Thread: Palmolive PIF

Got mine this weekend. Thank you much, and I can't wait to try it!

Hoping I'll get mine today so I can shave with it tomorrow... ... and I hope we can keep this thread going for a little while with some shave reviews on the soap.

I used the Palmolive during this morning's shave. I made some lather in my palm last night just to get a feel for how it would lather. This morning I soaked my brush in my scuttle while I took a quick shower. When done with the shower I changed out the hot water in my scuttle and wet my face. I rubbed the stick over my face and neck then started to use painting motions to disperse the soap evenly. After I was satisfied with soap dispersion I switched to swirling with the brush, adding water to the brush a couple of times.
The shave was done with a Gillette Fatboy set on eight using a Perma-Sharp blade. This was shave number three for this blade. The volume of lather was not as much as I get from my D.R. Harris soap or Cella cream yet I never felt like it was too thin. Normallly when using a soap I wet the soap down with water while showering so the top is soft and easier to load. I forgot this step this morning and feel I this affected the lather. I made a special effort last night when lathering in my hand to check slickness and felt it was average. The scent was nice. It was a fresh scent with a bit of an herbal note, and maybe some menthol. The scent of Palmolive reminds me of traveling in Europe or being around my Dad's European co-workers in the early 1980s. Trufitt & Hill Trafalgar and Mitchell's Wool Fat are other scents that remind me of same place and time.
The shave was finished irritation free. My face feels wonderful some six hours later- smooth and moisturized. I do have to say the Perma-Sharp DE blades are really smooth so that plays a factor. The scent, although faint, remained for a couple of hours.

You could try wetting the shave stick tip a few times while you are rubbing it on your face. Before starting to lather you could choke the knot between thumb and fore finger and rub the wetted tip of the stick on the knot. That should help with getting more lather. You could also do a quick swipe of the stick around your face between passes.

Bob

I never got on with shave sticks myself, but I love this soap remilled to a small ramekin for bowl lathering. All one needs is a small bowl, a coarse cheese grater and a few drops of water. Smash the gratings into your bowl with a little water, let it set up, and the next day you can bowl lather with "shave nirvana!"

Well...my stick showed up in today's post. I'll be giving it a go in the morning tomorrow. I've never tried a stick before...I do use Arko, but like Druid I re-mill it into a small soap bowl and use it that way. I like the way Arko lathers so if the Palmolive does as well I'll be very happy with it. As far as scents go...I really don't care that much, as long as it doesn't smell totally like sh*t I'm OK with it. I'm all about the lather!

Once more, a BIG shout out to Beluga! A very nice gesture indeed...

Originally Posted by BobH

You could try wetting the shave stick tip a few times while you are rubbing it on your face. Before starting to lather you could choke the knot between thumb and fore finger and rub the wetted tip of the stick on the knot. That should help with getting more lather. You could also do a quick swipe of the stick around your face between passes.

Bob

+1

There are many techniques to use hard sticks like Palmolive.
I too wet the stick in between, but rather than re-charging the knot of the brush, I just swipe the stick around my face again between passes.

If one is new to hard shaving sticks like these, it may take some time to find one's preferred technique.
Initially, I didn't care much for shaving sticks, but the convenience - especially when travelling - is compelling.


B.

I got mine today and I want to Thank You again. This is a much appreciated chance to try something different.

I had tried Arko before but I can not compare the 2 as I used the stick on the face method this time. My first adventure with a stick/Arko I was building a lather on the stick. That is just a mess :<0) Lather everywhere.

This stuff has a pleasant smell and not overbearing at all. I grabbed an DDM2 brush re-knotted with a mixed badger thinking this would be best for whipping up lather on my face.(skritchy) I just wet the stick and rubbed it on my face. Maybe I will learn the best way to soften it first. A soak ? It seemed like a softer brush would have been better. Adding water to the soap on my face took many dabs back in the pond. A brush that held more water next time. I wasn't successful building a big ole thick lather but I got nice coverage and it was slick. It shaved off really well and took the whiskers with it. I got a very smooth shave with a single pass and touch ups. I would like to attribute that to the soap but I have 2 other variables on the razors side. Testing different barbers hones and a new strop on a new razor. Sometimes you just can't wait.


I can say I enjoyed using it for the first time. I have to learn it some but I will. I found a home for mine already.




It's a little loose in there but that may be a good thing down the road.

Thanks Beluga, very magnanimous of you! Will post my results.

Thanks again,

G

Shaved with the Palmolive today. I was surprised actually...the lather was nice and slick and the overall shave was great. Didn't get a voluminous amount of lather, but I chalked that up to not ever having used a stick before. I did get the feeling though that if I grated the stick up in to a bowl and then made an Uber Lather with it that I would be quite surprised.

Overall... and a thanks to Beluga once more!