Shaving sticks rock.

[Teddyboy]

Every time I try a stick it is just excellent. All the usual suspects - La Toja, Arko, Palmolive, and for the first time today, Speick. I know many have favorites, but I could never pick a favorite out of these.

The brilliance of sticks became clear to me when I made shave sticks out of some soaps I had a hard time lathering (Cella, MW and Mikes). These sticks are superb. From an instructive point of view it also shows me that I have to improve my brush loading technique because I have convinced myself that these products are all excellent.

Thanks for Listening.

 

[Marco]

Ted, I totally agree - shaving sticks truly rock. My favourite are La Toja, Valobra, Speick, Palmolive and Lea.

 

[Hayden]

In the future once I use up the rest of the products I have(plus I wanna try the new sandalwood proraso). Shave sticks and a tub of JM fraziers original shave cream will be all I use. Also unless things change for me in the stick world La toja and palmolive will be the only sticks I use, but I still wanna try DVH and lea sticks.

 

[mharris127]

Every time I try a stick it is just excellent. All the usual suspects - La Toja, Arko, Palmolive, and for the first time today, Speick. I know many have favorites, but I could never pick a favorite out of these.

The brilliance of sticks became clear to me when I made shave sticks out of some soaps I had a hard time lathering (Cella, MW and Mikes). These sticks are superb. From an instructive point of view it also shows me that I have to improve my brush loading technique because I have convinced myself that these products are all excellent.

Thanks for Listening.

Since sticks are easier for you to use, go for it! However, I suspect Cella may be too soft to make into a stick (unless you use a holder like a Mama Bear's stick comes with) for my use but I also think Arko is also too soft to use as a stick and others evidently do just fine. I suspect it has to do with your hand strength.

As for your brush loading technique, load for at least 90 seconds with a drained but not shaken brush. Apply some to your face, if it is too thick run a bit of water into your mug and swirl your brush in it 8-10 times. You will then likely have slick, protective lather from any quality tallow based hard soap. About the only soaps I suspect this wouldn't work for would be Proraso tub and maybe Cella as they are quite soft, what I do with Proraso is load the brush right from the green container for 30 seconds or so and then face lather, adding water to my brush as needed. You may need to bowl lather Proraso, using clumps the size of an almond until a 2/8 inch layer is gone so you can lather in the container without making a mess (that took me 12 shaves).

 

[StuMcB]

Been using Arko in an old Erasmic Supreme tube for some time with no probs also a Derby stick in a TOB tube.

 

[Luc]

I got a soft spot for shave sticks. I find them great to work with. It's a shame that the selection is smallish. Sure, I can make my own but buying it ready to use, it's better. Then, there's how it's sold to you. I really wish that a manufacturer would restarted what Colgate, Williams, Gibbs, Erasmic, etc did and sell a pack with a shave stick holder that's decent and then, only the refill. Let's face it, if it was done well, we would buy a shave stick holder the first time and then only go with refill. A bit like the shave soaps pucks. Anyways, love my shave sticks, I won't get rid of them, they are awesome!

 

[celestino]

Good to hear and continued success with sticks!

 

[tfinch]

I entirely agree, sticks are a very convenient way to go!

 

[j_fro]

I am in the midst of Sticktober and I must say I have really fallen for sticks. (And face lathering consequently)

 

[Mink]

I've got a quick question, and I'm just curious if you find the same thing or if I'm talking myself into something. There are several tallow based sticks that make wonderful lather, but the scent just doesn't agree with me. I have always shredded the sticks, pressed the soap into a bowl, and then then made lather using my scuttle (hot and not). Anyway, I started face lathering more this summer and noticed that when I applied the soap directly to my face, built up a little on the brush by swirling on the stick, and then made the lather on my face that the scent was very faint, even ok. All the scent problems I couldn't forgive weren't noteworthy. Normal?

 

[mharris127]

I got a soft spot for shave sticks. I find them great to work with. It's a shame that the selection is smallish. Sure, I can make my own but buying it ready to use, it's better. Then, there's how it's sold to you. I really wish that a manufacturer would restarted what Colgate, Williams, Gibbs, Erasmic, etc did and sell a pack with a shave stick holder that's decent and then, only the refill. Let's face it, if it was done well, we would buy a shave stick holder the first time and then only go with refill. A bit like the shave soaps pucks. Anyways, love my shave sticks, I won't get rid of them, they are awesome!

The company that makes Tabac still does that, you buy one stick with a refillable container and then just buy refill sticks thereafter. I can't think of any other companies still doing that offhand but Mama Bear and Honeybee still sell empty sticks that you can fill with whatever soap strikes your fancy. Honeybee's stick containers are more convenient IMO, they are deodorant-type containers that haven't had deodorant in them.

 

[Luc]

The company that makes Tabac still does that, you buy one stick with a refillable container and then just buy refill sticks thereafter. I can't think of any other companies still doing that offhand but Mama Bear and Honeybee still sell empty sticks that you can fill with whatever soap strikes your fancy. Honeybee's stick containers are more convenient IMO, they are deodorant-type containers that haven't had deodorant in them.

The only issue I got with their container is that it won't last. I got one and it's cracked already. But, you are right, they are still making those, my point, where are the shave stick makers doing this?

 

[gmgaj]

Ogallala sticks are great, and they come in a nice twist up container that should be fairly easy to refill when it empties.