Ok. I have read great/bad stories about lathering up with a soap puck. Don't really want to go with cremes, soap pucks seem to last longer. I am also a newb to lathering. Three Questions are stimulated from these stories and interests: #1: What is your favorite soap to lather up with? #2: What is an easy soap to lather up with? Yet still smell great? #3: Your techniques on lathering the "mug" up? I have looked at getting MWF and Vanilla Bourbon. Both have good reviews, but I am very much open to other suggestions. Thanks!
MWF is good stuff, but so is VDH. I'm kinda all over the place when it comes to soaps with one exception: I have never tried the high dollar stuff. I think that the most I've ever paid for soap was $13 and that was for the fat. Favorite: VDH with additives like menthol and scent. Ease of lathering: VDH is a piece of cake, but most glycerine soaps are. I really like VDH with some AV scent added after the alcohol evaporates. Tech: With all glycerine soaps, I just grip it and rip it. When it's creamy I apply. Tallows, its a different story. I face lather most of the time no matter the soap.
I have no problem with the Fat, but some people do, so you'll have to try it for yourself. It lasts a long time so the money is well spent. VDH, Palmolive stick, Arko stick, D.R. Harris, Provence Sante, these have all been really easy to lather. I make sticks out of everything now so take that into account, but I recommend face lathering these or any soap, YMMV.
1) MWF is my favorite soap. But many others are very close: TSD, Pre De Provence, Provence Sante, Speick Stick, and Arko Stick are all excellent. I'm not as big a VDH fan as some, but it's not bad and for ~$2 a real bargain. 2) I don't have a hard time with any of my soaps, but those that aren't as picky about the water ratio would be VDH, Arko, and Pre De Provence. But keep in mind that water quality can really change how soaps lather and these may not be easiest with your water. Though VDH and Arko have a strong reputation as easy to lather. 3) I face lather like many others. I started bowl lathering because it was easier to get a feeling for good lather. Now it just takes extra time and I like the feel of face lathering with anything except a pure badger. I can even face lather with a pure badger, but use more of a painting motion.
1. Tabac is my favorite soap because of the performance and the scent. A puck last a very long time. 2. I soak the brush, pour a teaspoon of water onto the puck of soap, squeeze the brush out of water and lap for 15 seconds then repeat once more and that gives me enough for three passes. Very easy. 3. Usually in circular motion. I don't think it's that important which way. I mostly face lather.
Just tried MdC for the firs time tonight. I loaded my 17 year old "best badger" with 10 swirls of soap (5 CW, 5 CCW) with very light pressure and face lathered. I did 5 passes (just because I had to much lather to use, and it was so silky smooth) and had enough lather left for another 5 or 10 passes... I could't believe how much lather I got with just that light loading. Will try 6 swirls total tomorrow. (I have a water softener, so I have completely soft water. YMMV with harder water.)
MWF, Arko and Tabac currently make up the bulk of my soap rotation. All are very good. Arko is the easiest to lather, it's lather explodes. MWF and Tabac each seem a little finicky, I have hard water and get good lather most of the time, but sometimes I just can't get the lather I want. (easily fixed with a dab of SC) I would highly recommend either of these soaps.
+1 on the Arko. Have yet to try Tabac... one of the soaps that is great but I have yet to use... I want to haha. I just hope the scent works for me.
Spend more time on the puck of Tabac and you should be fine, this holds true for most triple milled soaps, tallow or not.
For me, the way a soap feels on my face is much more important than how it smells (not that I don't notice the smell). The way it feels, and the end results of the shave. Based on feel, MWF on top, and a lot of other soaps close enough. Arko stick practically lathers itself, but some people don't care for the smell. I like it. Two of my other favorites, MWF and Williams, give a lot of people trouble when they try to lather them. I have no trouble at all, but make no promises. MWF has a subdued, pleasant smell. Williams smells neutral to me, smells like bug spray to others. With every soap, I do pretty much the same thing. Soak the brush, load it on the puck for an untimed period which can't ever be more than about half a minute, then build the lather directly on my face. With a shave stick, rub a thin coating on my face, then lather with a wet brush. From experience, I find myself automatically making adjustments in the amount of water and loading time based on the individual soap. It seems to me that every soap I've tried is quite usable once you learn its quirks. Ten minutes after the shave, the only difference is that some leave a lingering smell, and others don't.
My shaving soap of all shaving soaps is vintage Williams. Here's a group shot of what I've stockpiled. The boxes contain vintage pucks from the Glastonbury, Cranford and Glen Rock plants, along with some from the Beecham era. The Ziplock containers are the grated pucks I'm currently using along with the vintage shaving stick. And yes, that one container does have modern Williams in it, which I like very much.
The Arko shave stick is so good, convenient and inexpensive that it takes all the fun out of throwing money away chasing soaps, creams, magic pixie dust, etc. Well...at least much of the fun.
Of course VDH lathers easily... The primary ingredient is Propylene Glycol (main ingredient in "pet safe anti-freeze for your car" and contains detergents to give easy lather, even in hard water (Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate) as do most "glycerin soaps" (and by glycerin soap, I mean melt & pour style.) Actually, if you check the ingredients, it doesn't even list glycerine: Propylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Water, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Myristate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Fragrance, Titanium Dioxide, Triethanolamine, FD&C Yellow 5, FD&C Red 40
Magic Pixie dust huh? I recently purchased some Vanilla Bourbon. Actually, this is my first puck of soap for lathering up (i get it tomorrow). I suppose you could say, I am starting my wild goose chase (should be fun).
No and no. :scared003 But that's me. Some folks think it lathers very easily, other will tell you it can be difficult to get just right, but when you do it's fantastic. And others will tell you it's a real bear to lather. As for the scent, I just don't care for the "skeeter-be-gone" scent. Again, other have no issue with it. As inexpensive as it is, it's a soap you just gotta try for yourself.
And i would have to politely disagree... well have a different opinion. I love the lather from williams. I think it comes up nice and thick and for me getting the water amount is easy as pie. But I do not really enjoy the scent. There are ways you can change the scent if you really dislike it that much though.
No, you just agreed. I did say some folks do find it easy to lather. Okay, so I didn't use the phrase, "easy as pie." Seriously, to those who enjoy Williams, know I will not be buying any, so all the more for you! happy088
