Thread: Good shave soaps other than Williams for a noobie

ok im looking forward to seeing the goodies......

As has been mentioned, if you want a staple, then Proraso would be fine. However, with all of the artisan soaps available, I would highly suggest trying them out.
Stirling, Mystic Water, Mike's, Shannon's, etc, are all excellent and very reasonably priced, especially, Stirling.
Of course, there are so many other fine soaps, conventional or artisan, as well.
It is a great time to be a traditional wet-shaver.
Good luck.

Well, it's 2019. There are literally dozens of good products to choose from.

One that is notably absent from the list so far is Green Mountain Soap. Proudly made in the US, and, in my humble opinion, one of the most underrated soaps in the US market. Also, a true artisan product at a very sensible price. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

P.S. I have found Proraso drying (personal preference) and also very inefficient (objective observation, making its seemingly low price rather deceptive).

I don't think there are any soaps that are good for newbies exclusively. There are good soaps, that's it. Unfortunately you won't find consensus on the matter. You'll probably go through about fifty of them before you settle on what you know works for you.

Haven't used the Green Mountain for shaving, but I'll tell you what, that's the best damn bath soap I've ever used!

I can send you some if you like Dave, it’s one of the few I have in my den

Originally Posted by Dieseld

HERE is a list compiled by Obie and added to by the community. I know the thread is 193 pages long, but the first post should give you a great starting point.
Now the first tier soaps may cost a bit more, but they really are worth it.

Castle Forbes and Baum.Be. are 2 you surly won't be disappointed by

Good luck

When Obie compiled his list of soaps back in 2015, it was a great list at the time. However, the art and science of soapmaking as progressed a lot since then. Some soapmakers have left the market and others have joined. Some of the older soaps are still worth trying, but I have found that some soaps I considered to be great soaps a year or two ago now pale in comparison to some of the newer soaps, even new formulas produced by the same soapmaker. Some of the best soaps today are being produced by artisans who weren't even around in 2015.

The type of soap that will work best for you will depend on your type of beard, skin sensitivity, type of razor you use, and your budget. I have tested some of the lower-priced soaps like Williams and VDH and I can shave with them, but I do not enjoy the shave. These soaps do not provide the same level of slickness, cushion and post shave conditioning as better soaps. Their primary attribute is that they are inexpensive. For those on a limited budget, price point might be the controlling factor. With my tough beard and sensitive skin, I prefer using soaps that have excellent performance in all these areas, even if I have to pay more for those qualities.

Im with ya.
Now days performance above all else. Then if it has a nice scent its a plus. These cheep soaps are good enough to get you started, but are lacking so much when it comes to the end game. Some like William's, some don't. So many good soaps on the market right now I don't know why anyone would want to use a lessor quality soap. Its Penney's per shave so cost cant be an issue if you think about it.

Yes, the choice of which soap people use is a matter of what works for them personally based on a number of factors. Personally, I have a very low opinion of the current Williams product. If you can shave with Williams almost any other shave soap would be an improvement from that stand point.

I do not have sensitive skin or gorilla tough whiskers. There are soaps the perform very well for me at quite a few different price points so price need not be a major factor for me.

I like a soap that lathers easily, produces a rich slick lather and does not break the bank. The scent of a soap is a consideration only to the point that I don't find it offensive. If it leaves my face feeling a bit dry post shave there is always a balm I could use but rarely find the need to do so.

It is hard for me to recommend any particular soap specifically without knowing more about the OP's skin type and other preferences related to a soap's performance. With so many good soaps out there I'd just say read the reviews and pick one you think you'd like at the price point that suits you. There are places that will sell you soap samples to try so you need not buy a whole puck only to find out you don't like the soap.

Bob

never tried proraso is it any good?