Discussion: Pre and Post Shave Products Masking Poor Quality Soaps?

I abandoned pre-shave products long ago. I don't think they are necessary. I can't name 5 "bad" soaps. 99.9% of all soaps on the market will get the job done. Heck, I can get a close shave with Dove soap.
In the end, if you are happy with your shave using these products, that's all that matters.

Do I really have to explain sarcasm?

In your original post, you claimed that "99.9% of all the soaps on the market will get the job done". If that were true, we would all be shaving with the same soap we use for bathing. You cannot name even 5 "bad" soaps. I have at least a dozen shaving soaps I have used that are so bad that a bath soap (Yardley) performs better than they do. However, there are dozens more that I have not tried because the reviews I have read or the ingredient list suggest that they will not be suitable for my use. I would not shave with Dove because of the ingredients it contains, whether or not I could get a close shave is immaterial.

... that are so bad that a bath soap (Yardley) performs better than they do.

I can feel It.
But It's a different point.
People with normal skin (usually) look just for a good lather and a nice smell ...

Do I really have to explain sarcasm?

In your original post, you claimed that "99.9% of all the soaps on the market will get the job done". If that were true, we would all be shaving with the same soap we use for bathing. You cannot name even 5 "bad" soaps. I have at least a dozen shaving soaps I have used that are so bad that a bath soap (Yardley) performs better than they do. However, there are dozens more that I have not tried because the reviews I have read or the ingredient list suggest that they will not be suitable for my use. I would not shave with Dove because of the ingredients it contains, whether or not I could get a close shave is immaterial.

+1

There are definitely bad shaving soaps out there. I could easily name more than 5 soaps that really miss the mark. Sure they can "get the job done", but at what cost? No point in using substandard products with the wealth of actually good shaving soaps that are available today.

I think of this topic a bit differently. I have a lot of soaps from the past 5 years. The newer bases are getting really great. But I love some of the older ones as well, esp. some of the scents. I started using the Grooming Dept pre-shave and can be happy shaving with any soap. I also think it provides some protection as I’ve moved to aggressive DEs and straights.

I think it depends on you, as well as the soap.

From my point of view, it seems that a significant portion of forum members could hold a bare blade between their fingers & push it across a dry face & still call it a "smooth, comfortable shave".

With my unsteady, clumsy digits I'll take all the protection I can get.

It may make you feel better after a shave