Thread: Brush for soap

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

Yep, they are all available to just about anywhere, as close as your mailbox. We live in a connected world. But as was said don't believe everything you hear, soaps creams, what matters is the quality of the products and then the face that looks at you in the mirror does the rest. There are guys like Bobh who could lather mud with a hair brush and still get a usable lather! Tc

I don't know what your mirror is like, but the guy that looks back from mine is getting old!

I think the mud with a hair brush could be a good money saving tip

Seriously though thank you all for the advice. I am slowly getting better at this whole thing now and can even show my face in public after I have shaved, which is a vast improvement from day 1. I waited until I was off work for a week before I started on this journey, just in case...

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

There are guys like Bobh who could lather mud with a hair brush and still get a usable lather! Tc

Thanks TC, but I wouldn't go quite that far.

Now, back to the OP's brush. You have a brush you like the feel of so it would be nice, I think, to experiment with it as it should do alright.

If you want a fun experiment with soaps, try taking an Arko shave stick, roll it in your hands to warm it up and form it into a bowl or mug. It is cheap as chips and lathers easily and well. Be warned though that it has a strong lemony scent that some don't like. Use it for a bit and then compare it's ease of lathering and performance, not scent, to more expensive soaps. You may find a surprise.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

If you want a fun experiment with soaps, try taking an Arko shave stick, roll it in your hands to warm it up and form it into a bowl or mug. It is cheap as chips and lathers easily and well. Be warned though that it has a strong lemony scent that some don't like. Use it for a bit and then compare it's ease of lathering and performance, not scent, to more expensive soaps. You may find a surprise.

Bob

I have just looked this stuff up, the packaging looks fun too. Very retro.

Originally Posted by Porl

I have just looked this stuff up, the packaging looks fun too. Very retro.

Yup, part of the charm. Every time I use Arko I am reminded that I have spent a lot more on a soap and have not gained as huge an increase in performance as the price differential should indicate.

Bob

A lot of this comes down to experience I believe and just doing it over and over until you get the hang of it. I use like BobH stated a multitude of different knot materials as well. I use hard pucks to softer like softened butter soaps to creams in a tube and all my brushes work well. Even my synthetics work ok in hard pucks and my stiff boar in creams in a scuttle!

As far as brands of soap..............now that will take time, much time and even then you will venture out to others in time but my constants are the following:

MWF
Proraso in the green and white tubs
Godrej in the tube has a very pleasing scent and a pleasure to use
Musgo Real tube in lavender

These are my have in stock all the time. Now I do venture like I stated and get some others from time to time but really it is hit and miss.

Good luck!

I own a BK8 and it is a lovely brush that I enjoy using with creams. Even as an 8, that Kent blooms huge. So, I never use it for soaps, instead I go with something between a 24 to 26mm range, which fits perfectly in a wooden or ceramic garden variety dish.

My favorite hard soap has to be MWF. I think you can have some fun with that one.

To be brutally honest, I just skimmed through the other replies.

If you like creams, stick with them and use a soft brush like your BK.

Soaps tend to be a bit more close cutting, as in they do not offer quite the cushion you might be used to with creams. This is neither good nor bad, only what you are used to.

With Straights, being hand honed and not quite as sharp as factory blade edges, they tend to be slightly less uhmmm piquant vs factory sharpened double edge blades. Thus you may find that creams are so protective that they prevent the ultimate shave with a traditional straight, but cushion the hellishly sharp DE blades.

In my own experience, soaps tend to be favored by straight razor shavers due to their close cutting nature.... Creams are often favored by DE shavers for their cushioning effect. And yet, some DE shavers like soaps and some straight razor shavers like creams.

It's up to YOU what you like, don't succumb to what others think. Be yourself and stand proud.

The brush, in and by itself is no never mind... all shaving brushes can be made to work with either creams or soaps... you just have to tweak it a bit.

The number one problem I see with shavers coming from creams to soaps is that they start off with a brush that is too dry. If you do NOT have enough water in the brush, no amount of swirling on the soap will produce a decent lather. Too much water in the brush will eventually result in enough lather to shave 10 men.... Too little water in the brush, no go. Too much water, waay too much lather.... Start with too much water and cut back until you are happy with the result.

Second problem is the claim by some (it may work for them, but it sure as h*ll doesn't work for me) that only a couple three swirls on a soap is enough..... I start with a wet enough brush and I keep swirling (and I do not count) until the lather looks good.... then I go to my face from there. I cannot stress this part enough, do not go by how many swirls someone else uses... it all depends on a myriad amount of details that is different for each and every shaver.. Swirl, with enough or too much water, until it looks good. If you end up with too much lather, cut back on the water! If you end up with thin, useless lather, add more water and keep swirling on the puck... you'll find it in the end.

Regards

Kaptain "Been there, done that, don't want the T-shirt" Zero

Originally Posted by BobH

Yup, part of the charm. Every time I use Arko I am reminded that I have spent a lot more on a soap and have not gained as huge an increase in performance as the price differential should indicate. Bob

Precisely! I have a stick of Arko also and it has a pleasant urinal cake scent that for the life of me......I like! You may all say I am weird but that scent is unmistakable and rather pleasing! I just need to get a puck because I like pucks better!

Long live Arko!

Originally Posted by Michael70

Precisely! I have a stick of Arko also and it has a pleasant urinal cake scent that for the life of me......I like! You may all say I am weird but that scent is unmistakable and rather pleasing! I just need to get a puck because I like pucks better!

Long live Arko!

Who knows how a nose knows what to know.

Originally Posted by Michael70

Precisely! I have a stick of Arko also and it has a pleasant urinal cake scent that for the life of me......I like! You may all say I am weird but that scent is unmistakable and rather pleasing! I just need to get a puck because I like pucks better!

Long live Arko!

Just make it a puck, see post #12.

Bob