Nishy said:
Thanks lose the beard may I ask, I find using a hard soap, though less cushion, provides a closer shave with a fusion is this the general case with a DE as well? Also I completely removed the blade after shaving and put it back in its paper packet is this totally unnecessary to avoid rust if I shave 4 times a week?
I know the question was addressed to Steve, but, if you're interested in other peoples' opinions, I'd say that I don't notice any difference in closeness of shave between soaps and creams - for me the razor/blade combination is noticeable and has masked any difference there may have been to the point where I haven't perceived it. IME, the main difference is that creams tend to lather slightly quicker and slightly more voluminously, but, if anything, the lather can be denser and have better lubrication than many creams, though there are plenty of exceptions to this and differences in the exact amount of water added and how long you work the lather seem to outweigh much of that soap vs. cream divide.
It may be that you're not loading the brush quite as heavily from a hard soap puck as you could be, and so the lather is going on in a slightly thinner layer than with creams, though that's purely a guess on my part. Depending on your water quality, I'd suggest loading the brush for a good 30 seconds, perhaps up to a minute in hard water conditions, and softening the surface of the puck with a teaspoon or so of water beforehand.
As for the elusive BBS, trying to attain it usually leads to bad habits and the resultant irritation/ingrowns/weepers. It seems to come without trying once your technique develops sufficiently, but, even then, it more than likely won't happen every shave.
