Surprised it hasnt been mentioned yet, but Stirling can be had for less than $10 for a refil puck. I'm not usually one to mention Stirling since it does have many fanboys out there, but performance/price wise it certainly qualifies.
Arko, of course, Speik stick, Tobak stick, and um, I don't have any regular rotation soaps that are less than $10, unless you count the ones I make for myself, those work out to very little per puck.
I’m a Palmolive fan. The soap stick is super cheap and a good performer. The menthol cream is even better. Both are well under $10.
The cheapest and good performer soaps i use are; Arko Stick- It is a cult soap. Its scent may not for everyone. But it performs as good as many much more expensive soaps. Wilkinson Sword Stick - Blue little monster. Contains lanolin like MWF. I like the scent of it. De Vergulde Hand - Dutch Shaving Soap. Great scent and great lather. Extra fris is good,too. I prefer original. Kruidvat Originals (New version) - Another cheap Dutch Soap. It is as good as DVH. Scent is not powerful. Under 10 USD soaps; Cella Proraso Green and White Haslinger soaps Speick stick (not active one) Tabac stick
These are phenomenol soaps. They punch way above their weight. You can actually get all three scents for $8.99. I was blown away the first time I lathered one up.
I just bought, and received a 12 pack of Arko, from Amazon. I already have some stashed away, but, in light of World Events, I don't know how much longer it will be imported, affordably. "Better to have, and not Need", than to "Need and not have". Good motto.
Its been a while since I have visited this thread and of coarse I have bought a few more soaps along the shaving way of life that are worth mentioning. Part one "Top 5 great soaps you & I use" https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/top-5-great-soaps-you-i-use.59975/ Part two "Top 5 Brush soaps Below $10US you & I use"https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/top-5-brush-shave-soaps-below-10-00us-you-i-use.59992/ Razorock Irish Country side I recently purchased from their relocation moving sale and it was well under $10US and had to try it. This soap claims to have a freshness of Ireland in springtime by the ocean and it does kind of mocks freshness I guess. The scent is not loud if that is what your after but I will say that the lather qualities are excellent. I enjoy this soap and like to match it with a aftershave that reminds me of a unique freshness Razorock XXX. This combination is outstanding, I did not buy the mating aftershave Irish Country side but most folks who have RazoRock XXX know the freshness scent I'm talking about. The soap is similar in scent to Creed Green Irish Tweed that inspired Razorock to mimic, I do not have the Creed scent so I have no idea how close it is but folks like it just the way Razorock has their artisan supplier batch it up for us customers. So if you like a not over powering scent of freshness but like the great post shave feel and mild nice scent it might be a consideration. Have some great shaves!
I like Sandal wood soaps and TOBS Sandal wood has to be one of the Best when it comes to masculine scent. So I had a chance to purchase some Proraso Red a while back having to try their version of Sandal wood and it has a slightly different scent then TOBS version of Sandal wood IMO. I found the scent Ok and around mid range with lather properties in the excellent range. A very easy soap to lather but clean up will some times leave a fine film of soap on razor so you know it has protection for your skin if leaving a film of soap. I prefer the Proraso Red over the green in the winter months when it is a lot colder. What I like to do when using the Proraso Red is take out a small almond size amount and place it in the lather bowl night before and in the morning the soap has dried out a little and I find the fragrance very close to the Proraso red Aftershave scent. I really enjoy the Proraso red aftershave and with the combination of the two gives a real nice shave and finish to start the day off. Have some great shaves!
Haslinger Arko stick Cella These are my top 3 value soaps I've tried so far and like. Have Palmolive & Speick. But haven't tried them out yet. I got a feeling that after I do. They may make it to my top 5 list. My order placed from CBL soap just arrived yesterday. So it may make the list as well.
Williams Mug soap is survivor of soaps over the decades & can be a little challenging for a Newbie if they do not know its characteristics of this soap. My father used Williams Mug for years and I used it with a boar brush along with using cartridge razors decades ago. Lots of folks load the brush well with not a lot of water trapped in the brush before hand and then apply to the face in a thick pasty layer and then apply a little water if need be on the brush tips. The soap will not dissipate if done this way if your concerned about its properties. The way I recently have been applying Williams Mug soap with good results is scrape some shavings then pressing them together into my lathering bowl with a few drops of water to clump them together. Then I get my synthetic brush with a very densely tied knot water soak the brush and then squeeze out excess water and then start to swirl lather. Williams soap seems to like this method of not getting the brush two wet from the start and then add water sparingly while swirling trying to get my lather it to the right consistency IMO. The fragrance is a clean lemony scent that is not over whelming and about right for myself, it will lather easy when you figure it out the little procedure it likes. The lather can be very dense if you use less water which it likes and slickness is good to excellent. I enjoy Williams soap once in a while when I have a certain vintage razor that the old timers would of used Williams mug soap. This soap brand has had a few ownership changes over the decades and they mucked around with the original formula that was very well liked from my understanding. It is worthy of any shave den to try and enjoy hitting the lather just right for great shaves. The soap can still be purchased at almost any pharmacy in North America still and cost is still very very excellent per once. Williams mug soap has been under a lot of pressure from Artisan soap MFGs that are very abundant and make great products also with their different scents. Have some great shaves! Have some great shaves!
Razorock Don Marco shave soap I used about 4 times in my getting larger soap rotation. I bought this one on their moving sale late 2019 and watched a few reviews before purchasing and was well below $10 US. I find it very nice with citrus fragrances that contain Neroli and Bergamot....... Bergamot looks similar to a orange in size but has a green skin. Neroli oil comes from a flowering plant that has excellent healing properties for your skin and is a essential oil. So I found this soap easy to lather with good lather properties and a very nice scent to use in the morning when you look out the bathroom window seeing snow and cold knowing that some one has captured this breath of warmer times were fruit trees need warmth to prosper in a tub of soap. If you like a citrus scent it might be a consideration like I do. I did not buy the matching aftershave but I used Razorock Amici that has a citrus scent and the combination made my day. Have some great shaves!