Don't let one soap ruin it for you. I could never get MWF to work for me, despite being a favorite among many, so then I went to creams and croaps. Hard soaps are great for face lathering or scuttle, you just have to find one with a scent that agrees with you and also agrees with your water make-up (can make a huge difference). Go with a couple of the favorites first - probably wont regret arko, tabac, harris etc.
Help. I've lost faith in hard soaps
- Thread starter Comisama
- Start date
My vote is for barrister and mann. You can get samples from Magyars razors so no huge outlay of cost there. Cheshire I my fav from what you can sample and maggards. This soap is very reasonably priced and without a doubt the best I have tried-at any price.
The only thing I would add is to look at the reviews here at B&B!
If you like to use soaps, then you need to try until you find the right one.
Soaps are YMMV. What works for one will not always work for another.
If you look at a thread from a few months ago about the poorest / worst soap, you will see that most of the listed soaps have large followings and "brotherhood threads", yet they did not work for some.
Everyone has different tastes/likes when it comes to scents, and everyone has different variable when they lather.
All we can offer is what works (and did not work) for us. No one soap/cream will please everyone.
Soaps are YMMV. What works for one will not always work for another.
If you look at a thread from a few months ago about the poorest / worst soap, you will see that most of the listed soaps have large followings and "brotherhood threads", yet they did not work for some.
Everyone has different tastes/likes when it comes to scents, and everyone has different variable when they lather.
All we can offer is what works (and did not work) for us. No one soap/cream will please everyone.
+1. I believe that the majority of soap problems come from not loading enough and starting with too wet a brush.
Blooming a soap can help make it easier to load the soap, but the best advice I heard was to "load extravagantly."
I love it!
Arko! Cheapest at about 1$ a stick. It beats a lot of the more expensive soaps. Also poraso Is great. Especially the red sandalwood. Great and super easy to lather. Although neither are hard soaps.
This soap is not seen a lot around here and there may be a reason for that. A lot of the products discussed around here are used around the world and loved by many. I wouldn't segregate an entire class of soap because one brand didn't work. I would concentrate more on the manufacturer and the reputation they have regarding their product.
+1. I also add a bit of water, only enough for the brush to absorb, to the top of the soap and let it sit while my boar brush soaks. This seems to help a great deal. I only use artisan tallow soaps, BTW. Good luck!
correct
haslinger
tabac
cella
Mitchell's wool fat
are all great choices
tabac
cella
Mitchell's wool fat
are all great choices
I use a different approach than others. I mill the hard soap into a small 1cup (or 2cup, i forget) pyrex (aka glass) bowl and compact it down. This may help to soften it too. I then use a hybrid bowl/face lather method:
1) while showering, pre-soak the soap with a little bit of warm water that barely covers the surface. soak the brush in a different cup
2) leave the soap pre-soak water, it has dissolved soap in it!
3) lightly shake excess water out of the brush, don't squeeze
4) load the brush in the pyrex bowl. It will start out sudsy but the more you load the thicker it'll get. You'll get the hang of when to stop, around the consistency of froth I guess. I never need to add water during this step
5) finish by face-lathering. As you work the lather on your face you will feel it become thick (as you go back and forth with paint-brush strokes).
I get great results. Don't give up on that soap, once you master it you'll be able to lather anything!
1) while showering, pre-soak the soap with a little bit of warm water that barely covers the surface. soak the brush in a different cup
2) leave the soap pre-soak water, it has dissolved soap in it!
3) lightly shake excess water out of the brush, don't squeeze
4) load the brush in the pyrex bowl. It will start out sudsy but the more you load the thicker it'll get. You'll get the hang of when to stop, around the consistency of froth I guess. I never need to add water during this step
5) finish by face-lathering. As you work the lather on your face you will feel it become thick (as you go back and forth with paint-brush strokes).
I get great results. Don't give up on that soap, once you master it you'll be able to lather anything!
