Seriously, he's just joking. Isn't he? Whatever works - canned gel or foam, soap or cream with a brush, cartridge razor, safety razor, electric. Wetshaving forum members sometimes focus on the tools rather than the shave, thereby losing sight of the forest for the trees. Sure, for some people it is all about using old school shaving equipment. For many more, it is about getting a great, affordable shave. Wasn't there some fellow around here who used to say "It's your shave. Have it your way"? Canned foam was part of shaving for most folks in the 50s and 60s, typically seen as part of the "traditional wetshaving" era. I don't recall any artisan shaving soap makers from that time, though. The reality is that the current wetshaving revival borrows various bits and pieces from the past and combines them together with things from the present. Taken as a whole, it is a modern creation, bleeding edge even. To think one's chosen shaving tools are great and alternative solutions are junk is narrow minded, IMHO. It's your shave. Have it your way. And if anybody else disapproves, that is just too bad.
Wow. See? YMMV is so true. A brush and soap or cream I have found to be THE single biggest factor in the quality of the shaves I get nowadays. I've played around changing the variables and that makes the biggest difference. DE makes a difference too, but not as much, noticably.
If it's the brush thing that's bothering you, try applying by hand. I've settled on the eShave creams and it foams up well and gives a smooth shave, and I usually apply it by hand to a washed, wet beard. Goes a long way, too. I feel that I can get good coverage by rubbing it in with and against the grain by hand.
If canned stuff works for you that is the only thing that matters. There are brands that provide better skincare than you would expect though such as Barbasol and Proraso.
How the canned cream is applied matters too. Face lathering has been the big game changer for me due to the superior prep it gives. When having to use canned goo on the road, I found it's prep performance can be greatly enhance by applying a small amount first and massaging the beard thoroughly with wet fingers before adding the "shave" layer of cream. For me, this seems to replicate the performance of face lathering.
I really enjoy this thoughtful post. Thanks for this. (I wanted to comment long before, but just got to it)
I was looking back at this thread because I was thinking about where I got the idea for my Barbasol-prep, and I knew I got it here somewhere, and I found it in your post!
Is Barbasol worth importing? Or would one be just as good getting locally available Proraso on can? I do like the look of Barbasol cans I must admit
I doubt it. Unless you are looking to collect the can because of the design or something. Barbasol is fine shaving foam, probably above average, but I would bet you have much better soaps and creams on your shelf right now. When I used canned foam, Barbasol was my first choice for reasons of cost/performance. At less than $2 USD, it's a bargain, and it works pretty well to boot. More than that and you probably have a better local option.
My idea was for sheer convenience on travels etc and also out of curiosity and diversity in my collection. Also wifie refuses to use soaps and the list of ingredients on her can (pun not intended....) goes on and on.
Going back to Barbasol tomorrow. It works so well for me that the brush and soap/cream route just maybe left behind, or used only on weekends. It's been a couple weeks since I used Barbasol, and I've been missing my Barbasol routine!
I just purchased my first wet shaving set. Haven't received the sample blades yet. However, this morning I took some my existing can shaving cream gel, put some in a mug with a little water and used my badger brush to larger up. I definitely felt less irritated. Haven't tried the soap yet. Only time will tell.
Try using the Barbasol with your mug and brush in a sink of hot tap water for a warm lather effect. I think you'll like it. Clayton
The key to having a dry boar brush is, in the first place, to have more than one brush. Preferably three or four. Secondly, always store the brush OUTSIDE of the bathroom, like on top of your chest-of-drawers, for example. So, when you finish the shave, rinse, shake, squeeze. Then squeeze the knot with a towel. Then flick the knot against the side of your wrist. Then brush it rapidly and lightly on the towel. Then, store it outside the bathroom. The next morning, you get the second brush, and you do it the same way. The third morning, the third brush. By the time you get back to your first brush on the fourth day, I guarantee it will be bone dry. (I hate canned shaving foams.)
Thought I'd toss this in: I recently tried the Nivea Sensitive foam (I despise gel), and it gave a surprisingly good shave. Good glide, not much cushion as expected but it's a great alternative as well!
I'm a new guy and just wanted to say this is an interesting read. I've used Barbasol since I was a teen and was concern about having to go to soaps or a cream for a good shave with a DE. Apparently the change won't be that bad (I'm not one for too much change). I think I'll reread this a few times and make some notes. Thanks .
In a rush I have used the SuperMax foam I have and it did make a difference to the shave quality. My skin felt a bit dry. However the next time I used a wet brush to spread the foam on my face and it worked almost like a 90 second wet foam.
