anyone use only shave sticks? I've revisited some and am impressed

[Jboone78]

So when I first started wet shaving a little over two yeara ago I had Speick and Valobra shaving soap sticks and was less than impressed at the newb stage in my journey (when in reality I had no clue how to properly face lather, bowl lather or palm lather....)

Now that I have revisited Speick, Valobra and LEA (its a new one I just tried) they all three lather and perform wonderfully, have great slickness, cushion and post shave moisturizing.

I am not going exclusive to shave sticks, but given the quality of these three I could definitely be ok with these as my rotation for a very long time.

Anyone shave stick exclusive?


Also does anyone have a good suggestion for travel containers for the Speick and Valobra?

Thanks,

JB

 

[celestino]

i also enjoy shave-sticks and do it once in a while. You can use basically any soap and put it into an empty shave-stick container to enjoy this with your favourite soaps even though they may not come in shave-stick form.
Enjoy!

 

[rand77]

I love shave sticks, they are usually solid tallow based soaps. When I'm not feeling the stick form factor, I grate them into plastic container. One of my best performers is 2 sticks of Speick grated into a bowl.

Oh and they are super cost effective too, especially Palmolive!

 

[flutewhistler]

Yes. Well, if I buy a puck because it doesn't come in a stick, I then grate it and mash it into a Brute deodorant push-up container. It works great and there is no twist-rod in the middle of it. I buy my at WalMart for about $2.25, which is cheaper than getting them from WCS with shipping and sales tax (for Californians).

Remember, you can always take a puck or any soap or croap and rub it on your face without putting it into a stick container. The stick format is just more convenient and less messy.

 

[Jboone78]

To be more specific.... I am extremely impressed with Speick, Valobra and LEA shaving soap and happen to love that it comes in a travel friendly option.... these are three very good soaps!!!

2 years ago (when I had no clue how to lather soap) I was not impressed with Speick....and this past week have been amazed at how easy it is to lather and how effective the lather is....

 

[mblakele]

I have some shave sticks around here somewhere.



For travel, find a pill bottle or a plastic spice jar that is the right size. You can even try putting a few staples through the lid, to make a holder-top.



With Speick and similar-sized sticks you can also do the old film canister trick: cut a finger-sized hole in the bottom, drop in a quarter, then half or a third of a stick. Use the hole and the coin to push up the stick.

If you want something classier, Speick fits nicely in a vintage Colgate Handy Grip: the two metal tubes in the photo below. Valobra is thicker but works nicely in vintage Erasmic holders, and should also work in those red vintage Williams Holder Tops without a retaining ring. Both of those types of holder are also pictured below.

 

[5Cantonas]

I love soap sticks. Mostly I use LaToja and Palmolive. Wish I could've tried the Moos, I was a wee late to the game.

 

[Hawkeye5]

Sticks are my every day default. On occasion I will use other soap or cream, but I've been 98% shave stick for more than a year.

 

[KW Driver]

http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Twist-up-Shaving-Stick-Containers-2-oz_p_649.html

 

[Gustav]

I used to dislike them but now they are growing on me. I like thick, water saturated, slick lathers. On a puck they take time to generate but with a shave stick you get all the soap you need when you move the stick around on the stubble and then you just need to adjust the consistency by adding copious amounts of water, a little at the time.

 

[Luc]

I pretty much only do that, use shave stick yes. I rarely use a puck or shaving cream. When I do, I face lather every time but 99% of the time, I use a stick. For the containers, there's a variety of things that you can use, this should help: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Shave_Stick_Containers

 

[Quigg]

I just finished an eight-week cross-country trip. To save space and time, I only took two soaps (Arko and La Toja sticks). I was fully prepared to feel like it was a big sacrifice, not having my bowl and brush scuttle, or my many soaps and creams. But I came to appreciate the consistently good shaves I got from those sticks. Needless to say, I will be using shaving sticks more often now. I can't wait to use the others I have acquired (Valobra, Speick, Palmolive, Mike's Orange.)!

 

[MaxP]

Thanks to all who've posted. This is helpful.

That said, I used a Tabac stick yesterday. meh and double meh.

I sent it to "the box in the basement." I won't be using it again.

 

[KW Driver]

The problem I have with sticks and face lathering is getting the thickness/slickness/wetness mix just right is harder than using a bowl. I use primarily tallows, and prefer bowl lathering. I know just how wet the brush needs to be, just how much water to add, usually just once now. A factor of that is I straight shave, which requires a wetter, slicker lather an DE.

As far as the Tabac, I'd say get it a whole lot wetter as you lather it, and see if that helps.

 

[Elevenn]

I have really enjoyed my Speick stick. It easy to lather and makes for a very enjoyable shave. I would also like to try the European Palmolive stick which I have read so many good things about. The Tabac stick also intrigues me (even more so now that it might be discontinued in the US); however, my puck of Tabac seems to be endless.

 

[MaxP]

Maybe I'll grate my Tabac stick into a tin and see if that works better for me.

 

[bmilcs]

i also enjoy shave-sticks and do it once in a while. You can use basically any soap and put it into an empty shave-stick container to enjoy this with your favourite soaps even though they may not come in shave-stick form.
Enjoy!

I grated my Tabac stick into a Grundtal container. It is the best performing soap out there among the others I've tried:

MWF mikes b&m arko etc.

Works like a charm...
Everytime!

I just started using Arko and have 2 sticks and 2 containers with 2 milled sticks in each. 2 nice! Arkos a monster.

 

[bmilcs]

i also enjoy shave-sticks and do it once in a while. You can use basically any soap and put it into an empty shave-stick container to enjoy this with your favourite soaps even though they may not come in shave-stick form.
Enjoy!

I have Palmolive and Speick on the way from a very friendly German companion of mine. If they truly are better than Arko, I'm in for a treat.

 

[jamesspo]

Yep, 100% shave stick here. If something doesn't come in stick form, I make a stick out of it.