The Obie Memorial First Tier Soaps and Creams Thread.

[Obie]

Gentlemen,

From my experience with Le Pere Lucien, I give my wet brush a squeeze and a pair of gentle shakes and then load it heavily with the soap, sprinkling water on the soap, if necessary; then I face lather, adjusting the water. This seems to work well for me. No, of course not, Le Pere Lucien is not Martin de Candre for the density of the lather, or the Harris soaps.

Martin de Candre and the Harris soaps produce a dense lather, whereas Le Pere Lucien not as much. Despite the slightly lighter lather, Le Pere Lucien still affords all the other elements of a top tier soap.

[Obie]

What about Pre de Province cream that's a basement cream, but the soap is good

Yes, I like the soap. I would put it in the Third Tier. In the Second Tier, the competition is tough. All this is my opinion, of course.

[HopChugger]

AOS Sandlewood is one of my favorites I have never had a problem with it ......must be water, I get great lathers

Agreed with this. AoS Sandlewood way, way exceeded my expectations. Fantastic lather.

[HopChugger]

I,m not sure, but I get a better lather with LPL by face lathering than I did in a scuttle, maybe the heat is affecting it. But I did find it a pretty good soap, not in my top tier cause it's a short list, but definantly in the top of the second tier. Tc

I'm running into scuttle issues fairly often. Some soaps hate heat and won't lather worth a damn when they're warm, but then you cold shave with them and they're great. I'm slowly dividing my soap collection into "scuttle soaps" and "cold soaps." I honestly think A LOT of soap makers out there do not test their products warm.

[Wid]

When Obie speaks, I listen, thanks for the reviews. I'm a stead fast Mitchell's user, been so for years.

[Obie]

When Obie speaks, I listen, thanks for the reviews. I'm a stead fast Mitchell's user, been so for years.

Wid, my friend, thank you for the kind words. You are a gentleman, my friend.
Stay well.

[Big]

I'm running into scuttle issues fairly often. Some soaps hate heat and won't lather worth a damn when they're warm, but then you cold shave with them and they're great. I'm slowly dividing my soap collection into "scuttle soaps" and "cold soaps." I honestly think A LOT of soap makers out there do not test their products warm.

I am finding the same issue with my scuttle. I am no pro at lathering in a scuttle...but I find that my usual great soaps are not that great in the scuttle. The exception so far has been Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet cream. Lathered like crazy even in my warm scuttle.

[Obie]

Gentlemen,

I have discovered the optimum water temperature for all soaps or creams — at least the hundreds I have used — is just plain old warm tap water. Many have a tendency to use extremely hot water, which, in my experience, hinders the lather. Just warm enough to the touch should do it.

The one important element to which I pay close attention at the start, whether face or bowl lathering, is to load the brush heavily with enough soap or cream and not be cheap about it. My brush gets a gentle shake and a squeeze before loading — heavily. From there, I lather and watch the water ratio.

I dislike cold water shaving, so I can't tell you anything about that. Just warm enough water and a well loaded brush does it for me.

[Big]

Gentlemen,

I have discovered the optimum water temperature for all soaps or creams — at least the hundreds I have used — is just plain old warm tap water. Many have a tendency to use extremely hot water, which, in my experience, hinders the lather. Just warm enough to the touch should do it.

The one important element to which I pay close attention at the start, whether face or bowl lathering, is to load the brush heavily with enough soap or cream and not be cheap about it. My brush gets a gentle shake and a squeeze before loading — heavily. From there, I lather and watch the water ratio.

I dislike cold water shaving, so I can't tell you anything about that. Just warm enough water and a well loaded brush does it for me.

Obie my friend I'm thinking that warm water is the only way to go (I also dislike cold water shaving). I experimented with the scuttle because it sounded attractive (warm lather and all in the winter) but IN MY EXPERIENCE your statement is correct. The soaps & creams I have tried behave best in just warm tap water and proper loading technique. My pretty scuttle may be up for sale soon.

[Obie]

Obie my friend I'm thinking that warm water is the only way to go (I also dislike cold water shaving). I experimented with the scuttle because it sounded attractive (warm lather and all in the winter) but IN MY EXPERIENCE your statement is correct. The soaps & creams I have tried behave best in just warm tap water and proper loading technique. My pretty scuttle may be up for sale soon.

Big,

In Vietnam, shaving with cold water out of a steel helmet with canned goo and a plastic disposable razor — hoping some gung-ho sniper wouldn't shoot my establishment off — I made a promise to myself: that if I ever got out of the place alive, I would never shave with cold water again. Ever! I have kept to that promise.

I used a variety of scuttles for lathering in the early years, but now I just use the SRD scuttle, which is designed not for making lather, but to keep the brush warm. There are scores of these brush scuttles around, but I feel the SRD one is the best of them — for me, anyway.