Intro and Shave Soap Question

Hi all,

I've been using a DE to shave for a couple years now (upgraded from mach 3). I recently purchased Dovo Silver Steel with Ebony from Straight Razor Designs. It came truly shave ready I'm happy to say. I bought it in the bundle with a 3" English Leather and canvas strop.

In my DE experience, I tried several soaps:

Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood - Couldn't use it - WAY too strong for me and my wife who is super sensitive to fragrances
Prorasso Red - Worked ok, kind of watery, smell still too strong
Conks glycerin - was great with my DE, but seems like not enough slickness with the SR.
Wet Shaving Products, various - I actually just bought their dozen pack of 1oz sample to try the different flavors. I consumed a complete full size tin of the rustic version with success.

So far Wet Shaving Products has been my favorite.

Here's my question: Given my varied, but limited, experience and the need to buy a new tin, is WSP considered a "good" or "Very good" or "excellent" (I assume it's not less than good...). If it's "Good" then I'd like to try something in the "very good" to Excellent category just to see the difference.

Thanks,
Matt

PS, I did try searching, but searching for "Wet Shaving Products" returns pretty much every post on this forum.

Welcome to SRP Matt!!!!

This is where you go to find a true and honest soap comparison

http://straightrazorpalace.com/soaps...ps-creams.html

After you get lost in that thread for a while, you should have a very good idea of what you'd like to try

Enjoy and have fun

Hello, welcome to SRP. I suggest you read Obie's thread in the shaving soap section on the Top Tier Soaps. It's an excellent summary of some of the best soaps. However, there are now many, many soap makers, and not all are listed, including WSP. I personally feel that WSP soaps are excellent and enjoy several. I prefer Lee's tallow (formula "T" soaps), but they are all excellent, including his recent shaving cream release. Lee also makes soaps for BullGoose, called Asylum Shave Works, and you might like of those scents as well. Soap preferences are very personal, and you'll have to learn what works best for you. Purchasing samples, as you did with WSP, is the way to learn what you might like before investing in a tub. Don't hesitate to try anything in Obie's Tier 3 category--you'll be glad you did.

That is the thread to go by for sure. And the list in the beginning gets updated so its not the first list. You can read thru all the posts but its many pages long. The main thing is the first list. As Obie updates that list it makes it easier to pull from and not have to read the 100's of posts. If you want to try the best go with MDC. JMHO.

Thanks guys,

I found Obie's thread. I'm glad that he's updating the first post, because digging through the 100+ pages was a daunting task.

Would WSP make Tier 3 if it were listed?

maybe but not going to try it again to find out,, but to me I don't even care for 3rd tier stuff, theres to much good in the first tier, so why compromise, its not that expensive to buy the top stuff. and don't get me wrong there are some top tier stuff that's inexpensive. or theres MDC which runs around 60$ a jar yet last as long as 3 jars of a lesser soap so is it expensive? or really a good bargain.

now some of the 1st tier is around 20$. but the real fun is trying different soaps, I tried 100,s but now I,m down to 2-3 I use exclusively because of my remark in the beginning, why use second and third tier if I,m happier with my first tier? of course this is only my opinion, and my face and money Tc

Tc, I agree with what you've said above.
When buying soaps or creams, going with the top tier is a much better deal and choice.
I've narrowed down my soap/cream selection to basically all top tier. I am much happier with the shave and the way my skin feels afterwards.

Matt, I'm sure you can find samples of the Castle Forbes creams. If not shoot me a message and I can help you out.
You will then have an idea of what the top tier soaps are like

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dieseld

Welcome to SRP Matt!!!!

This is where you go to find a true and honest soap comparison

http://straightrazorpalace.com/soaps...ps-creams.html

After you get lost in that thread for a while, you should have a very good idea of what you'd like to try

Enjoy and have fun

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Nothing against him, but I find it hard to believe that all his 1st tier soaps are expensive, pricey soaps, and I have some of those expensive soaps. Nothing cheap is great I guess, just good enough. Maybe he said this, but his top tier is more luxury than anything. Anything in this 2nd tier would do just fine.

It all depends on the $$ you want to spend. I am getting great results with Proraso green and Cella. No top tier soaps by Obie's standards but excellent stuff. Proraso is cool and minty, Cella has this smell of almonds that not everyone likes. I wasn't happy with Musgo Real. I much more enjoyed Colleen's soaps (the Gentlemen's Quarter). I am not sure she is still in business.

Even with the best soaps you cannot get a good shave if your blade isn't sharp enough and your technique is poor. With good technique and a sharp blade you can get good shaves with most soaps and creams.

I do enjoy the Castlr Forbes. The scent is so good it makes you want to eat it. The only problem with it is it dont last very long. Being a cream you got to try and not use as much. Id say the best cream on the market!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Justino14

Nothing against him, but I find it hard to believe that all his 1st tier soaps are expensive, pricey soaps, and I have some of those expensive soaps. Nothing cheap is great I guess, just good enough. Maybe he said this, but his top tier is more luxury than anything. Anything in this 2nd tier would do just fine.

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Please note, that Obie said that was his opinion, and was what worked for him the best.
Now his top tier soaps are some of the best out there in my opinion. Some are at the top end of the price range, but not all of them.
And for the ones I've tried, they are very very good soaps or creams.

Yes, the second tier are also good soaps. No question, but they are just that, second tier.
In my opinion as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Justino14

Nothing against him, but I find it hard to believe that all his 1st tier soaps are expensive, pricey soaps, and I have some of those expensive soaps. Nothing cheap is great I guess, just good enough. Maybe he said this, but his top tier is more luxury than anything. Anything in this 2nd tier would do just fine.

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Not all are expensive, the DR harris are only $14
https://www.amazon.com/D-R-Harris-Ma...AGMKBTZQ3&th=1

nicsandcuts,

The Tiers in the soaps and creams are fluid, in some cases. I do move things around and re-evaluate them. I have never tried West Shaving Products and that's why you don't see it in my listing.

When starting out, or when not sure what to try, you can be safe with the Second and Third Tier soaps and creams. With the Basement Tier, you're on your own.

I do not categorize soaps and creams according to price; rather, by how well they have served me. For instance, one of my favorite soaps is Provence Sante Verlaine, in the Second Tier, an inexpensive soap from France — I think it costs around $10. It's a good soap and worth the try. I also like this version, because it is named after the French poet Paul Verlaine.

Of course, all this only my opinion.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Obie

nicsandcuts,

... I also like this version, because it is named after the French poet Paul Verlaine.

Of course, all this only my opinion.

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I love that you have sentiment built into your selections! Never been a poetry fan, but there are associations I know I would apply a bias for.

thanks for sharing your selections. I've ordered some DR Harris to try it out and as a point of comparison for the the WSP which has been the best from my limited experience.

I'm reminded of the CS Lewis quote:
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

perhaps a little overstated for the context... but I'd prefer not to go on playing with mud pies if there's a holiday at the sea in play in something better!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nicsandcuts

Not all are expensive, the DR harris are only $14
https://www.amazon.com/D-R-Harris-Ma...AGMKBTZQ3&th=1

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Wow. Just Wow. I used the DR Harris yesterday for the first time using my DE razor (I was in a hurry), and MAN that was amazing. SOOO much better than the WSP stuff that I had been using. Slick and smooth. I couldn't even tell the razor was cutting it was so smooth. And the Marlborough scent is almost odorless - which is a huge plus for me.

Today, my scuttle arrived and now I'm looking forward to trying this stuff out with the SR in the morning. I have high hopes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tcrideshd

maybe but not going to try it again to find out,, but to me I don't even care for 3rd tier stuff, theres to much good in the first tier, so why compromise, its not that expensive to buy the top stuff. and don't get me wrong there are some top tier stuff that's inexpensive. or theres MDC which runs around 60$ a jar yet last as long as 3 jars of a lesser soap so is it expensive? or really a good bargain.

now some of the 1st tier is around 20$. but the real fun is trying different soaps, I tried 100,s but now I,m down to 2-3 I use exclusively because of my remark in the beginning, why use second and third tier if I,m happier with my first tier? of course this is only my opinion, and my face and money Tc

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LOL - I agree, as an admitted and practicing soap hoarder, I love trying them, but most end up in the box, the few that I use stay in the cabinet in my washroom...but inevitably I end up going back to the box to pull a couple out and rotate a few.

Just pulled out the Art of Shaving Oud, and seems after getting some exposure to air after a few uses, the scent has really blossomed, settled down from that "new car smell"....so of course then had to use the LPL Oud to compare....thoroughly enjoyed both.

But absolutely, to indulge in fantastic products is a lot of fun, and one of the things that's so enjoyable about this sport for me.

The MdC though, the Original and the Fougere, sublime, the bar setter, the only soap, in my opinion that I like using as much are the Pannacrema Nuavia Blu, Verde and Rossa....as well as a few dozen others...as well as the one's that I keep being compelled to order.;)