I've used them, similar experience, more work to lather than I like, and the reward is mediocre in my opinion.
Printable View
Hey thanks, Andrew--wanted to see if others were getting similar results. This was a soap I really wanted to like but these are a couple more that didn't work out.
On a bright note, liked your post on Shiloh--spot on! It's a great performer and scent. Like you and Obie, I really like her Irving Park as well--Vida is really putting out nice stuff at a great price (her matching balms are decent as well).
I think you're going to enjoy the Nera! Srdjan's experience with the scent was a bit different than mine and Nelson's (the bigspender and I got a much stronger citrus experience and longevity). No biggie though, this newest PC is a great soap--enjoy my friend, and looking forward to your take on it!
Thanks for your feedback, Richard! The scents are well done, and I liked both that I tried. Yep, I thought the performance wasn't quite there but wasn't sure if that was due to the lather breaking down as my shave progressed. I'll probably keep the Fitjar around for when I use a DE.
On a different note, the CRSW Glide you recommend is a great soap--really enjoy all 3 scents and they are a pleasure to use--thanks!
I do the same thing--I have to rush out an hour or two early a couple mornings a week and use a DE or SE when rushed--I save my average performing soaps and creams with scents that I like, for those mornings. Fitjar is one of those creams. Now when I want to enjoy a luxurious straight razor shave, I'll reach for Glide. A new Glide scent comes out tomorrow called Morning Ghost, a green, earthy, spicy vetiver.
So after deciding I wasn't going to get some soaps for a while...you guys talked me into the WK sample pack.
May be a hard sell. After Tc sent me some MDC I'm pretty sure I could just use it the rest of my life (yep I like it that much. I'm in the process of giving away or banning the rest of my soaps to the shower. Except my first love CF Lime. I'll always have a tub of that wonderful soft cream and that delicious fragrance.
Really hope the WK is the real deal. They actually had me nibbling at "donkey milk" I've just been waiting for big recommendation like MAKING IT TO OBIE'S TOP TIER LIST-a man has to give it a whirl at that point.
Oleo do samples?
jer
Thanks for the tip--I'm on it if I can get an order in; am hoping Larry does a Glide citrus down the road. He really nailed it with this line of soaps.
Hey Jer, I thought I saw Vida was now offering Oleo samples--may want to give her site a go over the next few days (she's down right now, waiting for supplies...forum must have bought her out :D). Both MdC and CF really have set the bar high for great soaps. You may also want to give CRSW Glide a try--stellar soaps at a fantastic price.
Gentlemen,
I used Fitjar some years ago, cream or soap, I'm not sure, and recall not being all that impressed with it. Was the lather anemic, or was something else lacking in it? I don't remember. So I forgot about it.
As soon as the Pay Pal went through for WK I jumped over to Oleo with the intention of checking samples. BAM site down! Ah well. I'll wait for my WK and use up the rest of the MDC that Tc gifted me...it'll be tuff but I guess I'll make do (what kind of world is it when I'm reduced to having to use MDC!:rofl2:)
Just had my first shave with the Nera and wow....another absolute stunner from Panna Crema.
I didn't find the citrus overwhelming at all, really felt like their other offerings, it was a robust soap, but confined a little bit more towards that higher notes, which may lead to the preponderance of the citrus.
The other three, Blu, Verde and Rossa I found to be incredibly complex soaps, with a wide massive horizontal and vertical (if you can use that term) menu of scents...awesome.
The Nera was more refined, lots of different notes to it, the patchouli was noticeable which I loved, and the vanilla I found calmed the other scents down, interesting add with the vanilla. I could smell the mandarin, and a few crept into my nose as well, but overall, stunning soap and easily a Tier 1 for me like the other three.
Going to use this soap for the next couple of shaves.
I always find the first time I use a soap, once it gets some water on it and some air, the soap really develops, and absolutely looking forward to using this one a few more times.
5 Stars for me on this one...worth every penny in my opinion.
Semper Fi for the Win!
Thanks for the call out on this one....:beer1:
Andrew, love your take on the scent! Always fun seeing other's impressions in this area. Nera definitely is PC's most complex and well-crafted scent thus far. I think they hit it out the park on this one!
Andrew, I'm really glad you like the soap; otherwise, you might have hit me with a snowball and with it thrown all the way from Canada and traveling downhill to Colorado, it would hurt like hell! :rofl2:
Hey Obie, thanks on your Fitjar feedback! Your, Richard, and Andrew's feedback was helpful--the soap just isn't all that great in the performance dept. I like the scents so will probably keep it around for DE days since those are fast shaves.
Hey Glide fans, not sure if you saw Richard's mention a few posts back that CRSW is releasing a new Glide scent today, "Morning Ghost" (which also describes me until I've had my first cup of morning coffee:D).
I ordered it shortly after it was available this morning and just checked a few minutes ago and it's still in stock: https://www.coldriversoapworks.com/s...ing-cream-soap
I've been really impressed--nice scents and awesome performance--with the 3 Glide soaps I've thus far used...personally, I think it's a fantastic bargain at $23 with shipping included.
Just tried the Oleo JACMEL VETIVERIA, another hit right out of the Park, nothing but net, and picked off the corner of the goalpost and into the net.
This one right up there with Irving Park, still smell it after the shave and after a nice thick application of Esbjerg Aftershave Oil, great stuff, so dry here...beautiful smelling soap.
This one, to me, some nice bottom notes, but not really strong, a solid middle, nice wide ranging, but there a couple of scents that sit on top, you think you smell one thing, then another pops out. Really nice sitting here as the range of scents keeps hitting the nose....highly recommend this one.
Man, she's like old Boss Top 40 AM radio, "...the hits just keep on coming!" ;)
The new Glide Morning Ghost is fantastic, a vetiver that is very earthy and spicy, and the scent is at least 8/10 in strength, if not 9/10. Of course, Glide is one of the slickest cream soaps available, and has fantastic post shave moisturizing properties, leaving your face feeling soft and great throughout the day.
I was able to try my samples of PannaCrema Blu, Rossa, and Verde. Performance if very nice! A top performer IMO. All 3 scents are very faint. If I were to purchase a full size it would be the Blu. Blue is a bit stronger than the others and a nice complex scent. It is, however, quite pricey! The jury is still out if it is worth the cost for me. I will most likely ask for this one as a bday gift.
Other samples I tried:
Tallow & Steel – Moracco – very pungent tobacco like. I was so put off by the scent I could not even get to lather
Savonniere du Moulin Donkey Milk – Not for me. it smelled rancid...
Richard, thanks for your impressions of Morning Ghost! :tu Mine arrived today and it's my soap for tomorrow morning. Glide is now one of my go-to soaps; hands down, its stellar!
Hey Rich, I'm glad PC worked for and I'm with you on the Blu...it's my favorite PC soap. Yep, between its base price and its shipping expense, receiving it as a birthday present from either Phrank or Obie is the way to go! :roflmao
Just had a shave with the new Glide, "Morning Ghost", and wow, what a winner.
Richard / Jay - this soap is really fantastic, beautiful lather, great scent that is present, both described perfectly so I will not add....but love this one right up there with the Oleo and MdC and PC.
I gave the other Glide scents a try recently, and while not as in your face as this one, they've developed, and they are really a premium soap.
And I know this scent was good and present, because it managed to overpower that pungent new badger knot smell that one of my new M&F brushes has...whew...beautiful knots from Lee, used the M&F Coral Finest Badger, wow, he really knows how to put together a brush.
So going to take another swing with the Glide, "Morning Ghost", and this time use a well broken in brush so I can smell just the soap....stinky badger I don't think will ever make it as scented shave soap....whew!!
But complete thumbs up for this one....glad I wasn't cynical and passed on it....easily Tier 1 in my opinion.
Where can I get some?
Andrew, am with you and Richard on Morning Ghost--Larry nailed it in all aspects with this one. Am wondering, as he receives more feedback, if he'll increase the scent strength on his other Glide soaps like he did with MG?
Nonetheless, all his Glide soaps are Tier 1 in performance! These have become some of my regular go-to suds for fantastic shaves. :D
Loving your new MF brushes my friend, especially the coral one you mentioned--totally my type/style of brush...well done on your MF scores!
Am about to call it a night now, but if I remember, tomorrow, I'll post my go-to method for reducing new brush badger smell and general cleaning (is awesome especially for getting rid of hard water soap scum) without being harsh on a brush--it's fast, easy, and works a treat!
I've read up years before on how to reduce that smell, frankly, it's so seldom you get a brush with that rank, stanky smell, I admit, I'm almost enjoying it.
My first L7 M&F Blonde Badger brush I purchased years ago smelled horrible, and at that time, I didn't know that badger brushes could smell like that. I remember, rotating through my brushes, and every time I came to that M&F just finally cluing in to the fact that it was the brush that smelled like something died and crawled up inside it....LOL...gave it a nice bath in some borax I believe and that sorted it out...but was funny shaving with that brush for months, and every time I used it wondering WTF was that smell????
So, this brought back some fond beginner memories....:D
I have a recent M&F brush and it was the stinkiest badger I have ever had. The thing is most manufacturers wash the hair to some degree before assembly, he does not.
It resisted most conservative washing routines. I finally soaked the thing in vinegar alternating with tide several times and I finally got the smell out.
I rinsed/cleaned one brush using vinegar, and Simpson's brush, and maybe it's just me, but that brush was never the same afterwards. The knot went from bouncing back firmly, to a soft wet mess when used again...will never use vinegar again, YMMV...
Having said that, Borite worked wonderfully, and actually somewhat revived my Simpson's....
These are 2 great products that, when used in combination, do a great job of cleaning brushes. They also work very well for getting badger funk out of new brushes and help with their break in as well (gets the other crud out of a new brush, too).
Besides being effective, they both are gentle, which is a huge bonus. In the past I’ve tried some of the other methods (vinegar, borax, and etc.), and frankly those methods struck me as harsh on, and potentially damaging to, expensive brushes.
I've used this combo monthly on my brushes for a few years now and am never disappointed with the results.
I start with the Zartgefühl Pinselseife (a shave/makeup brush soap) first and bowl lather a brush. The lather builds well and etc.; I'll let a brush sit for a few minutes with the soap in it (usually while I'm lathering a second brush), then give it a thorough rinse.
I then use the Kenra Clarifying Shampoo. I'll put just a little into a bowl, build the lather, then let the brush sit a few before giving it a thorough rinse. What this shampoo does is remove soap scum and etc., and it does a fantastic job with getting soap and scum residue completely out of brushes without any harm or harshness to a brush. This stuff is especially the bomb if you have hard water.
The whole operation takes at the most 5 minutes for a single brush. When I'm done and my brushes are dry, they are clean and soft and not damaged. When breaking in a new brush, I do the above routine usually after I'm finished shaving for about 3 or 4 consecutive days…works a treat!
It doesn't take much of either product, so they last quite awhile.
The Zartgefühl Pinselseife is available at The Superior Shave for $16, which includes shipping: Zartgefühl Brush-Cleansing Soap
The Kenra Clarifying Shampoo is available on Amazon for $13, without shipping if you're not a Prime member: https://www.amazon.com/Kenra-Clarify...ifying+Shampoo
Hmm, no issues with my brushes after vinegar.
The mild acid of vinegar wasn't a concern, brushes just smelled like an old woman's douche for a few. :rofl2:
OneBlade lavender shave cream
I did not know what to expect from the shave cream from the folks at OneBlade. This is a new single edge razor with a pivoting head — I will write a review of it in SAFETY RAZORS as soon as I can.
When I first used the OneBlade cream a few days ago, I thought of the Castle Forbes lavender cream. The two scents are quite close. I even thought the cream was made for OneBlade by Castle Forbes. Not so, I am told; rather, the cream, in many respects, emulates Castle Forbes' lavender shave cream.
I really like this cream: it produces luxurious lather with a minimal amount on the brush. The cream has the ideal amount of moisture, with impressive residual slickness. The cushion especially is notable — it is lovely on the skin. Also important, are the cream's aftershave properties, which leave the skin smooth and comfortable.
OneBlade shave cream's lavender scent is earthy and quite pleasing. Those of you who use the Castle Forbes lavender cream will not be disappointed in the scent from the OneBlade cream. This is good stuff, gentlemen, and for me, it easily belongs in the First Tier.
Interesting, was just on their site, and they actually offer Castle Forbes products, and a razor with shaving gear setup featuring Castle Forbes....so wonder if you are in fact correct, that CF did somehow make their Laender shaving cream, going to hunt down the ingredients list.
Obie - so did you actually come right out and ask if CFdid their cream?
Phrank,
Yes, I did ask them directly and was told that Castle Forbes did not actually make the cream for them. They do favor Castle Forbes at OneBlade — good taste, I'd say. Who makes their cream, I don't know, but Castle Forbes' influence is present in the product.
I really like this cream. It takes so little cream to make a big cloud of silky lather. Good stuff. On top of everything, I love the OneBlade razor. It gives a sweet shave.
While this is just my guess, I believe you used too much vinegar. Acid will weaken hair. Go gently Grasshopper! Mix a teaspoon of acid with a cup of water. You are looking to chemically breakdown just the fat with the acid in the vinegar. It is a delicate balance to be sure. But irreversible if overdone. Cheers!
So far over one hundred and sixty pages and three thousand shows of appreciation, "likes" on this thread.
Such an incredibly valuable resource.
Thank you Obie and all of the contributors.
Panna Crema Nuavia Blu
Gentlemen,
After using Panna Crema Nuavia Blu for a time, I am inclined to shift it to the Second Tier. I love the fragrance, yes, but the soap falls short in other elements.
Yes, the soap lathers well, big lather, and the glide is okay overall. Where the soap falls short is in the lather's moisture, residual slickness, overall cushion and aftershave feel. The Blu's fragrance is lovely — I never liked the Rose — and the soap dish handsome, but a top tier soap or cream should hit close to the stars.
This one does not. I have not tried he soap's other fragrances, but I am inclined to believe that fragrance does not change a soap or cream's overall performance. The reason Castle Forbes hits all the marks, regardless of its four different fragrances, is the magic wrapping the cream's performance overall.
I use Castle Forbes and Martin de Candre as the benchmarks in evaluating shave creams and soaps. Panna Crema, I'm afraid, fails to reach that level. Although good overall, the soap belongs in the Second Tier.
Gentlemen, as always, this is only my opinion.
One of the rare times I'll disagree with Obie.
I have the blue and the new black and though the scent of their latest offering (I think) is a little much in the citrus department I find the tech qualities of both to be top notch all the way. All the qualities Obie questioned I found to be exceptional.
Maybe water quality is a factor here?
I have to agree with you on this one, Obie. Perhaps it was my technique, but I never could obtain the quality lather that others were raving about. I also didn't care as much as others for the scents of Rossa and Blu, and ended up selling them. However, I have many personal Tier 3 soaps that others would rate as Tier 2. I also have had soaps that I considered to be Tier 3 that I later felt didn't measure up. I'm always searching for that perfect soap although I'm glad that I haven't found it, as it's the searching that makes this hobby so much fun.
That new Glide, "Morning Ghost", what a stellar soap that is though eh?
Just tried a Schick Adjustable Injector razor, got it NOS and have never used it...great heft to it, great blades, and paired with the Glide, what a great soap with a wonderful scent....first SE/DE shave in years.
Gentlemen,
Thanks for your responses. Keep them coming.
I think Panna Crema, in the end, might turn to be a product that works for some and not for others. Also, I think extended use of a shave soap or cream will sometimes adjust and refine one's initial thoughts about the product.
Castle Forbes blew me away from the first shave. It was pure heaven. Through the years, my love and appreciation of it have grown even more. That's why I use it as the benchmark in judging all other soaps and creams I use. The same with Martin de Candre. The first time I used it some years ago, it felt like a kiss from an angel. My love for it has grown the same as that for Castle Forbes.
I have to admit, gentlemen, Castle Forbes is the crown jewel of the shaving creams and soaps I have used. Actually, everything Castle Forbes, including pre-shave and aftershave balm.
As for Panna Crema, I'm afraid extended use has trimmed my overall opinion of it. Still good stuff, yes, but not up there with the First Tier products.