Proraso cream performance is great in my book. So does the tub. I use a lot for each shave, maybe that’s why it works so well!
Is Proraso (CO Bigelow) overrated? Am I the only one?
- Thread starter Shavetheman01
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Green is my most trusted and go-to cream. Zero quibbles.
I like Bigelow in the metal tube. Easy to dispense the correct amount, easy to lather, and provides a good shave.
I would say it is underated or at least a good value. In comparison Dettol Cool is cheaper (at least when bought overseas) and works well enough but IMO is just a notch below in performance and has less menthol and the plastic tube is not as nice to use.
I would say it is underated or at least a good value. In comparison Dettol Cool is cheaper (at least when bought overseas) and works well enough but IMO is just a notch below in performance and has less menthol and the plastic tube is not as nice to use.
There's value in learning how to use a mass market soap to get a good shave. Then you can compare it to artisan soaps with some sort of objective (even if entirely personal) standard.
That being said, get a really good shave out of Proraso, Cella and Tabac.
I have over 75 soaps in my den representing more than 30 different soap bases. I can get a good shave with any of the soaps, but I can only get a truly wonderful shave with some of them. I do keep some of the lesser soaps in my rotation as a reference point for the better soaps. There are some inexpensive, mass market soaps and creams that perform reasonably well. For me, many of these less expensive soaps are lacking in density/cushion. That is important to me because I have a sensitive face. However, for those whose face is not so sensitive, cushion may be unimportant.
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I used Proraso green again and it wasn't bad. The slickness was lower than my tallow soap, and I had to buff ATG on some areas more after relathering
Its not bad at all, but I think it was designed to be paired with the Proraso Preshave or an oil
Its not bad at all, but I think it was designed to be paired with the Proraso Preshave or an oil
shavefan
I’m not a fan
Mediocre shave with Proraso etc : "Curse this cheap stuff".
Mediocre shave with artisan: "What am I doing wrong?"
Mediocre shave with artisan: "What am I doing wrong?"
Nice. But more like:
Mediocre scent with Proraso etc : "How can people buy this dreadful stuff???"
Mediocre scent with artisan: "What on earth is going through his head....? He needs to team up with a perfumier..."
Oddly enough I just broke out the Williams and got a excellent shave this morning.
Yesterday I used MDC.
I used the Marco method on both, the only difference is I find I need to soak the Williams in super hot water for a few minutes in order to get a lather that doesn't dry out. (that's per instructions on the box btw...the instructions on MCD say to unerload the brush so I mostly do what everyone else does and ignore instructions. But when all else fails they're there. lol ).
The Williams lather was light but slick and easily lasted the whole pass. It gave me good post shave feel and no nicks or cuts.
MDC did give a denser, richer lather (I love that), smelled better and the post shave was a bit smoother.
We know by reading the MDC threads that there are many complaints about it. It lacks slickness, it drys your face out, it smells bad. They're the same complaints we see in the Williams thread.
We also know that many of us get excellent shaves with Proraso.
Technique is paramount, imho.
And I do respect very much (from personal experience) that we all have different sensitivities and allergies, not to mention likes and dislikes. I just think that saying artisan soaps are better than mass market soaps is too strong and general of a statement.
Does it matter ? Probably not as we're all bound to try both.
New guys should use creams anyway. The important part of this hobby is learning to use your razor of choice effectively and comfortably. Soaps are harder to master than creams just like straights are harder to master than DE's.
What do you mean little Poindexter isn't a concert violinist? I bought him a Stradivarius.
jackgoldman123
Boring and predictable
Superb thought: sensitive face. I think this is the basis for soap preference.
i think in terms of value for the money it cannot be beat
I think over-rated is the wrong word. I don't find many people claiming it's at the top of the heap for all available creams.
I don't find it particularly cheap. It usually runs about $9, but it's a pretty small tube. I find it requires twice as much product as Castle Forbes, which comes in a 200g tub. So I need almost three tubes to equal a tub of Castle Forbes. That makes the price too close to the CF price, which is way better for me.
I don't find it particularly cheap. It usually runs about $9, but it's a pretty small tube. I find it requires twice as much product as Castle Forbes, which comes in a 200g tub. So I need almost three tubes to equal a tub of Castle Forbes. That makes the price too close to the CF price, which is way better for me.
Actually Castle Forbes is 200ml not 200 grams and that is 6.8 oz vs Proraso's 5.2 oz. I have paid $7 to $10 for tubes of Proaso but I just priced Castle Forbes at $44 for a tub. I don' think that's close pricing. I have never used Castle Forbes because of the price but I don't use more Proraso than say, Taylor's Shaving Creams.
Yes, Ml. So three tubes is around $30. An equal number of shaves with CF would be $36 on Amazon 2 minutes ago. I think I paid $33 for my last tub, but that was a year ago.
So given these rough numbers (CF being about $6 more) that would equate with a third of a penny a day. But the third tube of Proraso would not be quite empty (400 ml of Proraso would still leave 50 ml in the 3rd tube), so it's closer to half a penny a day more to use Castle Forbes. Castle Forbes requires a lot less product than your usual cream. It does seem expensive at first blush, but you're denying yourself the CF experience for half a cent a day.
Well the way I see it, the last 2 tubes of Proraso cost me $6.80 each. The most I ever paid was $10 so lets call it $8.50 a tube. You get 6.8 ounces of Castle Forbes, vs 5.2 of Proraso so that's 31% more. So $8.50 + 31% = $11.13 vs $33 for Castle Forbes or roughly 3X more money. I'm not saying Castle Forbes isn't worth paying 3X more than Proraso because I've never tried Castle Forbes. I'm just saying I love Proraso! The sandalwood scent is to die for in my opinion!
Using what you like makes perfect sense to me! I'm simply pointing out that the difference in price is much smaller than you think. You forgot to factor in the 50% reduction in needed product for the CF. So you need almost 3 tubes of Proraso to equal one tub of CF (actually a bit less than 3 tubes).
So that's about $24 worth of Proraso to equal a tub of CF. That's obviously less money - about 6/10ths of a cent per day. My only point is that for less than a penny a day I think you're worth a try with some CF.
Don't stop using your sandalwood Proraso - I don't read a lot of strong recommendations for CF sandalwood. I recommend the Lavender or Lime.
Enjoy.
Picked up the Bigelow green tube and my first shave I felt like the scent was super strong and the slickness was lacking.
To me, this seems like a winter soap. So, I will revisit it after the holidays. Think I'll add some Cremo bourbon to impart some more slickness, tone down the scent, and bring some sweetness in. Just have it sitting around anyway. [emoji846]
Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
To me, this seems like a winter soap. So, I will revisit it after the holidays. Think I'll add some Cremo bourbon to impart some more slickness, tone down the scent, and bring some sweetness in. Just have it sitting around anyway. [emoji846]
Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
