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A subjective question though I feel the need to ask it. Soap or stick?

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
I use sticks because it eliminates a step in getting to the shave. Also, it gives your face a good scrub. I bowl lathered for years but converted to sticks. I use ARKO sticks because they are inexpensive and produce a great effective lather but there are many to choose from. There is a screw up stick on Amazon that makes using a stick easier as well.
 
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@JasonJT, I imagine you are asking about the two forms a soap could be used: puck or stick.
Basically, the same soap can be formed either way and require slightly modified techniques.
I consider pucks being less "messy" as I can create a proto lather in the bowl and, when almost ready, I apply it on face.
I can tweak the lather in the bowl without the customary drips.
Whatever makes you happy, that is all that matters, and there is no universal best way to
"skin a cat"
 
Used Speick stick this morning while traveling. Outstanding glide and slickness. I still prefer the swirl of the tub but a good stick like Soeick or La Toja is tough to beat not only on performance but price point too!
 
Just be careful with Wilkinson soaps, soap in blue or black tub is totally different formulation than the stick. Stick has tallow, tubs don't. And if you search around forum you will find a lot of praise for stick and mostly discontent if not hate for the bowls
 
Just be careful with Wilkinson soaps, soap in blue or black tub is totally different formulation than the stick. Stick has tallow, tubs don't. And if you search around forum you will find a lot of praise for stick and mostly discontent if not hate for the bowls
True, there are a few exceptions out there. Another one that comes to mind is Speick. The Speick stick is not the same soap as in the puck. The puck soap is softer with a different formula. In most cases the stick and the puck soaps are the same, though.
 
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Sticks are sometimes very practical on holidays etc. Usually the soap is identical to the puck and you can always cut a piece of the stick to load in a bowl instead and even bowl lather if you prefer that over face lather.

However there is a lot of softer soap which is to soft to be a stick so it does not always swing both ways.
 

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu
I recently started traveling with a La Toja stick and it's a fine soap in a small container that is perfect for the occasion.

I prefer a tub and that's all I use at home, but whatever floats your boat is great.
 
I agree with the consensus: soaps and sticks are essentially the same! You can easily turn a stick into a soap or vice versa (if you purchase a container).

I enjoy both options: soaps at home and sticks mostly when traveling. This is a function of my preference for as quick and simple as possible when I am on the road. YMMV for sure. :thumbup1::thumbup1:
 
I use and enjoy both. There's more variety in tubs, and far more scent choices. But sticks usually represent a great cost to quality ratio. The only issue I have with a stick is that I usually need something to store the stick in while traveling. I found an old Old Spice deodorant twist tube that fits most sticks really well and provides a non-messy travel option
 
Not a fan of sticks. I don't like rubbing the soap on my face and enjoy bowl lathering. Scent is very important part of the experience for me, and, there aren't many current sticks that i like. Completely subjective, right? I have a Speick stick that I grated and put in a tub. I still don't use it, because there isn't much to the scent, and, I don't enjoy it. If a soap I am interested in comes in stick form, I'll try it, but, chances are I'd grate and press it first.
 

Ratso

Mr. Obvious
There are many more options with tubs or pucks. Having said that I still enjoy changing it up by using sticks. Variety is the spice of life. I enjoy all the options of changing soaps, razors, and blades. There’s no wrong answer here.
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
To be a true B&B man you need to stop thinking in terms of 'either-or' and embrace the concept of 'both-and.' We're all about inclusion here. One really needs to try dozens, if not hundreds of hard soaps, soft soaps, soap sticks, tubed creams, semi-solid Italian creams, tallow soaps, glycerin soaps, and brushless creams before deciding that you love them all and need to purchase backups of each. Then, having spent several thousand dollars, pounds, Euros, or yen on soaps and creams you realize that all you needed was Williams, Arko, and the Palmolive stick.

People used to laugh at me when I'd return to America from the auld counthry each summer with a carpetbag filled with Palmolive soap sticks. "Why are you hoarding a soap that costs 50p?" they'd ask, shaking their heads and laughing. But who's laughing now? Sticks of Palmolive are selling on eBay for $9 apiece while I'm sitting here with 199 of them.
 
To be a true B&B man you need to stop thinking in terms of 'either-or' and embrace the concept of 'both-and.' We're all about inclusion here.
This. There is not something like the best way in general, it is more about 'what do I like today'. Sticks are convenient, great for travel (compact, no bowl needed, easy applied) and perfect for face lathering. Only downside for me is that it doesn't really work with a preshave; that means I need a 'better' soap in stickform. Luckily there are some that will do; Arko, Palmolive and Speick are great, Tabac and Sir Irisch Moos not so much.

People used to laugh at me when I'd return to America from the auld counthry each summer with a carpetbag filled with Palmolive soap sticks. "Why are you hoarding a soap that costs 50p?" they'd ask, shaking their heads and laughing.
I get this 100%; when something is good, it is good regardless of price. Too many folks judge by pricetags first which is imo pretty stupid. Those Palmolive sticks are great and they are a bargain. I used to make swaps with Williams pucks some time ago; boxes of Palmolive flying to the US and boxes of Williams returning to the EU. Why all the trouble for cheap soap? Because it isn't cheap, it is just not expensive. So relax on your pile of Palmolive sticks, I totally understand (while sitting on a few decades worth of Williams)! :thumbup1:
 
Depending how you look at it I use both every day….

I use a paa cube as pre shave soap and rubb it on my wet face

After 5 min how towel I load my brush with an other soap and lather on top.

And if you want to you can easily lather the paa cube with a brush

The paa is a bit more glycerin translucent like and even sold in stock format.
 
I buy the empty twist up containers and turn my tubs into a stick.
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