I use Van Der Hagen Deluxe soap (for sensitive skin) -- it's cheap, and I really like it. I have, however, been curious about Col. Conk soap. Anyone familiar with it? Good for sensitive skin? A barber shop here sells it (almond, amber, bay rum, and lime) for $3.95 a cake (2 1/4 oz.). Any information would be helpful. Feel free to PM.
Hi Brandon! First - Welcome to the Den! As for the soap, can't say I've ever tried it, but at that price, what'cha got to loose? Grab a puck and give it a whirl! As they said in the old commercial, "Try it. You'll like it." Merry Christmas!!
I have used the Col Conk Almond. It's a nice soap, pleasant scent, lathers easily and does a good job. I find VDH Deluxe works better for me though. YMMV applies to all things shaving though so give it a try. Might be just the thing for you.
Hi Ladder44. I can compare the Col. Conk lime to Proraso and Crema Cella. I think the last two give better lather and I like their scent better. It gives me more a feeling of a "richer" soap. The lime I have just used during summer when I liked it more than now.
Outside of the scent, the lather I get from Col. Conk Lime is identical in cushion and slickness, to the lather I get from VDH Glycerin (the orange puck). VDH is all scented the same: Geoffrey Beene Grey Flannel. VDH Deluxe (the pinkish puck) get a thicker lather, but it isn't nearly as slick as the Glycerin. If you like the VDH Glycerin, you'll like Col. Conk.
I really like the Col Conk Amber. There's a slickness to it that can't be beat, and the lather provides a nice dense cushion. I also like VDH, but Conk seems to be a little more slick and protective. If you have sensitive skin I would recommend the Amber, it's unscented.
I heard somewhere that VDH makes the Col. Conk brand soaps, but I do not know where I heard that. Will N.
They work fine.. I think you are really better off just buying a good soap. The VDH and Conk do not last as long, so in the end it probably works out the same(cost wise)
I emailed Col. Conk, and they sent me out some samples, no questions asked, well one, my address. They are in transit. I'll let you know more when I know more.
I enjoy very much the Bay Rum soap from Col. Conk. I should use it more often, and I noticed it is available here in Montreal, although for 8,00$, which I find expensive.
Nope, all it costs is an email. They just send you out quarters of slivers of what appears to be the last of a run of pucks and a catalog. So far I have used the lime and the bay rum and the sent out amber and almond along with it. As far as the lime goes, I had a little irritation with it and the bay rum was fine. A little lighter scent than Burt's bees Bay Rum if you are familiar with that. Both soaps have lathered well as I suppose the next two will, but tended to dry out a little before I finished each pass (I did 4 passes each), so if I started on the left, the right was drying out by the time I got to it. I expect this will be the case with the next two samples as well. I still prefer VDH Deluxe though, but these did work.
By your experience I dont think that those two works at all..if the lathers dry out before you even shave that area I wouldnt say that the soap works.For me those kind of soaps(VDH,Col Conk,and other glycerin based soaps) are not worth.Ill rather spend my money in quality soaps.
I have a puck of bay rum and almond. I like them both a lot. They stay hydrated just fine for me. I wish the scent of the bay rum was a little stronger though. I really want to try the lime and amber.
Please elaborate. Given my experience, I would like you to go into a little more detail if you don't mind. Is it my lathering technique keeping me from getting good hydrated lather or something else or is it the soap? I have never had anything but pure lathery bliss with VDH thus far. Just the other soaps I've had, ALL other soaps I've had actually. EJ aloe, Burt's bees Bay Rum, Williams, Herban Cowboy, and now the Col. Conks have all dried out before I could get to the far side of my face. Whether the bathroom is steamy fresh from the shower or if I start off with it cold and soak my face with a hot rag first, they all dry out.
My friend,I dont think that is your technique but the soaps that you are using.None of them I could call it good or superb.The Williams is a good soap BUT if you have hard water where you live its not gonna work.The others are sub par soaps,they dry out too quick,not really protective and the lather is not as creamy as other good soaps.(sorry for being so straight but thats what I think about them). I will go for something like Tabac,D.R Harris and some shavesticks like Palmolive or La Toja to experience a good lathering soap and youll see that theres nothing wrong with you,your brush or your technique (maybe your water being hard but thats all).
