Novel topic No 4 - a cheap shave

I don't mind using shaving soap and a brush for shaving, but my preference has been for the tube lather soaps, which don't require a cup.  The Fauldings brand has been in supermarkets forever.

But I have always wondered about shaving sticks.  These have also always been in supermarkets, but I never understood the shape.  A couple of years ago I bought one, broke it in half and used it in a cup, but the pieces moved around and it was kind of annoying.

Of course, if I had checked the Web, I would have learned how to use one in the proper way.   Some guy has an illustrated guide (with some upmarket looking stick) here.

It is acknowledged in comments there that the more ubiquitous Palmolive shaving stick is pretty hard, and needs a bit of a dip in water before application.   However, it is clear that the stick has its fans. 

It's also clear that some men think a great deal about their soap-and-brush shaving experiences.  For example: 

I just used a Palmolive shave stick for the first time - wow! I have a heavy beard and had two-days growth.

After soaking the stick for a few minutes, I face lathered with a semi-broken in semogue 1305 boar, a 3rd use Personna IP and a 61 Fat boy. I had three good passes with the lather on the brush and touched up a bit with the stick after for some buffing.

I had tried to stick on Saturday thinking that it would behave like my Tabac stick (wet face, rub stick). The Palmolive is a much harder soap, so there was little lather. I did some B&B research and learned to soak the soap a bit and today perfection.

It provided a nice cushioned lather, lubricated and protected well. I like the scent, finding it to be be damp-forest smelling. Palmolive will be a permanent part of my rotation.

***OLD MAN SCENT ALERT*** The scent of Palmolive is definitely old school. If you like the scent of Williams, Tabac, Van Der Hagen, you'll like this scent. I happen to like all of these very much, so the scent of Palmolive is a plus for me.

Is there any benefit to grating this stuff into a bowl? Has anyone does this?

Yes, there are men who know a great deal about shaving brushes, with terminology that sounds vaguely associated with weaponry.  I still use a cheap-ish looking one I know for a fact I got in 1984.  I did not use it for many years, but still.

Anyhow, yes I have found using a Palmolive stick the "right" way works well, and the stick seems to be lasting a very long time.