Newbie: Taylor's cream advice

I've tried almost all of the ToBS.

St. James is my absolute #1.

I didn't like rose.

burningdarkness said:

Have you used pre-shave oil before?

Also, are you getting good shaves with what you have now?

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I'm getting better shaves than I ever have now that I've started using a brush and the Speick Cream, but my problem is getting the stubble around the jawline, neck and chin.

I usually do two passes...one with the grain and one against, and that takes care of 90% of my beard and gives me a very close shave. But patches of short stubble still remain, forcing me to do a third pass (and I use a Schick Quattro).

I've never used pre-shave oil before.

Kevan said:

I've just sent an email inquiring about the Shaving Essentials sample pack. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

I have a pre-shave oil question though. Would olive oil work just as well? I mean, the Romans used it to shave with, so it can't be that bad, right?

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Yes, Olive Oil works quite well. I use it and seems to provide that extra layer of protection and helps prevent nicks and cuts.

DO you put it on and then rinse off or do you put it on under the shave cream?

Would that dilute the lather?

My faves are Mr Taylor, Almond and Shave Shop. Not a big fan of the rose.

I think the Eton College and St. James are similar in fragrance and somewhat akin to the C&E Sienna. Not a bad choice either way!

Kevan said:

DO you put it on and then rinse off or do you put it on under the shave cream?

Would that dilute the lather?

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I put it on as a layer underneath the cream without rinsing off. I haven't noticed this effecting the lather of the cream. You don't need a whole lot of the oil as it should be a thin layer.

Kevan said:

I'm getting better shaves than I ever have now that I've started using a brush and the Speick Cream, but my problem is getting the stubble around the jawline, neck and chin.

I usually do two passes...one with the grain and one against, and that takes care of 90% of my beard and gives me a very close shave. But patches of short stubble still remain, forcing me to do a third pass (and I use a Schick Quattro).

I've never used pre-shave oil before.

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Honestly, I'd suggest trying the Taylors before spending the money on a preshave oil. If you're still getting the little stubble remaining with the Taylors, then I'd suggest trying the preshave oil.

Just my two cents.

Mr. Taylor is the best scented TOBS cream - if not the best scented cream, period. I love it so much I bought the matching cologne.

My preference, of the ones I've tried so far:
Mr. Taylor
Rose
Shaving Shop
St. James
Lavender
Eton College
Avocado

Regarding Pre-Shave, I recently purchased a jar of "Prep" pre/post from Razor & Brush (made in Milan) for $16, and after about 3 days, I am enjoying very slick shaves with no nicks or cuts, and it definitely moisturizes the skin for the rest of the day. I only use my new friend Prep before I shave in the normal lathery fashion. I just massage a normal amount of the cream into my beard, then proceed as usual. I also had a recent encounter with a Walmart product called Shave Secret for less than $4. It's a clear oil of some sort that you rub into your beard, and it too provides a slick shaving experience. Of course, I am now a devotee of the real Italian stuff from Razor & Brush, and have already decided to try a tub of Prorazo Pre/Post also, for comparison purposes.

In conclusion, in my personal experience and opinion, a pre-shave product of some kind is a great benefit to my overall shaving experience.

I tried olive oil today, and while it did smooth out the shave noticeably, I still got two nicks (as usual) on my chin and neck. But it DID make so that I shaved my neck closer, so there's a positive. I don't know if I'll keep using it though.

Oil at Wal Mart for $4 you say? Hmm, that sounds like it's worth a shot.

So I got my samples today. I liked Mr. Taylor's, Loved Shaving Shop, absolutely hated Eton College, and I thought St. James smelled great.

I used the St. James to shave, and I loved the lather. It produced a thicker, creamier lather than Speick and it was a joy to spread on my face. It was very drying, though, and after awhile I began to hate the St. James scent.

Overall, great lather and shave, but my favorite scents out of the ten are the sandalwood (which actually smelled close to a REAL sandal scent), almond, and Shaving Shop.

I really like the TOBS Herbal pre-shave gel. It has a great smell and provides some good lubrication. It's a different texture than preshave oils. It's about $20 but it lasts a LONG time (but no where near what a bottle of good olive oil would last).

Jermyn Street has a very light fragrance and is specifically for sensitive skin, so keep it in for sampling if you have razor bumps or irritation. It might be a nice scent for a young gent.

I'm glad you liked the almond, sandalwood and Shaving Shop. Keep exploring and you will find others that you like, too!

You can't go wrong with any of those.

You mentioned T&H a few messages back. I don't think they have it in their sampler pack, but my favorite of theirs is No. 10. Maybe you can get a sample elsewhere.

Also, apropos of nothing, the GFT violet is pretty amazing.

I love Mr. Taylor's, I'm 25. It's not too old man for me, it just smells good to me.

Now that's a thread from way back when...

RaleighJazzFan said:

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Also, apropos of nothing, the GFT violet is pretty amazing.

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+1

I like Mr. Taylor a lot. (I would call it "old school" rather than the pejorative "old man", but, that said, it's about as old-school as they come.) I haven't tried the other two. Definitely get samples and decide for yourself.

Rose is a classic scent but not everyone's cup of tea. My favorite is Trumper's Rose. I haven't tried TOBS, but I've read that Trumper's is more earthy and TOBS is more floral.

Mr Taylors to me is the best scent of all the TOBS.