Grooming Dept club

[steffenapelz]

I have mo dog in this fight as I don't buy GD soaps. But one thing is for sure...I think Mo's move to a $40 minimum for free shipping is the right move. It incentivizes larger orders and it properly allocates cost to the resource expenditure on his end (packing 3 tubs of soap doesn't take 3x as much time or postage as 1 tub).

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[Bogeyman]

Putting product cost aside, I won't be purchasing any more GD soaps for 2 reasons.
1) A&E, M&M and WK soaps offer better performance (IMO)
2) Seriously off putting scents. I know that scent appeal is subjective but to my nose GD soaps range from almost tolerable to distractingly unpleasant...I am being kind here.

On the bright side...there is one less person you need to compete with for that coveted tub!

Make that two, and you didn't even mention the asteroid "crater" after approx. five shaves!!

 

[Rhody]

Make that two, and you didn't even mention the asteroid "crater" after approx. five shaves!!

asteroid crater after 5 saves...i doubt that. Exaggerated internet "criticism" not based in reality imo

 

[jmturley]

asteroid crater after 5 saves...i doubt that. Exaggerated internet "criticism" not based in reality imo

Agreed. I’ve used all mine, including my Mallard, far more then 5 times and still can’t see bottom.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Make that two, and you didn't even mention the asteroid "crater" after approx. five shaves!!

asteroid crater after 5 saves...i doubt that. Exaggerated internet "criticism" not based in reality imo

It would be impossible for me to know how many shaves to expect from a tub of Grooming Dept soap were I only reading this thread. Are the gentlemen saying a crater appears almost immediately exaggerating? I have no idea as I'm not looking over their shoulders.

I had one tub of Grooming Dept which was liquid. There's a thread about it. In the thread many of the posters discuss how Grooming Dept made it right. Thus I ended up with two tubs in the end (one of which started off as a liquid and solidified over about six weeks without a top on the tub). I had another tub the scent of which I hated. Mo at GD got in touch with me and offered me a replacement product; I paid only return shipping on the tub being returned which seemed more than fair to me.

In other words I've found GD customer service to be very good. That's accepting that the soaps are often out of stock and that one has to order them when they're available and figure out how to find out when that is (there's a thread about releases of GD soaps, too).

Most people who like Grooming Dept products like them for their performance qualities (and I do mean quality because they perform very well in my view of them). I wouldn't mind finding soap and products which work as well or better than GD products but are less difficult to order, etc (and there's a thread about that), but in the meantime I'm using the more than a dozen tubs of Grooming Dept soap in my den.

Perhaps these soaps are used up faster than any others, but I've not kept a close eye on exactly how fast or slow they disappear. I've tried a lot of soaps most of which are highly touted by someone and many of which are very long lasting. Considering that my skin is difficult at best and that GD soaps and products work quite well for me it would be a truly great soap which would displace this one in my den.

I can not say that any of my GD soaps have disappeared very rapidly. Certainly they've not developed craters in five shaves (nor fifteen). However, that doesn't mean the guys reporting craters after five shaves are wrong.

My guess is the cost per shave of Grooming Dept soaps is on the high side, but it's performance is also on the high side.

Again, I'm looking for a soap with even better performance than GD. If you know of one I invite you to post about it on the appropriate thread.

If I had a tub of soap which had a big crater after five shaves I might be inclined to get in touch with the vendor but that's just me.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[muzichead]

If I had a tub of soap which had a big crater after five shaves I might be inclined to get in touch with the vendor but that's just me.

There is another thread in this forum that describes this, though after 8 shaves, and there were also several folks that mentioned not only the donut after minimal shaves but also going through tubs at an expedient rate of time!! The thread for that... Grooming Department Disappointment

I will say that, just as you pointed out, Mo was contacted by some and as you have said about your incidents with him that he made it right... I say good for him, and you, as to his great customer service as you would also say but it also begs the question that is, why has he had to make it right on so many occasions and so many releases? This has been going on now for several months now and I understand he is a small operation and all but there always seems to be some problem with some release or a soap disappearing quickly or something not being shipped on time or whether he has free shipping or not or something and this or these instances are what keeps me from buying his product no matter how good it is!!

 

[Hannah's Dad]

In one of my friendly email exchanges with Mo (following MY thread about the donut hole) Mo asked my why so many people seem to come after Grooming Dept with ‘pitchforks’ (his term), to which I replied that when you’re at the top of the heap, people will always try and bring you down. He does take the criticism personally, and he always tries to make the customer whole. I give him much credit for that. But I also look forward to the day when his product releases lack the ‘drama’ which seemingly always accompany them.

 

[A. Feitar]

In one of my friendly email exchanges with Mo (following MY thread about the donut hole) Mo asked my why so many people seem to come after Grooming Dept with ‘pitchforks’ (his term), to which I replied that when you’re at the top of the heap, people will always try and bring you down. He does take the criticism personally, and he always tries to make the customer whole. I give him much credit for that. But I also look forward to the day when his product releases lack the ‘drama’ which seemingly always accompany them.

Mo has responded to the constructive criticism by offering a $15 five ounce Fortis base soap. (This should compete well against Stirling). He is also lowering the price on his premium soaps while boosting it from 4 to 5 ounces. He really cares about his customer service.

 

[Gobucks01]

In one of my friendly email exchanges with Mo (following MY thread about the donut hole) Mo asked my why so many people seem to come after Grooming Dept with ‘pitchforks’ (his term), to which I replied that when you’re at the top of the heap, people will always try and bring you down. He does take the criticism personally, and he always tries to make the customer whole. I give him much credit for that. But I also look forward to the day when his product releases lack the ‘drama’ which seemingly always accompany them.

Mo is a pleasure to deal with. I have noticed in time that orders get out quicker. Maybe that is dealing with demand better. And expecting it better.
I will always remember and be loyal to a vendor that wants to make what I buy right. I challenged him on this and he went above and beyond to make it better for me.
I can not wait to order his new soap.

 

[mrlandpirate]

seem like the negative people from the other thread ran out of steam and came over to pollute this one
just an observation

 

[StuartT]

In one of my friendly email exchanges with Mo (following MY thread about the donut hole) Mo asked my why so many people seem to come after Grooming Dept with ‘pitchforks’ (his term), to which I replied that when you’re at the top of the heap, people will always try and bring you down. He does take the criticism personally, and he always tries to make the customer whole. I give him much credit for that. But I also look forward to the day when his product releases lack the ‘drama’ which seemingly always accompany them.

I don't believe that I lead with a pitchfork in my posts. I have no doubt that Mo is a decent guy and is doing the best he can regarding customer service. I don't track the cost of a shave or how quickly I run through a tub...I have more soap than I need. A soap's performance and scent (IMO) are equally critical components to the shaving experience. If one of those components is lacking, the shaving experience is less enjoyable. While I find GD soaps to be good performers (but not the best IMO) the scent profiles are simply off-putting (very subjective I know) and that is why I won't be buying anymore GD products. BTY, I have the following soaps: Molten, Citric, Valencia and Dapper Mallard.

 

[RayClem]

Grooming Department does make good soaps. However, I think part of the problem is that he makes too many soaps and changes his scents and formulations too frequently. Most artisans have a couple of standard formulas and several standard scents. They will occasionally release limited edition scents such as seasonal scents. In contrast, nearly every soap MO releases is either in a new formula or a new scent, often both. That makes it impossible for the stockists who sell GD soaps to keep them in stock. That is frustrating for both the stockists and the customers.

GD soap bases include: Mallard, Lusso, Janus tallow, Janus Vegan, Donkey base, and Astute. I have a couple of Primo base soaps that are no longer listed. His web site hints at yet another new soap base called Fortis tallow. By the time the community has an opportunity to review a new release, the product is sold out, never to be produced again. Because these soaps are produced in small batches and the formula changes so frequently, it is no wonder that there are occasional quality issues. This business plan also makes it difficult for customers to develop a preference for a specific product and reorder when they run out.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Grooming Department does make good soaps. However, I think part of the problem is that he makes too many soaps and changes his scents and formulations too frequently. Most artisans have a couple of standard formulas and several standard scents. They will occasionally release limited edition scents such as seasonal scents. In contrast, nearly every soap MO releases is either in a new formula or a new scent, often both. That makes it impossible for the stockists who sell GD soaps to keep them in stock. That is frustrating for both the stockists and the customers.

GD soap bases include: Mallard, Lusso, Janus tallow, Janus Vegan, Donkey base, and Astute. I have a couple of Primo base soaps that are no longer listed. His web site hints at yet another new soap base called Fortis tallow. By the time the community has an opportunity to review a new release, the product is sold out, never to be produced again. Because these soaps are produced in small batches and the formula changes so frequently, it is no wonder that there are occasional quality issues. This business plan also makes it difficult for customers to develop a preference for a specific product and reorder when they run out.

Agree with you on the variety of bases and the one-of scents. I wish he would have a selection of offerings that is available all the time. I really like the Lusso base and would like to see it offered in some basic standard scents, i.e. vetiver, rose, lavender, lime, sandalwood etc. One of my favorites is the Coattail Redux, I hope he will offer this one again one day.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Agree with you on the variety of bases and the one-of scents. I wish he would have a selection of offerings that is available all the time. I really like the Lusso base and would like to see it offered in some basic standard scents, i.e. vetiver, rose, lavender, lime, sandalwood etc. One of my favorites is the Coattail Redux, I hope he will offer this one again one day.

I knew somebody had to like the CR; not me. All the other of his scents I've tried have been okay or better than okay. My favorite is probably Valencia (orange scent on steroids but with a tad of complexity).

I wonder why he doesn't have some standard and constant soaps?

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[pbrmhl]

I’ll always respect Mo’s customer service. Years ago, when he was just getting started, I bought a couple of tubs of GD. I posted that I couldn’t get them to lather for me, readily admitting that it was likely user error. He proactively reached out to me, and offered to send a couple of tubs of his new formulation, gratis, without asking me to return the two I was struggling with. The two new tubs worked fabulously (and smell great, by the way—Conco and Yuzu).

I then bought the original Mallard, and later bought the Frankinlime. The latter is the only GD soap I own that seems to dissipate quickly. As has been said, with so many reformulations, “you never know what you’re going to get.”

 

[evnpar]

There are many excellent soaps, and everyone has a favorite, but I've found nothing compares to the post shave feel of Grooming Dept.

 

[TacticalPanda]

I've tried almost every artisan soap and GD has the best performance and post shave bar none. I don't use anything else at this point.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

There are many excellent soaps, and everyone has a favorite, but I've found nothing compares to the post shave feel of Grooming Dept.

I've tried almost every artisan soap and GD has the best performance and post shave bar none. I don't use anything else at this point.

Have you gentlemen used M&M and/or Dragonsbeard?

From what I've read here and there these two products seem to some guys comparable to GD. I'd be interested to know if your comments apply to these two soaps?

Thanks and happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Rhody]

I think I've bought and tried a large number of soaps. For my face GD is tied with tallow & steel. I suppose i needed my journey to get here but if i had these two to start id be a rich man today

 

[steffenapelz]

I have very sensitive skin that dries out quickly, so good post shave quality is very important to me. In that department, I rank soap bases as follows.

1) The title for best post shave in my den goes to Oleo Soapworks Canard Base. Preferably a scent like Jacmel or New Canaan. Difficult to explain, but it always leaves my face perfect...moisturized but not greasy.

2) Second best post shave goes to APR (Australian Private Reserve) F2 base (newer). The older F1 base is just about as good, except slightly harder to lather.

3) Third place goes to Murphy and McNeil.

4) Fourth place goes to Eufros

I also own Noble Otter (just so so post-shave), Ariana and Evans Goat+Yoghurt (very good), Declaration Grooming Bison Tallow (can make my face feel greasy) and Storybook Soapworks (feels drying).

If I had to pick just one of them for post shave, I'd pick Oleo every day and twice on Sunday. Utter perfection.

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