Part 1 Top 5 great soaps you and I use! Link https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/top-5-great-soaps-you-i-use.59975/ Part 2 Top 5 brush shave soaps below $10.00 US, You and I use. Thought I would like to touch on Soaps that are under $10.00 US that could be on sale to reach the under $10.00 threshold and there are lots of them, Part 1 was higher end soaps that I really enjoy. Arko : One of the first soaps I bought and still have most of 3 sticks left, its been around for some time and it delivers a great lather with slickness and scent is very strong citrus lemony cleaning scent that settles down if left out in the open. This is a thirsty soap and When first using it I had the lather to dry, Arko likes water and to get great results lather should have a wetter hydrated texture if possible IMO. (Some folks are not happy with the scent as you might already know but I don't find it offensive) $3-4 per stick. Colonel Conk Bay rum: Just bought this one recently on a order and its a glycerin base soap and thought for the price and a Bayrum soap that I have none of. It has mild spicy scent that is pleasant but not that strong IMO. Slickness was there IMO and it helped deliver a nick & weeper free shave. Post shave was also good. $3-6 per tub and they have 2 sizes. Nivea : Started using this soap very early in my DE ventures and have to say it's alright a cream with a soft clean scent. The slickness is up there in the lower excellent range and post shave is also excellent, Nivea makes great moisturizers and so they deliver in the shave soap department IMO with not a whole lot of residual soap slickness to remove for final wash clean up. $3-6 dollars per tube and a mixing bowl not needed, just put a almond size portion in the wet middle part of the brush and face lather. Proraso Green Eucalyptus menthol: For a Greenhorn learning this soap it was a challenge, at first I did not care for it because it made my skin cool off when rinsing so I shelved it for a while and revisited it for another try 4 months ago. The soap is a thirsty one and I did not have the right moisture ratio in the lather, it has to have a moist lather texture and the slickness is great when you add the right amount of water. Water seems to reactivate the slickness from my experience so to dry a lather is not producing the desired slickness I like for a enjoyable shave with this soap. Folks love to use this soap in the summer which gives a Menthol cooling effect after rinsing after each pass. Post shave is all right and scent is milder IMO. $5-9 dollars is a good deal for this one. Razorock "What the puck": Just bought the 3 pucks on sale for $8.99 and that is a really good deal for the Quality of soap. I had the Blue barber stick and it worked good when on the road and took a chance with the Lime & Orange pucks. The soaps are triple milled and deliver great lather with nice high citrus scents for the orange and lime and the Blue barber also has a great scent . The protection slickness is fabulous and will protect your skin well, you will notice the slickness while rinsing after each pass.(good test for any soap is to re-moisten with just water a area after shaved to feel the protective slickness and run the razor across the slick-end area to test it for glide of razor.
I have used Colonel Conk Bay Rum in the past. It ended up as a shower soap. Once I finished my tub of Green Proraso, I never replaced it; and won't---however, I have used and will continue to use the Proraso Green tube. (Best travel soap) Arko...well, my feelings on that soap are fairly well known... Italian Barber RRXXX is probably my #1 <$10 still in my den. I did pick up a tub of Milionario that was included in a lot of soaps, but I have yet to use it. I am unfamiliar with the Nivea.
Actually I use the col Conk quite a bit. I was surprised that a lot of guys say they can’t get it to lather, works very well with all of my brushes. And I do like the mild scent on the bay rum, almond, and amber. The vdh luxury soap works really well and has a good scent too. When you consider also that is also less than $3 it’s a great deal.
There are a lot great soaps that are under $10.00 and some folks don't have the means or not aware. I believe that a lot of folks will buy most soaps from their shave suppliers that are on line and the grocery stores are not the place to find the hidden "soap Gems" so to speak. Here's another soap that I was thinking of I should of put in the top 5 affordable soaps. Italian barber Amici: Razorock nailed that one for me, always reminds me of my youth blowing "pink double bubble gum" with the cartoons used as a wrapper inside. (its the Red grapefruit and Bergamot.....main ingredients I believe) It gives a good lather and Scent also, $2.99 that is also a great deal IMO for the budget shaver like my self at times.
RazoRock Lavender: I bought some a couple of months ago and really enjoy it and I seem to reach for it in my soap rotation with glee. I like to get a whiff of it every once and a while before bedtime because it has great properties for relaxing and calming the nerves, Cheaper then buying the essential oil in a bottle. I was not sure at first about Lavender but the price was right and it still on sale for $5.99 and it was a good choice IMO. The puck container is first rate because of its inner lid seal design at least on this container which will give years of fragrance protection from escaping! I don't always like a sweet fragrance soap and this kind of is more a Herbal wild flower that has not been overly domesticated for sweet smell only. It lathers well and seems to hold moisture well and razor glide is reasonable with excellent slickness to get the job done and leaves my skin feeling great.
If you like Glycerin soaps, Love My Skin on Ebay, various scents. Each 4oz puck is $5.29, 1.5oz is $2.29 + $2.69 shipping. Order more than one and shipping is combined.
The LEA shave stick is excellent. Tabac can be bought for less than £10 in the UK... I think it comes in under $10 equivalent. The stick definitely would. Obviously it's great - it's Tabac. The Palmolive soap stick is very good too.
Williams. How about TSD? From the forum shop, it's $8.99 for a puck or $6.99 for a stick, with or without menthol, in a huge list of fragrances, made of excellent ingredients and works very well. I have Lavender, Bay Rum, Sandalwood and Unscented (sensitive) and am very pleased with them all. Plus if you buy $25 worth, you can get a stick of Arko tossed in for free...
I've tried every soap listed in the OP's list but Colonel Conk brand. Come to think of it, the only glycerin soap I've ever tried was Taconic which was alright. Budget wise, I cant beat William's at 1.19 locally. Peforma well for me for price and performance.
at slightly over $10 locally, the proraso green in a tube is excellant stuff. lathers easily and is slick.i have 90% of proraso flavors and enjoy them all.
I have the Arko & RR What the Puck soaps. Of the two, I prefer the RR. Thank you for the thread, interesting read!