You know how there are all these soaps that have been used for 100+ years? With names every wetshaver seems to know?

There's a REASON for that.

I've only ever heard of one of those soaps, and while it's a workable soap, it's still a melt-n-pour bit of nothing special. The cream you're using is, on the other hand, a top shelf product every bit the equal of the big 3 English brands. So....your sample set is not really representative.