Soap Sample Passaround Box

[dangerousdon]

After shaving with Viking Ragnar...a vegan soap...I decided to give a tallow version a try...and yes...that is a pheasant in the picture.

Soap/Cream: Viking - Ironside
Razor: 1969 Gillette Super Adjustable 109
Blade: Polsilver SI (2nd Shave)
Brush: Omega Pro 49
Aftershave: Thayers Medicated Witch Hazel / Avon Leather

Glide: 9/10 - This soap has excellent glide...plenty slick for the job at hand.

Cushion: 9/10 - Excellent cushion and protection. The lather really hits all the properties for keeping that layer between the razor and you skin.

Latherability: 8/10 - A very easy soap to lather. I think a little bit of this goes a long way. The soap itself is very soft and loads on the brush easily. I tend to use a dryer brush and had no problems loading the brush.

Lather Stability: 9/10 - I was actually very impressed with how the lather maintained it's qualities and properties. One of the things I do when I shave is squeeze out all the lather out of my brush and apply it to my face for my touch-ups. Usually the lather is a little thin or weak by this time...but the viking soap was just as thick and rich as when I first lathered.

Residual Slickness: 7/10 - I really wish the residual slickness was better on this soap. It's not bad and better than a lot of soaps. But I think I was expecting more since the slickness was great.

Scent Strength: 8/10 - Out of the tub the scent is very subtle. So I wasn't expecting much. But it turns out that once you start building lather, the scent gets stronger. It's not going to knock your socks off strong but it is very pleasant. If you are someone who likes the way a soap smells but don't want it overpowering or nonexistent, this might be for you. It definitely lasts the entire shave, but doesn't overwhelm.

Scent Likeness: 8/10 - I really like this scent a lot. It's leathery, and musky. It just smells manly.

Post Shave Feel: 8/10 - It's good...not the best...but has that nice tallow face feel. Wish it was a little bit better...but you can definitely tell the difference between this and the vegan option.

Average Rating: 8.2/10



Final Thoughts: Overall this is a very solid shave soap. I would rank it better than a lot, but I don't think it would make it into the top level of soaps I like. I will say that I think it is considerably better than the Vegan version of Viking Soap. I do wish some qualities were a tad better.

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Midnight & Two - The Cabin (9) > Sudsy Soapery - Twice Mint (8.9) = Through the Fire Fine Craft - Currants and Roses (8.9) = Sudsy Soapery - Jack Frost (8.9) > Phoenix and Beau - Citra Royale (8.5) > Bain Amour - Monsieur Piquant (8.3) = Maggard Razors - Limes & Bergamot (8.3) > Viking - Ironside (8.2) > Bluebell - Limewood (8.1) = Barrister & Mann - Lavanille (8.1) > Captain's Choice - North (8) > Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag (7.6) = Viking - Ragnar (7.6) > Shannon's Soap - Silk Pajamas (7.4) > Cella (7.3)

 

[dfoulk]

No, you more than answered my question. You sir are a real professional at this!

I can't wait to hear about these in box 4, as I haven't heard of the majority.

Have you tried big easy? I just learned of them today in a glowing review by Paul H.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the kind words. I have never tried Big Easy Soaps but at your request I reached out to the vendor and they're in. So I'm looking forward to trying them and you guys will get to as well.

 

[dangerousdon]

Thanks for the kind words. I have never tried Big Easy Soaps but at your request I reached out to the vendor and they're in. So I'm looking forward to trying them and you guys will get to as well.

That's good news! Someone else mentioned them in another thread and I was interested...them being a local soap to me and all. I just haven't had time to check them out.

Sent from the Danger Phone

 

[dfoulk]

That's good news! Someone else me tinned them in another thread and I was interested...them being a local soap to me and all. I just haven't had time to check them out.

Sent from the Danger Phone

His scents sound very appealing to me as well. I'm excited to try them. Really nice guy too. I've been chatting with him for the last twenty minutes or so.

 

[dfoulk]

If you guys would like to try Long Rifle soaps you can use the discount code BIGSHAVE20 to save 20% on your order.

 

[Grundi]

That's good news! Someone else mentioned them in another thread and I was interested...them being a local soap to me and all. I just haven't had time to check them out.

His scents sound very appealing to me as well. I'm excited to try them. Really nice guy too. I've been chatting with him for the last twenty minutes or so.

Sometimes a hidden treasure is found in your own backyard!! I've got a favorite artisan shaving soap maker a short distant from me. (And there are also some others soaps from far away - PCN - that are awesome finds, too). It's nice when you're supporting local talent!!

 

[dfoulk]

Sometimes a hidden treasure is found in your own backyard!! I've got a favorite artisan shaving soap maker a short distant from me. (And there are also some others soaps from far away - PCN - that are awesome finds, too). It's nice when you're supporting local talent!!

I love to find the little unknown soap companies that are quietly cranking out some of the very best soaps. You never know what you're going to get when you order something from one off the small unknown companies. So it can surprise you in a very good way or a very bad way.

I tried Lisa's Natural Herbal Creations today and while I have to give it a couple more shaves, to get an assessment that I'm confident in, I can say that it was a pretty good soap. I really enjoyed it and at the $6 a puck price point it's a hell of a good deal for a soap that I'd be extremely happy to use on a fairly regular basis.

I'll post a full review in a couple days but so far I'm liking it quite a bit.

 

[Grundi]

I love to find the little unknown soap companies that are quietly cranking out some of the very best soaps. You never know what you're going to get when you order something from one off the small unknown companies. So it can surprise you in a very good way or a very bad way.

I tried Lisa's Natural Herbal Creations today and while I have to give it a couple more shaves, to get an assessment that I'm confident in, I can say that it was a pretty good soap. I really enjoyed it and at the $6 a puck price point it's a hell of a good deal for a soap that I'd be extremely happy to use on a fairly regular basis.

I'll post a full review in a couple days but so far I'm liking it quite a bit.

I haven't heard of LNHC soaps, so I had to go to her web page to check it. The scents look intriguing, the dragonfly logo is cool, and she has samples for $2. I'm anxious to read your full review.

 

[dfoulk]

Ok, to give you an update on Lisa's Natural Herbal Creations soap I'll do a quick review and share my thoughts.

Today's shave
Razor: Wolfman WR1 SB .61 w/Darwin handle
Soap: Lisa's Natural Herbal Creations Tobacco & Bay
Brush: Paladin Pk47 26mm
Blade : Feather (4)
After Shave: Soap Commander Courage balm

So first off I love the scent of this soap. The tobacco note is the primary scent. I don't really smell the bay rum in it but it just smells great. I'm not a smoker and never have been but I love the wet tobacco style scents. The are deep, rich and bold. The smoke scented takes on tobacco soaps I don't care for at all.

I've had several email exchanges with Lisa to get her soaps in the passaround. Basically they are a smell pretty much undiscovered soap company quietly making some great products. She's been exceptionally nice and I really want her soaps to be great. That won't sway my assessment as my reviews are always as honest and factual as I can make them. So where we're at now is Lisa's a really nice person and I want this soap to be great.

I take a small portion of the soap and press it into an empty Ikea Grundtal container. I take the Paladin brush that has been soaking and shake almost all of the water out of it. I then take the brush to the soap and begin swirling it in a circular motion. The lather starts forming instantly but I need a bit more water. I add water four drops at a time about six or eight times watching the soap change as I lather. I recommend you guys use this same method with your soaps as it's the very best way to get the water to soap ratio correct with any soap. Instead of guessing at the beginning I start off slow and add as necessary like a chef would taste his food as he seasons it. The lather looks perfect and I'm about to start my shave.

I apply the lather to my face and it's a nice thick creamy lather just like I like it. The lather is just past a gel like state and nowhere near the bubbly airy mess I see in a lot of lather pics. It goes on thick and feels great. I'd say the lather is above average and more than sufficient with no obvious concerns.

I take the razor to my face and the slickness is there. The razor glides effortlessly as I hear the crunching sound the Wolfman razor makes as it chops through the stubble. I finish the pass and rinse my face. As I rinse I feel a lingering slickness that almost feels like a shave oil still on my skin. It's nice and feels really slick. My face feels clean and fresh at the same time.

Pass two and three are more of the same. I'm enjoying the scent of the soap and the shave is going very well. The final result is a perfect dolphin smooth bbs shave. I rinse my face and let a little time go by to test the moisturizing properties. After a short time my face feels slightly dry. Like as if I shaved with Martin de Candre. It's not a problem though as that's what and aftershave is for.

So overall my opinion of Lisa's soaps after two shaves is that they are a very good soap that's definitely worth using. They have a very nice lather and the slickness is very good but they lack some of the mositurizing qualities of the ultra premium soaps I usually reach for. My face feels great, just not as moisturized as some really high end soaps leave it feeling. It's not a bad thing as these ultra premium soaps are incredibly difficult to find. Once you factor in the really low price of under $6 for a 3.5 ounce puck these soaps are pretty much a no brainer. I'd reach for Lisa's soaps over the majority of other well recognized name brand soaps and the bulk of the artisan soaps costing quite a bit more. It's a solid performer and an outstanding value.

If any of you guys buy some and try it please share your thoughts.

 

[dangerousdon]

Excellent review David. I'll have to check her out.

 

[dangerousdon]

Excellent review David. I'll have to check her out.

 

[dfoulk]

Excellent review David. I'll have to check her out.

Thanks, I appreciate your faith in me.

Lisa's soaps are pretty solid performance wise. I don't take price into consideration and I grade strictly on performance alone, so a $6 soap is graded on the same merits as a $65 soap. That aside, when you consider that this is a $6 soap it's all that much more impressive. Would I choose this soap over Sudsy Soapery or PannaCrema, likely not but I'd choose it over the majority of much more well known successful companies that are out there.

 

[dfoulk]

Here's a couple more for you guys to look forward to.
I just got word today that BlueBell Soap Co. and Envy Shave will be represented in the next round.

 

[kalaukoa]

This is an awesome idea! Thanks for organizing it. Hopefully I make the list

 

[davidr2340]

Here's a couple more for you guys to look forward to.
I just got word today that BlueBell Soap Co. and Envy Shave will be represented in the next round.

Oh man... I've been really wanting to try Envy's soap!!!

Sent from my LG-H900 using Tapatalk

 

[tclobaugh]

Review from box #3:

PannaCrema Pure2O Vetiver

For all my samples I use a WD Synth brush, ATT H2, Feather blade, Alum and WH post shave

Performance:
I was excited to try this soap and was expecting greatness as I'm a fan of the performance of Nuavia and old PC. My lather ended up thinner than I like, however, and not the creamy goodness I prefer. Probably a bit of user error - I would load more from the puck in a usual situation, but I don't do that on a sample as I want to standardize on the amount used. This lather performed better than I thought it would based on its looks. Slickness was great and cushion was good. Shave went well. I'm guessing cushion would be better if the lather were not as thin. Post shave was very good as well, especially for a non-tallow soap. Not top tier for me, but a solid tier 2 soap. (Tier 1=outstanding, tier 2 = excellent using David's terms). If I have time I might retry this one.

Scent:
There was only one choice here, which was disappointing as I'm usually not a Vetiver fan. I was pleasantly surprised, however and I liked the scent. Not love, but like and could use occasionally if I loved the performance. I could see this scent being very popular as it's very well done.

Scent strength was good off puck and at lather. Hung around a little post shave but not much and not for long.

Summary:
As I would expect from PC, a great scent and a strong performer. I'm not sure I believe it's a upgrade from old PC, but it's impressive that it's close and without tallow. If you a non-tallow fan, this should be one on your list as it performs like a tallow soap in most ways.

MW > Pure2O > CRSW Olivia
Note (MW is not in box #3, but I just tried a sample from them so I'm including it )

 

[Jaidmaster]

Review from box #3:

PannaCrema Pure2O Vetiver

For all my samples I use a WD Synth brush, ATT H2, Feather blade, Alum and WH post shave

Performance:
I was excited to try this soap and was expecting greatness as I'm a fan of the performance of Nuavia and old PC. My lather ended up thinner than I like, however, and not the creamy goodness I prefer. Probably a bit of user error - I would load more from the puck in a usual situation, but I don't do that on a sample as I want to standardize on the amount used. This lather performed better than I thought it would based on its looks. Slickness was great and cushion was good. Shave went well. I'm guessing cushion would be better if the lather were not as thin. Post shave was very good as well, especially for a non-tallow soap. Not top tier for me, but a solid tier 2 soap. (Tier 1=outstanding, tier 2 = excellent using David's terms). If I have time I might retry this one.

Scent:
There was only one choice here, which was disappointing as I'm usually not a Vetiver fan. I was pleasantly surprised, however and I liked the scent. Not love, but like and could use occasionally if I loved the performance. I could see this scent being very popular as it's very well done.

Scent strength was good off puck and at lather. Hung around a little post shave but not much and not for long.

Summary:
As I would expect from PC, a great scent and a strong performer. I'm not sure I believe it's a upgrade from old PC, but it's impressive that it's close and without tallow. If you a non-tallow fan, this should be one on your list as it performs like a tallow soap in most ways.

MW > Pure2O > CRSW Olivia
Note (MW is not in box #3, but I just tried a sample from them so I'm including it )

Pure2O does indeed contain tallow. From PC website:
"PURE2O is a shaving soap line containing tallow, characterized by a very short ingredient list."
I like it a lot although the container could be wider - I usually scoop some out into my bowl, so not a big deal.
Sorry to hear you over hydrated it.
Thanks for the review!

 

[dfoulk]

I find the old PannaCrema soaps to produce some of the very best lather I've found in all of the soaps I've tried. The new Pure2O lather isn't quite as good and this version is definitely more difficult to lather than PannaCrema's other soaps including Nuavia. But it's is exceptional in slickness and post shave feel.

Once you get the right lather from Pure2O I find it very similar to Nuavia but actually a little slicker.

Christain, if you'd like to please try it again. As far as trying to use as little soap as possible goes that's not necessary. I expect some of the soaps to run out during the round and that's just part of it. Sometimes I send additional soaps to the boxes and can include refills there as well. Even if the soap is empty then there are plenty of other soaps to try. In fact there are more great soap in each box than you could try even if you shaved three times a day.

 

[tclobaugh]

Good to know that's it's tallow. I hate to steer anyone wrong there (guess I should of my homework)

@david - it's not a matter of using as little as possible. I have a pretty standard set amount I take when testing a sample as I like to judge a soap as fairly to others as I can. Of course some need more soap to shine but I rarely know that up front and I think that is something to note.

I will try this again if there is time before sending the box out as this is a soap I could see owning and so I want to "understand" it

 

[dfoulk]

I got soaps from Crowne & Crane and Sapone di Paolo in the mail yesterday.
Pics and some short reviews will be posted over the next few days.

I can tell you now that both of these soap makers have some really outstanding scents.
If I'm going by scent alone I'd have already ordered several from each soap maker.