Thread: Do I really need a brush?

I've been told that shaving cream that comes in a tube (like Proraso) can be lathered using your hands. I've tried lathering soap using my hands and have not had good results.

There's nothing to travelling with a brush. I simply bring it and a small tube of shaving cream (or a tiny plastic container with a teaspoon or two of the stuff).

You can work the lather in the palm of your hand easily. But I bring a little china saucer/bowl. As for drying the brush - just rinse the thing out with water and shake it dry. This gets rid of nearly all the water in seconds. You can detect a bit of moisture in the brush, but it doesn't matter. Toss it in your travel bag or leave it out to dry on the counter. It takes no time at all.

Get a badger travel brush.


Scott

Or just get yourself a real badger. You could carry it around in one of those dog carrier cages and sedate him whenever you need a bit of his hide. Trim some off, lather up, and then re-cage him and allow the fur to grow back like some sort of angrier, smellier Chia-Pet. Make sure to water often.

Originally Posted by The Topher

My point would be though that is you look around, the greams, and soaps, and aftershaves and so on are what really make this fun. If you don't use a brush and some decent soap or cream then you are robbing yourself of a good portion of the ritual that makes this routine chore into a celebration of being a man.

For me the fun is in restoring, honing and using razors.
I have 1 type of cream (TOB) and 1 brush (boar). I also have only 2 alcohol based AS (because 1 is still the same bottle I got years ago)

I use brush + cream because it is easy and cheap and it works for me.

But to me, soap, brush and scuttle are pretty unimportant. I don't even have a scuttle, I just build the lather on my face with the brush.
The real fun is in shaving, not the lathering.
I really don't see the point in collecting dozens of soaps with all types of scent etc.
I also have only 1 strop: the practise strop that came with my TM heirloom, which I sold after using it a couple of times.

By the same token, while I think honing is fun, I don't tell people that they need to hone in order in order to be manly shavers.

EDIT: for traveling I use a feather, and I carry a cheap synthetic brush and a tub of TOB cream.

Originally Posted by Blade Wielder

Or just get yourself a real badger. You could carry it around in one of those dog carrier cages and sedate him whenever you need a bit of his hide. Trim some off, lather up, and then re-cage him and allow the fur to grow back like some sort of angrier, smellier Chia-Pet. Make sure to water often.

Brilliant!!

Just get yourself a ziplock baggie and put your brush in it after it's air dried a bit. That will save your clothes from moisture in the suitcase, but allow you to keep your brush with you. Just take it out of the bag when you get wherever you're going so it can continue to dry out.

I have 2 creams, Body Shop and American Crew. I would rather use a soap and brush most of the time, but both creams smell really nice and work pretty well too. If I had to travel, I wouldn't mind using the creams and when your home you could savor using a brush and soap again!
A win-win situation.

You could grab a cheap synthetic brush for under $5 which will dry quickly, and give you an idea of if you want to use brushes or not.

Originally Posted by Bruno

But to me, soap, brush and scuttle are pretty unimportant. I don't even have a scuttle, I just build the lather on my face with the brush.
The real fun is in shaving, not the lathering.

I couldn't agree more. I only have one cheap boar brush and a one inherited travel boar brush.

Then we differ I do have about a dozen different soaps and have tried even more

Originally Posted by Bruno

I really don't see the point in collecting dozens of soaps with all types of scent etc.
I also have only 1 strop: the practise strop that came with my TM heirloom, which I sold after using it a couple of times.

There are two points to the many scents.

They make the shaving time better. It becomes a more luxurious experience when the scent you are surrounded with matches your mood. Citris for a morning pick me up, Lavender to relax me from a hard day, Prorasso when getting ready for an active event, Black Cavendish for a elegant evening out. The soap just sets the mood

The other reason is my wife really loves walking into a manly and well scented bathroom, it can inspre her if you know what I mean.

Branch out there are good soaps for every taste and mood, it really helps make this an even more sensual experience. Takes the luxury to the next level if you will.