!

Ironically I get the thickest and smoothest lather I've had so far with Van Der Hagen(the walmart carried soap). Maybe because it's so cheap I don't mind using a ton of the stuff.

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Originally Posted by rllucas9

When I started I got a free shave cream, and 2 cake soaps all free with purchase of my starter set. I had the hardest time getting the cake soaps to lather up good with either my badger brush or my boar brush and resulted in an inferrior shave the same with the cream but not as bad.

Now that I have used them up any suggestions on what to buy and from whom? I have a very tough beard and need to get a good cake soap or cream with lot's of lather!

I have been using a shave gel on the end of my brush and it works much better than the cake soaps and cream that I was given. The shave gel really lathers up and I get a nice close shave.

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It took me a little while to figure out how to properly lather with soap and now I use it almost exclusively on my face, and I use my creams for shaving my head.

I'm quite fond of all my creams; The Body Shop maca root cream, Taylor of Old Bond Street (avocado and rose), and C.O. Bigelow which is rebranded Proraso. You can pick up the maca root stuff if you have The Body Shop near you, and the C.O. Bigelow can be bought at Bath & Body Works.

I have several scents of TGQ soap and some Mitchell's Wool Fat which I adore. Hope that helps!

I've used more creams then soaps, but I think I am partial to them. By far though, my favorite is a mix of the two. Put a little cream in the mug. Then load up the brush with some soap and go to town. I get a wonderfully rich lather.

You didn't mention anything about the method you're using to make your lather. Are you lathering on your face or in a mug? I tried to make lather on my face, and, IMHO, it sucks :p I just use one of those big coffee mugs to make my lather, but we recently bought a crock pot that came with a little mini one that I may put into shaving duty.

I use soaps exclusively now.

If you are having a hard time getting quality lather, you can't beat Kell's Originals. It might not be the best soap on the market but it lathers like nothing else I have used and smells incredible.

Actually, if your new, it's gonna take you a while to get the hang of making a good lather. SRD has amazingly good soaps. MWF and Tabac are good too. For Shave Cream, I like Castle Forbes and Truefitt and Hill. TOBS is good too. Mama Bears shave soap performs well. Contrary to other members, I do not like or endorse TGQ, or Colleen's soap. After 3 purchases, I could not get a good lather IMO. I have 60 other creams and soaps that do fine.

You should listen to zib, with 60+ soaps and creams he must be SRP's official lather guy!:bow

Seriously though, you got a lot of great advice so far. All I can add is that you shouldn't be scared off from soaps because their harder to lather than creams. With practice, once you get the technique down, you'll find there are soaps that can't be beat. You may even switch to soaps exclusively....

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

You should listen to zib, with 60+ soaps and creams he must be SRP's official lather guy!:bow

Seriously though, you got a lot of great advice so far. All I can add is that you shouldn't be scared off from soaps because their harder to lather than creams. With practice, once you get the technique down, you'll find there are soaps that can't be beat. You may even switch to soaps exclusively....

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+1 on the soaps. What Ryan say's is correct. With a soap, you get better feedback from your razor, and once mastered, you can really whip up some nice lather...Shave creams tend to be heavier. Both have their benefits.

i vote for soaps also. yes it did take some practice until i got the lather to work well.. along with the other suggestions, i might offer that you make some of your own soaps. i make mine(not for sale). i enjoy making numerous scents and types of soaps...good luck

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Originally Posted by Hayduke

I've used more creams then soaps, but I think I am partial to them. By far though, my favorite is a mix of the two. Put a little cream in the mug. Then load up the brush with some soap and go to town. I get a wonderfully rich lather.

You didn't mention anything about the method you're using to make your lather. Are you lathering on your face or in a mug? I tried to make lather on my face, and, IMHO, it sucks :p I just use one of those big coffee mugs to make my lather, but we recently bought a crock pot that came with a little mini one that I may put into shaving duty.

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I do use a mug and use a badger brush. I think my problem was that the 2 that I tried were home made by the guys wife that I bought my first 2 razors from. I would work the soap cake in a mug and the cream I would work up in a scuttle. Neither freebies would work up enough lather to load the brush no matter how long I would work them or how much water was used. Of course the more water the more bubbles and less lather.
Thanks for your suggestions!

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Originally Posted by rllucas9

I do use a mug and use a badger brush. I think my problem was that the 2 that I tried were home made by the guys wife that I bought my first 2 razors from. I would work the soap cake in a mug and the cream I would work up in a scuttle. Neither freebies would work up enough lather to load the brush no matter how long I would work them or how much water was used. Of course the more water the more bubbles and less lather.
Thanks for your suggestions!

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fyi, creams will hold more water then soaps, so take that into account when building the lather. When I use just a cream, I don't have to shake the brush out as much. When I use soap only, I make sure to shake the brush out quite a bit. It's easier to add water than to remove it :p

I haven't tried 60+ soaps or creams, but I'm up to ~25 or so. So far, my favorites have been Truefit & Hill creams. My absolute favorite is the T&F 1805. All the T&H creams seem to make the same lather, but I love the smell of 1805.

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Originally Posted by Hayduke

I've used more creams then soaps, but I think I am partial to them. By far though, my favorite is a mix of the two. Put a little cream in the mug. Then load up the brush with some soap and go to town. I get a wonderfully rich lather.

You didn't mention anything about the method you're using to make your lather. Are you lathering on your face or in a mug? I tried to make lather on my face, and, IMHO, it sucks :p I just use one of those big coffee mugs to make my lather, but we recently bought a crock pot that came with a little mini one that I may put into shaving duty.

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I tried your suggestion this morning and it worked!!!! I use a mug for the soap and a skuttle for the cream and mixing the 2 and they finally lathered up nicely. Thanls for the suggestion!

Hi,
I use the inexpensive Col. Conk soap pucks and get a great lather. Took me a little practise to get the lather correct, but now I get fast reliable thick lather

-Chief