Thanks to @jaxstraww for sending a couple of samples of B&M Reserve spice and Stirling Spice I get to do a completely blind showdown on the two. As always to keep it fair I'm using the same AS for both which is naturally Old Spice original. Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk
They came in some Chiseled Face samplers but to keep it easy I’ll be referring to it as soap A and soap B Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
One thing that would be nice to know, and could make all the difference in my prediction: How old is the Stirling Spice? Did it come in the green tub? Paging @jaxstraww .
It was a 1 ounce sample puck I got in trade a few months back. I don't think I'll be much help. The B&M is from a full tub sent about a month ago. Sent from my S8+ using Tapatalk
So I’m still working on my Spice comparison. Going to need another week in two shaves I haven’t gotten the lather down for sample A. I have B down no problem though so one round is already decided. I want to get a good Lather with A before I really judge it’s slickness performance and post shave. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Okay so blind showdown comes to an end. I used both samples for a week each as well as using both in the same week to get a good baseline for them. Sorry for how long it took I just wanted to be thorough. Special shoutout to @jaxstraww for providing the samples and also for showing me that I genuinely love the scent of old spice. One sample is B&M Reserve Spice the other is Stirling Spice. For simplicity’s sake I’m just calling them A and B. Scent Both samples do a great job recreating the old spice scent. A has a more complex and natural scent B has a stronger more cologne type scent but both smell great. It’s totally just preference but A wins for me in scent. Lather So A is a very tricky soap to get the water ratio right on and the window of getting it right is quite small. Once you get it you get a very nice shiny lather but it takes some work. B on the other hand took no time to nail down and get a great lather from. It also seems to be the more forgiving soap of the two so it’s an easy win for lathering. Slickness So originally this was going to B because A wasn’t that slick the first few times I used it. Once I got the lather right with A however it was a significantly slicker soap so with some work A is the winner. Post shave This is a tough call to make because honestly both of these soaps feel amazing post shave. I mean we’re talking baby smooth fresh feeling post shave feel. I really can’t call it post Shave is a tie though A might have a slight edge here. Value can’t really be discussed here because I can’t blindly compare pricing so instead I wager a guess that A is Barrister and Mann and B is Stirling but it’s close enough that I could be wrong on that. Winner Without value comparison A is the winner but only slightly scent is incredibly subjective and post Shave was really really close. A is definitely slicker but B is easier to lather. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sorry for the late reply. I hope Tapatalk didn't get nerfed. I usually see this in my feed. Sample A (Sherlock) was indeed B&M Spice. Of the two I prefer what B&M was able to put together. Using only samples it's tough I think but the full tub of Spice Reserve line has that stringy consistency that catch allot of guys off guard initially. But once dialed in it is a fantastic soap. The Stirling Spice is no slouch and at the price point a great soap if you want to pair up your SOTD. Thank you for putting the time into the review. Sorry I didn't see this sooner.
So revival time on this thread. I’ve been comparing soaps of fairly equal value but decided to try something new this month. I’ll be comparing some of my favorite mass market soaps with some of my favorite artisan soaps. Week one I’ve been putting B&M Seville against Arko. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Alright after what is easily the most surprisingly tough show down to date I have a winner of sorts between Arko and B$M Seville Scent was one of the easiest parameters to judge because simply put Seville is miles ahead in this department. This Isn’t an Arko smells bad kind of judgement either it’s just that Seville is a very pleasant and complex scent and takes the easy win here. Ease of lather was another easy win but this time for Arko. B&M soaps tend to be thirsty and there’s a small window for success with these soaps as well. Arko is one of the easiest soaps I’ve ever tried to lather so it takes a clear win this round. As for performance this was close in fact so close it’s hard to judge a clear winner making this round a tie. When it comes to Post shave both products do a fantastic job but B&M squeaks by with a little better post shave feel for longer. At 1.34 per ounce for Arko and just under $4 an ounce for B&M Seville Arko is the clear and easy winner of the value round. It gets even easier to pick Arko because there are more shaves in that 2.6 ounce stick then a 4 ounce container of Seville and it’s not like the shave from Seville is 3 times better making this an easy point to place. Overall winner is really a matter of perspective. If you favor value and ease of use then Arko is the easy choice. Of you’re serious about scent and post shave feel then Barrister and Mann Seville is a great choice. Personally I give the edge to Arko though because while Seville is a great soap and a personal favorite it really doesn’t offer 3 times the shave over Arko it barely offer 1.2 times the shave making the winner Arko for me. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
