The importance of soap when using a straight razor?

I am just about to jump into straight razor shaving, I have my strop and everything...I just need a straight now!

It seems that generally, people prefer soaps when using a straight, due to it being slightly slicker than most creams. As of right now, I only have Proraso and TOBS Lavender creams. Due to me already spending entirely too much money on shave stuff (yay accusation disorders!) I would prefer to try soap sometime later, maybe some MWF for the holidays? (Let's see just how generous this forum is, who will give me MWF for the holidays? ) I realize that a lot of this is YMMV, but will I be fine using those creams for a while? Or should I start on the "right" foot and get a soap? Thanks!

You will be fine using your creams.

I have some TOBS Mr. Taylor cream that I occasionaly use with my straights and it works fine.

I honestly don't think there's much difference between soap & cream; I've used both (although not with a straight) with equally good results.

What is important is that the product, whether of a soapy or creamy consistency and design, gives proper lubrication. You DON'T want to shave your face with dry skin and without lubrication from soap or cream, especially with a straight-razor. I say you should use up all your creams and then buy some soap as I don't think you'll be doing anything wrong by doing so.

I used more than my fair share of both and my personal preference is for cream. Both can be very good but I think that cream is more idiot proof than soap.

I use both with good results.
The important thing is a good lather. How you you make it & from what source doesn't really matter IMO.

I find cream lather thicker than most soaps (And I've only used a couple cream samples from bullgoose). What it lacks though is the stability to accept the necessary amount of water to give you anywhere close to the kind of slip you get from soaps. And the best soaps out there are as thick or thicker than creams (but really only a few soaps manage this without jumping through serious hoops and lathering only under the full moon after turning around three times and standing on your head). I always think my cream lather looks good, but it's always way too dry. And it just does not hold water when I try to wet it. The main advantage of cream is that it's so idiotproof, I don't even have to lather it. I load my brush, swipe it on my face and it already LOOKS like good lather. Hell, it may be worth keeping around just for SOTD pics when I don't feel like interrupting my shave to get a lathered brush pic or relathering a soap to nice picturesque peeks.

i think excellent soap lather, and excellent cream lather compared - ill take the soap lather for straights.

its slicker, and heck - i just like it more

You'll be fine although I would recommend the Proraso over the TOBS for your first couple of runs. I personally wasn't happy with TOBS when I started with a straight whereas I loved the Proraso, but now I really enjoy them both.

I agree with most, creams are fine, i use either and can see no differance when shaving using a straight, the only thing i do find with a straight shave is, whatever i do, work the lather in well, fat more than for a de.

Shaving creams are fine. If you are getting good lather out of the shaving cream, keep using it!

I've shaved with a shavette sitting in a (very) hot bath with no lather.

So you don't need soap. But it does make it nicer.

As a rule, I don't prefer soaps to creams. Since switching to straights the determining factor for me are the contents. Soaps and creams that have tallow and / or lanolin perform better. IMHO, YMMV, ETC.

professorchaos said:

As a rule, I don't prefer soaps to creams. Since switching to straights the determining factor for me are the contents. Soaps and creams that have tallow and / or lanolin perform better. IMHO, YMMV, ETC.

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What ^ said

kehern said:

yay accusation disorders!

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Custom title!


This is just another overgeneralization, if not an outright myth. A good cream is better than a bad soap, and vice versa. You'll eventually accuse acquire everything, but the creams you already have will provide all the protection you need.

Shangas said:

I honestly don't think there's much difference between soap & cream; I've used both (although not with a straight) with equally good results.

What is important is that the product, whether of a soapy or creamy consistency and design, gives proper lubrication. You DON'T want to shave your face with dry skin and without lubrication from soap or cream, especially with a straight-razor. I say you should use up all your creams and then buy some soap as I don't think you'll be doing anything wrong by doing so.

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That's my current plan, to give soaps a shot when I use up some more of my creams. I was making quite good lather...but then I moved back to college, and just realized that the water here is incredibly hard. I'm going to start using purified water, and just use a water boiler. I have to go back and readjust my lathering though. This does explain why I had such bad lather, and consequently bad shaves for the past week or two.

Leche said:

You'll be fine although I would recommend the Proraso over the TOBS for your first couple of runs. I personally wasn't happy with TOBS when I started with a straight whereas I loved the Proraso, but now I really enjoy them both.

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I was planning on using Proraso for a bit, and then switch over to TOBS when it starts getting a bit cooler. (Oh how the smell of Lavender is so pleasant in the cold seasons)

professorchaos said:

As a rule, I don't prefer soaps to creams. Since switching to straights the determining factor for me are the contents. Soaps and creams that have tallow and / or lanolin perform better. IMHO, YMMV, ETC.

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That is another reason why I wanted to give MWF a shot, due to the lanolin (and I think also tallow?) base of it. I will just have to hold off on that I guess.

ouch said:

Custom title!


This is just another overgeneralization, if not an outright myth. A good cream is better than a bad soap, and vice versa. You'll eventually accuse acquire everything, but the creams you already have will provide all the protection you need.

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Well that is good to know! I'll of course give soaps a shot eventually, just to see what I end up preferring. I already have a huge list of creams/soaps that I want to try...over 20, all numbered in my order of preference.

Thanks everyone for your input! I'll go ahead and give the Proraso a try whenever I finally get a straight...

I use both soap and cream, with soap being my preference, and both perform well IMHO.
Regardless, you are using creams now, no need to change your setup until you become comfortable with what you currently use and your new razor. Once you have the feel for your new razor and how it performs, then make minor changes to your setup, and only one change at a time... multiple changes to your setup make it harder to identify which change had what impact.

I started with something I was sure I could get a good lather with, which was Body Shop Maca root, and Proraso. Now 50 days or so into straight shaving, pretty much anything works, soaps and creams.

The scent may not be for everyone, but the Proraso cream offers as much protection as just about any cream I can name. Great value.

One thing that I find important is to figure out whether the soap or cream you are using provides adequate protection for your skin. You can't make generalizations since your skin is not my skin, and you are left with the trouble of trying out different products.

Much to my surprise, I found out that TOBS Avocado did not work for my face with a straight razor shave, whereas TOBS Rose works awesomely well. Despite whatever everyone else say about a given cream (the best, the most moisturizing, etc), it's all baloney until you try it.

It took me a while to make sure that this was not a question of technique, blade, etc, but I've noticed the same thing with different products. GFT Rose soap does not work for me with a straight, but TABAC soap is heaven.

Sometimes the results come as a surprise: Proraso tube cream and green soap works all fine, but conversely, sensitive-skin soap (in the white tub) don't work for me. When I was DE shaving, I would be wary of the Green Proraso since my face literally freezed because of the eucalyptus+menthol. But with a straight razor, and whatever changed in my face since I switched away from DE, Proraro green is the go to.

Trust your face, not the reviewers!