Thread: $3 or $30

What's the Diff? Why are some shaving soaps $30, and some $3? Is there a big difference?

It'll be a difference in the quality of the ingredients, how strong the brand name is and good old supply and demand!

There are differences between soaps though, and I find that a good quality soap makes all the difference to the shave.

Really cheap soaps probably wont lather as well, or provide as much glide or cushion to the shave.

The other thing to consider is that a puck of good soap will last months, so its very good value for money and per shave works out much cheaper than the canned gunk.

Originally Posted by Guarnera

What's the Diff? Why are some shaving soaps $30, and some $3? Is there a big difference?

What about somewhere in between? To me, there is a difference in the quality of soaps, however, it has nothing to do with price and more to do with personal taste and performance. Most $30 soaps come with their own "dish" and that is usually just aesthetics. Some people swear by the VDH and Williams soaps found at the local pharmacies.

Personally, I have been using Tabac almost exclusively since I started with it. For me, it outperforms every other soap I have tried and I paid under $20 for it.

Van Der Hagen Deluxe sells currently for $1.54 a puck at my local WalMart. It's my daily soap. I have tried the others, including the outstanding Mitchells Wool Fat. Sure, they are better, but they also cost more. The VDH Deluxe is great for me, a great deal, and available locally.

Price reflects value and value is in the eye of the beholder. I would pay considerably more for the pink VDH but I would probably give away some of the more expensive soaps that I have because they are just taking up shelf space . . . they give me something to look at though.

There are big differences for sure. Most of the low end products are glycerin-based and these typically do not perform as well. Please, do not take me wrong, they are still good soaps, just that others are better and tend to last longer. However, there is a point of diminishing returns like with everything else. Paying $100 for a puck of soap would probably not increase the quality of your lather in the same rate of spending.

Al raz.

Originally Posted by Stubear

It'll be a difference in the quality of the ingredients, how strong the brand name is and good old supply and demand!

There are differences between soaps though, and I find that a good quality soap makes all the difference to the shave.

Really cheap soaps probably wont lather as well, or provide as much glide or cushion to the shave.

The other thing to consider is that a puck of good soap will last months, so its very good value for money and per shave works out much cheaper than the canned gunk.

+1! Although I don't mind spending some money on soaps and creams, I rarely spend more than $15 on any of them. I use TGQ soaps exclusively, but Mama Bear has some great soaps, and a large following here. It will likely come down to personal choice. I found the Trumpers, Classic Shaving and TOBS soaps to be less than satisfactory. But, the TOBS creams are great. I am also in a very small minority who thinks that Castle Forbes isn't worth the money...

A puck of Tabac or MWF may cost more than VDH. But they are better products and last seemingly forever.

Most of us probably started with Williams or VDH or Surrey and yea they did the job but to me the soap and brush routine is one of the reasons I do this shave thing and to put on some thin fast drying soap takes alot away. If I was interested in a basic fast shave every day I guess I would feel different. Just my view.

Soaps/creams, like most other things in wetshaving is highly subjective. Some guys are happy to get by on Williams alone, some exclusively use Dominico Caracenci, which runs in excess of $60. Some have only a couple, some have dozens.

It`s all about what is important to you. But IME once you feel the luxury of high end soaps and creams you won`t go back to Williams!