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I just finished reading the 1905 'learn how to shave' manual posted elsewhere on this site. The book talks about how the purpose of Shave soap is not to soften or lubricate the beard, but just the opposite, to stiffen it. I use a Cream from TAOS, which has alot of oils in it, also a pre-shave lube oil.
Has anyone tried both methods and gotten appreciable differences?
I believe that they mean "stiffen" as it lift the beard/stubble away from the face, which it does...
Those of us that keep a light beard can actually help you clean shaved types with this as we can see it happening rather well...
After the lather sits about 2 minutes you can see the beard hair standing up through the lather...
To respond to the original question, I can only give my opinion. I, for one, prefer soaps over creams. I never get the same quality shave when I use a cream along over a soap. In fact, I have pretty much given up using creams stand alone and will usually combine with soap if I'm in the mood. I just find that soap gives a much better glide and to me, moisturizes better. It also adds more to the experience in my opinion.
The only cream that I have had success with stand alone is Da Bomb by Al. His cream seems to give a more soap like lather, but I still prefer soap for a good shave.
For a lot of months I've been using creams. At the moment I'm using soaps and preffer them over creams. I find that they tend to provide a nicer shave. Maybe it is just the soap I'm using or the creams I used before... I always find the soaps to be a more agreeable exerience.
I use both soaps and creams, and I find that cream produces more lather faster. Whereas soaps produce a smaller volume of lather and it takes a little longer. I find soaps give a little more glide to the shave though.
Gentlemen:
Since this is far too broad a question, I can't give a specific answer. Compare soaps to creams in what way?
With that in mind, I use both soaps and creams, and like both for what they are. Each type has its benefits. The silver tip and the other softer badger brushes are dedicated to creams, and the stiffer ones, including the boars and the synthetics, are used with soaps.
Regards,
Obie
The specific question is does one produce a better shave than the other? The expectation after reading the book was that Soaps make the hairs stiffer and stand up, the better to whack them down. The creams, containing oil, soften and lay the whisker down, making it harder to get a close shave.
That is a question that only you can answer...
Keep in mind that book is no different than anyone else's opinion right here on the forum, it was just written 105 years ago ...
In general, most people think that Soaps are better with "Glide" and the Creams are better with "Cushion" Some think that Soaps work better with Straights and Creams work better with DE's...
Some of us go so far as to create Uberlathers and Superlathers that combine the two and give a extremely creamy mixture...
But ultimately it is your face and your razor so it is your opinion as to which works better...
IMHO
Nothing even comes close to an Uber made with Mitchell's Wool Fat soap + Musgo Real cream + 5 drops of Glycerin = "The Lanolin Overload" that is the best lather combo I have ever found, for a close comfortable shave that leaves the face feeling great after...
Does anyone use a cream like Musgo or Poraso as a pre-shave. I have read posts on other forums about shaving with creams such as Musgo without lathering. Basically just rubbing it in with your hands like you would the canned stuff.
Has anyone tried this, but then lathered on top of it? I imagine this could be a good combo and a good prep method. I would not try this with a more expensive cream, obviously.
I have used both but I prefer cream--specifically TOBS cream. I can't say one is better than the other in terms of shaving, but cream is much easier, because I lather in the palm of my hand, and using cream is my preferred method. It is harder to get a good lather with a soap puck, and it is harder to use the later in my hand as a pre lather, if I use soap.