A Very Truly Really Stupid Question

[Mike the Beginner]

This might be a very dumb question, and I do beg your pardon. I'm a rank beginner--wet shave No. 5 just this morning. I'm not trying to be provocative. I'm getting the impression that shaving connoisseurs tend to be generous and cordial people. I got so many helpful and thoughtful replies on my first thread.

And I do understand (or think I understand) connoisseurship...at various periods in my lengthening life I have been deep in the weeds with: tube amplifiers and vinyl records; Japanese bookbinding; large-format field cameras (the kind made of wood and brass, with leather bellows, used on a tripod with a dark cloth over one's head); and roasting my own green coffee beans at home (best ever: a friend on the Big Island who is a grower of Kona would ship me green 100% Kona beans. Most of the "Kona" that tourists get in hotels and restaurants in Hawaii is 10% or 15% Kona at best).

But...with DE razors, why don't at least some people just use commercial shaving cream like Gillette Foamy? It's so...easy. And it seems to work fine with my Rockwell. I mean, just making ignorant assumptions, I would think there would at least be a subgroup here that would be using DE or SE razors without all the rigamarole of the soaps and the bowls and the brushes and so forth. Wouldn't it simplify things? (I do have a brush and bowl on the way.)

Then again, I haven't *tried* soaps/bowls/brushes yet, so maybe this is merely a case of "contempt prior to investigation" (although I don't have "contempt" for it).

Cordially,
MtB

 

[brucered]

Cost, chemicals, tradition and the ability to make the lather how YOU want it, not how it comes out of the can. It's a skill to make quality lather and it will be superior to anything that comes out of a can.

It's like buying a frozen pizza vs a hand tossed pizza you make from scratch. There is no comparison.

Some people do use it.

A long running thread with info on it here too:
Thread 'Canned Goo. It isn't bad at ALL.' Canned Goo. It isn't bad at ALL. - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/canned-goo-it-isnt-bad-at-all.640307/

 

[Multum in parvo]

Prep or softening the whiskers before the shave contributes greatly to the result. There are many ways to achieve that but canned foam is mostly too airy and dry for consistently good results. Give it a try with a tube of Proraso, a liberated mug from the kitchen and a simple brush (Boar or Synthetic).

 

[Lockback]

I used Barbasol for decades (their HQ is just a few miles from where I live) and loved it.
But when I switched to traditional shaving, I decided to go all in. I gave away my brand new can of Barbasol to my best friend and forced myself to learn how to lather shaving soap with a brush, something that frankly took me some time. I didn't master it overnight and still have a bad day now and then but it gave me a sense of satisfaction when I was able to consistently whip up some good lather. And, in addition, shave soaps come in a cornucopia of scents, many of which are simply delightful. For faster/easier shaves, I use Cremo shave cream, which I think is a fantastic product.
There's nothing inherently wrong with using foam in a can. It works just fine, actually. It's just kind of cool to experience something different.

 

[Frito Ray]

One word…control.

You can make it thicker, you can make it runnier, you can add good stuff to it (like glycerin), and you can mix them together if you like.

Some cans are pretty good, but usually end up being used for quick/rushed shaves once you get a taste for traditional soaps and creams.

Kinda like processed cheese slices and real cheese, Wonder bread and bakery bread.

 

[lasta]

Most likely because you haven't dived into the deep end yet! Just like a beginner can't appreciate the differences between Tri-X and HP5.

Mechanically, Foamy works fine, I use it often. But as you come to appreciate the nuances, scent and lather consistency preferences develop and you try out different kinds chasing after "your" perfect lather.

I like shiny razors, does it give me a better shave than matte? You bet it does!

 

[Old Hippie]

And I do understand (or think I understand) connoisseurship...

It appears you do!

But...with DE razors, why don't at least some people just use commercial shaving cream like Gillette Foamy?

Some do. Some don't. Some do on occasion, such as on vacation or perhaps after some other life change has disrupted their normal routine.

You'll find it all here somewhere, kinda like being in New Orleans. Sit outside a cafe long enough eating beignets and eventually the whole world will pass by.

I admit I'm not all-in for every single aspect of wet shaving. I like slants but not "plain" DE razors. I like boar brushes and have several, but other types don't excite me much. Pretty to look at, though. I make most of my own shaving soap because I like the process, but don't have a huge interest in diving down that rabbit hole. One or two batches a year keeps me soapy.

Having a known constant (in this case, a canned cream) while you're fiddling with other variables is a good thing.

And welcome to B&B! Yer doin' fine.

O.H.

 

[desertcat]

Compared to the preparations of your other pastimes @Mike the Beginner with a little practice, building lather with a brush is a snap. I suspect I could skip the bowl and face-lather in a similar amount of time it takes to apply canned products.

I enjoy that my hands remain relatively dry and unsullied during the brush process.

Softening whiskers, gentle exfoliation, breaking the water surface tension at the skin level, and fully enrobing the whiskers in lather are all additional benefits that materially improve my shaves.

And of course, it’s two more avenues for collecting. Surely it’s tempting to try each flavor of natural hair (boar, various grades of badger, horse) and now a whole range of unique synthetic fibers…

 

[slimshavy]

Lots of people use it. I find the lather to be one of the least important variables in my shave. I do buy soap pucks to support artisans and because I like the scent oils used, and because I don't buying cans with plastic caps and nozzles (and steel that takes resources to recycle).

 

[MixMastMar]

You have no idea what you are missing with all the wonderful scents available!
But be warned, it can be a deep, deep, deep rabbit hole!
I love it!
Sandalwood, and Bay Rum, and Cologne dupes, and Cherry, and Almond, and, and and…!!!

ARKO!

 

[Quaznoid]

Go ahead and use canned shaving creme. Whatever works for you. It’s less expensive than the soaps a lot of B&Bers use. I make fine lather from leftover hand soap which is almost free but a can of Barbasol or Foamy at $1 or $2 a can is the next best thing.

 

[Mike the Beginner]

I enjoy that my hands remain relatively dry and unsullied during the brush process.

Oh, right, you know I never even thought of that....

 

[Guido75]

First up - welcome to B&B! The world’s largest community of shaving connaisseurs

As for the soap, I think you are well on your way in first getting your technique in order. Then you can turn your attention to soaps if you want to. I must admit when I came back to wet shaving I actually didn’t give foam a thought. I have used it before and it can be great on vacation or shaving in the run, but I have found that I can whip up a lather in about the same time as it takes me to put on the foamy (and use the foam in the same way as my lather - i.e. softening the whiskers rather than just apply it and shave immediately).

So simply enjoy what you are doing and progress when and if you want. We are all fine with whatever you decide!

Cheers,

Guido

 

[Mike the Beginner]

So simply enjoy what you are doing and progress when and if you want. We are all fine with whatever you decide!

Wait...a TOLERANT connoisseur community?!? What manner of strangeness is this?

 

[Goblin]

...at various periods in my lengthening life I have been deep in the weeds with: tube amplifiers and vinyl records; Japanese bookbinding; large-format field cameras (the kind made of wood and brass, with leather bellows, used on a tripod with a dark cloth over one's head); and roasting my own green coffee beans at home...

Did anyone else read this and think that @Mike the Beginner is just a couple of months away from that moment when he opens the bathroom cabinet and is buried under the deluge of shaving brushes that falls out?

 

[Black Adder]

There are no dumb questions.....

And to answer it, some folks DO use commercial shaving cream. I do when I'm traveling; a can of Barbasol goes with me. While it does the job, I find that canned shave foams are a little too dry, and the additives in the foam are difficult to rinse off. On the other hand, I am dispensing with all the rigamarole of soaps, bowls and brushes, but that's because I'm traveling. It's not that big a deal when I'm home, where those "complicating" additions simply blend seamlessly into the ritual.

Maybe give it a try? I don't know how long that can of Barbasol would last if I used it daily, but a quarter kilo of Vitos last me six months. I think there HAS to be a value there, and the lather is perfect and slick, because I've worked with it for so long.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Mike, try a good shaving soap and brush and see if it makes your shaves better. I would expect it to, once you’ve worked out how to make a good lather that way.

I think most of us find a good shaving soap to be better at softening stubble, more protective, better in residual slickness (after the first lather is wiped off by the razor), and better for skin condition and post-shave feel. But it certainly will take longer for each shave, and making a good, well-hydrated lather with soap and a brush is a skill that takes a little practice (there are other threads on this). You can get excellent soaps and brushes without spending a lot (you can spend a lot if you want, but it isn’t necessary).

In the end use whatever works best for you, but you’ll only know what’s best for you by trying things.

 

[ewk]

1. The cornucopia of scents.
2. The brush fun factor.

 

[Leverspro]

1. The cornucopia of scents.
2. The brush fun factor.

Yup! Scents and brushes. Fantastic. Used this tobacco/whiskey scented soap today off a boar brush. What a treat!

 

[kaufdrop27]

Someone send this man a stick of Arko! Actually, @Mike the Beginner please pm me your address so I can send you some soap. I cannot in good conscience allow one to think canned goo is as good.