Hi Guys.
Just a quick post to see what everyones favourite soap of the moment is. I'm currenrly using Dr Dittmar soap and found it to be great, any you guys tried? Also just looking for idea to try some others soaps?
Thanks Fellas
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Hi Guys.
Just a quick post to see what everyones favourite soap of the moment is. I'm currenrly using Dr Dittmar soap and found it to be great, any you guys tried? Also just looking for idea to try some others soaps?
Thanks Fellas
Mama Bear's Star Anise has been my go to soap the last couple of days.
Maggards lime and Martin de Candre
If money is no object, it is martin De Candre all the way. If you want to buy a great soap cheap, you cannot beat Razorocks
I have not tried as many as others but my go to is Mama Bear's in Dragons Blood. If you don't have a puck of Mama's you have no bench mark to judge by. Now I have tired Mdc at the top of the list and all the way to the bottom and a few in between. When I get to try a new one guess what it has to compare too :<0)
And to be fair I have not tried a lot of the soaps sold by vendors here. I hear Brad's is good and I want to try that but I need to build a shed if I get any more soap right now.
Geez - that's an interesting question.
For me, I have yet to try a soap that I thought was going to be great and it turned out, "meh".
I mean, for a $1.50 and a puck of Williams, well, it made lather and shaved, so no complaints.
The heavy hitters, all good....so I guess I would say I have yet to try a soap that completely bombed, caught me by surprise and was just terrible. Every soap I've tried has been fairly unique, with several soaps, for me, being outstanding. Now what's outstanding for me, may not be for you...so it's just a matter of experimenting, until as 10Pups said, you need to build a shed to store all the soaps in, or, as in my case, your wife looks at you with her arms crossed and declares, "Sheesh, you and your shaving, you have more soaps than I do!!!" ;)
My favorite soap is mama bears lime ice. Feels great and the girlfriend surprised me with it :)
Same boat as Phrank, all the ones I have tried seem to work allowing you to shave. I mean even the crappy Williams will, once you learn how to beat it into submission, provides a usable lather.
I wind up with a few favourites based on performance, scent and bang for the buck. The favourite best bang for the buck, enjoyable scent, for me, and great lather would be Arko. The favourite all arounders which balance in equal portions bang for the buck, scent and great lather would be a toss up between RR The Freedberg and good old Tabac. The last favourite which offers the least bang for the buck, from my POV, but great scent and great lather would be Martin De Candre.
They all have one common attribute, producing a great lather. Without that the shave would be sub par regardless of bang for the buck or scent.
Bob
Geez, that's a tough question; my favorite seems to change with my mood, the weather, and maybe the day of the week!
Having said that, several soaps/creams immediately come to mind. In no particular order:
- Tabac
- Topanga Fougère, by Los Angeles Shaving Soap Company
- Bespoke #1, by Los Angeles Shaving Soap Company
- Mitchell's Wool Fat
- Sea Buckthorn Shaving Cream, by Mühle
- Sandalwood Shaving Cream, by Art of Shaving
I am enjoying omega at the moment, its not over expensive but gives a nice shave, as does MDC, but i don't believe that MDC is good value for money (much like bob). i havent used it in a while but palmolive shaving stick was my staple for about 17 years, and if i hadnt got into straights would most likely still happily be using it, and once the supplies are run down i may well invest the $1.59 for another one.
Windosr of Dr. Harris....simply amazing!!!!! i love the small...probably i'll buy A.S.
Right now I'm sure enjoying the Penhaligon's Sartorial Soap. it's great stuff. I'd bet it would make Obie cry.
Currently using Castle Forbes lime and I am enjoying it. I just ordered WSP pumpkin spice and sandalwood. I have been wanting to try the WSP Rustic Soaps and when I saw their post about pumpkin spice it got me more curious so I placed an order. Also tonight I read some review of Tiki soaps and thinking I will try them out as well. I'm getting too many soaps...if their is such a thing :shrug:
Maggard's Lime and Bergamot right now.
Oh man, I love soap discussions because I love soaps! At last count I have around 40...there are so many good ones, but my favorite at the moment is Mama Bear's Peppermint Lavender, because I love lavender and as a result my all time favorite is and will always be Martin De Candre.
I agree with Ed and Bob, MdC is great but pricy.
My favs now are
Czech and Speake #88
Castle Forbes Lavender
Tabac
MdC Fougere
TOBS Sandalwood
Today, the rotation offers for my pleasure MWF. A great soap but I presently prefer the above.
Dave
MDC and Castle Forbes Lavender,
Then it's a toss up on scent as long as the lather is good, recently I've been using my Cella as for bang for the buck the MDC is as bad as most think , in my comparison it uses less soap to make a great lather than my Castle Forbes, so it seems it will be the same cost in the end ,, but it's all YMMV. But I,m still using my MDC almost a year later and I have given some to friends to try and with it being my go to cream it still has quite a bit left. Tc
I having been using MdC and am amazed at how little I have used thus far. It is an amazing soap. It is expensive and shipping is expensive but I will last a long time and it is truly a wonderful soap
I've been using Col Conk's bay rum as my daily "go to" that I do really like. I received 3 others in the sample pack but haven't had a chance to try them. I am also using "C&E" Nomad occasionally. I am a bit challenged building a lather in the wooden bowl without it cascading everywhere. I know this is contributing to the drying affect. I can't lather my whole face without it really dragging on the razor. If I wet my hand and run it over the lather it helps but....... To be fair I should cut it out of the bowl and put it in my mug so I can whip it like it should be. I do love the scent so I haven't given up on it yet.
One thing I have noticed about myself. Now that I'm wet shaving with soaps, I'm not near as happy with any cream products. Go figure :shrug:
I've got 4 soaps in the Shave Den but the 'Go To' stays the same:
- Mitchell's Wool Fat.
The others that I will use from time to time, and make no mistake, I find them to be Awesome as Well, are:
- Tabac
- D.R. Harris' Arlinton
- Cella
I just used the Maggard Lime and Bergamot for the second time in 2 days and just love the scent and the shave it provides. I don't just mean I like it...I LOVE IT!
De Vergulde Hand, MWF, Cold River, BSBC and Maggards
SRD's Bulgarian Rose rules as does MDC.
Thanks for all the responses fellas, thats certainly gave me plenty of ammunition for the shaving shopping supply shopping list,haha. Just thinking there that we are a bunch of guys that put very sharp knives to our necks every day, talking about soaps and how nice they smell, lols, quite the dichotomy. Better butch it up a bit incase any of the wives have a look at our posts and think wer going soft, lols.................
Aye so am lookin for some shaving soap that smells like gasoline or diesel, maybe engine oil, any you boys got any ideas, hit me up If you get a minute on the ad break of the football / ufc / nascar. lols :rofl2:
Thanks again fellas. Your info and input is as always very much appreciated.
I'm a synthetic fan, just doesn't break down when the razor is traveling so fast. I'm thinking that I start with 5-15 Mobile One. I can get a few more miles between changes. A little glycerin added to dino oil does help relieve the drag....... I can remember wearing 90 wt trail side in my 4 wheelin' days. Oh the scent of it, manly compared to our soaps and potions. OK, time to leave the shop talk and back to talking about dangerous habits. Sharp steel to skin.......
still sounds manly to me!
G
It is amazing. I bet I shaved 10 times just using the MdC soap stuck to the jar lid. 8 light swirls with a good brush and you are good to go with MdC.
The MdC website says a jar should last a year if you leave the lid off and allow the soap to dry. This is probably good advice for anyone using MdC everyday, but with a rotation of 12 soaps I have started leaving the lid on to prevent excessive drying. YMMV
Dave
Dave
MdC will always be King. Barrister & Mann Lime, Lavender, and Cedarwood, Mike's Hungarian Lavender/Orange, Cedarwood, and Black Pepper, and Palmolive Classic cream are getting it done at the moment.
Right now I'm on a MWF trip.
MdC and others are perhaps even better imho, but there is something about the Wool fat that keeps me reaching for it quite often.
Aqua Di Parma, saw it in JBHoren's SOTD - simply awesome...probably the nicest soap I've ever tried, I'd put it slightly above MDC...it really is that good IMO.
Damn! That will change my whole game. I've been building the lather in the mug w/the puck in it. It will also make it possible to change up the soaps. I imagined everyone's "shave den" to be filled with the different mugs, scuttles and such to deal with all the different soaps y'all use. I saw a picture of a soap collection placed in small glass bowls so I assumed that you left the puck in the mug until gone....... Now I have something else to try. THANKS for the help.
There are quite a few YouTube vids on how to lather. This one shows two different ways of loading your brush from a puck of soap. Although he face lathers after loading the brush to build a lather on his face you can alternatively go to a bowl instead to build your lather before applying it to your face. Just add a bit/few drops of water as needed when you work with a bowl. Good luck.
Bob
Lathering Tutorial - How to lather a shaving soap - YouTube