The Obie Memorial First Tier Soaps and Creams Thread.

[nessmuck]

Does that Sterling ....come in a cream...or just puck soap ?

[GreenRipper]

Does that Sterling ....come in a cream...or just puck soap ?

Stirling only offers pucks, as far as I know. The pucks lather very well even with a soft brush so that shouldn't be a barrier for you. I'll also note that they offer sample pucks so you can check out performance and fragrance before dropping the money on full sized pucks.

[nessmuck]

Where Youns getting the Sterling soap ?

[joelkerr]

I've been slowly working my way through soap samples that come highly recommended in this thread, and it's very educational. I recently started on Le Père Lucien traditional soap, and I absolutely love it. I really enjoy the lemony scent, surprisingly (and my girlfriend loves it!). I find the lather to be wonderful - easy to whip up, creating a nice, full lather that is slick but not too slick. I've shaved four times with it so far, and every shave has been great. I'm definitely going to buy a full tub of this soap soon.

The PannaCrema Vuavia Verde is a different story, however. I found the lather to be difficult to build, it was super finicky and inconsistent. I found the scent to be too strong, and too "perfume-y", for lack of a better word. I prefer a more subtle scent. After 10 shaves with this soap, and only 1 good shave, I threw out the rest.

After the sample of Le Père Lucien, I have a few more samples to go (Czech & Speake, Klar Seifen, Pré de Province). I'm really enjoying trying the samples without committing to buying a whole tub! It's really giving me a chance to figure out what I like and don't like in a soap, which in turn makes me feel ok with spending more money on a couple really great soaps rather than less money on a bunch of mediocre soaps.

Thanks Obie and everybody on this thread for your suggestions, opinions and ideas!

[Phrank]

I've got my LPL soaps, lids off, sitting in a nice place, going to give them some time to air out.

Interesting though, is that there was some, "lore" around MdC, saying to do the same thing, leave the lid off for a good while to fully allow the soap to develop, never done it with MdC and never had a problem with it.

I will give the LPL a chance to air out, see if that makes a difference, as the Cologne / Fougere, one I was very much looking forward to, was a complete bust - lots of soap used, little to no lather, figure it can't hurt to try. Strange though, couple of my LPL soaps are stars, the Oud is fantastic, really an outstanding soap, scent it beautiful, and it's an easy performer.

So I'm going to give this a test, let them sit out for awhile....

Well, since taking SemperFi's suggestion, since I posted this, I've had most of my LPL soaps "curing" with the lids off.

The one especially troublesome soap, and one I was quite hoping to enjoy, The Cologne / Fougere I tried tonight after all this time with the lid off.

Well I was quite surprised, this soap performed beautifully this time, no thin lather drying off or disappearing, thick robust lather...so I guess LPL has in some cases manages to cure their soaps so results are great, and others don't get any or not enough, which might go to explain this wildly difference experience so many seem to have with this soap.

Anyhow, thought I mention this seemed to work, glad it did, now I know if I order any more of these fine soaps what to do.

[SemperFi]

Awesome news with your LPL, Andrew--glad it worked and thanks for posting your results! Am still curing mine--have been weighing it weekly to measure the water loss. Know that's kinda anal but once it's done, I'll have quantifiable results to share...am hoping I get the same results as you--a great soap in the rotation!

[Phrank]

Awesome news with your LPL, Andrew--glad it worked and thanks for posting your results! Am still curing mine--have been weighing it weekly to measure the water loss. Know that's kinda anal but once it's done, I'll have quantifiable results to share...am hoping I get the same results as you--a great soap in the rotation!

Very cool - and not anal at all...if you can quantify it we know the what and the why.

Although the soaps have definitely dried out, I'm tempted to let them sit longer.

And this would explain the inconsistency I'd think, but it seems strange that LPL wouldn't pay more attention to this...

[BobH]

Glad you guys found a cure for the inconsistent performance of LPL. That finishes LPL for me when I have to cure a soap after I have bought. Plenty of excellent soaps that work from the get go to be bothered with that. Mine went into the trash.

Bob

[Phrank]

Glad you guys found a cure for the inconsistent performance of LPL. That finishes LPL for me when I have to cure a soap after I have bought. Plenty of excellent soaps that work from the get go to be bothered with that. Mine went into the trash.

Bob

Really...just a really shake your head thing...why LPL wouldn't properly cure their soaps, or do whatever is needed to do to ensure that customers received a consistent experience. If this is the case, it really makes you wonder if they don't get that part right, what else are they "overlooking"...just kinda baffles my mind.

[SemperFi]

What you said were my thoughts--plus it'd give folks a rough baseline for how long it may take a LPL soap to dry.

My guess is that Cyril is aware, hence his mention of letting his soaps air on his website, but it would be pure, and perhaps unfair, speculation on my part as to why LPL does not cure their soaps longer before distribution.

Definitely hoping giving them more cure time nails the inconsistency issue!

Edit: Bob got his post out before I finished this ones & am responding to post 1139.