Thread: Am I a bad man?

MWF doesn't rank among my favourites, but it's not too difficult a latherer. Like you Ogie, I prefer to not to have to work too hard on the lather. With such quality soaps available that lather like a breeze (DR Harris, cheap Cella, good ol' pimpin' Tabac), and shaving for me being a little self-spoil-time (SWMBO never interrupts!), I am not looking forward to getting annoyed over difficult lather. I do hope TGQ is OK in that sense and I'll give some more of my Ogallala samplers a shot.

Originally Posted by ShavedZombie

Ogallala Bay Rum Soap pucks. 5 bucks and EXCELLENT

I'll second that!
Also Col Konk Bay Rum
And I even like Williams!!!!!
I tried the so called better brands and while my wife likes her mamma bears soaps for the scent I think the water has more effect on lather making than the soaps.
Soft water makes even Williams lather good!

Anyone have experience with soaps from classicshaving.com?

Originally Posted by Hillie

MWF doesn't rank among my favourites, but it's not too difficult a latherer. Like you Ogie, I prefer to not to have to work too hard on the lather. With such quality soaps available that lather like a breeze (DR Harris, cheap Cella, good ol' pimpin' Tabac), and shaving for me being a little self-spoil-time (SWMBO never interrupts!), I am not looking forward to getting annoyed over difficult lather. I do hope TGQ is OK in that sense and I'll give some more of my Ogallala samplers a shot.

I have found that TGQ is very easy for me to lather -the cream, at least... Haven't tried the soap yet- if you do it right... It's extremely hydrophobic at the start... That's the ONLY issue you should have... Start off with your brush shaken almost completely free of water (IE: If you rub it against your face, it should feel damp but not leave any moisture on your face) Load the brush, or your bowl, however you do it, and start swirling... Work it for 20-30 seconds until it turns to a glossy paste, and once that paste starts to dry-lather itself -and it will start to lather a little, you just have to make fairly aggressive lather motions to catch the air into it- just add about 10-15 drops of water... That stuff will just explode on you... It's marvelous, and the lather itself is quite top quality!

IIRC (I PIF'd my TGQ stuff), it wasn't so much the lather as it was the lather drying out -- on the brush and on my face. Since my departure from TGQ I've discovered many soaps that I love and I haven't looked back.

I only use a couple of creams and I don't have any problems with those. I've never used any of the boutique creams. Basically, Poraso, Bigelow (the same thing), Speick, and Trumpers. They all work fine but I prefer soaps.

At $10 a puck, Tabac, DR Harris, L'Occitane, Haslinger, Pre de Provence, and Prairie Creations can all be had, they'll perform better (IMO, of course, I'm not trying to put anybody out of business), and in some cases, the pucks are bigger.

When it's all said and done, it's a matter of preference. I am just pointing out that Hillie is not a bad man, and neither am I, because we get better results from different soaps.

Out of curiosity, does anybody prefer (who has tried both extensively) TGQ over DR Harris based on performance alone?

This is for my own personal research.

It sounds like you may simply have a preference for the hard or triple-milled soaps (are all "hard" soaps triple-milled?). I don't think home soap makers can produce this type of soap. I find the hard soaps make a creamier lather. I do think TGQ, Mama Bear and QED make excellent glycerin soaps though. They hold scent better, and I enjoy them as a change up from time to time. Use whatever you like, nothing wrong with that.

Jordan

THere's a reason why some brands sell better than other: they generally offer the best value for money.

I love Proraso: dirt cheap in Italy, expensive elsewhere.

Hilli,

I am the same way when it comes to soaps. I think I just don't like glycerin soaps. They all seem to dry my skin out.

I have had better luck with "boutique" creams though.

And like Kees says.. There is a reason why these brands are still around after all these years. They work and work well.

I have found that some of the artisanal products (especially soaps) improve if they're allowed to "age." By that I mean they perform better after being allowed to cure in a cabinet after the initial purchase.

For example, I have a puck of SCS "New Spice" that I purchased from Sue within the first few months of her opening her business (Fall 2006?), and it lathers better now than it ever has -- slick and plush lather -- and still maintains a healthy does of scent.

Originally Posted by ShavedZombie

I have found that TGQ is very easy for me to lather -the cream, at least... Haven't tried the soap yet- if you do it right... It's extremely hydrophobic at the start... That's the ONLY issue you should have... Start off with your brush shaken almost completely free of water (IE: If you rub it against your face, it should feel damp but not leave any moisture on your face) Load the brush, or your bowl, however you do it, and start swirling... Work it for 20-30 seconds until it turns to a glossy paste, and once that paste starts to dry-lather itself -and it will start to lather a little, you just have to make fairly aggressive lather motions to catch the air into it- just add about 10-15 drops of water... That stuff will just explode on you... It's marvelous, and the lather itself is quite top quality!

That's true even with the 'easy' latherers: A brush that's too wet makes it difficult to lather nicely in my experience. Some soaps are just more particular when it comes to the amount of water than others, and I notice with the boutique ones it moves into an area where it becomes a hassle to me.

Like slartibartfast, I may have some glycerine reluctance. The VDH glycerine was OK though, like the regular VDH.