Please give easy to understand short details on 2 quality preferred inexpensive soaps for Traditional wet shaving 
..I will link to the newbies forum as needed.
..I will link to the newbies forum as needed.
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The Newbies want to know what 2 quality inexpensive soaps do you recommend and why.
- Thread starter alex2363
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Cella extra extra purissimo. Quality tallow soap that has stood the test of time. Easily lathered. A right of passage into the wet shaving world.
L'Occitane Cade soap. Quality vegetable soap. Easily lathered. Easily accessible. Available flankers, such as excellent aftershave balm and EdT.
L'Occitane Cade soap. Quality vegetable soap. Easily lathered. Easily accessible. Available flankers, such as excellent aftershave balm and EdT.
Tabac- lathers as well as any soap, at any price.
Palmolive stick- great stuff at a bargain price.
Palmolive stick- great stuff at a bargain price.
1.) Cella. It's cheap, about $8 for a tub. It's a soft soap (often called a croap, a portmanteau of cream and soap), easy to load, and produces a very slick protective lather. Smells like sweet almond/maraschino cherries.
2.) RazoRock. RazoRock soaps (also soft croaps) sell for about $10 a tub, though some are a little more, and some are a little less. The lather they produce is a bit thicker than Cella, but also very slick and protective. There are a variety of scents available to choose from.
2.) RazoRock. RazoRock soaps (also soft croaps) sell for about $10 a tub, though some are a little more, and some are a little less. The lather they produce is a bit thicker than Cella, but also very slick and protective. There are a variety of scents available to choose from.
For me it would have to be Proraso in the tub. Its extremely easy to lather and works up into a slick thick lather. It leaves the skin feeling soft and moisturised. My favourite is the green tub as it has a lovely cooling menthol effect.
The second would be Cella to. The same as before, super easy to lather and smells amazing.
The second would be Cella to. The same as before, super easy to lather and smells amazing.
Arko - Produces great lather very easily even in hard water, dirt cheap (especially if bought in quantity online), available in stick or bowl. Some have an issue with the scent.
Van Der Hagen - No, it isn't great, but it produces an okay lather and can usually be found at the local drugstore or Walmart for a couple of bucks.
--Bob
Van Der Hagen - No, it isn't great, but it produces an okay lather and can usually be found at the local drugstore or Walmart for a couple of bucks.
--Bob
Proraso green: A soap that is easy to lather, and will result in a slick and protective lather.
Arko: You can use it as a stick and face lather, or shape it into a bowl and load like normal. It will lather easily and again makes a slick and protective lather.
Arko: You can use it as a stick and face lather, or shape it into a bowl and load like normal. It will lather easily and again makes a slick and protective lather.
1.) Cella. It is inexpensive, a hamster could make it lather, it gives a great shave, and smells awesome.
2.) Arko. It is DIRT cheap, a crippled hamster could make it lather, and it gives a good shave. I find it to have a very old fashioned, clean lemon, soapy smell. Some people call it a weakness, but I rather enjoy it.
2.) Arko. It is DIRT cheap, a crippled hamster could make it lather, and it gives a good shave. I find it to have a very old fashioned, clean lemon, soapy smell. Some people call it a weakness, but I rather enjoy it.
Mike's and Mystic water are about $11 for a tub and might be the two best soaps out there.
Arko- it's cheap, stupid easy to lather, shaves great, and it has a nice lemony soap scent I actually like.
Hassling Shafmilch- it's relatively cheap, easy to lather, shaves great, skin conditioning/non drying, and is IMHO a contender as a best performing soap overall.
Hassling Shafmilch- it's relatively cheap, easy to lather, shaves great, skin conditioning/non drying, and is IMHO a contender as a best performing soap overall.
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I concur with Arko and Razorock
I see these "great performing, inexpensive soaps" threads every so often and I'm always amazed at the lack of mentions that Speick gets.
Speick is very affordable. In my opinion it is better performing than Arko. It's very easy to lather and provides great slickness and protection. I also enjoy the post-shave feel.
Its not one of my top three soaps, but I keep it in my travel bag. Performance-wise it's pretty darn good, especially at the price.
Speick is very affordable. In my opinion it is better performing than Arko. It's very easy to lather and provides great slickness and protection. I also enjoy the post-shave feel.
Its not one of my top three soaps, but I keep it in my travel bag. Performance-wise it's pretty darn good, especially at the price.
1. Arko puck for home. Place in widemouth vintage mug. I use a Currier and Ives one. Lather with a wet brush. Keep at it until it raises lather. Always works, if only through sheer persistence. If it does not for some reason, Arko is inexpensive, so drain and repeat. In simplicity and effectiveness, it is just like my father did with his Old Spice mug, soap, and DE blade 50 years ago.
2. Arko stick for the road. Wash and wet the face. Chalk the Arko stick onto the face, to a film just like in the Youtube video. Apply wet brush to face with back-and-forth paintbrush-like motions. Lather rises. Some stays on the brush. Shave. Use the brush lather for remaining passes.
2. Arko stick for the road. Wash and wet the face. Chalk the Arko stick onto the face, to a film just like in the Youtube video. Apply wet brush to face with back-and-forth paintbrush-like motions. Lather rises. Some stays on the brush. Shave. Use the brush lather for remaining passes.
As a Canadian, proraso green can be found for $10 at a local Shoppers Drug mart, which is nice for us. Not the best, but good enough and easy to lather (soap or cream)
Second is between Stirling and Cella: both easy to lather, slick, relatively cheap, and good post-shave (unless you're allergic to almond).
Second is between Stirling and Cella: both easy to lather, slick, relatively cheap, and good post-shave (unless you're allergic to almond).
While initially higher cost than most named, I'm going to recommend DR Harris pucks. They are very hardmilled, so the cost per shave will rival even the cheapest, and the performance is exceptional.
If you can take the...uhhhh...."aroma" of Arko, it works great. As a bonus, you can store it under the house to keep varmints away.
If you can take the...uhhhh...."aroma" of Arko, it works great. As a bonus, you can store it under the house to keep varmints away.
If by inexpensive you mean Palmolive, Arko or Williams, I don't recommend any inexpensive soaps to newbies.
1. Mike's Natural Soaps. This is a thirsty soap that will reward you with thick, creamy, and very slick lather. The ingredient list is full of skin loving stuff. It can take a little while to get, but it's definitely worth the wait. This is my "go to" soap.
2. Arko. This soap is just about foolproof. It even works in hard water. Arko is also about as cheap as it gets in soaps. Yeah, there are all kinds of jokes about the scent, but it's a clean, lemony, soapy scent. I think too much is made of the scent (IMHO). The performance is great. Just an easy, slick, protective lather.
2. Arko. This soap is just about foolproof. It even works in hard water. Arko is also about as cheap as it gets in soaps. Yeah, there are all kinds of jokes about the scent, but it's a clean, lemony, soapy scent. I think too much is made of the scent (IMHO). The performance is great. Just an easy, slick, protective lather.
Would you really suggest Mystic Waters to a newbie? It's a great soap if you get it right, but it's notoriously difficult to lather. That's the reason I didn't suggest MWF; it's my overall favorite soap, but a lot of folks have trouble with it.
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