I wouldn't say that I pray to gods about pre-shave oil, but I like a very light application of EVOO before I lather. I find it adds extra glide to my razor and I can always find it in my house.
The only pre-shave oil I've tried was from The Gentlemens Refinery; it was part of their sample pack. It does make a difference, but not night and day.
The only time it did make a fairly noticeable difference was when I reverted to a Quattro for a day (a little experiment). I got started on the first pass and remembered I had the oil sample; so I washed off my lather and spread on some oil. After a minute or two I re-lathered and continued the shave, and it made a pretty noticeable difference. I've always found the multi-blade razors really pull on my face, it's a tug of war between them cutting the hair and clinging to my cheek--the oil definitely made the razor stop tugging so much; which was a very nice discovery.
So long story short--if I'm using my DE I don't notice much difference; however if I'm using a multi-blade de-face-erator it is a noticeable change for the better.
I have never tried preshave oil. So far I haven't needed it. I might try it one day though just to see if I am missing something. I haven't tried method shaving either though.
I haven't used pre shave oil as I have felt no need to fix something that isn't broken, so I guess that means I'm not a believer in the pre shave. Who knows though maybe it makes a difference and I just haven't tried it. I don't really plan to though as it's a luxury item in my book (VDH glycerine + straight razor = one cheap shave)!
I have taken the liberty of putting a few drops of glycerine in a cupped hand with a little bit of water in it and rubbing said glycerine water on my face. That seems to offer extra moisturizer for my skin and can indeed give me a shave that is probably 10 percent better. I can only do it before the hot towel though, if I do it before the lather it often results in lather too slick to handle .
Pure, good almond oil comes at ten bucks per bottle and lasts a year.
Phase 1 - apply soap / cream lather to your face as usual, wait a minute or two to soak the beard. Phase 2 - add a couple of drops of oil to your mug and relather. Phase 3 - shave.
Creamy goodness. A considerably better shave and the best of both worlds (soaking the beard AND having oil as a cushion) make this the ultimate shaving experience for me - so no, I don't use pre-shave oil the way it's usually used. But yes, I use oil, and it feels fantastic.
Ive always used a pre-shave oil even before I started "traditional" shaving with a brush and DE razor. I use the oil as part of my shave prep routine as well as an extra drop or two before my final pass for a bit of extra protection. Ive used quite a few oils over the years, my favorite right now is the One Planet shave oil, available at Riteaid. It is inexpensive, all natural and very effective.
I've had less-than-great experiences with pre-shave oils. Proraso and CF, however, have worked great for me. No oily residue, and they help make my beard noticeably softer and help with smoother shaves.
I will concede that I have to get up early (earlier than I actually do wake up) and so my prep time is limited. Proraso is good and inexpensive. CF is great, but pretty pricey. I'm not sure if I'll be reordering that.