Editing my soap collection

Discussion in 'Shave Soaps' started by PLAla, May 27, 2017.

  1. Paul Turner

    Paul Turner outside the quote(s) now

    Maybe that's what I'll begin doing in 2019 after the great success(chuk yuk yuk)of my NB18 goal.
     
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  2. Straight razor dandy

    Straight razor dandy Stuck cleaning the house himself PERMANENTLY

    Here is my hierarchy of Soaps (apologies, but it is thorough):

    Best all around top tier, in no particular order (all are top performers, readily available, affordable, have options for matching aftershaves, and have many great scent options):

    Catie's Bubbles
    L&L grooming
    Barrister & Mann
    Stirling soaps

    Best creams:
    Taylor of Old Bond Street
    Truefitt and Hill

    2nd tier (these are all very high quality, but typically availability or lack of a wide selection bump them from the top tier):

    Penhaligons
    Saponificio varesino
    Pannacrema nuavia
    Martin de candre
    Eufros Jabonman
    Dr. Jon's vol 2
    Mickey Lee Soap works
    Phoenix artisan accoutrements

    Honorable mention (these soaps work extremely well, but most are either no longer made or only have one or two scents that I would use):

    Tabac
    Klar
    Xpec
    Meissner tremonia
    Tim's soaps
    Strop shoppe
    Wholly kaw
    K shave worx
    Uncle Jon's
    Musgo real


    Disclaimer:
    This list is long, but very thorough. I have put many, many, many hours into compiling it. I have also tried many hundreds of soaps in order to build this list.
    Soaps can work differently for various skin types and in varying hardnesses of water. My list reflects these variables.

    We are in the golden age of wet shaving. There are genuinely tons of good to great shaving soaps available. It can be frustrating, time intensive, and costly chasing them all down...trust me...I know. I hope this list will save you some of those costs.
     
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  3. Paul Turner

    Paul Turner outside the quote(s) now

    You have L&L Grooming among your tops. I have their Marshlands aftershave. What soaps do you like from "Double-L"?
     
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  4. Fly2High

    Fly2High Breaking Frugal

    I would have left out variety from the equation. Most of your second tier soaps are equal to or better than you first but lack variety. Martin de Candre, Saponificio Varesino, PAA and PannaCrema are ones I know to be top 5 soaps and are at least as good or better than your top tier but lack in variety. They are exceptional. I would add Castle Forbes to the exceptional list but focuses on quality over quantity.

    To each their own
     
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  5. PLAla

    PLAla Bit Shy of a Full Puck

    That's the beauty of this! We can all decide what works best for us and what we like from the plethora of offerings right now. Then when you decide that you can focus in and buy and use what you like. No judgment from me or anyone here on what you choose, either.
     
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  6. Straight razor dandy

    Straight razor dandy Stuck cleaning the house himself PERMANENTLY

    I think their best ones are the chattilon lux collaborations. I like unconditional surrender and Blackberry blossom bay a lot. Cuir et spices, darkfall, and TSM are quite good as well.
     
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  7. Paul Turner

    Paul Turner outside the quote(s) now

    ok thanx :).
     
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  8. Straight razor dandy

    Straight razor dandy Stuck cleaning the house himself PERMANENTLY

    That is why I tried to align my reasoning in parentheses. If I only used one or two soaps, my list would change. I also really enjoy matching aftershaves, so that helps some if them out as well.

    Here is my list of importance, in order:

    1. Quality of soap (latherability, quality of scent and scent projection, post-shave feel, cushion)
    2. Variation. Does the soap company make one great scent or a hundred? This was often the major item that drove certain soaps from my top tier.
    3. Availability. Can I go out and buy it, or do I need to be on a year-long list? Is the company still around?
    4. Matching Aftershave. Are they available?
    5. Packaging. Sexy or ho-hum?
    6. Price. This falls at the bottom for me. I prefer luxurious shaves, and I'm not concerned about cost...of course, if I feel two soaps are equal in all other areas, I would take the cheaper priced one.
     
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  9. crackstar

    crackstar Israeli Ambassador to TSD

    I'm also going to start cutting down my soap collection also. I'll be rid of around 75-80 by the end of June, hopefully. (All non-Stirling soaps, of course)
     
    PLAla likes this.
  10. clint64

    clint64 Blind Squirrel

    I really don't rate soaps in tiers per se but do have two groups being "Buy Again" and "Not Buy Again". I also do not like soap makers that are forever changing their soap bases. Honestly it makes me feel like I am paying for the privilege of being a beta tester. This is one reason I have not purchased Saponificio Varesino. It seems like they are on the 3 or 4 different version. Also I really don't care if a matching aftershave or splash is available. I have enough variety in aftershaves to come up with a complimentary scent. Not a big fan of colored soaps which put Soap Commander in the "Not Buy Again" group.

    My "Buy Again" list today includes:

    MdC
    Mystic Water
    Route 66
    Fine
    Reef Point
     
  11. PLAla

    PLAla Bit Shy of a Full Puck

    Clint, I believe Soap Commander has eliminated any dyes or artificial colorings for their soaps. I remember seeing that about a year ago, but am not certain.
     
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  12. PickledNorthern

    PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

    Now that I think of it, all of my SC soaps are colored. Haven't bought any since last year tho....

    It's too good of stuff to keep me away, die or not.
     
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  13. PickledNorthern

    PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

    Last fall and winter I pretty much wheedled out soaps that weren't favorites. To stay, a soap had to be top notch in BOTH scent and lather. There are a lot of artisan soaps that smell great, but don't really make the type of lather I prefer. The only two brands I even own multiples of anymore are Stirling and Soap Commander.

    I really enjoy Barrister and Mann, but the scents are hit and miss for me. I also won't play the Limited Release Scramble game, and I don't like selling soaps. It seems like a 50/50 shot that I will like a B&M scent enough to want a tub of it, so mostly I look elsewhere.

    Jeeves of Hudson Street is a newer to me soap that I love to use, and will look to buy more.

    Route 66 is another on the Buy Again list, as is Reef Point.

    Mickey Lee Soapworks is stellar.

    I expect Tabac will always be around.

    Dapper Dragon is one I have been sampling, enjoy, and will explore more.
     
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  14. clint64

    clint64 Blind Squirrel

    I finished two and half of the big Soap Commander containers but just seemed to move on. I might give them another go but my plan is to basically keep some of the 5 makes noted on hand and then add others I want to try selectively. Jeeves of Hudson Street is one I want to try.
     
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  15. Paul Turner

    Paul Turner outside the quote(s) now

    This is a great thread. Gets us thinking about everything that goes into the popular artisan shave soaps of today and the future(and in some cases, the past-as with Williams, I mean 1840 wasn't last week, after all).
     
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  16. PickledNorthern

    PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

    I have mostly just been buying samples of stuff that interests me. Keeps me from stacking up products I end up not wanting, and a cheap way to bring some variety on the road. Whenever I order something from Maggards I always throw in a few. I love the way they are put in the little sampler jars.

    Jeeves is just a super soap. Plus I like supporting the veteran owned businesses.
     
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  17. crackstar

    crackstar Israeli Ambassador to TSD

    If I wasn't so addicted to Stirling I'd check out some more of the Mickey Lee soaps!
     
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  18. jtspartan

    jtspartan appropriately stimulated, via Netflix

    I guess the point that I am at is to accept that there are fantastic artisans that I have yet to try, but I have a rotation of quality artisans (Stirling, Soap Commander, B&M, First Canadian, Jeeves) that I'm more willing to explore other scents from than try new artisans. In other words, I guess that I know that a Route 66 or a Reef Point, or an L&L are probably great, but I'd end up 'herding that cat' forever. I'm to the point of just wanting to explore new products from within these artisans that I'm comfortable with, plus a few classics(TOBS, Tabac, Proraso etc.). Even that gets me to double digit soaps in the rotation!
     
    Last edited: May 28, 2017
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  19. Bookworm

    Bookworm Well-Known Member

    I don't know if I'm to be pitied or envied.

    I have _five_ soaps. (several sticks/pucks of two of them). That's it. I haven't felt a need to go out and try another sixty :)

    Razors on the other hand....
     
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  20. Paul Turner

    Paul Turner outside the quote(s) now

    What if Doc Ezlovan invented one called "Ice-Bucket-Challenge"? :)
     

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