Thread: Artisan Soaps You Really Like

My experience is that quality artisan soaps have improved the quality of their soap base such that there isn't that much difference in quality between them and what many consider to be standard first tier soaps. I've come to view soaps in terms of one category. Either I get a great close comfortable shave and enjoy the scent or I throw it away.

Here are some artisan soaps I really like that I would recommend to anyone. What are artisan soaps you really like?

Stirling - Great base, pricing and plenty of scents to choose from. My favorites are Sharp Dressed Man and Iced Pineapple. Owned by a veteran and his wife. Their Finest Badger brushes that would cost twice as much from most other providers. Customer service is A++, inexpensive flat rate shipping and cool packaging.

Soap Commander - Owned by a Veteran and is wife. There is an active thread on them, which made me think of this topic.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/soaps...-feedback.html

"Barrister & Mann" Does a superb job with scents. They have three bases and the newest Glissant base is the best. Really cool packaging. Seville is their Glissant base in Barbershop scent and very popular. There lower priced Latha line is also a great soap. This company simply does a phenomenal job with scent.

Baum.be I consider this a Tier 1 soap, though I believe they are an artisan company. Purchasing Baum.be in the larger 200 ml size makes it competitive with the artisans.

I have many but a couple stand out.
LA Shaving soaps are excellent but can get pricey depending on the scents.
Shannon soaps are great too but for the price I would rather buy MWF.

Jabonman/Eufros tallow version (might be the best soap I have used)
Mystic Water
Mike's
Shannon's
Nuavia
Haslinger
Phoenix & Beau
Cold River
Sapone Di Paolo
B&M
Stirling

Mike's
Barrister & Mann
JabonMan Eufros (tallow)
Cold River Soap Works
Sapone Di Paolo
Fitjar Islands Cream
Nanny's Silly Soap (tallow)

My favorites artisan soaps are :

- Stirling Hot Cider and Barbershop
- Martin de Candre classic
- Le Père Lucien (all the fragrances)
- Phoenix Artisan Spring Heeled Jack, Frost Byte, Gondolier
- Razorock Chicago.

I forgot Jabonman Violet also

No particular order:

Mystic Water
Cold River
Sapone Di Paolo
B&M
Deluxe

This is the issue with the term 'artisan':

Originally Posted by Pete123

[...] Baum.be I consider this a Tier 1 soap, though I believe they are an artisan company. Purchasing Baum.be in the larger 200 ml size makes it competitive with the artisans.

I don't consider Baume.be an artisan shaving cream, as it was not necessarily made using traditional methods, nor was it handmade. Neither of which are negative qualities. Either way, a benchmark product.

Oh, and I would add Meißner Tremonia as a personal favourite, and as far as I know the only truly artisanal shaving soap/cream I like. Very much.

I think you got off the Artisan soaps when you mentioned Baume .Be and Martin De Candre, these are not soaps that fall into the Artisan category, nor La Pere Lucien, these are well established companies making their soaps with controls over the ingredients, other than mom and pop in their garage. not that there,s anything wrong with it, but most Artisan soaps have no regulations or control over ingredients. And this is why most of them are just mediocre soaps, some are just experiments, in said garages. but if you like them you like them, I don't fault you, but so far ive not found any of the home brews that have popped up in the last few years to be anything special. that being said Green Mountain and Barrister and Mann are pretty good,

there are some really good soaps out there that are industry standards that also don't cost much yet they are superior to the latest Artisan offerings, ie. Proraso in the tube, Palmolive stick , Arko Stick, Cella, not to mention MWF, or Tabac. Tc

I am pretty picky with soaps, my Well water separates the proverbial "Men from the Boys"

There are very few "Home Brews" that I have ever bought again

Ogalalla Bay Rum is one that has stood the test of time..

I am honestly not sure how you guys separate Production from Artisan

For me it comes down to is the guy/gal making the soap hands on, the same person that is selling it ???