Should Traditional Wet Shavers Use Barbasol? What Say You? (Philosophical Debate)

[Brutus]

As you mention the philosophical angle, instead of bogging down in a discussion of shaving foam A vs. shaving foam B, let’s strip away the chaff and go straight to the core of the question:

Q.: Should we feel compelled to follow what others think about the use of certain shaving products?

A.: That’ll be the day that I let other shavers dictate what to use and what not to use.



I do find, however, plenty of reasons not to use canned foam.




B.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

As you mention the philosophical angle, instead of bogging down in a discussion of shaving foam A vs. shaving foam B, let’s strip away the chaff and go straight to the core of the question:

Q.: Should we feel compelled to follow what others think about the use of certain shaving products?

A.: That’ll be the day that I let other shavers dictate what to use and what not to use.



I do find, however, plenty of reasons not to use canned foam.




B.

Where my question was born from, is because I grew up learning that, Barbassol was for cart razor use. Then once I got into this wet shaving hobby, I started learning about traditional shave soaps, which is what I've been using for months now, for use with safety razors.

I guess it really depends on the tool your using. But without adding any water, it's clear that Barbassol is not slick enough it seems. But it becomes slicker when you add water. Id love to test out some 1919 at some point. Cause I've used the can foam before, but never the cream.

 

[Alex Jr]

Love creams, soaps and foam.

You just have to work it in like you do with the other ones. Adding water is a requirement.

It doesn’t come out of the can 100% ready to use like some may think.

Needless to say, it isn’t as slick as soaps, but if you play it right, it’s slick enough.

If “traditional” wet shavers should use it?

Well, there are no rules, use what you like.

“Traditional” is a subjective word, but Frank Sinatra in a hot sauna with a barbasol can in the hand and a white foam covered face is pretty traditional to me.

 

[luvmysuper]

In a hundred years a 5 blade monstrosity from Proctor and Gamble will be "Traditional".
People will get in bidding wars on eBay over NOS kits.

 

[Knuckleballer]

When I do use barbasol I typically use just plain castor oil as a preshave after washing my face, seems to provide better protection and a light amount doesn’t tend to make the stubble stick to the razor. Then I spray the foam into a shave mug, add a few drops of water and mix it with a synthetic brush and apply to my face like you would a soap or tubed cream. I just get a better shave when I use a brush, does a better job of getting the product completely around the whiskers than hand applications. After the third pass I do a quick touch up on the problem areas using just water, plenty residual slickness to get the job done just like when I use a soap or tubed cream.

 

[Juanmosey]

Today I used an almond sized amount of Old Spice with a squirt of original Foamy regular to add bulk. The result was.... DFS!

 

[Benzadmiral]

I've tried a mix of soap or other cream AND Barbasol. With a damp brush, the soap or cream gets whipped up a bit in the scuttle. Then I spritz a little Barbasol atop it and whip everything together. I get one heck of a lather, a good shave, and my facial and throat skin doesn't feel dry afterward.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

I've tried a mix of soap or other cream AND Barbasol. With a damp brush, the soap or cream gets whipped up a bit in the scuttle. Then I spritz a little Barbasol atop it and whip everything together. I get one heck of a lather, a good shave, and my facial and throat skin doesn't feel dry afterward.

Dude, I know what you did, you are describing a SUPER LATHER! Yes, usually I've seen people do it by putting some shave soap in their lather bowl, but then put some cream in the bowl too, and then they whip it up into a glorious SUPER LATHER, that makes your mouth drool. With a lather like that, I wouldn't see how anybody would have problems with it, provided of course its slick enough. Thanks for your awesome report!

 

[Attog]

My opinion is once you get into TWS you’ll find there is no need for canned stuff anymore. If you’re in hurry you can use shaving cream.…

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

My opinion is once you get into TWS you’ll find there is no need for canned stuff anymore. If you’re in hurry you can use shaving cream.…

Yeah, I personally am not really interested in the can foam at this point. But I am however interested in testing out Barbassol's cream in the tube. I was gonna buy it this month, but Amazon went out of stock on it, and not all vendor sites sell it. I noticed Amazon got their stock back in on the cream, but it was too late by then, and I have to be responsible and keep money in the bank for food at this point lol. I know, I know, why does our bodies always need to eat, I wanna spend it all on shaving supplies HAHA!

Maybe one day, they will invent a whipped cream that you can both eat, and shave with, then you can really justify the purchase. Then again, didn't Sinatra Lennon try that in a recent video, and it so did not go so well? Poor Mr. Lennon, taking one for the team, so we all learn what not to do lol. So yeah, maybe thats not such a good idea at all.

Next month I am hoping the cream will be in stock somewhere, and I will buy some, and test it out, and let you all know what I think of it.

 

[pow0622]

Before going to D.E from carts i was a frequent user of barbasol. After the change i started looking at soaps and creams for a more pleasant experience. But the tight wad in me was still in denial so i stuck with the canned varieties for some time. Then i discovered Arko. The scent to me was bearable, and i already was a user of balm to replace moisture loss after a shave. So dollar for dollar i got "for me" a better product and still kept my costs down. My face was much happier too.

Of course that peeked my curiosity and has opened the door for other soaps. Dashing all hopes for an economically smarter approach to face lubrication haha.

 

[steveclarkus]

Hello everyone!

Prior to becoming a traditional wet shaver, I was using Gillette cart razors, and a Panasonic Arc4 electric shaver. Back when I as a kid, I was using Barbasol canned foam cause thats what my dad had. The product comes out of the can extremely fluffy, there is not much water to it at all, and thus, it doesn't seem to provide much slickness. But that is what I used for a few years, and I honestly believe it contributed to redness on my face. Then I switched to using Gillette & Edge shaving gel's, which are also found in a can. They seemed to provide more slickness, but I still never got quality shaves with either cart or electric.

Flash forward to modern day... So, I've been a traditional wet shaver for about 7-months now. And ever since experiencing the pure awesomeness, of creating a slick moisturizing yogurt lather with artisan shave soaps, I couldn't imagine now days going back to a can of Barbasol! I have some video's to share from GeoFatBoy, that you may find enlightening on the subject...

In this video, GeoFatBoy uses straight Barbasol from the can, you will notice a few things here. First of which, the product comes out super airy and foamy, due to lack of water in it. Additionally, there is no real quality scent that comes from the product, its a very basic fresh scent. Then, as he begins shaving, we hear a ton of audio feedback from the razor, perhaps the loudest feedback I've ever heard, and I have course whiskers just like him! Then notice how the razor begins dragging on his skin due to lack of slickness? Its clear that Barbasol is not providing the ideal consistency of lather, that one requires to get a quality shave.

Now after the shave was over, he did his usual routine of running the alum stick over his face. According to his report, he was getting a ton of stinging feedback, which he normally never gets after a traditional wet shave. Its just another key factor that demonstrates, that Barbasol lacks the miniaturization and slickness that a wet shave requires, and his face was left irritated afterwords.

A viewer gave GeoFatBoy an interesting tip. They suggested that he put some Barbasol in a shaving bowl, then add some water. Then begin using a shaving brush as you normally would, to work up a lather to the proper consistency. Geo noticed right away, as he began doing this, he was able to change the consistency of the foam, into a more proper moisturized and slick cream, which is ideally what you want. After applying to his face with the brush, he noticed that it was a far better lather from the get go. As he began shaving, he could tell right away, that the Barbasol was far slicker.

As you can see in this video, he achieved a far better shave, the razor was no longer dragging against his skin. After he finished, he ran the alum stick over his face and neck, and guess what? No stinging!

There is a good reason why most of us traditional wet shavers use proper shave soaps, and work up a proper lather to a nice slick consistency, that has plenty of moisture. I know what my opinion is, I prefer traditional shaving soaps, and perhaps creams that don't burn my skin from some weird ingredient in them. I also prefer soaps that have excellent scents, which is why artisan soaps, like those from Stirling, are so appealing to me. But what say you, mighty fine wet shavers out there on B&B, what is your philosophy? And additionally, has your opinions changed at all on canned Barbasol, after watching those video's?

Why not? It doesn't work well for straight razors but I used canned foam and a DE for many years with no problem.

 

[Attog]

Before going to D.E from carts i was a frequent user of barbasol. After the change i started looking at soaps and creams for a more pleasant experience. But the tight wad in me was still in denial so i stuck with the canned varieties for some time

Yes, for me it was because lathering from soap takes time. So I kept my canned goo near by. Then I discovered creams a few months ago and was like:”oh this thing lathers damn fast now I don’t need can anymore“. And lather from cream is not only fast but it is still very good on par with my soaps.

 

[pow0622]

Yes, for me it was because lathering from soap takes time. So I kept my canned goo near by. Then I discovered creams a few months ago and was like:”oh this thing lathers damn fast now I don’t need can anymore“. And lather from cream is not only fast but it is still very good on par with my soaps.

HaHa it was the same for me once i started face lathering

 

[Major Overkill]

Barbasol works with all my DE blades and Cartridge razors (as long as it's hydrated) - for me it's the king of consistency (as my own lathering isn't consistent every shave so I often return to Barbasol for months at a time).

Y'know, this is a great point, & one I hadn't considered: big brands like Barbasol, Gillette, etc. make a product that, especially these days, is known for consistency. Its kinda like Budweiser. It's never going to be terrific, but you know it'll always be ok.

And, well, not offending one's wife is always a capital idea.

-Z

 

[Butch Waxx]

Y'know, this is a great point, & one I hadn't considered: big brands like Barbasol, Gillette, etc. make a product that, especially these days, is known for consistency. Its kinda like Budweiser. It's never going to be terrific, but you know it'll always be ok.

And, well, not offending one's wife is always a capital idea.

-Z

That’s right brotha…..Just give me consistency good or bad, but At least I know what I’m getting.

 

[Doc Dan]

Barbisol is good for a few things: Shaving cream fights with kids; keeping your shaving mirror, glasses, and car windows from fogging up; as a cleaning product. However, it is not good for shaving.

 

[Chandu]

So here is my update. I traveled. I took Prorasso as I could tell Foamy didn't have enough in the can to last. Prorasso was out by the last day.

Canned foam is NO replacement for proper soap in my eyes any longer. You can thin it with water and make it slightly slicker, but it is not the same and not as good.

 

[Knuckleballer]

I used some barbasol original canned cream today. Put it in a lathering bowl with a little bit of water and applied it with a synthetic brush. Worked well, comfort was fine and zero nicks or cuts. Baby smooth in most areas.

May even do this more often than I typically do, until I get a chance to make a trip out to the Wegman’s where they sell Proraso green tube which is my preferred shaving cream.

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

My PERSONAL second most used lather (see chart below) since I started experimenting with DEs, soaps, creams, and brushes more than 3 years ago is

Barbasol Original in the can

If you look at the first lather, you’ll notice it’s just one of the most legendary of wet shaving products, for good reason. The other lathers further down the list are no slouches either. Tabac is my favorite cooler weather soap for the scent and performance. Without trying to go off topic, the new vegan stuff is better as far as I’m concerned too but that’s for a different thread…

I love Barbasol when I don’t feel like using a brush and/or the weather is on the warmer side. Barbasol just works really well. It’s not really slick but with a gentler razor it’s perfectly fine.

Barbasol is one of the few American drug store products that does not belong on the bottom shelf. Paired with a milder cart like the Bic Twin Select or Gillette Guard, close comfort with a nice scent left behind.

Barbasol Original: Yes