A penny for your thoughts .. on shave butter

[fistfullofbeer]

When I got into DE shaving almost 7 years back, I started the more traditional way (I think). I went with a setup of warm face towel + pre-shave oil + shaving soap and brush. This was followed by WTG and 2 x XTG. Got fairly decent shaves but never what I would call BBS.

I did that for a few years and then got lazy and decided to try some shave butter. Basically my routine is now just splashing face with warm water a few times followed by application of shave butter and then my standard WTG and 2 x XTG for shaving.

While I can tell a difference and feel that the traditional route gave me a slightly better shave, I am not sure if it was that much better or worth the time that it took for that pre-shave setup.

That being said, I was wondering what people here think about and/or have experienced using shave butter over the more traditional routes.

 

[Zig the Pirate]

In my opinion, it's not worth it.

 

[dotKomo]

Never used it.

 

[Badgerstate36]

Ive tried it and its OK but not as good as a soap/cream and brush, IMO. I think that if a person wanted to be a minimalist shaver and wanted to eliminate the brush, it could be a good option though.

 

[Mountain Grown]

For me I found a quality soap eliminated the need for a pre-shave oil or cream. I used shave butter back in my cartridge days and found it adequate at the time. Sounds like you need to find the reason why you DE shave. If it is strictly for utilitarian purpose than the shave butter works. For me I love to face lather and get really dense voluminous lathers, it relaxes me.. I always make time to shave this way as it does add time to the shave. Good soaps on the market currently Wholly Kaw Siero base - Zingari Man Sego Base - Declaration Grooming Milk Steak Base...

 

[Ad Astra]

Clogs a cart, but good for shower-shavers - lather gets rinsed off too easily.


AA

 

[RayClem]

I have tried Shea Moisture Shave Butter. A thin layer might work as a preshave, but I do not like it at a shave cream. There are other non-lathering creams I have tried as well. None perform as well as an excellent lathering shave cream or soap, at least not in my experience.

Cremo is designed to be used a brushless cream, but it will lather if you add a little water. I much prefer to use Cremo with a brush. It is my goto cream for travel. At home, however, I use high quality soaps.

 

[fistfullofbeer]

For me I found a quality soap eliminated the need for a pre-shave oil or cream. I used shave butter back in my cartridge days and found it adequate at the time. Sounds like you need to find the reason why you DE shave. If it is strictly for utilitarian purpose than the shave butter works. For me I love to face lather and get really dense voluminous lathers, it relaxes me.. I always make time to shave this way as it does add time to the shave. Good soaps on the market currently Wholly Kaw Siero base - Zingari Man Sego Base - Declaration Grooming Milk Steak Base...

Do you mean you use the soap in addition to cream? Or is the soap what you use to build up the lather?

It does seem like I need to buy a good soap either way.

 

[ShaverAZ]

I can get a BBS shave with numerous blade and (usually vintage) razor combinations. I started using my own blend of Noxzema, kokum butter and avocado oil last year. It doesn't improve the excellent shaves from any of my favorite soaps, but it does seem to increase the quality life of my blades by several shaves.

 

[MntnMan62]

Show me the penny, then you'll get my thoughts.

 

[RayClem]

Show me the penny, then you'll get my thoughts.

They say that every man has his price. It sounds like yours is pretty cheap.

 

[BigJ]

Whatever works is just fine!!

Personally, I prefer a standard soap and brush combination but thats’ what works for me!

 

[ShaverAZ]

Show me the penny, then you'll get my thoughts.

Here's a penny & change ...

 

[BradWorld]

I only have used pre-shave butter. It is applied before the lather similar to preshave oil. It didn’t make much of a difference in the shave closeness in my opinion. But it did make my skin feel good. I used a few back in the day, but the Mickey Lee Soapworks preshave butter was the better one. Sadly they are gone now, as their soaps were top notch.

 

[Mountain Grown]

Do you mean you use the soap in addition to cream? Or is the soap what you use to build up the lather?

It does seem like I need to buy a good soap either way.

I started out using Proraso Pre shave cream when I first started DE shaving.. My rational was that it was giving me a barrier of protection and additional slickness to my shave. In reality what I found was that it clogged my razor, was more expense to my shave and added another step in my process. Wholly Kaw Sierro base currently is my favorite soap. With this soap it is loaded with so much face food and has an enormous amount of slickness pre and post shave, it would make any pre shave cream redundant and unnecessary for me. Hope that makes sense.

 

[fistfullofbeer]

I started out using Proraso Pre shave cream when I first started DE shaving.. My rational was that it was giving me a barrier of protection and additional slickness to my shave. In reality what I found was that it clogged my razor, was more expense to my shave and added another step in my process. Wholly Kaw Sierro base currently is my favorite soap. With this soap it is loaded with so much face food and has an enormous amount of slickness pre and post shave, it would make any pre shave cream redundant and unnecessary for me. Hope that makes sense.

Makes sense. Definitely something I should look into then.

Do you need to use a bowl/dish with the Wholly Kaw Sierro base (or other soaps your had mentioned in your previous post). I have used the Proraso Shave cream in the past and it comes in a plastic bowl itself.

 

[Mountain Grown]

Makes sense. Definitely something I should look into then.

Do you need to use a bowl/dish with the Wholly Kaw Sierro base (or other soaps your had mentioned in your previous post). I have used the Proraso Shave cream in the past and it comes in a plastic bowl itself.

It's kinda funny, I started out bowl lathering Proraso cream.. Found out after my first Shave soap that a face lather was better (easier) for me. My favorite part of my shave is to get a great face lather, it's relaxing and I get incredible hydrated lathers. Again, one less step in my shave to grab the bowl, create the lather, clean the bowl etc.. You most definitely can bowl lather Wholly Kaw or any other soap. To Face Lather or Bowl Lather is strictly preference..

 

[fistfullofbeer]

It's kinda funny, I started out bowl lathering Proraso cream.. Found out after my first Shave soap that a face lather was better (easier) for me. My favorite part of my shave is to get a great face lather, it's relaxing and I get incredible hydrated lathers. Again, one less step in my shave to grab the bowl, create the lather, clean the bowl etc.. You most definitely can bowl lather Wholly Kaw or any other soap. To Face Lather or Bowl Lather is strictly preference..

Ok. Probably my 1st ignorant question of the day. So how does face lather work? Do you just put a little bit of the soap on your face and use the brush to lather up?

 

[ike]

Show me the penny, then you'll get my thoughts.

In my case it's: Here's a penny for my thoughts, keep the change. :-o!

 

[Chef455]

Ok. Probably my 1st ignorant question of the day. So how does face lather work? Do you just put a little bit of the soap on your face and use the brush to lather up?

Exactly. I was not successful at face lathering until I tried it with Arko. Now I get it.

As to shave butter I find that it does indeed "work" but is not as comfortable or satisfying as soaps or creams. I'd actually rate canned foam above shave butter.