At the core of this discussion there are some interesting points; Do we maybe 'overhype' - and become fiercely protective of- smaller, independent companies because; - we want the 'little man to succeed, - artisan soap makers are "one of us", - larger corporations are seen as anonymous and 'evil beings' driven by nothing but greed, - we want to support small business owners, and - we have a feeling of 'connection' with the artisan soap makers because they answer our emails promptly? I'm fairly certain part of the reason we like - and buy - artisan products is because of some of the above. It makes us feel good to buy products Jim makes because we can email Jim or hook up on Twitter. But are the products as good as - or better - than what the big, evil profit-driven companies (that by the way employ thousands of people and help to put food on the table for countless of families just like us)? I don't know. Some of them are. Some of them are not. End of the day soap making is not rocket science and we kid ourselves if we think it is. Different proportions of different components simply result in products that are - just that - different. Some are more 'oily', some have more or less moisturizing effects, some are slicker some takes more work to lather. Throw in the good old "YMMV" with skin types, experience levels, water hardness, etc and you'll have ten people having ten different reactions to every soap there is - artisan or not. Companies like P&G, J&J, etc spend millions of dollars and decades, ensuring that products that are being sold are good at what they are supposed to do - and that they are safe to use. They have to. There are both liability and profitability on the line. So can Jim, in his basement, come up with products that are as good, and safe, as what the multi-national companies that employ staffs full of PhDs and spend year long test cycles can come out with? If this was rocket science. Then no. Since it's not and it comes down to managing eleven components and temperatures then yes they probably can. Anyone can make a great chocolate chip cookie - Mrs Fields can..and Jim can. A lot of people can make a great soap. Which one you prefer will be based on price, availability, how it works for you and most likely at least one of the reasons above for why we like to support artisan soap makers. There's really no difference where the soap comes from - both 'camps' create some great...and some terrible...soaps. Personally, I love home baked cookies from scratch - but part of that reason is because I love who made them and I feel connected to them. Heck, some of them are even a bit burnt
I'm not sure whoever came up with fat free sour cream is going to Hell, but they're definitely in for a scathing lecture from St. Pete.
Scents are very subjective, some of us prefer strong scented soaps and some light and some unscented. Scent aside I find some artisan soaps excellent and some not so, same with commercial producers. I will not knock anyone but my top performers are from both camps, QCS D.R. Harris Tabac Stroppe Shop and yes even Arko
Some artisan soaps, such as Kell's Original and Prairie Creations Tallow and Lanolin, are second to none. Mike's Naturals are also good, and some others are at least competent. There are many that are pretty much useless as shave soaps, however. In my experience, this is virtually always because the lather very quickly disappears once it is applied to the face. The same can be said for some commercial shave soaps, especially those boutique-y brands sold at Whole Foods. Other commercial shave soaps I have tried were much better, and the overall quality level seems significantly better in this category. My guess is that most commercial ventures test their shave soaps, but that many artisans do not. Of course, many artisans do produce quality soaps and presumably tested their products. My verdict: Nearly all commercial shave soaps work at least reasonably well. If they did not, they would not sell and would be discontinued. Artisan soaps are much more a roll of the dice, but some are the best shaving soaps in existence.
The poll results tell the story with respect to the shaving soaps used by the members here, not shaving soaps overall. Members will favor artisan soaps recommended by other members, and those soaps are likely to be the best examples of their type.
Actually, quite a few well-received artisan soaps are melt & pour. Although if the artisan is truly an amateur, we would of course, not be raving, because amateurs do not sell, so we do not know their soaps. But, speaking as a maker of artisan MP soaps, I can tell you that a good result comes from blending different bases & mixing in some good additives. I do know other MP artisans, who (IMO) have know idea what they are doing, as well as some who make marvelous stuff. BTW, thanks for the nod to my soap, Steve & Mike.
Based upon the current results to the initial query, "Anyone Else disappointed with artisan shave soaps?"—I'd say the answer is there is much 'love' and negligible 'disappointment.'
IMHO, that very clearly and concisely gets to the heart of the matter. If the shave soap experiences of others are also important, a look around the Shave Soaps sub-forum yields much information. The shaving brush used, your own personal scent preferences and other factors mean your mileage may vary to some extent. My own experience is that the shaving soap observations on The Shave Den are usually quite accurate.
It's a good question, one I've thought about also. Some of what I would consider artisan soaps are among the best in the world (RazoRock, Stirling, Mike's for some examples). Others I've found to be absolutely horrible. I hate to generalize, but it seems the smaller the producer (for example, the hypothetical person at the farmers market who makes soap purely as a hobby), the lower the usability of their product as a shave soap.
I have purchased nearly a dozen shaving soap pucks from the farmer's market/craft show/artisan fairs and overall, most of them have been greatly disappointing. Although the majority of the offered hand or body soaps are just fine— it appears the secret to making an effective shaving soap remains elusive to many.
I couldn't answer the survey as I have used both commercial and artisan soaps and have had great success and disappointment with both. As of now my current go to and favorite soap is Arko. While I don't dislike the smell, I do wish it would come in some other flavors(like almond)..
I've yet to find a 'Big Soap' company that will offer customized scents in either cream, croap, or soap (vegan or tallow) as requested. I admit it's possible that I've simply not looked at the right Big Soap brand.
MWF and MdC are both commercial soaps and although they are both excellent I cannot use them Most of my artisan soaps treat my sensitive skin much better.
I'm disappointed in Stirling. I purchased a half dozen samples and have tried all but one. I find them all to be adequate at best in the performance column, but once the novelty of menthol catalyzed anise wore off, I found all of the varieties I got to be too odiferous. I wouldn't even try the Texas on Fire, I think it's repulsive. Holy Cow!!! I think I just agreed with Fram.
My solution is to combine the Stirling with an easy-lathering such as L'Occitane Cade. This accomplishes several objectives: the lather is considerably thicker, the potent scents are tamed and the heavy menthol impact from some of the über-mentholated varieties is slightly, but pleasantly, muted.
