The Obie Memorial First Tier Soaps and Creams Thread.

[BobH]

Yes, that would be ideal, but I have many Tier 2 & 3 soaps that I enjoy using because of their scent, although the lather is mediocre. I like to use soaps that are very slick with straights, and although slickness is to a large extent related to adequate hydration of the lather, I find that different soaps can vary in slickness. I can obtain a decent enough shave with soaps with average slickness when using a DE or SE, although I'd obtain a more comfortable shave with a straight when using soaps with excellent slickness. When I do want to use a Tier 2 or 3 soap with a straight, I can sometimes increase slickness by using Castle Forbes Pre Shave. An example would be Penhaligon's English Fern soap, a scent that I love and occasionally use, but even the vintage tallow formulation seems to produce a mediocre lather.

Appears I am not as fussy as you are with scent and slickness. Arko is perfectly fine for me with a straight razor and 4 pass shave and also serves well paired with a Gillette Fat Boy @9/Feather blade combo in a 4 pass shave. Could say the same with Tabac or MdC or many other soaps and creams. The shave is what counts and it must be smooth, comfortable/ no irritation and long lasting. As always everyone is different in what they require from a product.

Bob

[neehooya]

Gents,

I finally got to the DRH Windsor puck this morning, I liked the subtle scent and shaving properties however, I thought it lacked a little in cushion/density.
I wasn't able to whip up a frothy lather that I normally get from MdC, Baume.be, CF, or A.Gomez.
It could have been user error and I might have added too much aqua. I'm working here in CO with hard water and many of you reported that DRH is a thirsty puck. So maybe subconsciously I thought I needed to add more water than I typically do.

I promise to update you again after I experiment with the soap a little more.
Keep on shaving my friends!

[Leatherstockiings]

The Harris soaps are capable of creating a thick and dense lather. I find they require a little more finessing than creams/soaps like Castle Forbes and Tabac. I also face lather if that changes anything.

[neehooya]

Thanks Leatherstockiings, I will practice some more. I did, too face lather.

[Gasman]

Gents,

I finally got to the DRH Windsor puck this morning, I liked the subtle scent and shaving properties however, I thought it lacked a little in cushion/density.
I wasn't able to whip up a frothy lather that I normally get from MdC, Baume.be, CF, or A.Gomez.
It could have been user error and I might have added too much aqua. I'm working here in CO with hard water and many of you reported that DRH is a thirsty puck. So maybe subconsciously I thought I needed to add more water than I typically do.

I promise to update you again after I experiment with the soap a little more.
Keep on shaving my friends!

Please do update. I plan on an order tomorrow. Being 100 miles south of you i dont have hard water. Im enterested in what and how you work this stuff Neehooya.

[neehooya]

Please do update. I plan on an order tomorrow. Being 100 miles south of you i dont have hard water. Im enterested in what and how you work this stuff Neehooya.

Will do Jerry for sure, as mentioned above, I liked it but probably over watered the brush a bit.

[niftyshaving]

That's an interesting point regarding DE razors versus straights.
......
Then it struck me, the majority giving it excellent reviews were DE shavers (on majority DE forums), and that makes sense now.
.....
So great comment, what I bolded just connected the dots for me, real or imagined....thanks.

Your realizations on how we compare, percentage-wise, to the DE and SE shavers is something that has been made pretty clear to me over the summer. First it was a shaving meet here in StL where I quickly realized that I was nearly the only straight shaver in attendance, outside the estimable Lynn Abrams of course.
.....
How quickly I've become a shaving snob.
.....
I try to be cognizant of the fact that while DE shavers may love a certain soap we straight shavers may have a slightly different opinion.

I tend to use one of a DE or a str8 on any given day.

I am not so much a razor snob as a Latherin snob.
I make a lather for my face and my whiskers and not so much
for the razor.
I have rinsed my face off and started a lather from scratch more than once.
I am not bashful about putting a razor in the needs improvement pile and
grabbing another even a fresh DE blade to finish a shave.

The key I think is the language and feel of a DE and open edge razor will
differ and that includes 'sharp' and 'smooth' when talking about edges.

I am also moderately allergic to fragrances and perfume thus I gravitate to
the old school soaps with mild fragrances.

Play with your soap... add more and less water more an less elbow grease
more and less soap... have fun.

[petercp4e]

I just had my first shave with Oleo Soapworks : Northerly Island.

Wow!!! Everything that has been said is true and then some.

The soap produced boatloads of rich, creamy, well hydrated lather very easily.
The cushion and glide are phenomenal.
The post shave feel was terrific.

I'm a big fan of Vetiver. The soap has Vetiver, Bergamont, Ginger and Mandarin.
It, to me, is much more complex than plain Vetiver. It is very pleasant and quite alluring. By the end of the shave I was hooked and couldn't get enough.

In just one shave this soap not only produced tier one results, but hands down, went to the very top of my tier one.
It's not only a home run, it's a grand slam.

Many thanks to Obie for introducing us to this wonderful soap, and to Vida for producing a superior product.

Pete <:-}

[Obie]

Gentlemen,

Today I lathered with Oleo Shavework's soap Irving Park. Welcome to Paradise.

A blend of bergamot, lavender, vetiver and patchouli, among other essences, produced a clean and soft floral fragrance that gently fanned the soul. The lather was rich and creamy, the cushion and glide perfectly balanced, and the aftershave feel like an angel's breath.

The last time I was this excited about shaving soap was when I tried Martin de Candre for the first time. Now hours after this morning's shave, my face feels nurtured and calm. It's a good feeling.

[neehooya]

Gents a quick update regarding newly acquired DR Harris Windsor.
Take #2, I did much better, was able to get a denser lather. I think it will take me a couple more runs before I'm satisfied.
IMHO it's a nice soap but my Holy Grail is still MdC.

Jerry - you should give it a try. As Leatherstockiings mentioned here before, DRH soap requires some finesse.