Glad you liked the shave!

To answer your questions, both soap and cream make great lather as long as the items are of good quality. As long as you buy a decent make, and know how to make lather, you'll get a good result. I use both soaps and creams and I like them both.

In terms of the blade, it doesnt really matter. Both shave just as well as each other and both will give a great result. Stainless steel will also rust up though, so you'll have to make sure you take just as good a care of the blade or it will tarnish as well.

I've tried both types and I cant tell the difference in the shave TBH. Most razors seem to be carbon steel and as long as you take care of them they will last for decades. Just make sure you rinse the blade off well and thoroughly dry it before storage. Putting a little pack of silica gel in with the razor also helps, if you're worried about rust.

Good luck and keep us posted!