YOUR experience with shaving sticks...

[warhawk]

Hope all is well with U and your families. I have never heard of shaving sticks until I joined B&B. I wanted 2 know your thoughts and experiences with shaving sticks. Also... I wanted 2 know your favorites and why. So far I noticed that Arko gets a lot of love here. Thanks in advance 4 your inputs and suggestions on the shaving sticks. Take care.

WARHAWK

[IronHammer]

I never heard of them either before coming to this place. I only have one shaving stick, a Mama Bear's Bay Rum. I use it when I travel. Her soaps are glycerin based instead of tallow. Even though I definitely prefer tallow based soaps over glycerin, MB's shave sticks perform quite well. Better even, than her soap tubs.

It's easy to use. After your face prep, you leave your face wet. Dip the end of the shave stick into hot water a moment to soften the business end and then start massaging the soap into your beard. Once it feels well coated, use your shave brush to work it into a thick lather.

[RABIDMONKEY]

I just got some palmolive eu shave sticks in via a friend who went to uk , send me your address Ill mail you one . I actually just got done shaving with the palmolive stick for first time this morning . smells fresh , remind me of irish spring , great creamy lather. I see why its well regaurded on the boards now

[Cynomys]

Thus far I have only used TOBS shave stick. I love the soap, it lathers really nicely and performs very well, but when I use it as directed, it feels like I'm spreading Crisco on my face. Because of this, I have taken to using a pocket knife to cut off the proverbial almond sized amount and then bowl lathering that. I will definitely buy more TOBS but I think I will get the soap puck or cream.

I haven't tried the idea of running hot water over it first before rubbing it on my face. I would think that would use the product a lot faster as some would be washed down the drain, wouldn't it?

[barrycv]

I've only used Arko sticks & really like it. I found out about sticks thru this site, too. Made the leap on an Arko purchase - I was a bit hesitant at first since you can pretty much only get them in larger quantities. What if I didn't like it? I figured out the internet weirdos who seem to love the stuff would take it off my hands. As it turns out, I'm one of those internet weirdos now.

I only face lather, so just doing a simple face rub w/ the stick & lathering up w/ my brush works quite well. Sticks are great for travel, too.

[saintpat]

Out of the few soaps creams I have tried so far my favorite is my Speick shaving stick. Wet the end and rub it on your face. Your beard basically shaves off just the right amount to create a really nice lather. It sure beats swirling a brush on a puck for 1.5 or 2 minutes IMHO.

[Moxie]

I've only tried the La Toja stick with the wet face, wet stick rub on face method and I can't seem to get enough product on my face to produce a decent lather. Seems like the soap it just too hard or my beard not abrasive enough. I usually swirl the stick on the brush to take up the slack and get some more lather going.

[turtle]

I use shave sticks as often as I use puck soap and soft creams.

The ones I have and use regularly are:

Arko
Palmolive
Speick
Moos
Tabac
Valobra
Wake up!
LaToja

When I travel I use a shave stick exclusively as I do not need to take a lot of "tools" just a brush, shave stick, razor and blades.

Arko is my pick for traveling with. Very consistent and reliable lather regardless of the circumstances

[Luc]

There are heaps of good products out there! In my favourites, Palmolive with tallow (vintage and the current production Euro version). LaToja is pretty awesome too!

[GMofmiami]

I travel for a living so the ease, convenience and performance of shave sticks are as good some pucks and or creams...The ones I use with frequency and have a nice backup supply are;

La Toja
Arko
Wilkinson

I also have and use Valobra, Speick and some of the QED variants but the 3 I mentioned before are top notch and use even when not traveling.

[MichaelG]

The only allergic reactions I've had to shaving products have been to two shaving stick products: Palmolive's shave stick and La Toja's shave stick. Both of those products caused BURNING on my face.

So I don't have a great "love of shave sticks" as a result. Having said that, I do use them occasionally - especially the Wilkinsons and Sir Irisch Moos.

I'm more of a shaving cream person though who likes bowl lathering rather than face-lathering so I have a sort of bias against them. They're fun to use occasionally though.

[xraygun]

Just fantastic products in my book. I'd never heard of them either.
My favorites are:
Speick (I keep mine in an old Colgate metal tube)
De Vergulde Hand (fantastic package, great for travel)

both have amazing lather.

[malocchio]

I use shave sticks as often as I use puck soap and soft creams.

The ones I have and use regularly are:

Arko
Palmolive
Speick
Moos
Tabac
Valobra
Wake up!
LaToja

When I travel I use a shave stick exclusively as I do not need to take a lot of "tools" just a brush, shave stick, razor and blades.

Arko is my pick for traveling with. Very consistent and reliable lather regardless of the circumstances

same list for me , plus a big thumbs up for GZD Berber stick.....I find my 30mm thater whips up stick lather faster and more efficiently than any of my other brushes...

[gus1942]

I use shave sticks as often as I use puck soap and soft creams.

The ones I have and use regularly are:

Arko
Palmolive
Speick
Moos
Tabac
Valobra
Wake up!
LaToja

When I travel I use a shave stick exclusively as I do not need to take a lot of "tools" just a brush, shave stick, razor and blades.

Arko is my pick for traveling with. Very consistent and reliable lather regardless of the circumstances

Also my list except for the Wake Up. Will have to try it.

Gus

[eth]

I've only used European Palmolive sticks. Rubbing it on my wet face doesn't work, even if I soak the tip for minutes. Wetting the tip repeatedly while rubbing, still not enough product on my face. Loading off the tip as if it was a puck and palm lathering works well, but only for one pass with touch ups. Also, I think I have an allergic reaction to it, but that could be brush burn as well. I haven't gone scientific to find that out, as I don't find it worth the effort. I know this is a good product, but it doesn't work for me.

I haven't knocked off the idea of sticks though, they seem like a nice travel product. I will try more sticks in the future, there must be one that works for me.

[MoJoe]

A few months back I purchased a stick of DR Harris Arlington. It was my first stick and I must say that it was simply amazing. It's easy to get a lather started which I complete with a brush. I've never gotten anything but a superlative shave from the stick. It was a favorite product until I ordered a puck. Now, I use the stick when I'm traveling. I wholeheartedly recommend this stick to anyone who is in the market for one.

[Valerius]

I appreciate them much and my two favourites are Speick and La Toja. Other good ones are Tabac, TOBS, DR Harris, Irish Moos, Palmolive. I only have a shaving stick in my Dopp kit, they are very useful when travelling.

[ateace]

my only shave stick experience was about 20 yrs ago with D.R. Harris Almond.

I had no idea how to use it, so I put the brush straigh to it.

I also had no idea what a good lather was then.

I wish I could go back in time to see those shaves again, just for laughs.

[Mendel]

Shaving sticks are a great alternative for many reasons. They are great for travel, when you're in a hurry, or simply want an alternative to shaving soap pucks and creams.

My two favorite shaving sticks are Palmolive and Speick. They smell great, lather well, provide slickness, cushioning, etc. BTW, I have tried both Arko and LaToja - they are great performers but I couldn't embrace the scent.

[Maxime D.]

I like more my Palmolive stick then my Cella soap (which is four times the price). You wet it, scrub it over your face like a big Crayola, take your brush and boooom lather for everyone ! Shaving sticks aren't well known on this side of the Atlantic, it's more of an european market item.