frustrated with budget soaps

[FireDragon76]

You will get a misleading number of shaves out of that Conk puck. It's pretty small but mighty stuff.

It looks like a good soap. VDH is getting taken out of my rotation - it just doesn't really measure up even with other soaps and creams at that price point. I'll probably give my face a few days of rest before I try the Conk again, maybe no shaving, because I'm still getting over razor burn (brush burn?) from the weekend, before I go experimenting. So my next shave will probably be just a simple one or two pass with Cremo, because so far its been a very good product.

 

[Eeyore]

Shop a little harder, wait for the B2G1 sales and $10 back on a $30 purchase and you can pick up 6 big tubes of Bigelow for $20. Even if its the only thing you shave with every day, that should be a year's supply.

Don't buy six tubes before you know if you're allergic to it or not. Eucalyptus oil is pretty hefty stuff.

That applies to every product, not just Proraso Green, of course.

 

[FireDragon76]

Don't buy six tubes before you know if you're allergic to it or not. Eucalyptus oil is pretty hefty stuff.

That applies to every product, not just Proraso Green, of course.

Yeah, I have had eczema reaction to Proraso at times. Sometimes it doesn't bother me, sometimes it does. I've also had reactions to eucalyptus or clove in cosmetics. I really do like Proraso but I have to be careful with it.

 

[FireDragon76]

I tried really lathering the VDH like I hated it... in this case I really did, I also really sopped my brush in water.. and it got a decent looking lather that felt slick on my arm (it looked nothing like barbasol, more snotty looking). I tried shaving off a few arm hairs and there was no irritation, so perhaps this soap can be salvaged. It's a really deceptive soap though, there is almost no lather to it at first, its more like some kind of concentrated cream.

 

[FireDragon76]

I tried shaving with VDH again, this time lathering it like I hated it. The glide wasn't so great, I got some blade skipping. Maybe my blade is bad? The blade didn't feel the smoothest on certain parts of my face.

What really seemed to feel smooth with VDH was grabbing some lather on the tips of my fingers and face-lathering it. I developed a super-slick film this way. But the foam developed from the brush was pretty bad in terms of slickness. And it did look perfect. Some peaks with a moist look, but it didn't work nearly as well as lathering up a thin film, sort of like if it were Cremo.

 

[Daveho]

i use proraso as my benchmark, its cheap and sets a high standard

 

[Vespasian]

So relax and go buy some expensive soap.

 

[FireDragon76]

I think my razor blade just went dull... most of the soaps I have don't work with it. It happened so gradually that I just didn't notice it, and I thought it was my soap choices, not the razor.

 

[Milhaus]

lots of good budget soaps/creams....Arko, Nivea, Cella, proraso.
that said, ive never used VDH or Williams...maybe its your technique, maybe it isn't.

 

[FireDragon76]

I've got a bit more experience, and a few fresh blades, and my thoughts haven't changed a lot. VDH doesn't shave well at all in hard water . Williams is better (its slick), but it still takes some work compared to shaving cream.

 

[Usascot]

I tend to use a lot of artisan soaps but when I do use VDH or Williams, I soak the puck for about a minute before I use the brush.
Before I did do a soak and I was frustrated with getting a decent lather. The water could easily play a role too.

 

[FireDragon76]

I finally got a decent shave out of VDH Deluxe. I used what seemed like an insane amount of brush loading. My impression now, it is what it is, a 2 dollar soap. Not the worst soap I have used but I'd rate this soap as no better than Williams, and harder to lather.

 

[FireDragon76]

I tried Conk Amber for the second time. It's easy to make a slippery lather. I got a great shave with it. The lather was almost too slick, the razor I was using (an injector), almost started slipping out of my fingers a few times.

 

[williabe]

Soft water makes a big difference in lathering. You can buy a bottle of distilled water at the supermarket for $1, and it should last you about a month of shaving every day. Or, get a Brita pitcher and filter the tap water.

And use that filtered water to make coffee and cook with, too. It will make everything that comes out of your kitchen taste better.

I had a filter on the shower head 4 residences ago. I think I got it at Lowes ... if you do find one, post a link for us. I've been looking for another one ever since but I can't find it anywhere.

I use distlled water when shaving. Marked difference in lather quality and quantity.

 

[FireDragon76]

Using really hot water (about 122 F), I managed to get a great lather with VDH. But the shave quality is still not quite as nice as Col. Conk. I think I will use up the VDH and move on to better soaps.

 

[FireDragon76]

I finished off the VDH Deluxe, and my technique did get better as did the shaves the more I used it, but in the end I felt the soap was not that impressive. I ordered some VDH Glycerin to try out, as I note that VDH Deluxe has no glycerin, that might explain the lack of slickness. I'd like to give the Glycerin soap a go before I write off the brand altogether.

 

[socialjunk95]

Did you get to try the Godrej shaving cream yet ?
That in one of the best products I have used yet. Very slick and protective.

It's a must have in my shave den. There are 3 major variants and I enjoy each one of them!

 

[FireDragon76]

Yes, I tried the Godrej- it works very well. I don't care for the scent of the red tube, though, but its not quite as strange as Arko.

 

[socialjunk95]

Yes, I tried the Godrej- it works very well. I don't care for the scent of the red tube, though, but its not quite as strange as Arko.

If you like the performance and not the scent, you should try the lime/lemon variant. Excellent citrus blast.

 

[aldomarino]

Obviously, JMO, but one of the best, and perhaps the best, inexpensive shave shop around are the Godrej Shave Rounds. I'm not sure why, but when used for face lathering rather than bowl, they work fantastic. Arko and Palmolive are both good products, but Godrej Rounds perform at least as well or better than either one, and while I do not mind the scent of Arko at all, the GSR smells a lot better, no question. And I don't know exactly how to describe it, but the skin somehow feels better with the GSR than it does with Arko.