New Shave rounds

Discussion in 'General Shaving Talk' started by fisherc, Sep 1, 2007.

  1. fisherc

    fisherc New Member

    Can anyone elaborate on the difference between the new "soft" and "hard" rounds. Why would one use one vs the other?

    Chris
     
  2. Scorpio

    Scorpio Big Hitter

    This is also a new on us. Mike and I are looking into this one. I have one the rounds, both Mike and I were unaware there was another type. More later...

    Raf
     
  3. msandoval858

    msandoval858 Active Member

    The soft rounds have been around a few months now and are fantastic. The hard ones I belive just arrived and I have not had the opportunity to try them yet.

    The lemongrass and verbena rounds have an awesome scent to them and lather very rich. The result is a much denser wet mix than the cube was capable of producing and works very well for those of us that like to straight razor shave.

    If you are a DE/Feather user, the cube is still the king!
     
  4. Scorpio

    Scorpio Big Hitter

    I have been using this "round" for sometime now. I must say it is a great soap. Nice rich lather and moisturizing.

    Raf
     
  5. fisherc

    fisherc New Member

    Guys:

    Do you find that the new soft round added to the new super emollient paste produce an all around denser and slicker lather than the cube/std paste combo?

    Chris
     
  6. Scorpio

    Scorpio Big Hitter

    I believe the mix is slick. Not too slick but just right in my opinion. I think the mix(with the soft round) is a bit denser than the cube simply because of the type of soap used. A softer soap will peak faster and denser. On the other had depending on frequency of use it can wear faster. The super paster is fantastic and it works very well. What was very interesting was to see how both of the rounds reacted to the super paste. I believe it gives the shaver a wider range of options. Different density and velocity(I think I am using the term correctly. Mike correct if I am wrong). It was as if you could personalize the mix to better suit the shaver and the type of razor.

    I am sure Mike will chime in with his views.

    Raf
     
  7. msandoval858

    msandoval858 Active Member

    Some key differences between the priming round soaps and the Cube:

    The Cube produces a wet mix that is a bit on the thin side but very slick and very fast (velocity as Charles calls it). The problem however, if you are not a skilled DE user taking advantage of the sharpest blades available (Feathers) and cutting very quickly, the mix will start to collapse. Example, lather your whole face up with the cube/paste combo and you'll notice that as you finish cutting one side of your face, the other will likely need to be relathered from the brush because the mix will slowly start to run. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just the nature of the olive oil based cube. If you're a routine Method shaver and cut the forms you can usually clear the whole form in a matter of seconds before this would ever be a problem, but if you're not and cut at a normal pace you would any other cream/soap based lather, this could be a bit annoying.

    Through my many conversations with Charles, we recognized this as an issue for guys like me who like use straight razors and want to still take advantage of the skin conditioning qualities of Hydrolast. You can't cut super fast with a straight obviously.

    Now what's difference about the round soap? It's not a shave soap, more of a high quality mold poured soap. When used with the brush it produces a rich and dense lather. Adding Charles new super paste, and believe me this paste has a huge difference from the regular formulation, the mix produced is not quite as slick as the Cube but is so rich and thick that it will stay stable long enough to shave any way you want. This combination also feels fantastic on your skin as well. Depending on your own personal preferences, you can also use the Activator solution at different stages in your shave to make the cutting mix faster or slower if you'd like, which is really great for finish cutting that last bit of stubble in the end.
     
  8. fisherc

    fisherc New Member

    has anyone tried the newer "hard' rounds? And if so how do they compare contrast to the soft rounds?

    Chris
     
  9. msandoval858

    msandoval858 Active Member

    I have one now but haven't even unwrapped it yet.
     
  10. Brad

    Brad New Member

    I have not tried either of the new rounds yet, but have tried several other natural soaps I bought that are vegetable oil based that add an interesting dimension to this. I bought these when I ran out of cut cube and didn't have time to get by Charles's shop.

    They are hard milled soaps and lather similarly to the cube. The difference is that they are not quite as slick and seem to be denser. They do work nicer with activator, but allow a nice method shave and I believe since they are all natural do not violate the material goals of method shaving. I have tried a few traditional shaving soaps and they do not perform the same.

    I am interested to get by the shop and get a few of the new rounds to try them out. I'll post what I find after I compare.

    Brad
     
  11. Scorpio

    Scorpio Big Hitter

    Today I use the Hard Round in Grapefruit for the first time. I use it in conjunction with the Activator and the new Super Paste. That was some great lather and very straight friendly. Twelve hours lather and I am still BBS. The scent of the grapefruit is fantastic. I will try to use this soap as often as possible.

    Raf
     

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