^This^
Not all razors do well with all soaps
- Thread starter Doc Dan
- Start date
I don’t know what cushion means when applying it to a shave, truth be told. I think of the lather as softening the whiskers and providing a slick slide. I use a lather on the wet side, I guess. The razor head glides and doesn’t interfere with the blade doing the work.
- Thread starter
- #23
There is a huge difference in the performance of some soaps over others when using a straight razor, as an example. I mean a straight razor that will split a hair and cut a falling hair. The same soap may work perfectly well with a DE safety razor, for whatever reason.
I agree about softening and a slick slide. The extra "face time" with the brush and starting with a lather that's borderline runny is why I'm currently gravitating to face lathering.
I struggle with the concept of whether lather cushions a blade as well, and tried to word my earlier post to not take a stance on this.
... Thom
Same here, tbh. It has never been my thing, but apparently it is a thing.
I will experiment with my Gem and Futur (to a lesser extent.) They have large surface area to make the cushioning effect more obvious.
I can't prove it, but I suspect the Henson's flat "angle guide" surface (which is unlike any razor I'm aware of) is responsible for this. I doubt that your two razors will exhibit this characteristic.
Perhaps your Gem will.
... Thom
I'm not trying to argue for or against the OP's premise via his observations and experience.
One thing I have learned in a few short months is there are several, if not dozens or scores, of variables that can alter my experience and outcome of a shave.
If a dozen of us on the forum, from different locations on Earth, were to all shave with the exact same set up, during a 24-hour period, we'd likely all have different outcomes and experiences with the quality of our shave.
One thing I have learned in a few short months is there are several, if not dozens or scores, of variables that can alter my experience and outcome of a shave.
If a dozen of us on the forum, from different locations on Earth, were to all shave with the exact same set up, during a 24-hour period, we'd likely all have different outcomes and experiences with the quality of our shave.
- Thread starter
- #29
It is sort of funny how quickly threads move away from the subject. We started talking about soap performance with different razors. Still, the discussion has been interesting.
That is obviously true, but I also have the impression that:
1) some safety razor heads, because of design or materials used, have slightly more friction and benefit from lather with excellent lubrication, and that
2) straight razors amplify weaknesses (insufficient lubrication, thin watery lather, or lather collapsing prematurely) in lather simply because it takes longes to shave with them.
Generally, I don’t time my shaves (Hey, I’m retired man…
), but a straight shave takes me roughly 10 minutes longer than the 13 or so minutes’ shave with a safety razor. So for each of my 2½ passes the lather needs to last 4 minutes longer.When I tried it when it first arrived, the stainless steel head of my R 41 GS, without any lather, felt like it had slightly more drag than the chrome plated head of my R41 Black, a difference that was minimised by well lubricating lather, but this is a rather difficult to prove observation (that may only exist in my head
).B.
I nearly apologised for that earlier but it has just about stayed on topic. Just.
Yes, once you have “given birth” to a thread, it’s surprising how often your offspring is led astray or get’s kidnapped…
Often, I rapidly lost interest in many good threads once they got derailed.
B.
It's not only the Razor and Blade that don't always agree with every soap, I've found certain brushes also have disagreements with certain soaps.
As an example, my Maggards TimberWolf 18mm travel synthetic brush simply WILL NOT lather La Toja Shave Stick.
As an example, my Maggards TimberWolf 18mm travel synthetic brush simply WILL NOT lather La Toja Shave Stick.
I don't see it. If a soap can make a decent lather, then I can get a good shave from it. And by decent, I mean provide good slickeness for the duration of the pass.
I do agree that DE razors are more forgiving of a poorer lather, but I haven't found it necessary to search for soap/razor combinations. That sort of defeats the purpose of being able to enjoy a rotation.
Think SOAP or Foam does only three thing.
1. Wets beard, to soften.
2. Provides slicker surface for Razor to travel over, to remove beard.
3. Smells or has no smell.
LAST could be hard on wallet depending on cost.
Agree, or Not?
1. Wets beard, to soften.
2. Provides slicker surface for Razor to travel over, to remove beard.
3. Smells or has no smell.
LAST could be hard on wallet depending on cost.
Agree, or Not?
+3! This is my experience!
Some soaps do not work for shaving. Period! Those soaps go to the bath.
Soaps I use for shaving generate a slick, protective lather!!
Sometimes it takes me awhile to ’dial in’ the optimal ratio of soap to water, but that’s part of the fun!
- Thread starter
- #37
That's true to some extent. Some brushes are suited better for creams and some better for hard soaps.
Soaps have character and some are good at one thing and some at another. The key is to find one that is well balanced.
Every soap I've ever used has worked fine with every razor I've ever used. Only reason I can see an incompatibility is because of operator error. i.e., A day that you might not have prepped the correct soap/water ratio. That's happened to me plenty of times but I blame me and not the soap/razor combo that I've used!
Now blades are definitely a different story!
Now blades are definitely a different story!
- Thread starter
- #39
So, all soaps are equal, then? That would mean that all of these bottom shelf soaps and flea market flops are actually as good as A&E K2e based soaps. Those that find their performance lacking are at fault, not the soap. Sorry, I don't agree with you on that.
Straight razor shaving does not necessarily take longer. At least in my case, it does not take longer. And I know others are also fast when shaving with a SR.
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