I received my stuff this week.

The TOBS cream produces a much better lather than the GFT soap. I started off mixing just the cream but the knot would behave weirdly - it would "pull". Realised I was using too dry a brush - I normally use a relatively dry brush when loading with soap. Started again afresh and soaked my brush. Mixing the cream again made it too water. Third time lucky, I gently squeezed the soaked brush and it seemed to work well. The lather was a similar consistency to when I had used the soap - foamy but still a bit thin. I then carried on mixing and the foam became much more "creamy". It was fantastic. Face felt much more moisturised after the shave, which itself was less irritating.

I had a quick go at making a superlather - load the brush with soap but then add some cream before mixing foam as you normally would. The thing was rich, thick, creamy - almost like brylcreem!

I tried the TOBS lemon/lime sample cream. Despite using only a small amount, I managed to get loads of lather - far more than with the TOBS sandalwood that came in a tube. Definitely making me rethink my approach to creams. I was using mantic59's recommendation of a "small almond size" but I think this may have been too much.

I'm thinking of shaving tonight. It's been a couple of weeks and I look like a badly dressed gorilla, so time for the industrial buzz cutters...

Well after a year of experimenting, I've decided the best blades were feathers and gillette 7 o'clock sharp edge. The other blades were crap in comparison. I'm now using shaving creams as I found these give a thick lather comparable to the likes of brylcreme - thick, slick and creamy.

Two weeks without shaving and I'd have a full on beard.
I trim my goatee every couple of weeks, and trimming takes it down to about two days worth of stubble and it needs trimming again after two weeks.

Mark

I've got shaving down to once a week, not really sure why, but it hasn't grown as fast for months

Between the pale Ulster skin and light-coloured hair, I can just about get away with it. But then not shaving too often was one of the few good bits of advice my dad ever gave me!

Indeed I can only shave twice a week. Otherwise I get skin irritation.

+1

Now I'm swimming regularly I'm having to keep things tidy. Shaving every couple of weeks

Well, it does cut down the water resistance

I prefer creams but I'm having a two week change to soaps as I need to use up the two I've got (presents from christmas etc).

I'm still enjoying switching blades. I can get away with Derby's & other cheap blades in my vintage Gillette razors or the Muhle.
The newer Merkur's need sharper blades, the Wilkinson Sword ones actually work quite well in them.

I think I have some unused Wilkinsons Sword you can have for free if you want?

I found Derbys and Astras great for when learning but they don't give as close a shave as my current faves. The lather I get from shaving soaps is like the lather you get when you wash your hands with soap. Foamy but thin.

Cool, I'll take them.

Blade choice depends on the razor used. The Muhle is very aggressive so doesn't need such a sharp blade. A Merkur 34c on the other hand needs a Feather or similar.

I add a drop of glycerine to the soap to help with the lather.

I still haven't bought another bar of shaving soap since I started this thread, they last forever. I fully wet my brush and then lather the soap with the soap dish held vertically so any excess "foamy" water drops into the sink, when I feel the brush has lost all excess water I then lather up properly with the dish held horizontal, and the lather is creamy when i brush it onto my face.

I must say it's only from experimenting myself I could be doing everything "wrong".

I soak the brush whilst in the shower, empty the shaving bowl of water and give the brush a shake.
Swirl in the soap for 30 seconds then transfer this foam to my (now warmed) shaving bowl to build my lather. I'll add glycerine or additional water at this point if needed.