Shaving with imperial leather

[amdamsky]

I was wondering whether anyone has any experience shaving with imperial leather soap as a shaving soap. Does it work well as a lather and does it hold up well?

Wondering since it might be a good choice for an economical handsoap/shaving soap combo since it's only £1.80 for 4

Adding to that, does anyone have any experience with using other hand soaps for shaving?

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I own and freqiently use vintage Cussons Imperial Leather shaving soap and it is very good. I have tried the modern Imperial Leather bar soap for shaving and I could shave with it, but it was a very poor performer, plus the scent is different from the vintage version. I also use vintage Yardley shaving soap which is superb, the modern Yardley triple milled bar soaps that I have tried have been very good for shaving, better than many shaving soaps I have tried. While not as cheap as Imperial Leather, if you want a bar soap for both hand soap and shaving then Yardley would be my choice. You can buy vintage Yardley lavender bar soap on the bay for little money, or the new Yardley bar soap in many shops, both work well for shaving.

 

[amdamsky]

I own and freqiently use vintage Cussons Imperial Leather shaving soap and it is very good. I have tried the modern Imperial Leather bar soap for shaving and I could shave with it, but it was a very poor performer, plus the scent is different from the vintage version. I also use vintage Yardley shaving soap which is superb, the modern Yardley triple milled bar soaps that I have tried have been very good for shaving, better than many shaving soaps I have tried. While not as cheap as Imperial Leather, if you want a bar soap for both hand soap and shaving then Yardley would be my choice. You can buy vintage Yardley lavender bar soap on the bay for little money, or the new Yardley bar soap in many shops, both work well for shaving.

That's not really an option. The cheapest price for that here is like £6 and at that price id be able to afford separate soaps

 

[EclipseRedRing]

That's not really an option. The cheapest price for that here is like £6 and at that price id be able to afford separate soaps

You could try Dove - £2.50 for six bars in Tesco or Asda, or £1.25 for two bars in Asda. I hear from several B&B members that it works well as a shave soap but I have not tried it myself.

 

[CANES]

I do use a couple of soaps for both uses. I love the scent of Dove and it works fine for the thin and wet lather I like. The razor glides over the beard easily because it's extremely slick and it also has a nice moisturizing post shave feel for me.
I use olive oil based soap more often though, because it keeps my eczema under control. I started out washing my face with it twice a day and then just decided to start shaving with it since it was already lathered up on there anyway. It provides the same type of lather as the Dove but works better for healing my troubled skin. I like Savon de Marseille soaps and also Pre de Provence but the cheaper varieties also work just as well for me.
Be advised though that bath soap normally doesn't provide the thick protective "cushion" that many shavers want. I don't need that cushion for the way I shave and my preference for mild razors, but you may.
Pears is also another soap that gets good Mark's for being a dual purpose soap. It's extremely inexpensive but the scent turns some people off. I've used it but not for shaving.

 

[zoidberg]

I was wondering whether anyone has any experience shaving with imperial leather soap as a shaving soap. Does it work well as a lather and does it hold up well?

Wondering since it might be a good choice for an economical handsoap/shaving soap combo since it's only £1.80 for 4

Adding to that, does anyone have any experience with using other hand soaps for shaving?

I'd rather buy a Nivea Sensitive, Palmolive, Erasmic shaving creams for less than £2.50 on your local high street. Budget options and ones that are specifically for shaving. A bath soap might produce an ok lather, and it might be an alright experiment but for something long term I'd rather use a proper shaving soap/cream.

If you're looking for cheap or even free shaving soap, on a few forums I sometimes seem PIF's that no one wants to enter! Throw your hat into one of those and you might end up with a year's worth of shaving soap for nothing more than hitting reply to a thread!