Originally Posted by
roughkype
In my opinion, there are better soaps out there than Col. Conk; I only used it for a few shaves then gave up on it. Maybe if you use a water softener it's OK, but I've never used one so don't know if the Col. plays nicer with some waters than others. You might try a puck of a nicer soap, something nicer than you can get at the drug store or Wal-Mart. I've tried those brands (Williams, Van de Hagen, Conk) and my experience was that nicer soaps and creams do make for closer & gentler shaves.
I hope you find a solution. You're a good man for sticking it out despite the pain.