anyone use Saponificio Varesino AND MDC?...always wonder how they compair....I have a few SV's as well as samples and they dont look like they have even been touched since I got them....I know thats common with triple milled soaps but cost and how long they seem to last seems to make them a bargin in the long run.
Kind of ironic...I shaved using MDC Fougere time before last and just this last shave, yesterday, I shaved using Arko Guess what? I got the same results using both soaps Oh!, and the Arko shave, I used a $4 #66 Gold Dollar straight razor (tuned up of course), and couldn't have possibly shaved any better, using any other blade or any other shave soap Best, Jake Reddick Fla.
I couldn't agree with the OP more. Of course, if any of you want to get rid of your mdc, just shoot me a pm
Looks like you've achieved your shaving nirvana with the Gold Dollar & Arko! Enjoy! I hope to achieve a similar goal someday, but as it stands right now, I'm enjoying the thrill of the hunt!
shakin_jake said: ↑ Oh!, and the Arko shave, I used a $4 #66 Gold Dollar straight razor (tuned up of course), and couldn't have possibly shaved any better, using any other blade or any other shave soap. ~~~Hi Kevin! I've had several Gold Dollar #66 straight razors, they're damn nice razors once tuned, and easy to get there to boot! As to that particular razor and Arko shave stick being Nirvana for me (your words, or something similar), I wold say they are both good tools in my shaving tool bag. I haven't been straight razor shaving all that long, in the grand scheme of things. First picked up a straight razor in March 2011 (started wet shaving maybe a month before, religiously, or doing it right) and using straight razors 100% /full time for all my shaving...Mmm, probably summer of 2011, so I've only been shaving using straight razors for 5 years. Not all that long, considering I'll turn 60 come Novemeber and I've been shaving since the 70's= As to straight razors I've used, I've gone through about 80 different razors in the last 5 years. Here's some of them- Most of the straights I've shaved with have been or are, vintage Solingen. I've yet to shave with a Heljistrand or one of Jose Monteserants(SP?), probably two of the finest straight razor types around, or so I'm told. I think if I had to say what my favorite straight used to date has been, just a generic full hollow vintage Solingen, 6/8 or greater, but I like 11/16 and 5/8 shavers too, so long as they are full hollow. That said, if I've gone two weeks w/o shaving, this full inch quarter hollow Sheffield FBU is a real nice blade- Of course, unless the blade you are shaving with has less than a great edge, it isn't worth shaving with, and to that end, I've experimented with a few different stones (here's some of them)- and I've found I prefer to shave with a straight razor I've sharpened using Belgian Coticule or (close second), a Japanese Natural edge As for shaving soap, and I am stuck in a rut using shaving soap, not really care to use shave cream...as to which shave soap, and since I mentioned Arko, does that mean I'm not too fussy about which shave soap I use? <that's a rhetorical question> <LOL> NO, I like Arko and it's in my soap rotation, and may not get used all that often. Lately, the soap that I use a lot has been Rod's (Stirling Soap Co.) Another brand of shave soap I use (gets used often) is Barrister and Mann's. Those two brands are at the top of my list For sure, MdC is some really great shave soap, especially if you forget that you paid $70 to get that jar to your door=, but I wasn't kidding when I said I get similar results using a lowly $2 stick of Arko. I find Arko makes gobs of lather easily (I face lather exclusively). Arko is a bit more drying afterwards than say MdC (for me) but then I'm shaving maybe only once a week (anymore) and I find the dryness, not a problem, but Rod's shave soap and Barrister and Mann's shave soap, those two leave my face quite moisturized, so much so that I find I don't need to apply anything to my skin after shaving (to keep it supple), using either one of those two (Stirling & B & M) Really though, there are so many good shave soaps out there, and I have quite a few of them in my cabinet, & too many brands to list If I was shaving as often as every other day and used a soap like Arko time after time, I would most definitely use a moisturizing product, or at the very least, a good after shave that will tone the skin, and replenish it (the skin), but using either of the two aforementioned (USA made) artisan shave soaps, when shaving every other day, I don't have to follow them with a moisturizer, and MdC falls into that class as well (for me), but really, I enjoy shaving using Arko. I like the smell, the lather, all of it I'd hate to think of all the money I've dumped into wet shaving these last 5 years. Although the majority of the vintage blades I scored were found in the wild (eBay) and were used to try and learn the honing skill, I doubt I have more than $20 into most of those scavenged from the bay, yet I have dropped some larger dollars into some of the finer shavers I bought, yet, no misgivings with any of it
Awesome review. I personally prefer the Fougere scent but that is just personal preference. The lavender has a mint scent to it. I will agree that picking it up from MdC is the best deal right now. The dollar is quite strong against the Euro. There are some great deals to be had when dealing with European vendors. I've always thought the MdC was a decent deal. Hear me out before you pass judgement. Here's my math MdC = $46 (normal price) for 200 grams = $23 for 100 grams DRH = refill $19.50 GFT = refill $18 for 80 grams = $22.50 for 100 grams The price of the product is about right when compared to other triple milled soaps. And I will tell you, MdC performs better and requires less product than the two soaps mentioned. The shipping costs is what really makes MdC expensive. Another thing about the jar is that it is HEAVY. If you purchase with a friend, expect to pay Medium Flat Rate $16 to ship CONUS. I do not believe this is the best soap available. I feel the post shave to be a little drying. It is by far the easiest soap to lather (not even close). My personal favorite soap is Valobra triple milled, which from American vendors is $27 for 100 grams (remember MdC is $23 for 100 grams).
A very good review. The cost continues to be a deterrent for me as I don't have much of a SAD but it does seem great.
I use and enjoy both MdC and Arko. I'm here for the great shaves and to make sure I do not save money.
My jar of Fougere arrived today from MdC in France. With the recent sale, it was under $57 shipped to my door and with a nice little block of Fougere bar soap included compliments of MdC. I knew that sooner or later I would buy some and I figured the price was as good as it was going to get so I pulled the trigger last week. I opened the jam-packed jar of shave soap to give it a test sniff - the soap smells great! I shaved this morning and my face is still pretty smooth so I'll have to wait until Wednesday morning to try it out.
