Proraso vs. The Art of Shaving uncented.

I'm pretty new to the DE shaving thing so can I get a second opinion on this? I've used soap, Proraso and The Art of Shaving uncented and I find that the Proraso has the best lather and feel of the three. The Art of Shaving cream lather seems almost as wimpy as the Col. Conk soap. Should I diversify my shaving cream selection further? And what would be a next step from here?

Honestly, I have to call into question your lathering technique if only because AoS cream is well regarded as a good latherer, though I personally can't stand the stuff. Are you using enough/too much water? What kind of brush are you working with? Is the brush "broken in?" Work on the technique first and then maybe go ahead and get yourself a Trufitt & Hill or (my personal suggestion) Trumper's, sampler. The Shave Den, among others, also have varieties of samples so that you can try out different things without amassing hordes of creams/soaps at prohibitively high prices. You may also like to try out a tallow based soap to diversify away from the glycerin based Conk soap. Good luck and welcome, good sir.

They should *all* be delivering comparable results, which brings your technique into question. Tell us your prep steps so we can assist you.

I agree - I think there's some technique issues here. The AoS Unscented is regarded as one of the finest purely unscented creams available.

It may be that the water to cream ratio was different when I was using the AOS cream. As for the brush, its a moderately priced superbadger. I would think that the brush is the one constant in the application of all three lathering products. Can shaving creams and soaps be viewed in terms of apples and oranges? Where they may produce an ideal lather but have a different consistency?

Well my prep consists of dipping my brush into very hot water and transfering it to another bowl that has about the size of a peanut's worth of cream in it. When I remove the brush it is not dripping wet, but saturated with water. Then I use a combination of a circular and paintbrush motion to produce a lather.

Each cream or soap wants a different handling and a different amount of water. It's not just the product itself, but also how you like that particular product. I like AoS soap on the dry side, and other soaps very wet, and others in between. Just treat each one as a different child.

Take a big step up and get the AoS soap. It may not end up your favorite, but there's none better.

Proraso is easier to lather in my opinion but all give great lathers with time and practice. I would have to agree that technique may be an issue.

Bierdo said:

I'm pretty new to the DE shaving thing so can I get a second opinion on this? I've used soap, Proraso and The Art of Shaving uncented and I find that the Proraso has the best lather and feel of the three. The Art of Shaving cream lather seems almost as wimpy as the Col. Conk soap. Should I diversify my shaving cream selection further? And what would be a next step from here?

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You asked: Should I diversify my shaving cream selection further???

LOL!!! No... all of us own and use just use one shaving cream.

Soon you will learn the joys of having 10 different soaps/creams to choose from. It is something that puts a smile on my face every time I get out of the shower and get ready for my morning shaving ritual.

Bierdo said:

Well my prep consists of dipping my brush into very hot water and transfering it to another bowl that has about the size of a peanut's worth of cream in it. When I remove the brush it is not dripping wet, but saturated with water. Then I use a combination of a circular and paintbrush motion to produce a lather.

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Proraso is easier to lather.

I would recommend, however, that you change a few things.
First, don't use a peanut-sized amount, especially when first learning to lather a new cream. Use at least an almond-sized amount, preferably more. I have AOS lavender cream and find that I need to use more product to get decent results than with Proraso. Also, squeeze and shake out all the water of your brush and then add water little by little. Starting with a wet brush is tricky because if you already have too much, it's hard to recover. It's much easier to start with no water and then add it incrementally, about a teaspoon or few drops at a time.

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

I guess what I meant was, what products would give me a good idea of the spectrum of traits offered overall?

I would suggest giving Speick a try. It's easier to lather than Proraso IMHO and gives a great shave.

I'll look into that product. Thank you!

I think that every cream or soap will have different lather. I recently picked up some AOS unscented which makes really beautiful lather, but isn't as thick as Proraso for me - both make great lather, but I feel more cushion from the Proraso. I have Col Conk's Amber soap, too, and I would say that it's closer to the AOS lather than the Proraso, but I wouldn't describe either as wimpy (just not Proraso). So, if you're getting wimpy lather, then work on technique, but I don't think you'll ever get the same feel from AOS as you do from Proraso.

If you find one product you can love, great. But I keep going to different ones for different things. Some I love the scent, others I love the lather.

I too have both AoS and Proraso creams, and I can hit a great lather with both. However they are different. The Proraso requires a bit more water than AoS. If I used the same amount of water on AoS, then the later wouldn't form.

I typically will add water, by wetting my hand and letting several drops drip onto the brush about 2 or 3 times when using AoS, and 4 times when building with Proraso. I also use more than a peanut sized amount...but not much more. I would say an almond sized amount.

Here is how I start:

1. Brush goes in hot water while I prep other things (about 2 mins).
2. Squeeze brush, give it a few shakes.
3. Add cream to center.
4. Build lather on face. Every 20 s, add a few drops of water to brush if needed.

Alej.

Bierdo said:

I guess what I meant was, what products would give me a good idea of the spectrum of traits offered overall?

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I'm a newbie, too, but I'll start off with the following:

Speick

Trumper's Sample Pack (about $6 on their website, includes creams, cologne's and their amazing Skin Food)

Taylor's Avocado or Almond (about $15, but can be easily sold or traded if you don't like it)

Nancy Boy (shipping is expensive for just this item, but if you find it on our BST, get it! It is amazing!)

I find AOS to be the only cream I have tried that has similar lathering and texture properties to Proraso. But that being said, Proraso is by far my favorite stand alone cream or soap. I have though over time developed my own mix of menthol, fragrance and aloe and glycerin that when used with AOS cream beats everything else that I have tried. I was not impressed with AOS on its own. (Not bad but kinda mediocre.)

For all soaps and creams, I usually squeeze the water out of my brush before loading it, and then gradually add water to the bowl until it reaches the right consistency. It's hard to tell how much water is absorbed into a brush after soaking it, and too much water always means a thin and runny lather.

I like the Proraso better.