Excuse my ignorance but how do you use a shaving stick?

[JasonJT]

Good afternoon to all on this thread.

I have heard of shaving sticks but have no idea on how to use one. Are they as good as shaving soaps or creams? Someone please help.

Thanks. Jason.

 

[rockviper]

Welcome to B&B, @JasonJT !

The process is pretty simple:
1. wet face
2. rub stick on face
3. lather up

Tutorial - how to use a shaving stick

Gents, It has come to my attention that many individuals are not familiar with shave sticks and their use - so here is a picture laden tutorial! Enjoy! Step One - Twist off the lid :P The Stick to be used in this tutorial is a QED Essentials Peppermint Shave Stick... this sucker has...

www.badgerandblade.com

Some people also load their brush from the stick as well; rub the brush on the stick, not the other way around.

 

[Multum in parvo]

Building lather on your face involves rubbing it with a brush.
With sensitive skin better start out in a bowl.

 

[JasonJT]

Thanks for your replies. I am thinking of investing in a shaving stick to see if its worth the transition from everyday supermarket gels/creams to the more 'exotic' stuff.

Jason.

 

[wibbleandstrop23]

Or salami slice it in a mug if you don’t like rubbing it on your face. Good luck.

 

[Multum in parvo]

I would go for shaving cream next as it easier to measure the needed product for lathering. Loading enough hard soap directly is, while not really difficult, still a bit harder to judge correctly.

 

[BigJ]

A quality shaving stick is an easy way to generate a great lather IMO!
1. Wash your face and leave it wet.
2. Rub the stick thoroughly over your wet face.
3. Go to work with your damp brush.

I suggest either La Toja or Speick, two of my all time favorite sticks!!

 

[Atlantic59]

Shaving sticks are excellent for travel. They are also very efficient. Expect to go through some trial and error when learning to face lather with a stick. Just check out the tutorial posted earlier.

 

[tehnothing]

I have never gotten along with sticks. I pifed all but my speick stick, but, I am thinking of grating it up and pressing it in a tub.

 

[emwolf]

Shaving sticks are excellent for travel. They are also very efficient. Expect to go through some trial and error when learning to face lather with a stick. Just check out the tutorial posted earlier.

Ditto to this. I use a Tabac stick for travel and a synthetic brush (they dry quickly).

 

[Benzadmiral]

Sticks also seem to last a long time. I'm still on my first stick of Tabac, which I bought in 2019 I think. Of course I don't use it every day, and shave only every other day at that, but still . . . And my Arko and La Toja sticks look to last a very long time as well.

In my experience, when you apply the soap from the stick to your face, it seems as if there isn't enough soap. But then I hit it with the damp brush, and the lather just builds right up. So don't be surprised if the initial application appears thin.

 

[Brutus]

Good afternoon to all on this thread.

I have heard of shaving sticks but have no idea on how to use one. Are they as good as shaving soaps or creams? Someone please help.

Thanks. Jason.

As mentioned, moisten your face and then rub the stick into the moistened skin.

To me, sticks are usually inferior (in lubrication) to creams and soap and I use them (for convenience’s sake) mainly when travelling.
Other people may disagree, but that is their prerogative - and mine.


Be it as it may, I too would suggest to start first with a shaving cream as it will give you all the benefits of soaps and show how pleasant a more traditional approach can be.


Some creams come in a tube and some come in a tub, there is plenty of choice, but search for a product (like Palmolive, Nivea, Tabac, Proraso) where there is a consensus here or on other forums that it works well.
Great creams do not have to be expensive.


You will also need a brush, of course.
It does not have to be one of the more expensive badger brushes, a (e.g. Omega or Semogue) boar brush will work equally well but will need some time to be broken in and reach perfection.


Hope this helps…



B.

 

[BigJ]

I have never gotten along with sticks. I pifed all but my speick stick, but, I am thinking of grating it up and pressing it in a tub.

+1! That’s plan B.

 

[Atlantic59]

I have never gotten along with sticks. I pifed all but my speick stick, but, I am thinking of grating it up and pressing it in a tub.

That works pretty well. Better yet, grate a couple of sticks to make a nice-size puck.

 

[ackvil]

I used a shaving stick when I traveled before shaving my head. There is not enough bristle on my head for the soap to stick to it so now I use a tub. My first attempts at using a shaving stick resulted in lather so thick it clogged the razor. I learned to use less soap and more water.

B&B Member @Luc has an excellent review of shaving sticks.

Shave Sticks Review Project

Wiki Page With Ratings: Shave_Sticks_Review_Project - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/wiki/Shave_Sticks_Review_Project I got this mild (yes mild) obsession with Shaving Sticks. Some love them, some hate them, some find them okay (all those feelings are all right). I'm not here to...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[honeycutt]

I use my William's puck like a shave stick. Fabulous results. Just saying.

 

[shavefan]

Start of a journey @JasonJT.

IMO, shave sticks take no longer to learn that any other medium such as pucks or creams. Every single one has a learning curve. You'll get it eventually, it doesn't take long. Don't over think it, have fun!

 

[Akke]

there is no troubles with hard soaps, just keep an eye on your brush how muchyou want to load it. in my opinion there is nothing hard to achive...

 

[McBlade]

* Hot water. Sponge it generously over your face & beard. Helps soften the whiskers.

* Rub a stick over your face. You don't need a lot. To give you an idea I use less than a gram of soap per shave.

* Apply some "painting" strokes with the brush. A gentle side-to-side wiping motion rather than vigorous scrubbing. You'll see the soap turn into a white cream.

* Add some water to the brush. And mix it in with more painting strokes.

* Repeat as often as necessary, adding more water a little bit at a time. I like to mix a soap as slick as I can ie with as much water as it can possibly take. Some soaps like Tabac and Arko take a huge amount. Others seem to get saturated really quickly.

* When the soap looks nice & shiny and is starting to fall off the brush in lumps then you can scrub it up into a lather. Splay the brush and get to it with a vigorous circular motion.

It's an easy simple process which doesn't take long.

 

[njpaddy]

A face latherer here, but not a fan of sticks. The sticks I liked, I eventually grated into a bowl. Arko sticks I tossed under the shed to get rid of the groundhog. Kidding aside (not really-I've done that with Arko), I would sometimes soak the head of the soap in an inch or so of hot water to soften the soap, or sometimes also lather the brush directly on the stick.There are no rules in wetshaving. Experimentation is the fun part. Enjoy. Whatever works for you is the proper way.