TSD Gang, After my experiences with Stirling and then the Soap Pass Around box, I went soap ordering mad. I now have/ will have soon all of the following : sp - sample puck f - full puck/tub Stirling Piacenza(sp) Baxter Street(sp) Sandalwood(sp) Vanilla Sandalwood(sp) Tuscany(sp) Executive Man(sp) Sharp Dressed Man(sp) Pharaoh's Dreamsicle(sp) Dunshire(sp) Almond Creme(f) Arkadia(sp) Frozen Tundra(sp) Gin & Tonic On the Rocks(f) Glacial Eskimo Tuxedo(f) Glacial Obsidian(sp) Glacial Lemon Chill(sp) Glacial Spearmint(sp) Glacial Wintergreen(sp) Iced Pineapple(f) Island Man(sp) Margaritas in the Arctic(sp) Orange Chill(f) South Padre(sp) Vanilla Bean Expresso(f) Weekend In Malibu(sp) Barrister & Mann Barrister & Mann Dickens (f) Saponificio Varesino Saponificio Varesino Dolomiti (f) RazoRock Carribean Holiday(f) XX(f) Son of Zeus(f) Classic(f) Art Of Shaving Unscented(f) Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood(f) Italian Barber Amici(f) Castle Forbes Lime(f) plus another 45-50 samples from the pass around box. 16 full tubs 19 Stirling sample tubs 45 single shave samples Assuming 100 shaves per tub (1-1.5 gr /shave min) and 20 shaves per Stirling sample, have enough soap for : 15 * 100 = 1600 19 * 20 = 380 + 45 Total: 2025 shaves!!!! Even shaving every day, which I do and need, I have enough soap for the next 5 1/2 years !!! Can you have too much soap? To you, how much is too much?
Well, according to your profile, you are a springlike 45 years old. That means you could potentially be shaving for another 40 to 50 years. Gauge your soap stock accordingly...
As long as you can pay your bills and enjoy life, the soaps are fine. Prices will only go up so it is more like a savings plan - grin. As long as they are stored in a cool and dry place, they should be in good shape. The only downside is that you may have a hard time keeping from adding to the collection as other soaps come on the market. Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Man that's a lot of soap! But I'm in agreement with Screwtape and lightsc1776. As long as everything else is taken care of, get what you like. After all, you could be spending money on worse things than shaving soap.
Well, speaking as someone further down the slope then you, you are actually still on the way up. Of course, as my brother the cancer doc told me when I complained about hitting 50: "Well it beats the alternative." Regarding soap, I know at least one guy who posts on the Shave Nook who has a collection of somewhere around 300 - 350 soaps and creams (last I heard), with a matching collection of aftershaves and colognes also in the 300 to 400 range. Obviously, he is not concerned with whether or not he will completely use any of them up in his lifetime. Me, I have 25 creams and 36 different soaps, plus about 10 samples. Of course, one of the soaps is Arko and I have enough of it to last roughly 6 1/2 years all by itself... From a straight supply viewpoint, I have enough and shouldn't buy any more, but from the perspective of personal enjoyment, I may still pick up a few more. As hobbies or addictions go, it's cheap. What I have spent on razors and soaps, for example, isn't a drop in the bucket of what I saw some guys drop on their car stereos when I was involved in that business.
It's only too much if you want it to be too much. And as others have noted, take care of the bills first.
Trust me when I tell you this and listen to me very carefully.......................................................................................................................................I've got a HUGE ship load of soaps that's going to last me before I reach a 114 years old
So, what's your point? You know this is just a small outpouring of your fondness for your new pastime. Beside 1925 shaves is just 5.25 years if you shave everyday. If you shave twice a day, then you can resupply in 2 years and 7 months. Better get cracking.
That is a nice collection of soaps and I envy you. I think I have about 20 soaps in total. I need to get to work and catch up.
I'm at 33 full pucks and don't feel it is any where near too many. If fact I'll be at a wet shaving event in a few weeks and expect I'll buy many more soaps (along with other items that are "must haves"). I have other hobbies that I spend way much more on and take up way much more room. As others have said: feed and clothe your family first, pay your bills, put a bit away for retirement and then blow the rest on shave soap - life is good.
I think you're off to a good start. As you go through the samples you'll be able to make decisions on more full pucks. Plus, you're pretty heavy on a single brand. You'll find there's many more excellent brands on the market that a man of distinction should have in his arsenal.
I'm at about 22 soaps right now, and took two months to go through my samples. I only shave every other day. With my normal soap rotation, I haven't touched most of my soaps this year.
Yes. You can have too many soaps. Use one from start to finish and see how long it lasts. I did and it was a enough to curb my soap purchases. I still have too many, but am working my way through them.