I've been on a soap buying binge again. I've picked up 4 soaps in the last few weeks and all of them would be considered artisan type. Three of the four are very good, one's o.k. L.A. Shaving's Topanga Fougere might be my favorite of the bunch. Great scent and lather. I don't like a lot of types scents when it comes to shaving soap but really like this one. This soap lathers easily and gives very good protection during and after the shave. This is a croap, not a hard soap and comes in a nice but too small container, IMO, but five gallon bucket size is just about right for me, so take that with a grain of salt. Topanga Fougere is on the spendy side because of the scent, I assume, but a very nice performing soap.
Oh,another soap to keep an eye on.Thank you for sharing the link. Is there an Artisan in (or near) Chicago which creates a good soap?
I have the four LASS samples on the way from Maggard as well. Based on this thread, I can't wait to try the Topanga Fougere...though it's sold out at Maggard
I have their Woody Lavender, and it's a winner. Easy lather and good slickness and protection, though I still like Tabac and TSD lanolin better.
I have now shaved with the Woody Lavender and the Santa Monica Bay Rum. I have to agree, the LASS soaps provide a very easy and good lather. MdC is above my pay grade, so I can't compare the performance there........... I am looking forward to trying the Topanga Fougere though.
MdC is above me, too. Enjoy the LASS and let us know about the fougere scent - is it worth the premium?
My tub of Los Angeles Shaving Soap in the Woody Lavender scent arrived yesterday. After trying and really liking the 4 different samples from Maggard Razors, I decided to go with the WL. I liked the Topanga Fougère scent better, but not 50% better: $16 vs. $24. Many have compared the LASS soap to MdC. The owner tried to reverse engineer the MdC. I can’t speak to that, not having used MdC yet (I guess if you find it very close, $24 still beats the heck out of $60+ for MdC). I can say that this is a great soap. It is a soft croap and very easy to lather, even in my ROCK hard water. It doesn't take much soap to get a lot of creamy, thick, and very cushioning lather. My face feels great. Those of you that have used both can comment on how they compare. The bottom line for me is that this is an excellent artisan soap line. They really do need to invest in some waterproof labels though.
I got the sample set of LA Shaving Soaps from Maggrad Razors as well, and just tried the Topanga Fougere today. As with the other LASS I've tried to this point, it lathered extremely well, and I found I really like the scent of the Topanga Fougere. I actually have some MdC on the way, so I'll be able to give some input as to how close these 2 soaps are to each other. Looks like its time to order some LASS now...
An update....... I just had my 5th shave with the LASS Woody Lavender. I love the soap, but I wish that John would start using waterproof labels. I finally switched my label today after my 5th shave as it had become the “rattiest” looking product in the Den. It just looked out of place. I would also like to see him use a jar one size larger. FYI-I have e-mailed John at LASS: "Hey John, I ordered the four samples of your soap from Brad Maggard. They are great. I ordered a jar of Woody Lavender and just had my 5th shave with it. This is a great soap. I really dislike the labels though. I finally switched my label today as my LASS had become the “rattiest” looking product in the Den. It just looked out of place. I have heard that you are switching to waterproof labels. I hope that is correct and I applaud the decision. I personally would also like to see a jar one size larger. Keep up the good work!" Before After-Waterproof
It looks like John just added a "20% Off" discount code to his soaps to make room for the "new packaging". Gotta love it!
