I'm beginning to think that the quality of the shave has very little to do with the soap. I don't think I can blame a bad shave on any soap I've tried. Anybody have any thoughts on the subject.
Haven't had bad soap.
- Thread starter Tillerman
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Buy some Wilkinson in the bowl, load a Feather in your R41 and give it a go 
Seriously, the vast majority of soaps work in a wide spectrum but there are also some combos that just don’t work, at least for me.
Shark and Palmolive left me with weepers, Nivea not.
Seriously, the vast majority of soaps work in a wide spectrum but there are also some combos that just don’t work, at least for me.
Shark and Palmolive left me with weepers, Nivea not.
As long as it's slick, I'm good. I shave quite a bit with olive oil based soaps because they help my eczema. They don't lather like traditional shaving soaps but I get a decent enough lather to see what I'm doing. They're slick, though, and the razor works just fine.
I have shaved before with certain bar/bath soaps that don't make much slickness. At that point, I'm done.
I have shaved before with certain bar/bath soaps that don't make much slickness. At that point, I'm done.
I think most but not all soaps can be made to work well enough to get a reasonable shave with but there is a significant difference in performance among shaving soaps. I do think that a "good" shaving soap can make your shave much more enjoyable and a "bad" shaving soap can make it difficult to get a good shave. I experience a noticeable difference in shave comfort using the same razor and blade combination but different soaps.
Price is not necessarily a determining factor either, some expensive soaps work great and some inexpensive soaps work great and the opposite is true too. In addition, like most things in traditional wet shaving there are vastly different opinions on which soaps perform best. I enjoy trying different soaps to see how well they work for me just like I enjoy trying different blades, razors, etc. Also, not everyone has the exact same criteria on how they judge how well a soap works. Attributes like slickness, cushion, scent, post shave, etc. have different levels of importance to each individual and can affect their shave in different ways.
Price is not necessarily a determining factor either, some expensive soaps work great and some inexpensive soaps work great and the opposite is true too. In addition, like most things in traditional wet shaving there are vastly different opinions on which soaps perform best. I enjoy trying different soaps to see how well they work for me just like I enjoy trying different blades, razors, etc. Also, not everyone has the exact same criteria on how they judge how well a soap works. Attributes like slickness, cushion, scent, post shave, etc. have different levels of importance to each individual and can affect their shave in different ways.
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I had a sample of Sea Buckthorn that seemed to be at the bare minimum for all the shave qualities, slickness, cushion, etc., I always got good shaves out of it though. I have tried some hand soaps that I wasn't happy with as shave soaps, so there is a line somewhere.
Mike M
...but this one IS cracked.
Got to agree with that, my Wilkinson Sword puck made the water less slick. Some soaps work for me and some don't and those that do are obvious when you use them. Those that don't, you can still shave with them but the shave and finish aren't as goodBuy some Wilkinson in the bowl, load a Feather in your R41 and give it a go
- Thread starter
- #7
I agree with everything said, soaps have different qualities that suit many different tastes. There are some I like more than others for sure.
Everyone is different, though I don't believe using the best soap money can buy is going to give you significantly better results than cheap drug store soap. Many factors lead up to the end result and I think the soap itself plays a a very small role in that. Ultimately we're all looking to get from A to B, the difference is your satisfaction and enjoyment in the ride to get there.
I think with good technique you can get a decent shave with just about any soap. But I've found that for various reasons, some are much more enjoyable to use.
I've only had one bad soap and that was a a Williams mug shaving soap puck (years ago). All the rest are fine, some slightly better than others for glide, but all work and lather well. Creams are the same.
It gets down to personal preferences, such as scent, soft/hard, how quick they lather, etc. Nowadays, I won't consider a soap maker unless they offer an unscented option. (I don't mind scents, but they bother my wife).
It gets down to personal preferences, such as scent, soft/hard, how quick they lather, etc. Nowadays, I won't consider a soap maker unless they offer an unscented option. (I don't mind scents, but they bother my wife).
The one time I tried Sea Buckthorn soap I ended up with a rash all over my face which I narrowed down to being from the soap.
Saponification, up there with cheese making, is a monument in the path of the human's accidental discovery of chemistry.
That we lose our minds over soap is charming nuttery. But try not to lose your mind. It's soap.
That we lose our minds over soap is charming nuttery. But try not to lose your mind. It's soap.
Funny, I sense more differences in soap performance than blades. Sure, there might be a few outliers that are extremely dull or sharp right out of the box, but most well-known brands that I've used perform very much the same for me.
Using the OP's words (substituting "blade" for "soap") pretty much sums it up for me:
"I'm beginning to think that the quality of the shave has very little to do with the blade. I don't think I can blame a bad shave on any blade I've tried."
Not trying to derail the thread, just illustrating the differences in our shaving experiences.
Using the OP's words (substituting "blade" for "soap") pretty much sums it up for me:
"I'm beginning to think that the quality of the shave has very little to do with the blade. I don't think I can blame a bad shave on any blade I've tried."
Not trying to derail the thread, just illustrating the differences in our shaving experiences.
Then you haven’t had Pinaud.
MWF
Veggie Erasmic stick. Only product I would not shave with. Everything else was usable to some degree.
My skin is sensitive - for me soap bases matter a lot. Not everyone has my issues - the funniest thing is Proraso white did me well for 20+ years, then I found aggressive razors.
After +50 years of wet shaving, I believe the opposite.
Many shavers do not appreciate how much (in particular in the area of lubrication) a good shaving soap/cream contributes to a good shave.
B.
Some guitar amps / pedals are great at masking bad technique, and some seem to amplify even the smallest mistakes. Same with shaving soap.
There are so many great soaps out there, no need to compromise. I started wetshaving to have a better and more pleasurable experience. Now whenever someone mentions a soap that "does its job great for the price" or is "VFM" I instantly know that they are talking about a sub-par soap that's not worth my time. I want a soap that will smell great, look great (structually on my face), rinse off great leaving my face feeling great. So yes from my experience there are definitely good and bad soaps. When I first started out I couldn't understand this.
