Confession Time....I've Never Used a Brush

[Ckmaui]

I used to use Cremo as my pre-shave...it's a good product. That is...until I discovered Lucky Tiger Liquid Cream Shave. Bye-bye Cremo!

Recently found the Lucky Tiger for the post shave and while I am using up my other splashes Lucky Tiger is going to become my go to for post

was curious to be testing preshaves soon so glad I read this thread and going to have to test this with how much I love the post well worth a try to test if it can help as a preshave

side note my buddy uses a straight for his whole life so at least 40+ yrs now and just uses can goo ? he seems content with it

 

[Gamma]

I don't think a brush/mug would do much for Cremo. Personally, I am not a big fan of the product but it does work. But, I am not thinking it would do 'better' with a brush.
For me, face lathering with a brush is the preferred approach. No bowl, the mug just holds a soap puck. Lather is generated when I am loading the brush, but the real lather is built on the face. Took a while to get everything in the equation balanced and I still overload sometimes. But I like the feeling and the shaves. For me it was an improvement over everything else.
It does take longer than using a 'brushless cream', for sure.
I think it is faster than bowl lathering and there is less clean up afterwards.

This is one of those things where, if you don't try all the ways, you won't know which you like best. What works best might not be important when the bird in the hand works fine though. If Cremo works, you like it, and the results are on-point, it's a done deal.

Nothing wrong with experimenting, just for the sake of it though. But, to get a fair view, it might take a while to get the skill set and product selection sorted out. There's the endless choices of brushes and soaps to deal with. My first brush was a silvertip and I hated it. Was too floppy. It took me several brush purchases to identify the qualities I wanted to persue. Same with soaps. I wound up tossing or giving away a lot of soap and brushes.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I don't think a brush/mug would do much for Cremo. Personally, I am not a big fan of the product but it does work. But, I am not thinking it would do 'better' with a brush.
For me, face lathering with a brush is the preferred approach. No bowl, the mug just holds a soap puck. Lather is generated when I am loading the brush, but the real lather is built on the face. Took a while to get everything in the equation balanced and I still overload sometimes. But I like the feeling and the shaves. For me it was an improvement over everything else.
It does take longer than using a 'brushless cream', for sure.
I think it is faster than bowl lathering and there is less clean up afterwards.

This is one of those things where, if you don't try all the ways, you won't know which you like best. What works best might not be important when the bird in the hand works fine though. If Cremo works, you like it, and the results are on-point, it's a done deal.

Nothing wrong with experimenting, just for the sake of it though. But, to get a fair view, it might take a while to get the skill set and product selection sorted out. There's the endless choices of brushes and soaps to deal with. My first brush was a silvertip and I hated it. Was too floppy. It took me several brush purchases to identify the qualities I wanted to persue. Same with soaps. I wound up tossing or giving away a lot of soap and brushes.

I am not particularly fond of Cremo, either. It feels more like some kind of lotion, than a shave cream that you make a lather from.

I, too, face lather, usually with the soap puck in a mug, and I draw a little hot water on top of the puck and let my brush soak in it for a bit. Then I pour off the water and pick up soap, wet my face, and go to lather city with the loaded brush.

For travel I sometimes use the Arko stick. I stand it up in water, business end down, for a minute, wet my face, rub stick on face and hit it with the brush. Lather just explodes. I have a couple other sticks I use sometimes, too.

Some silvertip brushes I have seen, should have been set deeper in the handle, but you can "choke up" on them, pinching the bristles at the top of the handle, and it will get you by until a more preferred brush can be had. I find Larry's big brushes are just fine at the standard set but he will set the knot extra deep if asked.

 

[duke762]

For crying out loud, man, you are just messing about until you have a proper brush collection - get started!

Finally bought a badger brush. It came with 2 soap samples that smell a lot like lanolin or tallow. I'll give them a try while I wait for my lucky tiger to get here. So stoked!

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

The purpose of lather is to wet the beard and skin, there is some slickness, but it is about the water. Plain water on your skin will evaporate on the skin faster than lather. Lather makes bubbles that hold air and water.

I too face lather, I also use Creamo as a pre shave while I strop a razor. I usually use MDC with a brush and mug to soak the brush tips and hold about ½ inch of hot water. I lather the Creamo and MDC, dunk the tip of the brush in the hot water and re-lather to add water to the lather on my face. Creamo and MDC is a good combination. I keep adding water until the lather just begins to run, then shave quickly.

The second pass, ATG is a lighter lather with lots of water, flick the tip of the brush through running hot water, if needed.

Third pass ATG is even lighter with lots of water, the brush will hold a lot of soap and water in the brush. As the beard is shaved less water and soap is needed.

For me shaving is 10-15 minutes from picking a razor to clean up and out the door.

Yea, I would say you are missing a lot shaving without a brush, but many roads to Rome.

 

[RayClem]

When I travel, I take along a tube of Cremo, but I find that it works better if you make a pseudo lather in a cup using a brush. Thus, I include an inexpensive synthetic brush in my toiletry kit when traveling. However, I do not use Cremo at home and I would never use it without a brush, even when traveling.

The only way to find out if there is something better is to experience it for yourself. If the OP is unable to afford a better soap and a brush for lathering, I will gladly send you a far better shaving soap and a brush to lather it (CONUS only). Just PM me with your mailing address.

BTW: How can someone who always uses Cremo without a brush be an Arkoholic?

 

[duke762]

BTW: How can someone who always uses Cremo without a brush be an Arkoholic?

Arkoholic refers to my obsession with Arkansas stones of the white Washita, hard Black and Translucent variety. I have more than I need, but not nearly as many as I want. Maybe I should have spelled it, Arkaholic, to avoid confusion. I want to try the Cremo, pseudo lather, sounds interesting.

I'm 2 shaves into my first bottle of Lucky Tiger lathered with a brush. Thank you JCarr for turning me on to it! Both shaves were exceedingly close, smooth and comfy. I'm liking it better than Cremo just like you said! I smear it on then lather with a hot, wet brush. I could likely lather it in a bowl also...will try that. The badger brush I got seems to work well and allows me to get warmer lather which feels really nice.

Bottom line...Got a brush and digging it. I still want to experiment a bit and see if the brush, soap or razor made the last 2 shaves so nice.

 

[rodrigaj]

I use Babarsol 1919 for head shaves without using a brush.

I don't think you could use a brush with that stuff if you tried - it does not lather at all - but its slickness is outstanding.

 

[duke762]

Whether new brush, Lucky Tiger lathered with a brush, or my edges have suddenly been blessed. My latest shaves have been the absolute best to date. I've been ignoring proper preparation....