I've received three so far: two via PIF and one via trade. They are Frost Byte, Cavendish and Cool Spices.
You might check out Wholly Kaw soaps. Their performance is top notch for me, right with Stirling, Route 66, or TSD. The Jamestown Gentleman scent is terrific, based on tobacco. I have three Chypre Rose Concerto AS, and if the soap matches the scent, and if you like floral scents, it is also great. The Monaco Royale soap is one of my favorite all time soaps, but it is slightly outside the $20 point.
A few I have that I didn't see you list: Soap Commander Stubble Trubble Jeeves of Hudson St All of these are top notch. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Most mentioned here are ones I would like to try. For this round, I went with a stick of TSD Bourbon Vanilla. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
Sego Lily shaving soap. Here is why: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/sego-lily-hinoki-wood-shaving-soap-review.52219
That west Coast Shaving teamed up with Phoenix Shaving to develop the new soaps ...... they certainly did. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I recently purchased The Holy Black Gunpowder Spice Soap and Aftershave. I have to say I really enjoy the scent, the performance for me has been incredible. Very slick , nice post shave. The Aftershave Tonic scent lasts pretty much all day. Soap is $18.99 and the Aftershave is $24.99 , but a bigger bottle than what you normally get from other Artisans Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That's the sensible answer. But the thrill of the hunt is a bit addictive. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
You could try a soap from Russell, at the Wild West Shaving Co. Russell is a farmer and a new soap maker, who is starting to get rave reviews for his new range of soaps. I was one of the chaps to help Russell with testing and feedback on his initial attempts. His soap comes in 2oz pucks for $6.99. https://www.ecwid.com/store/wildwestshavingco/ There's a great review on Badger and Blade. I think it's post #15. Rather annoyingly, you guys in America are shaving with it before me. My soap is stuck in customs! https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/wild-west-shaving-co.527781/ There are already a slew of reviews on YouTube too or you can check out Russell himself - The Outlaw Shaver.
I agree, the thrill is so addictive but at the end of the day I really think that most artisan soaps are all good. I still look for new or interesting scents.
Their website has been offline for several weeks, but there is a September 22 post on their Facebook page. It shows them making a batch of soap, so it looks like they are still a going concern.
My experience is that most artisan soaps have a disappearing lather problem, often the Achilles heel on an otherwise good product. At least that is true for the artisan soaps I have tried, most of which are seldom if ever mentioned on the forums. There have been a stellar few that made it worth all the effort, though. There are thousands of artisan soapmakers in the US alone. Even if 99 percent of them suck, that still leaves hundreds that are good, with a great many still undiscovered. @SharptoothC, if you are looking for the thrill of the hunt, why not try artisan soaps unknown on the forums? The worst case scenario is that you get a great bath soap. For those soaps that work really well for shaving, you could write a review and let the rest of us know what you have found. Just a thought, for what it is worth.
I totally agree with you, so many little jewels are out there that the mainstream never talks about it. Bronson Shaving soap is one I have, well had.. my son took it. And in most cases you'll find them for under $15, and guess what? They treat you like a customer who is helping their business grow.