Thread: 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!!
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.

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.

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!