Question on Creams for Str8s

[Boyextraordinare]

Scuttle Howto By Chris Moss:

1. The inner bowl and outer reservoir are filled with hot water:




2. The brush is allowed to soak in the hot water in the inner bowl while prepping the face:




3. The scuttle is emptied, and this time only the outer reservoir is filled with hot water:




4. The brush is shaken to remove excess water, and a dab of cream added:




5. The lather is whipped up, and keeps warm between passes as it sits in the heated inner bowl:


Easy!

Chris

I see that Nancy Boy cream leering in the background.

Is that the perfect cream for you straight users?

Reason I ask is I fiddling around with a shavette - using my Trumper's Coconut.

I've heard Nancy Boy provides xtra cushion that DE users don't necessarily like.

Do you str8 experts, Dr. Moss, Rusty Blade, use the bulk of the creams discussed on this board, or just ones specifically intended for str8 use?

Also does my str8 shave not need this Nancy Boy level of cushion considering I'm using DE blades snapped in half and not a true str8?

[notthesharpest]

Trumper's cream should work fine.

I have a slightly-used Nancy Boy cream in my cupboard that I don't use; just because I don't really use cream at all anymore, soap instead. If you want to buy me a soap refill from any of the top soap brands, the Nancy Boy cream is yours in return. (Any of: Harris, Mitchell, Trumper, Truefitt, Tabac, AOS, probably others OK too. Taylor sandalwood OK but not Taylor lavender cause I don't like the scent.) PM if you want to trade.

[drmoss_ca]

There are no straight-specific creams of which I am aware.

Chris

[ScottS]

I don't know why, but I really migrated toward soaps when I started using a straight.

[bernards66]

Scott, From what I've seen here, and at SRP, that seems often to be the case. My theory is that traditional straights not being as sharp as DE blades, the open razor shaver often does not WANT quite as much cushion. For example, you'll note that the most vocal advocate of those Valobra shave sticks ( Richard ) shaves with a straight. Myself, and a couple of other experianced DE shavers feel that it lacks adequate cushion. The optimal lather for a cutthroat razor is not necessarily the same as the optimal lather for a DE.
Regards,
Gordon

[kaptain_zero]

Like Gordon said, when I switched to straights, I found I didn't really need or even like the heavy cushion of most creams though I still enjoy them. My daily preference has become soaps, primarily the British ones, but I enjoy a few of the cold pour soaps from Charles at QED and a smattering of other soaps from around the world.

But as Chris pointed out, there are no straight specific creams OR soaps out there... Much like Duke Ellington once said about music, "there's only two kinds.... good and bad". Mr. Ellington hoped he'd be remembered for having played "good" music, and I'm pretty sure he is.


Regards

Christian

[ScottS]

Scott, From what I've seen here, and at SRP, that seems often to be the case. My theory is that traditional straights not being as sharp as DE blades, the open razor shaver often does not WANT quite as much cushion. For example, you'll note that the most vocal advocate of those Valobra shave sticks ( Richard ) shaves with a straight. Myself, and a couple of other experianced DE shavers feel that it lacks adequate cushion. The optimal lather for a cutthroat razor is not necessarily the same as the optimal lather for a DE.
Regards,
Gordon

I was using a Feather AC when I turned Richard on to the Valobra stick. I always found incredible "cushion" with it. In fact, its real easy to whip up a lather that would be entirely too thick to use with a DE-- its difficult to get the blade to touch your face. The Feather just scoffed at a lather that thick. Of course, that's no traditional straight, and is every bit as sharp as a DE. Also, I didn't use a DE long enough to become anywhere near an expert.

I think you're on the right track, though. With a traditional straight, my closest final pass is just water and whatever happens to be left over from the previous pass. It's actually pretty strange to note how I pass over some fine creams every day to reach for the soap du jour. Oddly enough, these days when I grab a cream, it tends to be Real Shaving Moisturising, even though there are plenty of more traditional creams in close proximity.

[bernards66]

Scott, Well, I wouldn't want to use Valobra with a Feather AC, that's for sure. I did use it with both soaps and creams when I had one though, but Valobra....no thanks. I can see it being good with a traditional straight though. Sure, quite a few open razor shavers use that technique; second pass with just water. In fact, that's the way they taught it, when Peter went to that straight razor shaving class in Belgium a few years back. But you wouldn't want to try it with a DE probably. I mean, I COULD do it, and get away with it, at least once or twice, but it's not a good idea....the blade's just too bloody sharp and thin for that.
Regards,
Gordon

[loueedacat1]

My favorite creams for a straight are NB and JMF, though they certainly aren't made with that in mind. Other creams work fine with straight too of course, and this may all be in my imagination. But generally if I'm using a straight (most of the time) I reach for a soap but if I go cream it's usually those two. CF good too with straights.

I get the feeling whether a cream is perceived to have too, enough or too much cushion has much to do with local water and lathering style and water ratio.