Thread: I guess I'm a Cream Guy?

I just want to stick up for the Bald Frog here! I think it's a great soap. I have a lot of soaps and creams of various brands, my suggestion would be to work at adding a drop more water when necessary and maybe working more lather into your brush? I don't know your technique so it's hard to say...personally I prefer soaps to creams but I do enjoy both. Just seems with a cream I'm missing out on what I consider a traditional part of the shave prep, like it's almost too easy.

A soap that I would suggest you try is the Arko shave stick. Nice clean scent and lathers easily, no matter how hard or soft your water is. Can usually be found for less than $2. Well worth adding to your shave den.

My first suggestion is to not give up. You have only tried 4 soaps and 1 cream. Your point of reference is quite small.

Granted, Real Shaving Co is an excellent cream (one of my favorites) and is quite easy to lather, you really should try some better soaps. Col Conk's is a good, inexpensive alternative that is relatively easy to lather well. Also I have been using Mama Bears Soaps recently and love them. Very slick and very easy to lather once I figured out the magic formula.

One of the biggest things is that soaps require a very different technique to lather than creams. For most of the creams I've tried I can soak the brush, put a dab of cream in my lathering bowl and simply shake the brush lightly to get out excess water. I leave the brush quite damp and usually get great lather with only having to add a small amount. For soaps I soak the brush and put a small amount of water on top of the puck of soap (usually a 1/2 teaspoon). Here's where it gets quite different. I drain the water off of the puck of soap into my bowl and squeeze out the brush to get most of the water out of it. Next I will swirl the brush on the puck of soap for the length of time it takes me to count to 60 at just slightly faster pace than one count per second. From there I can build my lather and maybe add a few drops of water.

Creams and soaps really are two different creatures when it comes to building lather but if you get a good one from either category it will work great.

Charlie

Originally Posted by Theseus

A soap that I would suggest you try is the Arko shave stick. Nice clean scent and lathers easily, no matter how hard or soft your water is. Can usually be found for less than $2. Well worth adding to your shave den.

+1... arko has been a much used and loved addition to my shave kit........ lathers easily and does what its supposed to...

Also going to stick up for Bald Frog. It works great for me. You might just keep trying them. If not, send 'em to me!

Alternatively, take a look at Obie's recent thread "The Keepers.". There are several good/great ideas for soaps in there. I like MWF and Provence Sante. You could use Obie's list for a shopping list and not go wrong.

It is kind of like using a true shave ready straight from a reputable Honemeister. Using something that lots of people have used before can give you a good frame of reference. See above for all the good suggestions from people who have used the soaps.

However, I would be extremely hesitant, extremely, about disparaging all or certain soaps based in such a small sample size. You admitted that several of the soaps you tried weren't even very good for shaving. Doesn't sound like you have really gotten a good start. Keep looking. Grab one off Obie's list, put the bald frog away for a bit and try it again once you've learned which soaps you really like. Throw the others away If they aren't for shaving. I thought I'd be a cream guy based on my experience with Proraso, but I got one, then two, now several soaps. I love soaps, but I'm not discounting the possibility of using creams. Keep your options open.

Well. I'm certainly not saying soaps suck. I'm saying that in my limited experiences, I prefer cream to soap so far. Despite the varying qualities, the process of cream is more my style. If I stumble upon a soap, I will try it. I really want to try MWF and Taylors soaps. And Colonel Conk. I will buy them when I can. But right now I'm limited in scope because RS cream is what fits my budget.

But all things equal, if I could choose between a soap or a cream at any given time, I'm picking the cream.

You can't go wrong with the RS cream.

Originally Posted by U2Bono269

Despite the varying qualities, the process of cream is more my style. If I stumble upon a soap, I will try it.

I can certainly respect that. I feel the same way about soap. The whole process can be an exercise in mindfullness, so you should absolutely do what you like best. In the end, it's a sharp piece of steel scraping hair off our faces. Many roads to Dublin.

Originally Posted by medicevans

Many roads to Dublin.

Funny. I live in Dublin. Not the Irish one.

I do love my creams...vulfix rose and lime, spiek
I do love my soaps....proraso, cella, williams (gasp I know right?! who the #@&% says williams, but I found out how to lather it and it goes great with spiek cream

I have Mamabears north woods and masonic lodge in transit so I hope to enjoy playing with them as well!

If you put a gun to my head though and asked me to pick soap or cream....I would gladly meet Jesus that day, its just not a fair choice lol