Taking this hobby to a new level

I'm just starting off on this path paved in carbon steel and I want to see which turns I'll take and what path to make my own. Ok ok, I have a lot to learn in this little hobby I'm embarking on, so far so good. I see straight shaver can be many things, vintage restorers, honers?, cabinet makers, potters, collectors, diy aficionados, experimenters (soaps, creams, razors, safty, brushes) and who knows what else. I also know you can take the high road or low and make this a very expensive hobby or very cheap. This hobby has many facets, but one thing that could be an aspect which I would think would appeal to most and is supprisingly not talked about (at least I haven't seen it, even with a search) is soap making.

It seems to me that with a plethora of sents and infinitely many recipes that can be conceived, that this would be a natural extention of this hobby which rest very much on the quality of ones soap. Recipes can be shared and discussed in the search for the elusive perfect shave.

I've never tried it myself, but I've seen videos of making normal soap and its very easy. Maybe making shaving soap is hard? Does anyone have any knowledge on how its done, is it easy, worth it.........

There are actually quite a few soap and cream makers around. It is just that hones, strops, and razors tend to get the most play here. Do a search on Alraz and da bomb, for example, and you will find some threads on home made soap and cream. It is not anything that has ever interested me to be honest, so I cannot tell you whether it is easy or worth it, but I know it can be done and done well.

James.

There's an active thread right now about soapmaking, but not really about techniques. Search the site and you may find more activity than most of us are aware of.

Funny you should mention this.
I was reading this in the wiki earlier
Redneck Shaving Soap (melt & pour) - Straight Razor Place Wiki

There is also Ugli soap made by one of our members. I have some and like it a lot.

I've really enjoyed some Bairlea Farms soap, also by one of our members.

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Originally Posted by MrP

Funny you should mention this.
I was reading this in the wiki earlier
Redneck Shaving Soap (melt & pour) - Straight Razor Place Wiki

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I have made this soap and can tell u, its super easy to do , and with the shea butter in it , it really is a fabulous soap. I still use some in my rotation.

Making your own soap for yourself could be rather gratifying. There are many easy melt and pour recipes for glycerin based soaps that you could try.
Making tallow based shaving soap can be more difficult and getting the right combination to reach a great lathering soap could lead to many trial batches. I actually thought about it and determined it was not the path I wanted to go and tried many shave soaps and came to find what I liked the most.
I always say to try something, for without the attempt you will not know firsthand if it is for you or not. Have fun!

I know most of you don't know too much about this, but I'm looking to see if you can find the few that do. I've been looking around and the soap making sites and videos are mainly for soap not shaving soap. Now theres a site called soapcalc.com that you can put together your oils and it will tell you how much lye you'll need and then what soap properties will be formed by that recipe (creamy, smooth, lather....) So what I need to know is what properties are desiered for shaving soap and/or if there is anything other than the typical soap recipie ingredients (oils (veg, animal, or petrolium based), lye, water) optional is coloring, EO/FO, and exfoliants, that might be needed for shaving soaps.

Glycerin is supposed to be a natual byproduct of the soponification (lye/fat reaction to make soap) process and its why commercial soaps aren't as good as artician soap or homemade soap, because they siphon off the glycerin to sell/use in other products. So Glycerin is already in homemade soaps. Does shaveing soap need more glycerin.

Im wondering if I want to make shaving soap at all. We use shaving soap as a lubricate, barrier, shaving aid....not to clean our faces so why would we want any of the cleaning properties of a soap? Thats why I'm looking to make something closer to a Cella which is very soft "soap". How to make that is the kicker. This is like a losing battle, so many make money off of this no one is going to share their knowlege.

Also if I do end up making a soap, I've heard that tallow based is like the gold standard, but I've also heard it is inferier to vegetable based soaps, because it leaves the face dry? I would think the other way around?

Actually I just found the website below by a previous poster. Its the first I've seen as a stright "shaving" soap recipe. Its not exactly what I'm looking for but I'll give it a try.

If anyone has any advice on getting a hold of the ingredients (oils [olive, castor, palm, coconut], lye, EO, bentonite clay) for FREE! the olive oil I can cook with, the castor oil I've been meaning to make preshave oil with it (3/4 castor, 1/4 olive oil, and alittle EO in a 100ml bottle) and I guess I could cook with the coconut. But I wouldn't want to buy a whole box of Lye, bentonite, or palm oil, which looks like I'll have to pay shipping for on top, when I may not be using the whole box/bottle.

Shaving Soap Recipe - Cold Process Shaving Soap - Olive Oil Soap from Scratch

Just keep checking the soap making/supply sites. Sooner or later you'll find someone who will sell you small enough quantities. Remember, like the rest of this lifestyle....persistance pays off :)

I was thinking more along the lines of local buisnesses that might have that. Like plummbers I know use lye to unclog pipes. Also drillers use bentonite to suspend the drill cuttings, but they use sodium bentonite. Apparently bentonite is a clay, but theres sodium bentonite, calcium bentonite, and potasium bentonite. Which is good for shaving soap? Also is there some industry that uses palm oil for some purpose?

Hello Knife,

Try contacting Nervin, he's a member here and seems very knowledgeable about soaps/soap making. There are some others, but Nervin is the most active as some haven't been around SRP in quite a while

You also have to keep in mind that this is a side business for some, so they are not interested in sharing the secrets that they're using to make their products good.