The Obie Memorial First Tier Soaps and Creams Thread.

[Gasman]

Thanks for agreeing phrank. I dont remember the scent i grabbed last night but it wasnt gin and tonic. Thing it had s9mething to do with the word gentleman. That was hours ago. I cant remember that far back. CRS is kicking in again. Or, maybe its the gas fumes on a hot summer day.

[Obie]

I thought id pull out something i havent used in a while. So dug under the sink and found some Sterling. Lathered it up and i have to say, thats zome good stuff. Last time i used it i really had no idea what i was feeling for as i was still in the beginning stages. Now i got a better understanding and i enjoyed it. Id say it was right up there will the MDC. You have to load the brush a little more but besidez that it was very close to the same.
Dont ban me for saying this as i know MDC is the best and i agree but the sterling was a very close runner up.

No banning, Jerry. Your thoughts and comments are always welcome here.

[GreenRipper]

I'm pretty much on the same page as Jerry and Phrank. I've not yet sampled the reported wonders of MDC but I find Stirling to be every bit as good as D.R. Harris, despite being a rather different experience. The Gin & Tonic is one of my favorites along with Margaritas in the Arctic and the line of fragrances is diverse enough that almost anyone should be able to find something they like.

I had the opportunity to meet Rod and Mandy Lovan at the St. Louis meet back in June and they are great folks who seem to truly understand the sense of community among traditional wet shavers. This isn't a reason to buy an inferior product but it does mean that the owners of Stirling know that word gets around and they are genuinely working to produce a product that the community wants to buy.

[celestino]

I thought id pull out something i havent used in a while. So dug under the sink and found some Sterling. Lathered it up and i have to say, thats zome good stuff. Last time i used it i really had no idea what i was feeling for as i was still in the beginning stages. Now i got a better understanding and i enjoyed it. Id say it was right up there will the MDC. You have to load the brush a little more but besidez that it was very close to the same.
Dont ban me for saying this as i know MDC is the best and i agree but the sterling was a very close runner up.

I have the same sentiment as you. Furthermore, I have never enjoyed MdC, especially, the scent. I much prefer most artisanal tallow soaps. Stirling is a very good soap, especially, considering its price.

[Gasman]

I was kidding about being banned. Ha. I do enjoy MDC a lot. The cost is what sets it off for me. The scent is not as strong as id like but the Sterling (btw, Sharp Dressed Man is what i had the other day) is a quality soap, make great lather, has a good slickness to it and a nice after shave feel on the skin.

My only issue with Sterling is the ones with the menthol in it. Maybe im alergic? Maybe i just hate menthol? I just find when i put menthol anywhere near my eyes they close and tear up. It a bit hard to shave with your eyes closed. Id rather not try it blindfolded. Ha.

Thanks for a great thread.

[Gibbs]

Got in 2 new things to try out today. From Buy Individual Razor Blades for Double Edge, Single Edge and Shavettes I got in some of the Feather AC Pro SoftGuard blades as well a jar of Geo. F. Trumpers ALMOND Shaving Cream. Wow!! this stuff is great!! Very slick and very aromatic. The Feather blade I used in a SS Japanese Feather Razor and after going down my right cheek.... WOW!! WOW!!!! What a blade! Very smooth and close shave, and even went Against The Grain. Sharp? Well, I did manage to get over zealous around my right lip area and caused a small weeper there, and the whiskers are totally gone. The blade is still a Feather for sharp, and it just makes for a very comfortable blade to shave with, at least with me. The Geo. F. Trumper was so good I wish I could have spread it on angel food cake.

[Razorfeld]

Obie, the thought occurred to me a little while ago that I don't recall you mentioning any Japanese shaving products (or other Asian countries.) Are there any of note that you are aware of?

[Obie]

Richard, my friend,

That is an excellent question. I am sure there are many such products, but I have not tried them. Arko, in the Third Tier, is from Turkey. I have seen photos of soaps and creams from other Asian countries, but I have not tried them.

If I recall, when I was in Tokyo on R&R from Vietnam, in 1968, I used a Japanese shave cream, but the name escapes me. A friend who was visiting Tehran, Iran, sent me a photo of a shave product shelf in a store that contained several shave soaps and creams, but I don't know what I did with it.

There are some good products from Bulgaria, in eastern Europe, namely Rose of Bulgaria shave cream, which I have in Second or Third Tier.

I am sure shave soaps and creams are produced in many countries in Asia. Perhaps we'll hear from followers of this thread who have used them, or have heard of them and have photos. That would be useful information.

[dimab]

Obie, the thought occurred to me a little while ago that I don't recall you mentioning any Japanese shaving products (or other Asian countries.) Are there any of note that you are aware of?

Well, there is this Kamisoriclub GreenTea Soap. I've never heard anything particularly good about it, but It's going for $15 a puck (small one - 45g) on this club's site - so it'd better not be a total disaster...

[Srdjan]

I've got one of those KamisoriClub, unopened, thanks to our own Arsenico. Now that it's been brought up, I'll crack it open on the weekend. The soap was made for the Facebook group "Kamisori shavers Club" (duh), as a one time thing, if I'm not mistaken. I guess people weren't impressed? We shall see...

Japanese aftershaves on the other hand, are absolutely wonderful. Also thanks to Arsenico, I have a couple of flavors of Auslese (Shiseido), Vintage (Shiseido), and my absolute favorite in this foul summer heat, Lucido (Mandom Corp).