It might not make much of a difference, but if you have it try Dr. Jon's Hydra. I love the scent of that one.
I sniffed that one, but didn't lather it. It did smell nice, but I've got so many good citrus scents from Stirling, it's hard to break into my den with a citrus scent at this point. That's one of the reason's Mikes citrus/black pepper scent (who lots of people love) missed the cut for me.
Today I went head to head between Viking (tallow version) and Reef Point. Lathering the two side by side continues to reinforce how good the soaps I've selected so far soaps are. They performed slightly differently, but both gave excellent shaves and either would be a contender for the den, given the right scent. The biggest difference for me was that the Reef Point soap seemed to have more of a wide range to create thicker or thinner lather than the Viking. (That, or I may have just needed to use a bit more soap with the Viking.) Either way, the Viking lather ended up bit thinner and provided a little less cushion, but a little more slickness. Both were good lathers, and it's possible that with more soap, the Viking could have gotten thicker, but I'm certain that I could have thinned out the reef point to match the Viking. Regardless, the differences in the end result were marginal. In fact, I found less differences between these two soaps than I observed using two identical Viking soaps yesterday, so I'm confident that dialing in the lather had as much to do with it as the soap itself. The one stand out here for me is the scent of the Reef Point Submariner afterwards. I really liked it a lot. Reef Point has very different scent profiles than other soaps I've tried; kind of clean, brisk colognes. They are unique enough and strong enough that I'll be keeping a couple in the den for variety in the rotation. Right now I have Test Depth, which I like, and Admiralty which actually reminds me of a food grade citrus scented grease we use in the ice cream plant. It smells quite good, but has a weird scent connotation for me, so I'll look to trade it away and add Submariner (now my favorite Reef Point Scent). Whether Viking stays in the Den will depend on how it performs against a sample of Exectutive Man (presumably the same scent as Ragnar) that I just ordered from Stirling. For now, Viking is an honorable mention for me. With box #2 leaving today, I'll be spending some time with a few new soaps, but also spending time dialing in and comparing soaps already on the "keeper" list to see if the differences are as marginal as I think.
RUNNING SOAP REVIEW SUMMARY KEEPERS Stirling - Great lather, unbeatable slickness, and great scent strength. Scents are often not complex, but most are outstanding. Barrister and Mann - Rich, dense lather and unique, complex scents make this a favorite. Warning: scents can be "hit and miss" and some can be polarizing. -------------------------- Chiseled Face - Good lather (midway in between dense and slick), good overall performance, and very unique, creative scents (Santa Paula/Ghost Town Barber are favorites). WSP (formula T) - A good all around performer with unique scents (Mahogany, Black Amber & Vanille, and Blackbeard are favorites.) I prefer the Formula T (tallow) base, but the Rustic (vegan) is still a solid choice. Reef Point - Solid overall performance. Unique "clean cologne" scent profiles that are unique and different. Some are hit and miss. Catie's Bubbles - Really unique scents. Given the right one (Waterlyptus is one of my all time favorites), the performance of this vegan soap is solid enough to be a keeper. TOBS (cream) - Unbeatable, creamy, foolproof lather and so many fantastic scents (Jerymn St, Peppermint, Grapefruit, Mr Taylors). May not outperform several others below, but wins for me in enjoyment of use. HONORABLE MENTION Sudsy Soapery - An outstanding overall soap which provides an irritation free shave and great moisturizing and outperforms some of my "keepers". Unfortunately, the scents don't line up with my tastes or the gaps in my den. Midnight and Two - Nice scents (I prefer a little stronger), good lather (I prefer a little thicker), good slickness, great face feel and moisturizing properties. Viking - I find the Ragnar and Iceland scents to be standouts. Good solid performance, and may move to the keeper list. JUST MISSED THE CUT (YMMV) Soap Commander - Performance rivaling most of my keepers, and scents that are unique and pleasant, but didn't come out and grab me like some others do. Mike's Natural - A good performer. I pick up an off scent in the base, which is not objectionable, but very distracting to me with some scents. (Orange Cedarwood and Black Pepper, and Lime are favorites/unaffected). Martin De Candre - A very good soap, but nothing jumps out as being "over and above" for me. Dr. Jon's - Another very good soap with good overall performance; just nothing jumps out at me. -------------- I Coloniali - Mango - (unobtanium) Great scent, but rare/expensive, and I botched the sample lather. Other reviewers say the lather is very slick but not very dense or creamy. I'd love to give it another shot with a full puck. Wet Shave Obsession - Zaro - (unobtanium) A good soap that produces thick lather and good overall performance, but a bit drying post shave feel. The "fougere" scent actually smells like caramel to me, which, ironically, was what I liked most.
I haven't reviewed that one yet. Honestly, though, I wouldn't focus too much on "rankings", Paul, as so far there isn't a single soap on this list that I wouldn't recommend trying. (Basically the ones I don't like aren't getting selected from the box, so I haven't reviewed a "bad performer" or a "bad scent" yet.) My limited experience with TSE (only 2 shaves) was that I liked the coffee scent (espresso?) enough to want to buy it, but after getting a puck of "beach bum" (a more subtle scent) from @Drygulch I noticed an "off scent" in the base that wasn't covered up a strong fragrance. (I find the same scent in some of Mikes Natural subtler fragrances as well, which made it miss the cut for me, and also caused me to trade away my TSE beach bum.) Apparently some people don't pick up this underlying scent at all, but some can smell it. My recommendation: You've been enthusiastic about trying TSE, and if I recall correctly, TSE soaps are only around $10, so I'd recommend trying one and seeing for yourself if you can pick up the scent or not. If you do try it, feel free to post a review in this thread and share your thoughts. By the way, I smelled a similar note in the base of the PAA scents I sent you. Did you pick it up at all in those? If not, I'd suspect you may be in the "noseblind" group for this particular scent, which I'd consider a good thing.
While in between boxes, I've been working on learning to shave with a straight razor. After an overly aggressive straight shave, I decided to let my epidermis regenerate and use the time to take out the DE "thin the herd" of soaps in my den. I pitted Stirling Almond Creme against Cella and Razorock Classic. Since they all have the same scent, I figured the second two would end up on the trading block. As expected, the Razorock was a good all around soap, but the scent strength was low and I find the performance "average" so it missed the cut. Cella, however, surprised me. There is a reason this soap has been around for over 100 years with no change to the formula. Good scent, whips up lather like a champ, good slickness and glide. It's just good stuff. I had planned to bin this one as well, but just couldn't do it. Cella will be staying in the den (albeit as an honorable mention, as this soap only comes in one scent, and several other soapmakers do an equally good job with this scent).
RUNNING SOAP REVIEW SUMMARY KEEPERS Stirling - Great lather, unbeatable slickness, and great scent strength. Scents are often not complex, but most are outstanding. Barrister and Mann - Rich, dense lather and unique, complex scents make this a favorite. Warning: scents can be "hit and miss" and some can be polarizing. -------------------------- Chiseled Face - Good lather (midway in between dense and slick), good overall performance, and very unique, creative scents (Santa Paula/Ghost Town Barber are favorites). WSP (formula T) - A good all around performer with unique scents (Mahogany, Black Amber & Vanille, and Blackbeard are favorites.) I prefer the Formula T (tallow) base, but the Rustic (vegan) is still a solid choice. Reef Point - Solid overall performance. Unique "clean cologne" scent profiles that are unique and different. (Submariner is a favorite.) Some are hit and miss. Catie's Bubbles - Really unique scents. Given the right one (Waterlyptus is one of my all time favorites), the performance of this vegan soap is solid enough to be a keeper. TOBS (cream) - Unbeatable, creamy, foolproof lather and so many fantastic scents (Jerymn St, Peppermint, Grapefruit, Mr Taylors). May not outperform several others below, but wins for me in enjoyment of use. HONORABLE MENTION Sudsy Soapery - An outstanding overall soap which provides an irritation free shave and great moisturizing and outperforms some of my "keepers". Unfortunately, the scents don't line up with my tastes or the gaps in my den. Midnight and Two - Nice scents (I prefer a little stronger), good lather (I prefer a little thicker), good slickness, great face feel and moisturizing properties. Viking - I find the Ragnar and Iceland scents to be standouts. Good solid performance, and may move to the keeper list. Cella - Good lather and performance. While there are better soaps out there, this formula and scent has gone unchanged for over 100 years for a reason. A solid choice for anyone's den. JUST MISSED THE CUT (YMMV) Soap Commander - Performance rivaling most of my keepers, and scents that are unique and pleasant, but didn't come out and grab me like some others do. Mike's Natural - A good performer. I pick up an off scent in the base, which is not objectionable, but very distracting to me with some scents. (Orange Cedarwood and Black Pepper, and Lime are favorites/unaffected). Martin De Candre - A very good soap, but nothing jumps out as being "over and above" for me. Dr. Jon's - Another very good soap with good overall performance; just nothing jumps out at me. -------------- (unobtanium) I Coloniali - Mango - Great scent, but rare/expensive, and I botched the sample lather. Other reviewers say the lather is very slick but not very dense or creamy. I'd love to give it another shot with a full puck. (unobtanium) Wet Shave Obsession - Zaro - A good soap that produces thick lather and good overall performance, but a bit drying post shave feel. The "fougere" scent actually smells like caramel to me, which, ironically, was what I liked most. CUT EARLY IN TRYOUTS Razorock - Overall, these soaps lather quickly & easily, but I find performance to be just average, and scent strength to be below average. Tabac - I know this is an iconic soap that is purported to perform well, but I just can't get past what my wife refers to as the "old man smell". Others call it "grandma's purse" scent. Either way, it's not making the den.
I could pick up the scents from your PAA deliveries. The TSE I want to open with is their Texas Leather. I would presume to find some scents in THAT one, from what I read. It may be part of my "Mad Rush To NB18".
After a week long Disney Cruise with the fam, box #3 is at my doorstep and the reviews will continue. Upon receiving a box, normally I like to smell through many of the samples before making a soap selection. However, since one of my favorite scents of all the soaps I’ve tried so far is Viking Ragnar, and since box #3 has a sample of Fine Platinum (presumably the same scent) and also a sample of Viking Old Norse, I figured I’d try them side by side. First of all, I have to say that Fine does a great job with their cologne scent profiles. I’m normally turned off by cologne scents, but there are clean, masculine scents that I really like. Second, after comparing Viking Ragnar, Fine Platinum and Stirling Executive Man, (I own the latter two, so I could compare all 3 side by side) I still think the Viking Ragnar stands alone as far as the scent goes. The other two are nice, but again the Ragnar, to me, is outstanding. As for performance, I’d say the soap is aptly named; it’s fine. Not great, just fine. Average lather, average slickness, average cushion, etc. Neither the Fine or the Viking stood out to me as being exceptional. Both lacked any significant residual slickness, and both left my face feeling a tad dry. Neither the Viking nor the Fine stand out to me among the many great soaps in this pass around. Contrast this with my recent trial with Grooming Department Credence. Although the scent is not for me, the performance and face feel really stood out by comparison. I expect to find and review a grooming department scent I like more in the future.
RUNNING SOAP REVIEW SUMMARY KEEPERS Stirling - Great lather, unbeatable slickness, and great scent strength. Scents are often not complex, but most are outstanding. Barrister and Mann - Rich, dense lather and unique, complex scents make this a favorite. Warning: scents can be "hit and miss" and some can be polarizing. -------------------------- Chiseled Face - Good lather (midway in between dense and slick), good overall performance, and very unique, creative scents (Santa Paula/Ghost Town Barber are favorites). WSP (formula T) - A good all around performer with unique scents (Mahogany, Black Amber & Vanille, and Blackbeard are favorites.) I prefer the Formula T (tallow) base, but the Rustic (vegan) is still a solid choice. Catie's Bubbles - Really unique scents. Given the right one (Waterlyptus is one of my all time favorites), the performance of this vegan soap is solid enough to be a keeper. TOBS (cream) - Unbeatable, creamy, foolproof lather and so many fantastic scents (Jerymn St, Peppermint, Grapefruit, Mr Taylors, the list goes on and on...). May not outperform some others below, but wins for me in enjoyment of use. HONORABLE MENTION Sudsy Soapery - An outstanding overall soap which provides an irritation free shave and great moisturizing and outperforms some of my "keepers". Unfortunately, the scents don't line up with my tastes or the gaps in my den. Midnight and Two - Nice scents (I prefer a little stronger), good lather (I prefer a little thicker), good slickness, great face feel and moisturizing properties. Reef Point - Solid overall performance. "Clean cologne" scent profiles that are unique and different. (Submariner is a favorite.) Some are hit and miss. Cella - Good lather and performance. While there are better soaps out there, this formula and scent has gone unchanged for over 100 years for a reason. A solid choice for anyone's den. JUST MISSED THE CUT (YMMV) Soap Commander - Performance rivaling most of my keepers, and scents that are unique and pleasant, but didn't come out and grab me like some others do. Mike's Natural - A good performer. I pick up an off scent in the base, which is not objectionable, but very distracting to me with some scents. (Orange Cedarwood and Black Pepper, and Lime are favorites/unaffected). Martin De Candre - A very good soap, but nothing jumps out as being "over and above" for me. Dr. Jon's - Another very good soap with good overall performance; just nothing jumps out at me. Viking - I find the Ragnar and Iceland scents to be standouts. Good solid performance, but nothing, beyond the scent, really separates them from the pack for me. Fine - Clean cologne scents that I enjoy. Good performance, but again nothing really stands out to me as being excellent. -------------- (unobtanium) I Coloniali - Mango - Great scent, but rare/expensive, and I botched the sample lather. Other reviewers say the lather is very slick but not very dense or creamy. I'd love to give it another shot with a full puck. (unobtanium) Wet Shave Obsession - Zaro - A good soap that produces thick lather and good overall performance, but a bit drying post shave feel. The "fougere" scent actually smells like caramel to me, which, ironically, was what I liked most. CUT EARLY IN TRYOUTS Razorock - Overall, these soaps lather quickly & easily, but I find performance to be just average, and scent strength to be below average. Tabac - I know this is an iconic soap that is purported to perform well, but I just can't get past what my wife refers to as the "old man smell". Others call it "grandma's purse" scent. Either way, it's not making the den.
I'm a little hesitant to write this report, as I'm reviewing two very well thought of soaps that didn't make my cut. Let's just get the YMMV out of the way, and say that if you disagree with me on this one, you are certainly not alone. I had high expectations of Mitchell's Wool Fat and Panna Crema - Pure 2 O based on their stellar reputation and rave reviews on this and other boards. In fact, I got in on a pass around of Panna Crema Nuavia, which is a truly outstanding soap, so I was expecting great things here. Both soaps performed well in all areas, but neither blew me away. All I can say about MWF is that it has been difficult for me to lather hard soap pucks from small/grated samples, so I over watered it trying to get a creamy lather to appear. Either way, I'm a bit of a scent guy, and an unscented soap probably isn't going to make my den unless it far exceeds my best soaps. For me, this one didn't. Lathered alongside the MWF was Panna Crema San Franseco. This one fell on the other side of the scent spectrum for me, smelling like what I'd imagine Vicks Vaporub would smell like if they had an "herbal" version. Yuk. Again, YMMV. Again, performance was good, but nowhere near as good as the Nuavia line or some of my better soaps. I may try again with another scent to see if the results are any better, but at this point it's not making the cut, at all.
I've simplified the list a bit. KEEPERS are soaps that are in my den, and will likely be there for a long, long time. JUST MISSED THE CUT are soaps that could (and still may) make the den, but lack the "comeback sauce" that my favorites have. CUT IN EARLY TRYOUTS are soaps that, for whatever reason, just don't do it for me. There are tons of soaps that would make that category, but I've weeded them out by smelling or test lathering them, so the soaps that made this list really are ALL worth a try in my opinion. RUNNING SOAP REVIEW SUMMARY KEEPERS Stirling - Great lather, unbeatable slickness, and great scent strength. Scents are often not complex, but most are outstanding. Barrister and Mann - Rich, dense lather and unique, complex scents make this a favorite. Warning: scents can be "hit and miss" and some can be polarizing. -------------------------- Chiseled Face - Good lather (midway in between dense and slick), good overall performance, and very unique, creative scents (Santa Paula/Ghost Town Barber are favorites). WSP (formula T) - A good all around performer with unique scents (Mahogany, Black Amber & Vanille, and Blackbeard are favorites.) I prefer the Formula T (tallow) base, but the Rustic (vegan) is still a solid choice. Catie's Bubbles - Really unique scents. Given the right one (Waterlyptus is one of my all time favorites), the performance of this vegan soap is solid enough to be a keeper. TOBS (cream) - Unbeatable, creamy, foolproof lather and so many fantastic scents (Jerymn St, Peppermint, Grapefruit, Mr Taylors, the list goes on and on...). My first "real" soap/cream continues to deliver for me in enjoyment of use. Cella - Good lather and performance. While there are better soaps out there, this formula and scent has gone unchanged for over 100 years for a reason. A solid choice for anyone's den. JUST MISSED THE CUT (YMMV) Sudsy Soapery - An outstanding overall soap which provides an irritation free shave and great moisturizing and outperforms some of my "keepers". Unfortunately, the scents don't line up with my tastes or the gaps in my den. Midnight and Two - Nice scents (I prefer a little stronger), good lather (I prefer a little thicker), good slickness, great face feel and moisturizing properties. Reef Point - Solid overall performance. "Clean cologne" scent profiles that are unique and different. (Submariner is a favorite.) Some are hit and miss. Soap Commander - Performance rivaling most of my keepers, and scents that are unique and pleasant, but didn't come out and grab me like some others do. Mike's Natural - A good performer. I pick up an off scent in the base, which is not objectionable, but very distracting to me with some scents. (Orange Cedarwood and Black Pepper, and Lime are favorites/unaffected). Martin De Candre - A very good soap, but nothing jumps out as being "over and above" for me. Viking - I find the Ragnar and Iceland scents to be standouts. Good performance, but nothing, beyond the scent, really separates them as exceptional to me. Fine - Clean cologne scents that I enjoy. Good performance, but again the soap doesn't stand out like my favorites do. Dr. Jon's - Another very good soap with good overall performance; again, nothing jumps out at me. -------------- (unobtanium) I Coloniali - Mango - Great scent, but rare/expensive, and I botched the sample lather. Other reviewers say the lather is very slick but not very dense or creamy. I'd love to give it another shot with a full puck. (unobtanium) Wet Shave Obsession - Zaro - A good soap that produces thick lather and good overall performance, but a bit drying post shave feel. The "fougere" scent actually smells like caramel to me, which, ironically, was what I liked most. CUT EARLY IN TRYOUTS MWF - This is a controversial cut, as this is an iconic soap that is purported to perform well, but scent plays a big part in the experience for me, so if the performance isn't significantly better than my best scented soaps, it's not gonna make the den. I didn't find that to be the case here. Tabac -Another iconic soap, but I just can't get past what my wife refers to as the "old man smell". Others call it "grandma's purse" scent. Either way, it's not making the den. Razorock - Overall, these soaps lather quickly & easily, but I find performance to be average, and scent strength to be below average. The scents also skew a bit towards a "European Cologne" vibe that don't tend to do it for me.
You'll be proud to know that to round out my lineup for NB18, I'll be choosing two of your "keepers" (Stirling and Chiseled Face).
Updated with Panna Crema Pure2O added... RUNNING SOAP REVIEW SUMMARY KEEPERS Stirling - Great lather, unbeatable slickness, and great scent strength. Scents are often not complex, but most are outstanding. Barrister and Mann - Rich, dense lather and unique, complex scents make this a favorite. Warning: scents can be "hit and miss" and some can be polarizing. -------------------------- Chiseled Face - Good lather (midway in between dense and slick), good overall performance, and very unique, creative scents (Santa Paula/Ghost Town Barber are favorites). WSP (formula T) - A good all around performer with unique scents (Mahogany, Black Amber & Vanille, and Blackbeard are favorites.) I prefer the Formula T (tallow) base, but the Rustic (vegan) is still a solid choice. Catie's Bubbles - Really unique scents. Given the right one (Waterlyptus is one of my all time favorites), the performance of this vegan soap is solid enough to be a keeper. TOBS (cream) - Unbeatable, creamy, foolproof lather and so many fantastic scents (Jerymn St, Peppermint, Grapefruit, Mr Taylors, the list goes on and on...). My first "real" soap/cream continues to deliver for me in pure enjoyment of use. Cella - Good lather and performance. While there are better soaps out there, this formula and scent has gone unchanged for over 100 years for a reason. A solid choice for anyone's den. JUST MISSED THE CUT (YMMV) Sudsy Soapery - An outstanding overall soap which provides an irritation free shave and great moisturizing and outperforms some of my "keepers". Unfortunately, the scents don't line up with my tastes or the gaps in my den. Midnight and Two - Nice scents (I prefer a little stronger), good lather (I prefer a little thicker), good slickness, great face feel and moisturizing properties. Reef Point - Solid overall performance. "Clean cologne" scent profiles that are unique and different. (Submariner is a favorite.) Some are hit and miss. Soap Commander - Performance rivaling most of my keepers, and scents that are unique and pleasant, but didn't come out and grab me like some others do. Mike's Natural - A good performer. I pick up an off scent in the base, which is not objectionable, but very distracting to me with some scents. (Orange Cedarwood and Black Pepper, and Lime are favorites/unaffected). Martin De Candre - A very good soap, but nothing jumps out as being "over and above" for me. Viking - I find the Ragnar and Iceland scents to be standouts. Good performance, but nothing, beyond the scent, really separates them as exceptional to me. Fine - Clean cologne scents that I enjoy. Good performance, but again the soap doesn't stand out like my favorites do. Dr. Jon's - Another very good soap with good overall performance; again, nothing jumps out at me. -------------- (unobtanium) I Coloniali - Mango - Great scent, but rare/expensive, and I botched the sample lather. Other reviewers say the lather is very slick but not very dense or creamy. I'd love to give it another shot with a full puck. (unobtanium) Wet Shave Obsession - Zaro - A good soap that produces thick lather and good overall performance, but a bit drying post shave feel. The "fougere" scent actually smells like caramel to me, which, ironically, was what I liked most. CUT EARLY IN TRYOUTS MWF - This is a controversial cut, as this is an iconic soap that is purported to perform well, but scent plays a big part in the experience for me, so if the performance isn't significantly better than my best scented soaps, it's not gonna make the den. I didn't find that to be the case here. Tabac -Another iconic soap, but I just can't get past what my wife refers to as the "old man smell". Others call it "grandma's purse" scent. Either way, it's not making the den. Panna Crema Pure2O - Dissapointingly, this soap doesn’t have the rich complex scents or stellar performance of its bigger brother Panna Crema Nuavia, so it’s not making the den. If it’s big brother didn’t come at such a high price or with the mandatory crock, it’d be in my top level of keepers, as it’s a really fantastic soap in all respects. Razorock - Overall, these soaps lather quickly & easily, but I find performance to be average, and scent strength to be below average. The scents also skew a bit towards a "European Cologne" vibe that don't tend to do it for me.
I tried PannaCrema Pure2O this morning and have a few more, different impressions than my first run with San Fransesco. First of all, performance was definitely better than my first run (possibly dialed the soap in better? I don't know.) Great slickness, great residual slickness, more than adequate cushion, and nice face feel. (Unfortunately, face feel, which is highly prized by many, isn't that big a deal to me since I live in a tropical climate and don't have dry skin. To me, it is a bit like the added benefit of snow tires - it solves a problem that I don't have). As for lather, I'd say it was OK, but not as good as many others in my den. I also had a reaction (numb tingly skin) to this soap, which I did not have with the last "flavor", and makes this soap a bit of a nonstarter for me. Unfortunately, this soap may suffer from being downgraded (possibly unfairly) as I've tried it's truly outstanding big brother PannaCrema Nuavia. It's kind of the same thing that happens when a teacher has a straight A student, and then is disappointed later when the younger brother enters the same class and is a B/B+ student. Normally, that'd be a really good student, but because of great experience with the big brother it just ends up not being all that they'd hoped for and expected. Unfair? Yes, but such is life. Anyway, I know many will disagree with my assessment here, however I'm owning it nonetheless. As always, YMMV.
My experience with TSE was that one of the two soaps I tried from them with a lighter fragrance was overpowered by a base smell in the soap. I don't know if it's clay or tallow or what, but I find it distracting and off putting. Having said that, some people cannot smell it at all. I know @Drygulch has mentioned to me that he picked it up as well, but on the other hand @jtspartan has commented that he really enjoys the soap and didn't seem to pick up that scent at all. I can also tell you that I couldn't smell it in their stronger espresso scent that I've tried. Since TSE is relatively inexpensive and you've been curious about it for some time, Paul, my advice would be to get some and try it for yourself. My observation is that it's pretty good artisan soap (particularly if you can't pick up the background scent) It's just not on my short list right now.
Today I lathered Tiki - The Captain side by side along with Crowne & Crane - Tobacco Leaf and Amber. Both of these soaps have virtually the same scent (mellow cherry pipe tobacco), and I'd be hard pressed to know which one I was using solely by smell. They both were solid performers as well. I found Crowne and Crane to create a little thicker, richer lather that held up a little better over the course of a three pass shave. Having said that, I'm finding that as much as I love a rich creamy lather (and I do), when I wet the lather down to a bit more thin, runny consistency I tend to get a slicker, closer shave. Both of these soaps accommodated more water, but I'd give the nod to Crowne and Crane by just a hair. Neither is at the top of the heap in terms of being creamy, slick, protective, etc. but both performed very respectively. I'd say that 80% or more of the soaps I've tried in this pass around fall into the "Very Good" range, and these fall squarely in that spot. Certainly good enough to be a keeper if you find a scent you like. I'm going to test lather some of the Tiki soaps in the box, as there are some really nice scents (a spicy mango and a really fresh, bright Fougere got my attention straight from the tub). I'm also looking forward to getting box 4 with the Crown and Crane soaps as well. In my summary sheet, I'm going to morph back to my old categories, which in retrospect, were better than when I condensed them. It also gives me some room to move soaps up and down a bit as I try new soaps that change my view of what a great soap is. Along those lines, just prior to this box, I got in a tub of Grooming Department soap. Although the scent (Credence) was REALLY not my thing, the soap was OUTSTANDING - i.e. top tier, changing my view of the soap world a bit. Hopefully, unlike Sudsy Soapery, it will come in some flavors I fall in love with. I'll save the review of Grooming Department until after box 4 (if I can hold off SAD that long). Box 4 has several soaps I expect to buy.
