The Obie Memorial First Tier Soaps and Creams Thread.

[Phrank]

Phrank,
What does it smell like? I have been hearing about this soap quite a bit, I have yet to take the leap.
Its a soap? I dont do well with creams.
Thank-you in advance.

It is a hard puck soap.

To me, it is a flat, waxy feeling lather with a scent that never really fully comes out. I've used this soap, on and off, now about 8 times, and it's basically the same with each use. The soap leans towards being very thick, almost like overloading the brush, pasty type lather, it's out for me.

Surprising really, that the C&S O&C is very nice, I wouldn't put it in Tier 1 of all time favorites, but it's a nice change....

[ultrasoundguy2003]

For any member who wants a mentholated shave soap that will make your eyes water by the third pass, and your face quiver
Chiseled Face Cryogenic fit the bill. Wow. Great cushion and glide. This product fully fulfills its name.

[Obie]

GREEN MOUNTAIN REVISITED

Gentlemen,

The first time around, I was unimpressed with Green Mountain soap, despite its aftershave properties. Yet, something drove me back to it several times. The more I used it, the more I was convinced that this American made artisan soap deserved a higher rating.

Now I am convinced Green Mountain deserves to be in the First Tiers right next to the great ones. That's why I have moved it to the First Tier group.

Green Mountain soap requires a little patience in lathering. This is a thirsty soap, and its lathering characteristics take a few tries. As with any soap, I load with a damp brush — gently shake the brush and give it a loving squeeze. I also load my brush heavily. Now comes the face or bowl lathering. This is where the gradual application of water helps create a luxurious lather. No, this is not a big lather soap, not in my experience, anyway, but it makes enough.

What I find remarkable in the soap is the almost perfect cushion and glide. Very few soaps and creams top those essentials. Not only that, but the aftershave properties of Green Mountain are exceptional, especially for gentlemen with sensitive skin. I have come to truly enjoy everything about this soap. I spent time learning the soap and experimenting with it — and it's a winner for me.

In the past, I used three or four different scents. I can't be specific about the scent, but I remember all were subtle. Currently I am using the unscented, although I have several scented pucks on the way from Straight Razor Designs.

The only thing I don't like about this soap is the shape. It's a tall soap with a narrow circumference. I don't get this from the makers of this soap. What's wrong with a standard size flat puck instead of a soap tower? Green Mountain folks, do me a favor and give me a standard flat soap puck. I'll love you forever.

Stay well,
Obie

[mainaman]

GREEN MOUNTAIN REVISITED

Gentlemen,

The first time around, I was unimpressed with Green Mountain soap, despite its aftershave properties. Yet, something drove me back to it several times. The more I used it, the more I was convinced that this American made artisan soap deserved a higher rating.

Now I am convinced Green Mountain deserves to be in the First Tiers right next to the great ones. That's why I have moved it to the First Tier group.

Green Mountain soap requires a little patience in lathering. This is a thirsty soap, and its lathering characteristics take a few tries. As with any soap, I load with a damp brush — gently shake the brush and give it a loving squeeze. I also load my brush heavily. Now comes the face or bowl lathering. This is where the gradual application of water helps create a luxurious lather. No, this is not a big lather soap, not in my experience, anyway, but it makes enough.

What I find remarkable in the soap is the almost perfect cushion and glide. Very few soaps and creams top those essentials. Not only that, but the aftershave properties of Green Mountain are exceptional, especially for gentlemen with sensitive skin. I have come to truly enjoy everything about this soap. I spent time learning the soap and experimenting with it — and it's a winner for me.

In the past, I used three or four different scents. I can't be specific about the scent, but I remember all were subtle. Currently I am using the unscented, although I have several scented pucks on the way from Straight Razor Designs.

The only thing I don't like about this soap is the shape. It's a tall soap with a narrow circumference. I don't get this from the makers of this soap. What's wrong with a standard size flat puck instead of a soap tower? Green Mountain folks, do me a favor and give me a standard flat soap puck. I'll love you forever.

Stay well,
Obie

Obie, does it fit in an Oldspice mug?

I usually grate odd size pucks in empty soap tubs.

[mlucassr]

Obie, my Brutha I appreciate your humility, how refreshing it is to hear from a Vet in the wet shaving arena that is still willing to learn, and change their viewpoint, much respect, once again I raise my snifter to you my Brutha, someone sent me a sample of GM, and its a thirsty beast, but once I feed the beast, I got a sick shave top notch so thanks for helping to confirm this Obie used it this morning as well and got a sick shave again, got to get more of this GM.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[Obie]

Obie, does it fit in an Oldspice mug?

I usually grate odd size pucks in empty soap tubs.

Stefan,
Yes, it does. The soap reached to the top of the mug, and there is plenty of room inside the mug.

[Obie]

Obie, my Brutha I appreciate your humility, how refreshing it is to hear from a Vet in the wet shaving arena that is still willing to learn, and change their viewpoint, much respect, once again I raise my snifter to you my Brutha, someone sent me a sample of GM, and its a thirsty beast, but once I feed the beast, I got a sick shave top notch so thanks for helping to confirm this Obie used it this morning as well and got a sick shave again, got to get more of this GM.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Ah, bless your heart for the kind words. Thank you.

[Druid]

OK I really have to stop hanging out with you lot of rapscallions. Every time I think I have what I need and wanted, I find a thread like this one that sends me back to chasing the white rabbit down the rabbit hole of discovery and enlightenment. For a few years I was relatively happy with my Proraso cream until I discovered in this thread that it was not as well designed as I had thought. Color me a NewB. So I opted to try a few off the list. I started with a second tier and I popped for a tub of TOBS sandalwood scented cream. Very nice and it way out preformed my Proraso. Now the story gets murkier because the Hookah-Smoking Caterpillar just wont get off my shoulder. Thinking to myself, after rereading the list, I said, "self, if a second tier was that much better, what do you think a first tier would be like?" I didn't answer back out loud but I did have a huge Cheshire Cat grin that made my Queen of Hearts wonder what on earth I was up to. Then I looked at the list again and opted to buy a tub of Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet Shaving Cream. Now when the Mad Hatters shows up at my door this week with my new cream in hand, I will be back to talk about it. And I pray my Queen of Hearts doesn't scream, "Off with their heads!"

But in the mean time, what do you think I could/should expect from this cream that the others do not have or can't compare to?

What a great post... You've captured the situation we're all mired in to a tee!!

[Johntoad57]

Glad you like it John although I can't claim credit. A good guy here, Mike aka outback, told me about soap concoctions and I'm just passing it on. My water is extremely hard and Creamo mixed with any soap gives me a good lather. I think I could get a good lather out of Granny's homemade lye soap with it.

Benz - I can't Thank You enough for providing me with this information. I have the ingredients down to the right mixture now and it is amazing. Hell, I even broke out the old scuttle and now it's all about hot lather (lots of it), close shave, and no nicks. I haven't experienced a cut since I started using this method. I'm really glad that you shared this! Again, many thanks!

[thebigspendur]

What I'd like to do here is go back to the first page and first post in this thread and rather than just say "this soap is tier one and this is two" talk about what I think defines the tiers which I think is a little different from obie's original criteria.

To me Tier one by it's title is a rare soap, a club if you will with few members. If you think about MDC or Castle Forbes (two solid tier one members) the characteristics that define these soaps are technical excellence in every way however there is something more and that something is the scent. An scent that has been masterfully created by someone who knows his business and even though there will always be folks who dislike anything the greater majority will agree about the "tier one scent".

So what I propose is the requirement that all tier one soaps products have not only technical excellence but scent excellence too. If they lack the scent excellence they then fall to tier 2. Which are technically perfect soaps however the scent doesn't meet tier one standards maybe because it's too simple or too many don't like it or maybe it lacks too much in the scent department. Tier two are still very fine soaps indeed.

Once you fall to tier three then you are talking soaps that have issues of various kinds. With increasing flaws the further they fall in the tiers.

How many tiers are there? I don't know probably five at least.