So I just got started in DE shaving. I have Trumper's Lime Cream and Proraso Cream. I'd like a soap too. I like a little variety. I think that's part of the fun of using the non canned stuff. Anyway, I don't want to break the bank. I want a more cologne type scent. I was thinking bay rum. I found Col. Conk on Amazon for like $3. Is the stuff any good? Is Burt's Bees better? Any suggestions for a good, cheap into to soap?
Burts Bees shave soap is generally panned as not being very good. Col Conk is ok and performs well for the price. You're going to have to determine if you have a whisker type that will shave well w/ strictly glycerin pucks (which is what Conk is). If so you are lucky as there are several brands out there all quite cheap. If you find the shaves not quite up to par however you may have to step up to clay or hard tallow soaps which are a bit more expensive but worth it to get a smooth, irritation free shave. Back to the glycerin pucks though. You should be able to pick up VDH at your local Wal Greens or CVS pharmacy. Essentially the same thing as Conk. Good luck.
Agreed. VDH is the soap I started with and proved a good performer. Many also like Williams. Both are highly available.
Williams is an old favorite of mine.. under $2 at wally world usually. Or local drug stores. If you can not find any let me know I will hook you up with a puck of Williams. Fuzzy
Just skip the really cheap stuff lasts less than a year and go straight to Mitchell's Wool Fat. That's my opinion anyway, you'll get many more based on everyone's favorite soaps. If you're after a real bargin (great price for the performance), the TSD soaps are a great place to start.
Pirate's Cove Pirate's Cove soaps are very reasonable, I think around $3.00. They have a variety of scents to choose from and their customer service is excellent. I've tried Bay Rum and Lime, Orange and Coconut and have been very pleased with each of them.
Check e-bay for Honeybee Sues soaps, great performers with good scents. The reviews on TSD soaps are great but I can not vouche for the as I have not tried them yet, emphssis on the yet..
I'll tag in for that last part, Chief. Honeybee Sue makes very, very good soaps that might be the best value-for-money going (well under $4/puck if you buy in any kind of quantity > 1). I actually haven't read the reviews here; but, if they say "great", then they're right. Just like creams, you can find soaps that run $20+ for a refill. The good news is 1) you can find good soaps that don't run that high, and 2) those that do run that high will last months and months. I've had a puck of Mitchell's Wool Fat for about 15 months now, using it probably 3-5x per month with enough soap for 6 passes, and I've only recently been able to notice any indentation in the puck. I seriously believe it'd last a year of full-time use.
Tabac should be on your short list of reasonably priced soaps that have outstanding performance. You might pay a little more but it will last longer than most soaps.
