Soap question related to straight razor

[Frank Shaves]

So, what soaps do you prefer?

Here are a few soaps:

• D.R. Harris triple-milled soap. I have the Almond which has a very light but bitter scent like the inside of almond shells. I would recommend you start with a different scent - perhaps the lavender. Probably the best triple-milled, tallow-based soap on the market.
• Martin de Candre. Vegan. Don't be put off by the price. The stuff lasts forever and is a bargain in the end. The Fougere may be the definitive fougere scent. For a simpler scent, the Original lavender is terrific.
• Mike's Lime. The quintessential lime scent.
• Stirling Scotts Pine Sheep blended with Orange Chill - 3 to 1.
• Tabac. I have the older, tallow-based version.

And a few creams:

• Atkinsons for Gentlemen. Lavender scent. Was recently available on Amazon.
• Truefitt & Hill. I have the 1805. Next time I will buy the Ultimate Comfort with lavender scent.

You should also try some mass-produced, inexpensive creams. I like LEA, Palmolive and Speick. I still have not tried La Toja's cream, but it gets very good reviews.

Apparently, Truefitt & Hill, and Trumpers creams are made by Creighton, so Trumpers is also on my list.

 

[Doc Dan]

Thanks! I tried a sample of Trumpers and MDC. Good soaps. I'll look for the others.

 

[Frank Shaves]

If you are in the US, @Doc Dan, send me a private message and I will send you a few samples.

Also, you need to shop around for selection and price, and I have had good experience buying European soaps from Gifts & Care.

 

[Doc Dan]

If you are in the US, @Doc Dan, send me a private message and I will send you a few samples.

Also, you need to shop around for selection and price, and I have had good experience buying European soaps from Gifts & Care.

I appreciate it. I am far from home, however. On the other side of the planet, in fact. I do thank you for your offer, though.

 

[Eben Stone]

I actually like the suction when using an extreme shallow angle. I apply a little inward pressure and put the spine up against my skin and glide the razor across my skin. At least that is what I *attempt* to do. Some soaps allow me to do this easily while others completely fail and the razor sticks. The ones that consistency have given me good results are The Body Shop Maca Root, Saponificio Varesino 4.3, and Captain's Choice. I suppose at some point I wont be such a noob and will take @CpnStumpy advice of not using so much of the blade. And @Darth Scandalous advice to divorce the spine touching angle. But until then those three soaps are noteworthy better than all the others I've tried (at reducing stiction or whatever its called).

 

[Darth Scandalous]

@Eben Stone don't let me tell you what to do. If it's working for you, that's the key.

I've only used 4 different soap brands since I started. Well, 5 if you count Cremo. Stirling (both bases), Arko, SV 4.3 base, and Le Père Lucien. Strictly in terms of performance, SV beats all of them. Stirling mutton tallow might just beat Arko for slickness but they're very different soaps in my opinion. Stirling beef is a notch below that but I prefer the post shave feel of it to both the sheep base and Arko.

My favorite soap so far is LPL Oud Neroli but it's by far the worst performer: it takes longer to work the lather, although it's decently slick once you get there. The biggest problem is the lather isn't very stable, it breaks down after about two passes. But the post shave skin feel is for me, unbeatable, and I love the scent. Enough that I'm willing to just reload and make new lather for a final pass.