Reasons why shaving *soap* is better

[Chris73]

Paul - No offense taken. If we didn't have SCAD, it would definitely be more cost effective than the mainstream route (especially for me as a straight razor user).

Vincent - By more fragrant, I guess I mean that I smell more of the intended fragrance less diluted by a clean/soapy/creamy smell which in my experience dominates many soaps. I have smelled "Almond" soaps that did not have any detectable almond fragrance, just a soapy smell. For me, the cream fragrances are cleaner and therefore more intense and enjoyable TO ME. One of my favorite parts of wetshaving is the experience of a great scent and this is more achievable TO ME with creams. I am happy you have found your preference in the great cream vs. soap saga, however I don't believe there are absolutes, just preferences. My preference is for creams over soaps.

Chris

[Third_Rail]

I can get a decent shave with QED hard soap, but I've yet to be able to figure out the proper ratio of water:cream with Taylor's.


I'll get it yet, I still have some of the sample left!

[stuff495]

Gentlemen: Would say that when lathering up a shave soap, it is better to use a slightly stiffer grade of badger then, say, a soft super badger brush?
Thanks,
Mahesh

I think that a stiff brush + a shaving soap = the quickest lather you can make. I'll freely admit that I'm not proficient enough with creams to be able to say that a boar’s brush + soap is definitely faster then cream and a boar brush, but in my experience it is. Of course the lather isn’t as luxurious as with a badger brush, but the lather is made much more quickly.

I think using a softer brush with soap takes longer to get the lather ready (and maybe a bit more work), but I don’t think it makes a worse lather then a stiffer brush. I used a Kent BK12 this morning with some Col. Conk soap and didn’t have any problems at all.

--Vincent

[stuff495]

The bottom line this hobby is very cheap (soaps or creams) when you figure how long things last!

That's what I tell myself every time I buy a new razor . I think around the 5th one it stopped being true .

Incidentally, straight razor would save you even more money, as would buying your DE blades in bulk. I hear those $0.79 for 5 Wilkons Sword ones are pretty decent, but the two packs of Merkurs I bought about a year ago haven’t run out yet so I haven’t needed to try them yet.

I’m not in this to save $$$, but some parts of the hobby are more important to me then others. I could spend all my money and still not have tried every shaving product available. I would never spend $150 on cologne, but I have done so for a straight razor.

One aspect of wetshaving I really like is the durability of it all. My brush should last me 20 years. I can hand my straight razors down for generations. Even if shaving soap lasting longer has no practical value and saves me no money, I like the more durable feel of it on a purely personal level.

--Vincent

[Chris73]

Vincent,

Notice in Lynn's video he makes a comment about how he's using a boar brush because it would take much longer to lather the soap had he used his badger brush. When I mentioned soaps taking longer to lather for me, I'm of course talking about when using a badger brush. I've never used a boar brush and I don't plan on it after feeling the bristles on my hand. For me, boar brushes have other negatives that would outweigh any time saving avantage. Having used both soaps and creams with the same Vulfix 377 badger brush, I can state with 100% certainty that soaps do not lather nearly as fast FOR ME as creams. Sounds like your experience is different.

[Joe Lerch]

The simple answer is it's not. I've been a wet shaver for 40 years and used mostly soap. Since I tried Taylor's and Trumpers' creams I have to force myself to use soap.

Gents,

Would you please post reasons why you think shaving soap is better then cream. I thought it might be neat to have sort of a list of reasons why some people prefer soap. Clearly the majority of people prefer creme, but I think there's much more value in hard soap then is realized.


((And even though I throughly dislike the vulgarity and childishness of his blog [http://www.shaveblog.com/], thanks to Cory Greenberg for getting me fired up about defending shaving soap.))

--Vincent