No offense to head scoundrel...but... I think I have room to house everyone. Besides I’ll claim I’m the better cook.
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I personally like sous vide and finished with browning torch. A sauce made of wild mushrooms, cherry, and juniper berry sounds pleasant with the current season. Croquettes and fresh asparagus for side. Light cucumber gazpacho to start. Finish with a fresh apricot cake. Start with manhattans (Templeton Rye and Antica Formula would work well) on the porch then something bubbly and dry (Moet Rose goes with the weather) with soup deep red wine (St. Laurant from the local Monastery would work) with entre and then a nice cognac (Something Moldovan) with dessert. Cigars (Maduro for me) cheese and more cognac on the porch again.
Oh my, my, my......dinner sounds absolutely divine, be still my beating heart. I guess we'll have to put her in the pot ;) lol. (never) Actually Theoman, it sounds quite lovely, thank you for sharing what sounds like a wonderful evening with good food and good friends.
Hi Theoman, then you'll also be happy to hear, that you have a refund coming your way for shipping :) Thank you for the compliment. I do strive for excellence in my business dealings, both in the product, and in my level of customer service.
Good Afternoon, Gentlemen
Let me tell you a little tale.......once upon a time ;) like a hundred years ago, (2005) I found my way thru the dark forest to the enchanted land of SRP. I came bearing soap samples for men to try, and while they told me the shaving soap had the best slick they'd ever seen......it also had lousy lather :( the bubbles were too big, and it was runny. Who knew shaving soap could be so complicated!
I put my wares back in my basket and made my way to my little cottage in the woods. Sitting at my desk by candlelight, my faithful old dog at my feet, and I began taking a lot of notes, making more shaving soap than you can imagine and working out numerous math formulas. Now being that the old schoolmaster practically failed me for my astounding lack of math skills, this was a feat in and of itself lol.
For almost 18 months, I traipsed back and forth with my little basket full of shaving soap samples.....sending them here and yon, until I had shaving soap samples going out all of the world. All right here......from SRP :)
In exchange for the samples, men had to give me feedback in return, and this is how the "Original" formula for "The Gentlemen's Quarter" came about. So I know for sure......that the shaving soap is quality, because while I was the formulator, I based my formula upon the recommendation of many different men, from many countries, cultures, and beard types.
If I wasn't sure, I don't think I would have sent out so many samples lol, but I also understand that I need to sorda "earn my way back" and I'm prepared to run the gauntlet, so to speak. You'll be seeing more of me in the days ahead, and I have a tendency to throw in a crazy story or two along the way. Because I promise you that a girl who lives in the mountains, and carries around a basket of shaving soap tends to lead an interesting life ;)
I have so many samples now, i pasted on your offer. Very nice of you. Maybe next time i will get on-board and give it a try.
Thanks for the story. I can picture red riding hood and a wolf with a mouth full of soap.
Haven't tried the samples yet, but they smell great. Thanks again!
Hey Colleen. Glad to see you're back in the soap biz. I was wondering if you'll be bringing back the leatherneck scent. That was my favorite back in the day.
Hi sgbsteve. So good to see you again! I can't tell you how happy I am to be back ! I'd like to take a moment to give a world of credit to all the men who've kept after me for the last 8 years asking me to please reopen; I'm forever grateful for their confidence in "The Gentlemen's Quarter" shaving soaps. :)
While I still have the formula for the "Leatherneck" .....It's no longer available, except for what you see below. One of the blends used in creating it, was moved to a minimum order of 25# :dropjaw: which brought production to an immediate halt. All that remains of the "Leatherneck" is an EDP strength parfum that's been bottled up since 2010. It's everything you remember, and smoooooth lol. It's true that aging parfum brings it an added depth.
It's available in "Limited Quantity" only. When it's gone, it's gone forever :( Here's a piece of the description from the storefront:
..........it smells of leather, but not just any leather. Noooo.....this custom blend of leather is buttery smooth, and soft, swirling in warm liquid amber, a teasing spice of sandalwood, cedar, and citrus, with just a touch of musk. Presented in a masculine, heavy glass bottle with small opening and screw tight cap.
http://store7615153.ecwid.com
Attachment 290213
I purchased my first puck of TGQ Leatherneck shaving soap on January 1st, 2007 -- Colleen was running an "End of One Year, Start of the Next" extra-special sale, so how could I not? Anyway, it's been one of my top shaving soaps ever since. Likewise, when she unveiled her Leatherneck cologne extrait. I snapped one up, loved it, and later bought another. I learned (the hard way) that "cologne extrait" is not at all like "cologne"; what it IS is "strong"... like EDP. Long story short: It's not an aftershave, not like a Naniwa Super Stone -- you can't "Splash 'n Go"... nuh-uh.
If you're already considering the purchase of TGQ Leatherneck CX, go ahead and "pull the trigger" -- like Colleen wrote, "When it's gone, it's gone forever."
Smooth shaving!
Good Afternoon, Gentlemen :)
I've received notice that a few of you have starting receiving your soap samples and thought to share my experience with making lather. I use a separate bowl with about a gram + of shaving soap. Me....yes, I have to measure, it's the only way I know to be consistent lol. Microwave for 3 seconds or so to melt such a small amount.
For your samples - I would melt just enough to make it stick to the bottom of whatever container you're using. 3 seconds, 5 seconds.
I take a "DAMP" brush and start to load for 15 seconds or so, then I add about a teaspoon of water and whip it like crazy for a minute and depending on what it looks like, I may add another 1/2 tea or so of water. I always whip the lather for two minutes.
Short Version "Use minimal water"
I actually ordered a bottle last night along with some soap and a few other things.
Okay guys. Colleen was nice enough to send me some of her product so I should give an honest assessment. I have limited experience with nice shaving products so I may not be as articulate in my descriptions. I've gone back and added some notes so it may seem a little out of order.
She mentioned before softening a piece of soap in the microwave. I didn't think of that. The soap is firm so if you just break a piece of it off it can break apart a little in the bowl and not stick really well. That is the only potential con I can see and it seems easily remedied.
That being said.
+Smells great
+Lathers great
+Very slick. Possibly slicker than the soap I have from one other maker.
Used my Gillette Slim this morning and got a very comfortable shave. I believe some have used the word "cushion" in describing some soaps and it definitely has that.
Soap is very fragrant. I need to try find an unscented AS so I don't cover up the nice soap smell though.
Wife's perspective:
Wife thought the bars smelled strong, but I told her they need to be or you won't smell it at all once it is wiped off.
After I shaved with it she said she liked it better.
Of the three bars she was partial to the lavender so I think it will be her favorite of the three after I use them all. She was the reason I picked it. ;)
I don't care for the smell of my Proraso Sandalwood or a Sandalwood AS sample I bought once. That being said, Desert ironwood smells awesome!
Bay Rum w/ orange smelled a little similar to me, but I may be a little nose blind from diaper duty. It seemed a little more mellow. Maybe not as sharp?
Lavender was the softest scent of the three I received. Very nice. I was a little hesitant to use my free sample request on lavender because I usually think of those smelly lavender candles and other scented stuff you see in stores. Again, I was very pleased with the scent so I guess only like GOOD lavender.
Now I'll have to reluctantly share some of my samples with my Dad and see if he wants a bar of it. I have a feeling he will unless he likes the other scent I've given him before better.
Here is a pic before they all get smaller.
Attachment 290291
Good Morning :)
JP5 thank you for posting pics. I see the "Desert Ironwood" met with a little mishap during shipping! Ya know I have a customer who says he always grates his soap and then presses it into whatever container he's using. Just a thought.
Alrighty.... one more thought before I head out to the other job.
I'm gonna be a little quiet ( yes, I can actually do that lol) over the next day or two, but I'll be checking the thread and messages in case anyone has a question, and hey, just ask! I promise I have a answer ;) I want you to have time to use your samples for a few days, a week, ten days, etc. Please take your time.....no hurry.
I believe all will have received their samples by today or tomorrow, and our one international, I hope will have his in the next 5 days or so.
Now it is true, that I feel like this is my "You only get one chance to make a first impression", so your opinions, photographs, thoughts and/or suggestions are super important to me. So after you've had time to experiment a bit, shave for a couple of weeks, whatever you feel comfortable with in your overall impressions. I do hope that you'll post here on the thread.
I appreciate you lending your handsome face :)
Bay Rum
Attachment 290365
I am one of those with hard water. I am working on ways to make my samples work - e.g. a sprinkle of citric acid in my water or use more soap. I will next use the recommended distilled water to experience this great soap. However, I am just unwilling to go to that much trouble on a regular basis. So, this soap base is likely not for me. But you warned us, Colleen.
I do have to report that Gentlemen's Oak & Moss is one of the finest scents that I've experienced in a soap in a long time. At first whiff, you get mild citrus. But I just keep smelling it and getting more and more depth. Really lovely!
Thanks for the samples.
Good Morning :)
Yes, tis true.....if you have hard water then the "Original" formula won't really work, because it is a true natural soap. Hard water requires a detergent and/or chelators to counteract the minerals, the original formula has neither. Distilled water will solve that problem, but I do understand that's a bit of hassle. HOWEVER......and y'all will learn that is one of my absolute favorite words lol.
I do have a "Hard Water" formula in the works :) It's been tested by a few people and I've gotten really good feedback so far, but OCD person that I am, I feel like it needs a few tweaks before actual production. So Mr. Houston.....about the middle of July, I'll be making another request for testers here on SRP. Maybe I could put your name down on my list to try the formula, in exchange for feedback ??
I was really happy to hear that you liked the "Gentlemen's Oak & Moss". It really is a beautiful custom blend, men love it....and women love to smell it. It's what I call a "win, win" ;)
Well international shipping came through today! It took every fiber of my being to not chew in the lavender bar it smelled so good. Follow up pics and reviews as I shave and play with the samples. Thanks for your generous samples and excellent service!
Attachment 290456
I'll apologize upfront for the delay in getting this review on here. It's been a tremendously draining couple of weeks both at work and home.
First the scents:
I'm not one that can eloquently describe all the subtle aromas I'm getting on the soaps (any aroma for that matter). I will say that all are spot on and there wasn't a single one I did not thoroughly enjoy. I'll give what I feel is a strong, definitive description that was the first thing to pop into my head when I gave them a snort. Desert Ironwood is my favorite, but the other two are awesome (just a personal edge to the DI)
Desert Ironwood-just plain SEXY ! I would walk around in a bubble of this stuff if I could. I want a puck to put in my car. I would put a puck in the air ducts at home. I would use this as a laundry softener. I would buy the wife a "perfume" version of this stuff! The DI totally delights me. I just plain feel good from my head to my toes when this scent hits me. If I was a dog my hind leg would be doing 150mph.
Cavendish Black- MANLY. This reminds me of the old timers I use to talk to as a kid. I was a late kid-three older sisters that were all out of the house by the time I was 4; my parents were the age of everyone else's grandparents...so, I spent a lot time with my parents friends. CB takes me back to a carefree time spent gaining wisdom from my elders. Yes, I was very aware at a young age that the time I spent with my parent's friends in conversation was worth more than I could imagine. I was fortune to have parents that instilled in me from a young age the wealth of knowledge I could gain from my elders. It's a comfort thing with CB and me. Reminds me of a "better time".
Oak and Moss-REFRESHING. Maybe an odd choice of a description, but to me it reminds me of being up in the mountains on a beautiful afternoon with the sun and tempt just right for a soft flannel shirt and a fly rod in my hand. I live in San Diego county now, and I'm a mountain man at heart. For a scent to transport me to where I WANT to be vs where work has taken me is invaluable. This scent is a "daily driver" for me and a another "comfort" thing for me. It takes me to "better place" and state of mind; kind of like the total "ahhhhhh" I felt when I came home to visit my parents after I first moved out. I would be at total peace on those visits. OM does that for me.
Performance:
Colleen told me she had used a lot of wet shaver's input and trial/error to develop her formula. IT SHOWS. It took me a shave or two to dial it in (that's all on me...I'm in a "trying synthetics" phase and trying different know sizes, too! So, getting the lather I wanted was on me not the soap).
The cushion and glide/slickness I got provided one of the smoothest shaves I've had in over a year. Although I was playing with totally new types of brushes I did used a tried and true 6/8's that has become an extension of my hand. These soaps gave me the cushion and slickness that I've found with some of my favorite "go to soaps" (CF, WK). Post shave was more than hydrated and irritation free (for a baseline: normally I don't have a problem with post shave dryness or soap irritation).
When it's all said and done I have to give Colleen a "WELL DONE YOUNG LADY, WELL DONE!"
She has a customer that has already been signing her praises to a co-worker (a young man at work that I converted to wet shaving). I'll be ordering some of her soap during my next "soap run" (I've got a ton of samples that are probably going to last me the next 8-10 months).
Cheers and be safe everyone,
Jer
In for Desert Ironwood car air freshener.
MedicineMan....that has to be in the top 3 of best ever feedback in terms of detail. Honestly I can't thank you enough for taking the time to write in such descriptive terms. I can only say that I was grinning from ear to ear, and clapping my hands, yay! There was one thing though, that really caught my attention and that was your description of the "Cavendish Black".
When I create a scent, it's not done in a haphazard way; there is always a memory or my own peculiar thoughts attached to each custom blend. The CB is my memory of my Grandfather and a different way of living than what this world offers up today. He died when I was a young girl, but I have such wonderful memories of him, and of how things "used to be". I don't know, sounds crazy, but when you mentioned the same vein of thought, it just made me proud. Ya know like I did it! I captured the memory.
So I thought I'd share a little clip of what's written on the shop for the CB shaving soap:
The original intent of this Masculine Blend comes from early memories of my Grandfather. Born in the foothills of Pike Co Kentucky in 1907. Average height, slender build, hair black as the coal buried in the mountains, and eyes a piercing blue. My Grandfather, was anything but "average". His nickname was "White Lightnin"...... now some folks would say that a name like that must've had somethin to do with "Moonshine" ( maybe ;) ) but what it really meant, was that's how fast he'd hit ya in a fight ....lol.
Of course by the time I came along in this story my Grandfather had grown older, and settled down a bit. He was a lay preacher in little town called "Birch River" WV. Back then....population was around 40 plus, give or take a few. His favorite rabbit dog "Lady" would also attend church sitting in the front lol.
Two things in particular that I remember was his soft laughter and the smell of his pipe tobacco. Good Memories!
Oddly enough sounds like my pops was a lot like your grandfather. He had a bit of a wild side-prior to my birth. When he did settle down (well into his marriage to my mother) he SETTLED down-started preaching.
I'd say you nailed it with the Cavendish Black (at least for me).
Side note: Pike Co is some beautiful country. Always loved my time living and roaming through Kentucky.
Jer
How crazy is that! maybe we're cousins lol
Good Afternoon Gentlemen :)
I know I seemed to drop off the planet there, sorry about that. I asked that my "Father's Day Sale" post be moved to a separate thread. It's my intent to keep this particular thread open for us to have discussions about TGQ shaving soap, ingredients, aftershaves etc. whatever you would like know, and/or to make suggestions regarding products you would like for me to add.
Yes....I did take note regarding the "Desert Ironwood" everything lol
Annnnd for ME to ASK YOU questions. I need a lot of input. I'm afraid my fella doesn't really shave, and the remaining men in my family all have beards. Pretty common here in the mountains. It puts me at a disadvantage when formulating, so while the "Original" shaving soap is a finished product, so to speak. My "Hard Water" formula needs tweaking. Now tis true, a few months ago I sent out samples on FB to test for hard water, and actually I had really good results. I was very pleased. The problem, lay more in how cost effective the formula would be at the given ratio of ingredients I put in....sigh. Hmmm....so what to do now? Lower the ratio, find the breaking point? Orrrrrr...... or I can use a proven base that some well known artisans use and tweak it to my preference, and then I'll need to send out samples, so I can discern what your preference is, because in the end, that's all that counts ;)
Hope everyone is having an awesome weekend!
Out of curiosity. What makes your soap firmer? Is this intentional or a result of making a soap that lathers a certain way?:shrug:
Tried the microwave method to soften it up. That seemed well. I guess if I wanted to lather off a puck (normally I don't) I could just warm it up to shape to whatever bowl/mug I was going to use and let it dry.