Mikes Natural has always been a real favorite of mine, but somehow over the last few months I just have hardly used it. Lately I've been using LPL a lot, and prior to that I spent months dabbling in various creams. Today I came back to Mikes, specifically his Peppermint and Rosemary scent. Kind of a revelation! LPL, as you all know, is a top tier soap. Good stuff, usually compared to MDC for performance. I find it quite slick, and it gives a great shave. But... Mikes just blows it away. People struggle with Mikes because it is so thirsty. Get the water ratio down and you are rewarded with a soap as slick as any. The kicker is, I've never found another soap to equal the cushion Mikes provides! I have to actually consciously use more pressure with Mikes than I do with any other product, because the cushion is just that robust! Falling in love with this soap all over again!
I've always enjoyed the products from Mike's—when I can get them. It's a small business—I get that—with products in high demand. Every time I venture to the site, however, either the items I desire are out of stock or they're not taking orders for several weeks. After about 3-5 times there with no luck, I'm getting less likely to keep venturing back.
Mikes is top notch. I have coconut, unscented, and barbershop. Oh yea I have 2 more on the way. Orange, cedar wood, and black pepper. And rose and cedar wood. Its safe to say I like mikes a lot.
Huge fan of his shampoo bars...I may have to order a shaving soap the next time I put in an order for more shampoo bars (when're back in stock again....)
I still consider myself "new" to shave soaps, considering I blitzed the market and now have a bunch, none of which I've used exclusively. That being said, between mikes, mwf, tiki, TSD, Stirling, and proraso, Mike's is still my benchmark. Best feeling soap, both during and after the shave. His production is definitely hit and miss, but I've had only good service from him so far, so I'll keep coming back. I definitely want to try out his peppermint and rosemary, and really hope he puts out a mentholated soap sometime in the future.
Mike's products are great. The shaving soaps are outstanding, his shampoo bars are excellent, and the bath soaps too. However it's a small business and availability is a major issue.
IMHO it is no big deal, and there is no reason to keep venturing back. There are some artisans who are particularly good at making shaving soap, and achieve breakout success. Some of these folks are better than others at running a business, however. There is a big difference between a hobby and selling products for profit (a business). There are also those artisans who have day jobs and are soapmakers on the side. If work, illness, family obligations or other things in life intrude, their soap supply can be disrupted. That foregoing is true for any cottage industry business, not only soapmakers. They could hire additional employees and become larger small business endeavors. That works well for those so inclined, but for various reasons many artisans don't make such a transition. But that's OK. It is not only Mike's Naturals that is falling behind in order fulfillment. Prairie Creations, whose soap is every bit the equal of Mike's Naturals, is also falling behind on orders. Ogallala Bay Rum has also suspended retail orders for the time being. The online store on their website states that they are having a hard time keeping up with orders. Wholesale orders are taking a priority, and retail customers are directed to merchants who carry their products. The Gentlemen's Quarter, once a highly regarded vendor, stopped selling shaving soaps four years ago due to moves, school and long work hours. TGQ is now gearing up to resume business, which is good news indeed! The traditional wetshaving industry continues to grow rapidly. It therefore comes as no surprise that some vendors are scrambling to meet sharply increased demand. If a given vendor is out of stock, there are plenty of others with great soaps and creams ready to ship. Don't forget the excellent products from the smaller commercial vendors, such as Van Der Hagen, Institut Karite, Tabac, Mitchell's Woolfat, Speick, etc. This website is reputed to sell top-drawer shaving soaps, as well.
Very good point @Shaver X . I am dying to try his Hungarian lavender. Tell me gentlemen is his soap semi soft? For some reason Craftsman has me diggin Shave Bars.
Yes its decently soft. You can press it into a container. I got one of his shave bars in barbershoppe and pressed it into a antique jar.
I see your points but I would strongly disagree with 'there is no reason to keep venturing back'. To me Mike produces such a great shampoo bar that it is worth it, to me, to venture back. I just buy 5 at a time when stock comes in. I wouldn't want to penalize a vendor because they can't keep up with demand and not return to seek out their products again if they are available. It may very well be that it can't be a sole source of products - or even reliable - but if it's a product I really like I will absolutely return to purchase again when possible. Inventory issues or not. There is a small restaurant here in the city that makes an absolutely amazing boudin noir. The chef is rather unpredictable and it's hard to know when it comes back up on the menu but that doesn't stop me from catching it when/if I can. Great...now I'm hungry....
Just to clarify, I didn't mean that in the sense of penalizing a vendor. It was more like why get frustrated checking back a bunch of times when there are equally good products available now. It wasn't that way in the recent past, at least not for the truly stellar shave soaps. And Mike's Naturals are stellar. The number of artisan sellers is increasing exponentially, however, including those with top tier product. Of course, if one wanders by Mike's website and he does have product to sell, it is a purchase that won't be regretted. There used to be a fantastic rib place near where I worked. It was as good as those in the Midwest, which is saying a lot for a California rib joint. Anyways, they started having erratic hours - frequently closed during times when they were supposed to be open. I think it was due to family health issues. We all quit going there after awhile because we were tired of the letdown. Dang, that boudin noir looks good! Which restaurant is that? Now I'm really hungry, so time to go grab some chow.
yeah, but does he offer an unscented version of his product, like Mike? How about Boudin Noir shampoo Bar ?
You know...I think you've just invented a new line of shaving soaps - "TSS - The Sausage Shave" - Why not have a bit of breakfast as you shave - These soaps will be geographically diverse, you'll have; - German Bratwurst, - French Boudin Noir, - American 4th of July Hot Dog, - Etc.... Coming up next is a sell-up aftershave line that is condiment based - mustard, sauerkraut, etc., etc.... ....and finally an anti-acne balm.
Hey, if we can have liquorice flavoured soaps and chocolate flavoured soaps, I don't see why we can't have a smoky (as in campfire sausage) flavoured soap. And make it a vegan soap, just to mess with people