Cream vs Soap

[Mart]

In my limited experience with wet shaving I've noticed a difference between Geo F Trumpers cream and Ginger's Garden Tallow shaving soap.

GFT is a quality product that lathers well with just a bit of cream on the brush. I'd say the lather is OK with a small to moderate amount of water. It provides good lubrication but, as soon as the lather has been shaved off the skin will grab the razor if you try to go back over the shaved area. This is with the Skin Food pre shave lotion. I can get a good, smooth shave going xtg then atg.

Ginger's Garden Old Spice is the first soap I've tried. The lather was thick with little effort and lasted on the skin. Without using Skin Food there was good lubrication with the lather and when going over the the shaved spot without the lather I still had fair lubrication.
xtg then atg. Baby smooth results.

The next one I'll try is Col Conk's glycerin soap.

This is more enjoyable than I expected.

[billyboy]

Ginger's Garden Soaps and aftershaves are a great value. Way better than many of the brand name selections.

[Big Swifty]

First off mart welcome to the board
I'm glad you are enjoying the use of your soap and getting great lather from them. Some guys here like to use both creams and soaps depending on their mood and others prefer one over the other and use those exclusively. It just basically comes down to experimentation and trying as many different types and brands as the wallet will allow. Give the stirling soap website a looksy, they have a lot of great soaps that perform awesome, great scents too.
Other soaps you might want to look at...
Mike's natural
Cella
Tabac
Mithell's wool fat
Krampert's frostbite
D.R. Harris

[BiffBuff]

I like using both. In fact, making a superlather by using a shaving soap stick on my beard with just a small dab of cream on the wet brush and face lathering is my most common method. The cool thing about this is the combinations are endless! La Toja stick with Musgo Real oakmoss cream is one of my favorites.

Really though, creams are easier to lather for most people, and some products that are offered in both soap and cream will perform quite differently, one to the other. An example is Geo. F. Trumper Eucris -- I love the scent, and I'd had the EdT for years before I tried the shaving cream. Loved the cream too, so when I began trying shaving soaps, I bought a puck of Eucris -- very difficult soap to lather, and disappointing compared to the cream. I still like and use both, but the cream will be replaced when used up -- the soap . . . probably not.

The opposite is often enough true as well -- The Tabac hard soap is much nicer than the Tabac cream in the tube IMO, but again; I like and use both. If you are interested in trying a variety of soaps and creams, take a look at Garry's Sample Shop online.

[jww]

If it's soap you want -- MWF is a must-have. Nowt like it!

[ThePossum]

Primarily a cream guy here. Once, many years ago I did use some Williams Mug Shave soap courtesy of my uncle who was a barber. But eventually went to the canned creams and jells. When I got back into wetshaving with "real" razors like my vintage DEs, SEs and Injectors I used Tabac soap.

Eventually moved onto trying a few creams. Most notably C&E Sweet Almond Oil and C&E Sienna creams. Really like those and eventually tried some of the 3T creams and liked them very much as well. Did dabble with some artisan creams and soaps which seemed to work fairly well but not well enough to top the 3Ts.

Still using the Tabac soap I was convinced by Wendell, our resident Wool Fat evangelist here at SMF to give MWF a try. In fact he even sent me a sample. Now the only soaps I use are the Tabac, MWF and some Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet and C&E Nomad. Use the MWF most followed by the Tabac.

Like Wendell I do suggest that you give the MWF a try. There is nothing out there like it for scent, consistency of lather, smooth glide of the razor over your face and the ability to help give you an great comfortable and enjoyable shave.

[BiffBuff]

Another great reason to try Mitchell's Wool Fat shaving soap is the after shave feel. By golly, you don't even need any aftershave balm or etc. -- the soap alone is enough!

[brothers]

. . . Ginger's Garden Old Spice is the first soap I've tried. The lather was thick with little effort and lasted on the skin. Without using Skin Food there was good lubrication with the lather and when going over the the shaved spot without the lather I still had fair lubrication.
xtg then atg. Baby smooth results. . . . This is more enjoyable than I expected.

Slickness has become my obsession. If you want to experience another slick soap, check out Krampert's Finest. He's got two fragrance choices, either of which is great. His soaps are made by SoapSmooth.