I'm only into this adventure of wet shaving less than a year, but I enjoy looking for great soaps. My current favorites are Haslinger & Mystic Waters.
1. Wholly Kaw 2. Grooming Dept 3. Panna Crema Nuavia 4. B&M 5. Stirling Honorable Mentions to: Lisa’s Natural Herbal Creations Sudsy Soapery Tallow Siliski Soaps Eufros
I have been wet shaving for a while now, believe i started back in 2016. It is still a learning experience but shave soaps are my main AD and passion. Having tried a crazy number of soaps [somewhere around 300] and still enjoy trying different artisans but have learned what i like in a good lather. Here are a few favorites that come to mind: Ballenclaugh- very unique scents, quality ingredients, top tier lather, residual slickness and post shave stand out the most. Grooming Dept- availability can be a issue, but for good reasons since this stuff is excellent. Cant go wrong with any formula from GD. Wholly Kaw- scents can be a bit hit of miss IMO (similar with B&M) but many have beautiful intoxicating accords. Performance is among the best on market. Ellegant Rose- this is a newer one in my den, but their Rose scent is the bet rose scent i have come across. Lather quality is excellent as well as customer service. Siliski Soaps- this artisan has been startimg to get a little buzz on the fourms and for good reason. Scents are natural, soap has a high butter content and is a wonderful vegan formula that can compete with the big boys. Square One Soapworks (formerly sold as Gustafsons)- another natural vegan formula that whips up a creamy lather with no bubbles. Scents are natural and pretty strong. Comes as a loose puck in a tin. Lisa's Natural- excellent vaule, would argue that it may surpass Razorock when it comes to quality/price. Opd formula was a semi soft puck loaded with skin food. New formula is more of a cream, personally i prefer the puck formula but either one are great products. Many of these artisans offer other products as well allowing more variety for skin care products.
This list has changed slightly over the past year. A new soap (for me) holds my number 1 spot. Saponoficio Varesino Stirling Tabac MWF Cella I'm not one typically into scents but Saponoficio Varesino scents are unique and very pleasant, especially their 70th anniversary edition.
I have 33 creams and 46 soaps in my current inventory, all of which work very well. With about another 10 highly rated ones on my Buy List (for after I finish No Buy '18...) Picking a top five is really splitting hairs as the performance differences between them all are incremental. If I had to, then in no particular order: 1. Cella 2. MWF 3. Jeeves of Hudson Street, probably Bay Rum 4. TOBS cream, either Lavender or Mr. Taylor's 5. Klar's or maybe MdC Vetyver Very honourable mention to Arko for its incredible cost vs. performance. And probably 60 of the other 70 I have tried and kept are crowding right up to that finish line...
My top five favorites for today - tomorrow it might be different. Start at 12 o'clock for my favorite, and proceed clockwise. The Fitjar is Fjellheim, a great juniper scent from those Norwegian magicians over there across the pond.
They have several lines. I suspect that's probably one of the Pure2O line scents. The Nuavia is their top line and is named for colors of the crock they come in (Rosso, Nera, Verde, Blue). I'm not impressed with their other lines nearly as much.
