My current American soap top five. What are yours?
I haven't tried every shaving soap on Earth, but my shave den is definitely an international tour of the world. Italy, Finland, France, Australia, England...all are represented. But many of my favorites are homegrown American. Here's my Top Five local soaps...
#5 Stirling Soap Company - Arkansas
Because I use a scuttle to warm-lather shave, I don't buy a lot of tallow soaps. Often, the heat breaks down the beef fat and makes more of a mess than a lather. Having said that, when I cold-shave on a hot day, I always reach for Stirling. Their scents are on point, as is their wide range of products. They have converted me to tallow bath soaps exclusively and I love their pre-shave oils. Great stuff.
#4 Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements - Arizona
I don't think you can find a company that makes wet shaving more accessible than these guys. I have eight of their soaps and, while their scents are all over the map (in a good way), the quality of the lather is impressively consistent. If wet shaving is supposed to be fun, these guys are leading the charge.
#3 Catie's Bubbles - New Jersey
When I first starting shaving with a straight, Catie's gave me my very first epic shave. The shave that turned me into a lifer. Now, when a beginner asks me what's a good soap to start with, I still give it up to Catie's Bubbles. I know creams are supposed to be easier to lather, but if you can't get a giant, slick, cushiony lather with Catie's Bubbles, you need to have your wrist looked at. Purple Grapefruit is a Hall of Famer.
#2 Country Club For Men - Alabama
What can I say? Massive, ridiculous lather. Interesting, wonderful scents. Some a little too subtle, but others are home runs. For the last two or three months, their store has been totally sold out, but they have some product in there now, including some new tallows. I shaved with Love Tractor today. Perfect shave.
#1 Los Angeles Shaving Soap Company - California
Like the previous artisans mentioned, LASSC has their lather dialed in to a T. What puts them at the top of the pile for me is their interesting, thoughtful, adventurous scents. When you take a whiff of a tub of LASSC, you know there was a lot of thought, effort and premium ingredients that went into it. The massive, slick lather is a bonus.
What American soaps are you loving that i need to buy?