Thoughts Wholly Kaw

I tested and then see King of Oud for a week, this is what MY opinion is.

First it takes more product than my usual soaps I use, so to evaluate cost I can't do yet as I haven't paid for any yet. Compared to say MDC, it used twice the soap to make my amount I use. , and it also takes a little more water.

Once you have the water ratio right, it does make a very solid lather that will hold its peaks for an extended amount of time( does not break down too soon)
It is a slick lather, a very slick lather even.

Good cushion, and even application, I would say it's on par with any top rated soap in this department.

I have 4 scents, and the King of Oud is not unpleasant but also to me kind of average , nothing spectacular, the others I haven't tested thru shaves but, nothing strikes me as top notch in the smell department and one Cuero I believe it's called s down right repulsive.

The after shave feel was good so all in all, the good comments on this soap are justified, in my shave den, it would be somewhere around 5 down on the list, so lower top tier for me, very good soap, I will continue to use till I really know this product. If the scents weren't so average or pronounced I would say it,ll stay top tier. I'll let you know after I find some of the other scents. Tc

I hadnt thought about how much product used. You got a point there TC. I would have to agree with all.

You really can't compare an artisan soap to MdC in terms of amount of product used. It seems like it takes forever to hardly make a dent in a jar of MdC. Most artisan soaps are soft, and will not last anywhere near as long as MdC. If you want to compare amount of soap used, compare MdC to Klar, which has been milled five times and is another soap that is hard to make a dent in. So far, I've enjoyed most of the scents from Wholly Kaw, but scent is such an individual preference. It's too bad that there isn't a scent that you enjoy as much as the soap. I also enjoy Barrister & Mann, but many of his scents are just too weird for me to use them. I do think shaving soaps are often a form of aromatherapy, as the right scent can significantly improve one's enjoyment of a shave. I've spent a lot of money trying to find a soap with both an outstanding performance and a scent that I love.

My attempt to compare amounts used was to compare costs, as you know MDC really isn't that costly when you consider how long it last. No other soap I've used has last as many shaves. And I have used close to 150 different soaps in my 45 years of wet shaving.

Most Artisan soaps that I Have tried just were lacking. Sone are very good some are not, just none have achieved the status of great, the Wholly Kaw comes very close, as it stands it's the finest Artisan soap I've ever used with respect to its performance. But scent wise nothing special.

I will keep trying them, cause I Have never canned a soap without giving t a real chance, plus I will get the rest of the flavors to see where t stands then. Heck I only had 5-6 that I gave up on real quick, and one of them was M T 5 scents and al in the trash. Now I have Barrister and Mann in my den stil, good to very good soaps, but scent wise again nothing special, plus another is Green Mountain. So I do like soaps that are not expensive.

WK is like I said right now as my #5 in my list as far as very good soaps. I,m not talking bad about this soap it's very good, but as I said my opinion, it's just not my best experience. Tc

So far I have tried Monaco Royale, Man from Mayfair, and Fougère Bouquet. I really enjoy the scent of Fougère Bouquet alot. One of my favorites to date. The Man from Mayfair is a powder like scent, their barbershop scent as described on their website. The Monaco Royale I do not love. It has a sweet scent that I can't put my finger on, I could take it or leave it. I do love the way these soaps feel during and after a shave though. Also, I don't know that I can tell a significant difference between the tallow and the tallow w/donkey milk.

TC, if WK is your #5, what would your top 4 be?

It is quite a fascinating how we can all greatly differ in regards to so many aspects of this wet-shaving journey. Nonetheless, knowing that the majority of our views/opinions are highly subjective, it should not come as a surprise.

Personally, I detested the scent of MdC (original) for some reason, did not enjoy the drying effect of the post-shave and found the lather to be a bit 'light' and not as dense as I prefer. Granted, it has been over five years, so my olfactory system might have become more refined since trying so many scented shaving soaps. I guess I should really give it another try.
Does anyone know if anyone sells samples of it as I can't foresee me buying a full tub? :)

Yes we are all different, some soaps work for others and not for someone else. .

As to you not getting a dense lather out of MDC, that's going to be operator error. I have never gotten anything other than a great lather with it and I've used it in just about every climate that man inhabits with lots of different water types, the lather is 100% reliable and slick. I will not argue scent or after shave feelings this again comes down to personal wants.

I will say that when it comes to the top tiered soaps there are less people who don't like them than when it comes to most Artisan soaps, Tc

I shaved with the Wholly Kaw Dark Vetiver today.
For me it has a very pleasant scent that's not overpowering and doesn't linger.
Comparing it to MDC is like apples and oranges. It has a wetter, glossier sheen and a different, maybe heavier feel with plenty of slickness, cushion and glide. So,I guess it boils down to personal preference.
I'm with Tc though. I can't imagine anyone not getting an absolutely fantastic lather with MDC. Liking the scent however, is strictly a personal thing.

Pete <:-}

The Wholly Kow does take some time ...to make a bowl of suds. It's not a meringue..peaky..stiff type of lather....but does check off all the boxes ..it's slick ..and leaves the face feeling good. I have the Merchant of Tobacco...not thrilled with the nose....got my son the Man from Mayfair,which smells great !..I will get more...when I run out.

Sometimes I wish sone of these soaps had a non scented version when I'm not thrilled by the scents they offer, but hey I,m not done by any means, still got 2 more samples to try, I won't be trying the Cuero, that just ain't my cup of tea. I'll get the Vetiver, and Man of Mayfair and give them a whirl. To find a scent in this soap I like would keep it in the den, which has been parred down to about 10 that stay, so one would have to go.

Robini, here are my 5, unlike my friend Obie I really don't have tiers, cause if it isn't top tiered I don't want it, now before I got rid of all low performing or scent monsters, then I did have tiers, at one time my top 5 was MDC, MDC, MDC, MDC, MDC. But life would get boring like that, and there are some truly good soaps out there worth using
So here goes
1. MDC, Original or Fourgere, the rose scent has not grown on me
2. Castle Forbes, Lavender
3. Tabac, you just can't find fault with this soap if you like the scent, lather is perfect
4. Pete I need help, it's the sample you scent me a while back and I'm out, so HELP!
5. Wholly Kaw, it move another great lather producing soap down, Barrister and Mann

There you go and anything under these won't get used but when I,m feeling nostalgic
Green Mountain soaps, MWF, this one will get you cause it's dirt cheap but wow what a travel soap that's even great everyday, Palmolive shave stick! Tc

TC, your wish has been granted!!

Attachment 279897

I see that WK has released the Project Leather soap which appears to not be a limited edition. Interested to hear opinions as it is received/used. I may have to order a sample...

Tc,

The two samples I sent you were :

Acca Kappa - White Moss
Haslinger - Seaweed - (the blue colored soap)

Both, to me are top tier and are extrordinary.

I guess if you compare Obie's two new tier one soaps. Wholly Kaw and Oleo, my favorite would be Oleo Northerly Island. It just has more of the lathering properties of MDC.

I'm also looking forward to trying the Cold River Soapworks Glide line of soap when they have it in stock.
It's supposed to be really awesome.

Pete <:-}

I too found the Cuero not to my liking. The scent was just bad to me. YMMV

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by petercp4e

Tc,

The two samples I sent you were :

Acca Kappa - White Moss
Haslinger - Seaweed - (the blue colored soap)

Both, to me are top tier and are extrordinary.

I guess if you compare Obie's two new tier one soaps. Wholly Kaw and Oleo, my favorite would be Oleo Northerly Island. It just has more of the lathering properties of MDC.

I'm also looking forward to trying the Cold River Soapworks Glide line of soap when they have it in stock.
It's supposed to be really awesome.

Pete <:-}

---

Thanks Acca Capps is the one,, I'll order right now. CRSW was good soap, I had it a strong runner to he top tier, I just wasn't thrilled enough to order any more. I have not tried the new line. Tc

Tc, I got the Acca Kappa White Moss at West Coast Shaving.

It's probably my all time favorite, top of tier one shave soap.

Pete <:-}

Acca Kappa is a great soap!!!

Dang it! I keep forgetting to send a sample to Obie :(

Well, as y'all know I'm a big Wholly Kaw fanboy: creamy, slick lather; great cushion and glide; beautiful scents (mostly), and a very moisturizing post-shave feel-what's not to like?!

Now TC, I hear ya on that Cuero Oscuro (why do you think I threw it in with the others hehe?:p). Apparently some guys like it from what I've read, though. Maybe if we keep passing it around someone will eventually dig it?! My favorites that I've tried are Dark Vetiver, King of Oud and Fougere Bouquet. The others are all nice, but that CO is just weird (though I understand they were going for a leather/tobacco thing). YMMV as always.

Aaron I sure do appreciate the samples, without that I would never have ordered it, just because I really am good with what I have, but I will be ordering some of them, I will get some more scents to se if anything really clicks. It really is good stuff. I may get the non scented if nothing else works. But it is the scents that add an extra amount of satisfaction when doing this hobby. Tc

I've got four of the WK, two of the premium with Donkey Milk, and two tallow, and while nice, "meh" is what comes to mind.

They are a far cry from Klar, or MdC, or MWF, personally, the scents don't stand out that much, and the performance is OK...these are Tier 2 for me. In comparison to the Oleo, I find the WK lags way behind, and the new PannaCrema Blu/Rossa/Verd soaps are the nicest offering I've tried since the Oleo.

The Olea, love the scents, the performance is good, not stellar, I find the soaps have such a luxurious hydrating factor that I've found they have a bit of a tendency towards more a creamy feel to them. The WK, takes a little to a lot more prep and loading to get right, and as Richard points out, soap is an integral factor, like an aromatherapy type aspect for me I count on as having to be foremost, and the WK scents just don't really do it for me.

The Tobacco is more hot chocolate, and the Oud just doesn't shine out to me.....

Personally, I can count on one hand the number of artisan soaps that make it to Tier 2, and as much as I love the soaps, after what seems several years now of this industry picking up speed, I'm surprised the quality hasn't risen dramatically, that the traditional makers aren't really getting a run for the money, but the tried and true still remain powerhouses for me....if MdC can produce such superb, pinnacle soap, I don't understand why we're not seeing far more high quality offers....just my opinion, whatever floats your boat......:D

Oleo soaps are next up to try, and that reminds me to get some Panna Cremma too.

I just thought of something, maybe WK can collaborate with Rod over at Stirling for scents. Rod has a couple f scents that I love, but the shave soap is really just so so. I use his bath soaps daily. And all my shave soaps from him very the years has been in the shower, but boy do I love his Pig Trail scent. Tc

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

Oleo soaps are next up to try, and that reminds me to get some Panna Cremma too.

I just thought of something, maybe WK can collaborate with Rod over at Stirling for scents. Rod has a couple f scents that I love, but the shave soap is really just so so. I use his bath soaps daily. And all my shave soaps from him very the years has been in the shower, but boy do I love his Pig Trail scent. Tc

---

The Panna Crema, to me they're like MdC, but with much, much funkier scents,...:rofl2:

Take a bit more to load than the MdC, the performance is just a tad shy of MdC depending on your own take, but the scents are fantastic. My favourite is the Verde, but every time I use the Blu, it becomes the favourite, the Rossa is nice, very nice in fact, but the Blu and the Verde are absolutely stellar.

The PC's are the only soap that's made it to Tier One for me so far......YMMV

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

Yes we are all different, some soaps work for others and not for someone else. .

As to you not getting a dense lather out of MDC, that's going to be operator error. I have never gotten anything other than a great lather with it and I've used it in just about every climate that man inhabits with lots of different water types, the lather is 100% reliable and slick. I will not argue scent or after shave feelings this again comes down to personal wants.

I will say that when it comes to the top tiered soaps there are less people who don't like them than when it comes to most Artisan soaps, Tc

---

The lather was just fine with MdC, but it wasn't as dense as the tallow soaps I use. However, I find that with all of the veggie soaps that I have tried; more some than others.
Again, I am not saying MdC is not a good soap as it is. Nonetheless, I prefer others much more for their specific attributes.