Shave with Ivory bar soap challenge...
- Thread starter tripper
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The point for me was to prove to myself that it's no big deal. My grandfather got through two world wars shaving this way, so I figured that the people who said it couldn't be done were wrong. I guarantee that nobody looked at me today and wondered what I used for shaving soap. I was pretty careful, but there was no overall difference in shave quality.
I really don't understand all the negativity. Someone even compared it to torture. IT'S SOAP! Of course you can shave with it. Do I want to use Ivory every morning? No, that's okay. Would it be a big deal if Ivory was all I had? Not really. I probably wouldn't even think about it after a couple of days.
I have been using Ivory soap in the bath instead of the liquid stuff my wife likes (also by Ivory). I decided to use the partially used, and somewhat softened, bar as a shave stick... and it isn't terrible. It was a much better experience than my first try with it several months ago. In fact it was better than some other soaps that I bought billed as for shaving!
However it is still an under performer compared to the soaps I like.
Phil
However it is still an under performer compared to the soaps I like.
Phil
No!
Think I'll skip it. My most enduring memory of Ivory soap is my mother washing my mouth out with it when I was about four years old (1942)!
You do know that nowadays that is considered child abuse in Michigan, don't you? Shows how the pendulum has swung too far to the liberal side.
I declare this thread Lazarus'd and bring it back from the dead!
I'm trying to reduce my carry on suitcase so have been shaving with different brands of bath soap to see what works best. I picked up a 3 pack of Ivory and gave it the college try 2 nights ago (with one day of stubble). It was easy enough to whip up a good lather but it seemed to dissipate rather quickly and I had to re-lather a couple times so I could finish shaving. When I shaved, it felt like I was scraping off soap with a paint scraper instead of shaving with a razor and shaving soap. It does work in a pinch but it's not something I'd do out of preference. I'll give it another try tonight following the Ivory instructions to the letter and see if it is any better.
I'm trying to reduce my carry on suitcase so have been shaving with different brands of bath soap to see what works best. I picked up a 3 pack of Ivory and gave it the college try 2 nights ago (with one day of stubble). It was easy enough to whip up a good lather but it seemed to dissipate rather quickly and I had to re-lather a couple times so I could finish shaving. When I shaved, it felt like I was scraping off soap with a paint scraper instead of shaving with a razor and shaving soap. It does work in a pinch but it's not something I'd do out of preference. I'll give it another try tonight following the Ivory instructions to the letter and see if it is any better.
Well - It's been almost 6 years since this thread died off. I hear that facial hair grows a total of about a half inch per month. So this thread is about 36 inches old. Or in light-years of beard length time that is about (10 to the power -17) light-years of beard ago.
For fun and adventure I shave every day but I shave maybe once a year with Ivory (I like to live large !). So based on how old this thread is I have probably shaved now around 6 times (or so) with Ivory.
I have found that if I use my big RazoRock Plissoft synthetic shaving brush and hold the Ivory bar horizontally in my hand that I can really load up the brush before I face lather. When I do that I get really great lather (really). And I get a pretty darn good shave too !
For those that post that the lather is too thin or fades fast - I say you aren't loading enough Ivory onto your brush.
It seems to work pretty well to shave with when I do it like that. But heck - I now have a 10-20 year supply of genuine shaving soap to use and I'm considering buying the Cella kilo-sized block just because. So ask me again in 20 years if I I have switched over to Ivory full-time.
For fun and adventure I shave every day but I shave maybe once a year with Ivory (I like to live large !). So based on how old this thread is I have probably shaved now around 6 times (or so) with Ivory.
I have found that if I use my big RazoRock Plissoft synthetic shaving brush and hold the Ivory bar horizontally in my hand that I can really load up the brush before I face lather. When I do that I get really great lather (really). And I get a pretty darn good shave too !
For those that post that the lather is too thin or fades fast - I say you aren't loading enough Ivory onto your brush.
It seems to work pretty well to shave with when I do it like that. But heck - I now have a 10-20 year supply of genuine shaving soap to use and I'm considering buying the Cella kilo-sized block just because. So ask me again in 20 years if I I have switched over to Ivory full-time.
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Been there and done it. Dove soap lathers and performs a lot better than Ivory, though I prefer a good shaving soap.
I have used Ivory bar soap as a shave soap a long time ago as a kid when I ran out of canned shaving cream. Back then I used canned goo and a cart, probably an Atra or something like that. The shave was rough. I was able to scrape an acceptable amount of hair off my face so I looked somewhat presentable but I would not want to do that again unless I had no choice.
My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather used Palmolive bar soap we would buy in Mexico. I remember buying it but I dont remember shaving with it.
I've tried Ivory. It works. Also Pre de Provence bath soaps. They also work. A real shaving soap is better, though.
So, based on the 111 posts so far, it is clear that Ivory Soap is THE. BEST. SHAVE. SOAP. EVER. Can't wait to try it!
I think you are working this backwards; you should find a shave soap that you don't mind also using in the shower. But if you're determined to continue, try Yardley's. First ingredient is sodium tallowate, so it might just surprise you. Or maybe an artisan's bath soap. My Stirling sample felt a bit like a shave soap in the shower with nice, rich suds.
One thing I have tried is rubbing Pears transparent glycerin soap on my face as a sort of pre-shave, followed by brushing on some conventional lather.
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Half-way through the first pass my face felt like I had been bobbing for french fries.
Even the water that I used to rinse it off stung.
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Half-way through the first pass my face felt like I had been bobbing for french fries.Even the water that I used to rinse it off stung.
I tried the Palmolive "Original Scent" bar soap and it worked great. It worked better than some dedicated shaving soaps.
People should just give all their beautiful soaps away and grab a family pack of Ivory. I'll help get rid of the old stuff...
When I first started DE shaving I used Dove for about six months. It works, but I switched to Stirling and never looked back.
Tried Ivory today as per instructions in the vintage ad. Is there an Ivory soap shavers club?
It's the edge not the soap.
It's the edge not the soap.
Yeah, I think I'll pass on this one. You could probably just use Williams. Smells fairly close to Ivory. Cheap but will perform better.
I normally use Williams and like it; the price is right, and Ivory's price is even better. They both work great. Don't pooh-pooh it till you give it a try it.
