Originally Posted by
GearHead_1
Glad to see you diving in, I think that`s great. Can`t read the label on the razor, is that Van Der Hagen also?
The soap that comes with your kit should smell like cucumbers, I think. That`s Van Der Hagen`s better soap. This company makes a lesser soap that contains a lot of glycerin (kind of like the Col. Conks or new Williams soaps) and I found it to be a bit tougher to use. Don`t get me wrong these names I`ve mentioned will work too but you have to work a little harder at getting the right mix, if you don`t have enough water they`ll dry on your cheeks in short order. Use enough water so that you don`t have big bubbles in your mug but have it look more like heavy whipped cream.
The puck that I think you`ll be getting works well without a lot of fuss. It`s kind of a refreshing soap. I have some of that in my shave drawer. It`s not terribly expensive but you`ll go through a puck a bit faster than some of the others. When you get to the point of trying other soaps you`ll likely find ones you like a bit more. With respect to Proraso, I too would not recommend using their cream as your primary soap (I do however use it almost every time I shave as a mix), that said their product that comes in a bowl is a fine soap and is not any softer than any other poured soap. It is probably a bit firmer than the puck you`ll be getting but it isn`t a milled soap. They pour their soaps just like PoorBoy`s pours their waxes. The consistency is somewhere between a bar of Dove and a bar of Ivory soap.
Truth is I have a dozen different soaps in my house at most any time and I use one of the Proraso`s most often (I like their sensitive skin version also). I have a couple of $50 soaps (i.e. Kent and the Art of Shaving) that don`t perform any better than Proraso. No, I don`t buy these, they`ve been given to me as gifts. Is Proraso the best? Heck no, maybe, perhaps yes, it`s totally subjectively, your face will tell you. I mean we are talking shave soap here, it`s all going down the drain. No doubt somewhere down the road you`ll want to try a lanolin soap these are very nice also.
Pay attention to your Feather`s, there isn`t a sharper blade out there but I`ve found these blades go away faster than anything else I use. Speaking just for me I`ve found those to be good for two and maybe a third shave and then it`s time for another. I change blades quite frequently but I can usually get 4 and often 5 shaves out of my blades. Don`t find yourself questioning your newly found techniques or practices simply because the blade has lived it`s life. I`ll be interested in your report.
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