The stuff that doesn't work for me...

[Southside]

So after about 1 year of DE wet shaving, I came to a few realizations about what does and does not work for me. I learned how to really make good lather with a "so so" beginner brush (AoS brush). I learned how to really control my razor and work with the "landscape" of my face to get a really solid shave with few nicks 97% of the time. First some of the items I really love:

Love list

1. Merkur HD38 razor - awesome, love it!!! Easy to handle, nice weight

2. Proraso cream - great in the summer time, not so much in winter

3. Taylor of Old Bond St. soap (Mr. Taylors and Sandalwood) - my favorite go to shave soap, always a rich lather, tons of protection and the razor just GLIDES

4. Personna red pack blades - very sharp and accurate cut every time, change them every 3-4 shaves.

Then some items that are just not working for me

Not working for me:

1. Mama Bear soap - love the smell, average lather, little protection or "Glide", easily the worst soap I've ever used. I usually end up with a terrible burn and lots of irritation.

2. Musgo Real - I've really, really tried with this one, and never seem to get a nice lather, even when using lots of hot water like some have suggested. Protection is good, glide is better than Mama Bear or Col. Conk, but not as good as ToBS or Proraso. Sometimes I get irritation from this.

3. Merkur Blades - not terrible, but not really great either, once I switched to Personnas there was no going back.


The jury is still out on:

Fraser's shave cream - massive tub at a great price, nice light scent, only used a couple times

Col Conk soap - cheap stuff, not a great lather, nice scent, not a lot of protection, glide is average, sometimes leaves face irritated. Only used it 5-7 times or so.

Overall, I'm glad I didn't buy too much "gear" in year one. I took a step back and decided that I really wanted to focus on technique and getting a consistently good preparation regimen. So that said I just rewarded myself with a Saville Row brush and stand, which should be coming on Friday from Charles. I think this will be a really nice upgrade over my AoS brush. I don't think of it so much of a hobby as I do, a grooming ritual that I wanted to enjoy more. So I was looking for good, everyday stuff, not stuff that I would buy to sit on a shelf and stare at.

Anyway those are my impressions, I'd be glad to hear feedback and thoughts from others.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Try Mama Bear with your new brush. I couldn't lather glycerin soaps at all with cheap brushes, but they work fine now that I have decent brushes.

 

[xriley]

3. Taylor of Old Bond St. soap (Mr. Taylors and Sandalwood) - my favorite go to shave soap, always a rich lather, tons of protection and the razor just GLIDES

Does TOBS make a Mr. Taylor's soap? I'm aware of the cream, but not the soap.

 

[Gaston]

I don't think of it so much of a hobby as I do, a grooming ritual that I wanted to enjoy more. So I was looking for good, everyday stuff, not stuff that I would buy to sit on a shelf and stare at.

I share your perspective, to the point that once I'm happy with what I have (and I'm very close). I know, I know, that's heresy here. Some would even call it unimaginative (well, I was after all an accountant before I retired), but I think there's a lot to be said for finding satisfaction in at least part of your life.

If I may, I'd suggest you include Mitchell's Wool Fat Shave Soap and Astra Platinum blades on your "may try at the next whim" list. While I prefer the Red Personnas and my Fatboy, in the Merkur the Astra is much better for me, and despite trying some very nice creams I keep coming back to the MWF.

Having very recently gotten my lifelong allergies under control (Yay, Allegra!) I've turned into the stereotypical French harlot over scents now. I hear one tends to get that way in one's dotterage and it's completely normal, which I find evidenced when drafting the old ladies at the supermarket. That right there's some sillage, I don't care who you are.

 

[Southside]

Sorry I meant ToBS cream.

 

[filedog]

I'm with you - no safe queens There's a lot of REALLY great products ot there, for not a lot of $. Today I picked up "Adidas Dynamic Pulse" AS at china-mart for $5. Smells VERY similar to Proraso AS (I have a sample), as others have commented, has similar skin "goodies", at 1/3 the cost!
+1 on the Astra Sp - works GREAT in my DE87. Also love Iridum Super in the Fatboy.

 

[Southside]

Nice to hear from a few others that don't seem to just be collectors. So anyone else care to share stuff that is or is not working for their situation?

 

[DE Shaver]

The jury still out on Fraser's cream?! Probably one the best creams around, especially for the money. The end is nigh!

 

[VampyreWolf]

I'd easily rank Frasers above Proraso. Have tubs of Frasers in both Polar Ice and Original... and Proraso in the white and green pucks, as well as the green cream and green canned foam.

I love the canned foam for those days I either can't get a lather going or just don't feel like it (like last night)

 

[Southside]

I just need to use the Fraser's more, in fact tonight I believe I will try the Fraser's again. Then Friday or maybe Saturday morning I will get my first shave with my new Saville Row brush. I really can't wait.

 

[chucky]

Interesting how experiences vary. For instance, I am fond of Proraso cream as well as Mama Bear soaps, and for me the Mama Bear has as much slickness and glide as anything else I have tried. I'd even use the unscented if it came down to it. I'm using a badger brush though, maybe that is a relevant difference.

Agreed on the Merkur blades. Didn't have good experience with a trial pack, and I haven't heard of too many raves for those.

 

[kingfisher]

.....for me the Mama Bear has as much slickness and glide as anything else I have tried. I'd even use the unscented if it came down to it. I'm using a badger brush though, maybe that is a relevant difference.

.....

Probably not a relevant difference. I use Mama Bear soaps with boar brushes exclusively, and I've not had any problem generating a nice, slick lather. Used one of her soaps this morning.

 

[Chuck Norris]

Does TOBS make a Mr. Taylor's soap? I'm aware of the cream, but not the soap.

Psshh I wish. I love that smell.

 

[David37]

Soooo, whatcha PIF'ing to us newbs????

 

[blood_type_O]

I think the Col. Conk Almond soap is great. Cheap, smells good, and works very well.

 

[Southside]

First shaves with the Saville Row brush, all I can say is wow!!! The lather it builds is truly nothing short of amazing. I've now shaved with it 3 times and the lather it builds and applies is just obscene. Its a very soft brush, very luxurious against your face. This is definitely a keeper. Will be trying it with some different soaps now to see what will and won't work with a really high quality brush. Thank you Charles!

 

[Geordon]

Not working for me:


2. Musgo Real - I've really, really tried with this one, and never seem to get a nice lather, even when using lots of hot water like some have suggested. Protection is good, glide is better than Mama Bear or Col. Conk, but not as good as ToBS or Proraso. Sometimes I get irritation from this.

Let me know if you decide that you want to PIF that. I've been interested in trying that recently

 

[Southside]

BTW, shaved with Col Conk last night, and it lathered up great, a few swirls on the puck with a wet brush and I was good to go, I got TONS of lather. The shave was great with a 4+ shave Personna blade. There was plenty of protection and the razor really glided across my skin. The wife was very, very impressed.

 

[4th and Nesbitt]

Proraso was a no go for me. I didn't really like the menthol feel, and it didn't produce a lather comparable to other soaps/creams I have used. Tabac didn't make the cut for me primarily due to the scent, it smelled a little too grandfatherly to me. Don't get me wrong, the stuff lathers like a champ and provides great protection, but I just couldn't get around the scent. I've tried just about ever DE blade known to man, and the Feathers just didn't get the job done for me (much to my chagrin) I was also majorly disappointed in the 1959 Fatboy that I made a run of it with for a while, but it just didn't produce the results for me that my non-adjustables did, no matter how many different settings I tried. I started with a Savile Row 2824 Finest. The first brush I ordered was losing hairs at a rate of 2-3 per shave. I contacted Charles at QED, and he sent me a replacement in short order. The replacement brush has yet to lose a hair and it lathers like a dream, so I would have to give that brush a big thumbs up. I have a Rubberset on the way from JeffE, and I have a feeling that it may supplant the Savile Row brush for the top spot, but we shall see.

I have found keepers in Trumper's creams (rose and coconut oil especially) and soaps (coconut oil) as well as Truefitt & Hill creams (Grafton is my favorite cream, and I also love their West Indian Limes) In addition, I also like Ralph Lauren Safari Soap. Derby Extras and Iridium Supers have become my "go to" blades, and I have found two DE razors that are absolute keepers in my Merkur 23C (the one I started with) and the Muhle R89 (my current weapon of choice)