The Wanderer's Journey

[Clay S]

Please, don't change your vocabulary on my behalf, buddy.

I'm not changing for you, just because of you You just pointed out the multitude of ways it could be is used on this site. If I type something(I don't type), I do want it to be understood, not misunderstood.

I feel like I'm missing some subtext here...

Just saying that "THE" soap one finds, might not be available at any time, could happen with any soap, more likely with artisans. Just a general statement. Not directed at any soap/maker in particular. Reformulations are likely in my picks

Would it be fair to say you have an impatience for stuff sat being unused?

I think it was impatience for getting to the results, plus exploration. I relized now that the reason I can go indefinitely now with a blade is that I decided SE was working better, much better. So the result of testing isn't important anymore.
Soaps are exploration warring with frugality.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I'm not changing for you, just because of you You just pointed out the multitude of ways it could be is used on this site. If I type something(I don't type), I do want it to be understood, not misunderstood.

I understand

Just saying that "THE" soap one finds, might not be available at any time, could happen with any soap, more likely with artisans. Just a general statement. Not directed at any soap/maker in particular. Reformulations are likely in my picks

Ah, yes. I specifically chose samples that I believed would reflect soaps that I'd freely be able to get in future... then discovered last week that one of them has already been discontinued (Wickhams Sanskrit)

I think it was impatience for getting to the results, plus exploration. I relized now that the reason I can go indefinitely now with a blade is that I decided SE was working better, much better. So the result of testing isn't important anymore.
Soaps are exploration warring with frugality.

Yes, I've now proven to myself what I needed to know with blades too The current soap exploration for me, is me exploring whether soaps are worth exploring

 

[Clay S]

I understand



Ah, yes. I specifically chose samples that I believed would reflect soaps that I'd freely be able to get in future... then discovered last week that one of them has already been discontinued (Wickhams Sanskrit)




Yes, I've now proven to myself what I needed to know with blades too The current soap exploration for me, is me exploring whether soaps are worth exploring

Exploring exploration of exfoliation excellence.

Does not bode well for minimalism

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Exploring exploration of exfoliation excellence.

Does not bode well for minimalism

Well, it might do actually. It might prove that I should just stick with my current favourites, or give me a brief shortlist to play from.

It's already informed me that creams don't work as well for me as soaps do, and Haslinger doesn't outperform Mitchell's, despite the higher cost per shave. Far too early to draw further conclusions yet.

It may prove to me that I should stick to one main soap(Mitchell's) with the occasional sample every couple of months. On the flip side, if one of the multi-scented options such as Wickhams or Phoenix&Beau works well for me, it might open up other avenues of exploration, or killer soaps that I want to snaffle up full tubs of.

No rabbit holes though. I've fallen down too many of those in the past.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Shave #2 on the Pre de Provence sample.

I've always been bewildered when I see or hear of people loading the brush for a minute or so. I know many people like a richer lather than I do, but there is a world of difference between their load time and mine. Today's load time was short!

Yesterday, the soap was wetter than what I'd consider to be the equilibrium condition of a well used puck, as it had been soaking in a little water overnight. After that first use, the excess water was removed, and today was what I would expect a well conditioned puck to feel and load like.

I did 20 laps, with the Omega 10051 boar.

That just gave me enough lather for an excellent three pass shave with minimal wastage. 20 laps. What's that, 5 or 6 seconds? Plenty of glide, zero cushion, easily rinsed, and a nice post shave feel. Just the way a shave should be!

Blade was a Derby Premium in the regular Jagger DE3D14. I felt no need for post shave treatment, but did have a little spray of EdT.

 

[Esox]

15 seconds is a long time for me to load any soap with my synthetic.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

15 seconds is a long time for me to load any soap with my synthetic.

Same with my boar, Mike. I don't really know how my synthetic compares, as that's not what I use it for (face lathering shave sticks).

Oh, and I just realised, I never noticed the scent at all.

Perfect!

 

[Esox]

The scent is there if you try to smell it, but its very unobtrusive.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

The scent is there if you try to smell it, but its very unobtrusive.

Exactly! Just the way it should be (for me)

 

[Cal]

Oh, and I just realised, I never noticed the scent at all.

The scent is there if you try to smell it, but its very unobtrusive.

I thought it was just the PdP No 63 that you had Mike. Do you have both?

 

[Seveneighth]

The reason I'm conditioning soaps like this, is to better replicate soaps that have been in use for a good while, rather than just judging it "as received", which wouldn't really be indicative of the soap longer term.

Excellent - I was going to mention that your sampling approach didn't take into account soaps that took a while to break in, given that two of my favourites suffered from that. Looks like you have that factor covered.

 

[Esox]

I thought it was just the PdP No 63 that you had Mike. Do you have both?

I only have 63 for now but the other is on my mind.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Excellent - I was going to mention that your sampling approach didn't take into account soaps that took a while to break in, given that two of my favourites suffered from that. Looks like you have that factor covered.

Absolutely! Mitchell's is a slow starter and wouldn't get to full potential over the course of a sample if I didn't precondition it, or do my trick of use it for a week then flip the cake, so the softer bottom face is on top.

With the samples being chunks or flakes, soaking them to make moulding easier looks after the conditioning, but like a moron, I'd done that way too early with this one, so I had to redo it immediately before use. In future, I'll be using the same pot, so I won't be able to do it too early, as I'm waiting for the pot to empty. So on the future samples, the moulding and conditioning will be done in one step.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Shave 4 on the PdP today.

The scent is back. The one I don't like. The one I can't identify or describe (I'm useless with scents).

The best description that I can put on it so far, is it smells like some kind of household product. Oven cleaner, or air freshener, or some other gumption that doesn't belong on the face. Now it may well just be my unconscious mind not being used to scented soaps. My brain knows I'm going to put soap on my face, and then, "Hang on feller, that doesn't smell like soap!"

The sample has dried out more than I expected it to, but it is still performing very well. It just needs a slightly damper brush when loading now.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Shave 5 on the PdP, and a slightly frustrating shave. Brush was misbehaving today.

I don't think I soaked it long enough, as there wasn't much action in the lower half of the bristles. It was not lathering as efficiently as normal, hogging lather, and generally being a little uncooperative. Soap still performed well though, even if it did take a bit more effort, and the added frustration meant I didn't notice the unwelcome vegetation/household cleaner/garden waste bin scent as much today

 

[Esox]

I cant say I've ever had that sort of smell from my PdP. I rinse the tin after I use it and I've never had the puck out of the tin. Now you've made me afraid to look lol.

 

[Somerled]

I cant say I've ever had that sort of smell from my PdP. I rinse the tin after I use it and I've never had the puck out of the tin. Now you've made me afraid to look lol.

What are you expecting to see Mike?

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I cant say I've ever had that sort of smell from my PdP. I rinse the tin after I use it and I've never had the puck out of the tin. Now you've made me afraid to look lol.

Whatever the scent is, it's IN the soap. It was there as a sample when I was moulding it into the pot, and hasn't gotten worse. It's kind of herbal or plant based, but not in a particularly nice way, in much the same way that many geraniums smell worse than they look like they should do.

 

[Clay S]

@AimlessWanderer, you have the non-63 PdP IIRC? @Esox, you have PdP no. 63.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

@AimlessWanderer, you have the non-63 PdP IIRC? @Esox, you have PdP no. 63.

That's right