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Klar Kabinett Shave Soap

amazing soap
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Lather
5.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Efficacy
5.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
5.00 star(s)
Pros: Scent, lather, efficacy and post shave feeling
Cons: Scent
Found the Klar Seifen webshop and ordered a pack of Kabinett based on the reviews here. Friendly people, did not even have to pay in advance/PayPal or whatever, they just sent it to me with a bill from Germany. I received it in the morning in the office, so it was on my desk most of the day. Could smell the scent thru the wrapper. Floral/powdery, should be rose, but I am not good at describing scents. I had to get used to it, but now I like it. Scent is rather strong. A pack contains 2 bars of 250 grams, 500 grams in total. It is semi-hard: you can break off a piece and push it in your mug/bowl. Lathers easily, glide is good. Get good, close shaves with this soap. Good value for the money. Will be my daily soap :thumup:
Price
4.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Lather
4.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
4.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
3.00 star(s)
Pros: Everything
This soap is like a rose scented version of Tabac, which is a very good thing. The lather I get with Klar Kabinett is on par with any other soap I've used. This soap produces a lather that is slick and very protective. What more can you ask for? The price is not bad either. I bought 500g for $20 from Phil at Bullmoose. I imagine that it will take some time to work through that amount.
Price
4.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Lather
5.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Efficacy
5.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
4.00 star(s)
I ordered this from Phil at Bullgoose during his Pulaski Day contest. I'm glad I did!
He is great to deal with; I had an email immediately. Then he combined shipping for me on another item after I'd ordered the soap.

I really like this soap!

Price: $20 for a LOT of soap. I milled 1 bar into a bowl. Left the other for a shave stick. I think this soap will last awhile!!

Quality: Works very well for me without a lot of packaging waste.

Scent: A light rose scent that I barely notice. I like this for everyday shaving.

Lather: This soap lathered quickly and thick. The brush stays LOADED through 3 passes.

Efficacy: It provides the protection/slick I need to complete a BBS shave.
Moisturizing: This is kind of neutral; it doesn't moisturize or dry my skin.

This mildly scented soap works very well at a good price. Without a lot of packaging or waste. I will order it again if I ever run out!
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Lather
5.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Efficacy
5.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
3.00 star(s)
Like many other members posting to this thread, I received a sample from Phil at BullGoose. I tried the Klar Kabinett soap for the first time today. The lather was easily produced and pleasingly rose scented.

After my three pass shave there was enough lather that could be produced to go at another pass or two. The feel of the soap was similar to a tallow based soap but not quite the slick or protective feel that I experience from some tallow based soaps. It still provided good protection and the "feel of a fresh water trout" when rinsing the soap from the skin. Fortunately, the light rose scent never let me doubt what a fine soap this was and never mistaken for a trout.

All in all, a good soap that will be a solid value purchase. A product to add to the den - IMHO.
Price
4.00 star(s)
Scent
5.00 star(s)
Lather
5.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
5.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
4.00 star(s)
Twenty dollars for 500 grams of high quality soap?

500 grams is equal to four pucks of Tabac so put that into your math pipe and smoke it! This is a screaming value! I bought mine from Bullgoose and it was a good investment. Mine was milled into a 1 cup Pyrex container and I still have enough left to refill the container at least 3 more times.

The soap lathers beautifully into a thick and slick lather.

The scent is very nice rose scent that isn't too powerful.

I really enjoy shaving with this soap. I've used at least 3 dozen different types of shave soap and this one makes my keeper list. ( I'll admit to being a soap slut :biggrin1:)

Like a previous reviewer I don't find the soap particularly moisturizing but a little ASB and I don't mind.
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Lather
5.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
4.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
3.00 star(s)
I couldn't resist getting a 500g bar of this from Bullgoose. Yes, it's very nice indeed! My first lather with it was a bit off, but that was my fault, and the second try was great. I took some of the soap and made it into a shave stick using one of MamaBear's empty pushup shavestick containers. By cubing the soap with a knife into 1/2 inch squares and gently heating in a microwave (5 second pulses) until just warm, I was able to press fit it into the shave stick with no problem.

It takes more soap to get good lather than I had expected, but it's easy to get enough with a bit of extra rubbing. The scent is pleasant and inoffensive. A darker rose than some, but not as dark or strong as the famed SRD Bulgarian. Good slickness and cushion once the soap/water ratio was figured out. I tend to make my last buffing passes with a handful of water smeared over my face using the leftover soap as lubricant, and this soap passed that test very well indeed. So thumbs up! :thumbup: It didn't seem to dry my face, but didn't moisturize it either. No problem, really.

Price is excellent, performance is great, scent is very enjoyable. For men or women, I think this should be in every shave den as part of the rotation.
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Lather
4.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
4.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
3.00 star(s)
I picked up a 500 g double brick from Phil at Bullgoose, who was a pleasure to deal with. I normally don't review products, but this was so extraordinary that I felt it was my duty to share my opinion.

Just fyi, I used a straight for my test. I feel that it separates the men from the boys so to speak when measuring lather efficacy. I can get away with using Cade soap or CO Bigelow cream with my safety razors, but the straight requires a better product.

Price: $20 for 500 g. Honestly, it doesn't get much cheaper than that for a high quality soap. Even Williams is nearly $2 for 50 grams, so this is basically the same price. Enough said

Quality: The packaging just oozes German quality from the second you hold it. It's hefty, and wrapped in simple yet elegant paper

Scent: Its a dry, powdery rose smell. Some people say its medicinal, I don't get that at all. Its a light rose, which to my nose smells great. You can definitely smell it during the shave, and it lingers ever so lightly afterwards. I'm not a big rose fan, but I love this smell.

Lather: This is where the soap really shines. Its more of a soft soap, and can be molded quite easily. But it lathers like crazy. I had to use more water than usual, but the lather was slick, I mean really slick. Honestly, this is the best shave soap/creme I have ever used. It puts Cade and Aos soaps to shame, for significantly less money.

Efficacy: My straight slid right along with this stuff. When I first made the lather the blade dragged and my first pass was rubbish. I realized it was from the lather being too dry. More water and swirling quickly solved the problem. I was rewarded with a slick lather that my face thanked me for afterwards.

Moisturizing: I use aftershave, so to me this point isn't very important. It isn't terribly drying, but it isn't really moisturizing either. I put it to the drier side, but not bad. Could be due to the fact it is Tallow-free, but I'm not sure. Very much a non-issue IMO

In conclusion: An amazing product at a great price. Honestly, best shave soap/cream I've used. This is especially good for you straight guys. Yes it comes in a large package, but this means I don't have to try to be stingy when loading my brush. I have a feeling it will last for quite a while, but believe me, I'm going to enjoy every shave of it. From now on, this is all my Fridor will be seeing.
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Lather
5.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Efficacy
5.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
3.00 star(s)
I got a PIF sample from a member here. I tried it out and althought I'm more of a cream user, I was very happy with the soap. I liked the rose scent but felt it could do with a little more. It lathered well and had good cushioning and slickness.
Price
1.00 star(s)
Scent
3.00 star(s)
Lather
4.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
4.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
3.00 star(s)
Price - I am one of the reviewers who id NOT get this items as a PIF or Promo. I thought the value sounded so good that I paid my own money for it, and I do not regret it one bit. The price is ridiculously good. This product works as well as other products that are triple the price. Consider - a 50 gram puck of Williams or VDH is maybe $2.00. a 500 Gram package of Klar Kabinett is $20.00. This soap may be the biggest bargain in shaving soap today.

Quality - the quality is much higher than other inexpensive soaps I have tried. It is as thick, as easy to whip up, and as slick as Tabac, and almost as dense, but without the controversial scent.

Scent - Rose, and a pretty straightforward rose, but I found it to be a more appealing and manly rose than those from GFT. I also prefered this rose scent to that from T&H shave cream. It goes particularly well with Czech & Speake #88 cologne. YMMV

Lather - Outstanding. This soap makes it easy to generate a thick, slick, cushion-y lather quickly. In terms of performance for price, it is probably the best in my experience of a half-dozen soaps and about two dozen creams. The Big Jar of JM Fraser cream is a good comparison of performance vs price - large quantity, low price, excellent performance.

Efficacy - It keeps a Merkur 37c loaded with a Feather from tearing open my face. If that isn't effective for a shaving soap, I can't think of what might be considered effective.

Moisturizing - This is my only beef with Klar Kabinett. Not very moistuizing. In fact, a little drying in the fall weather we have been having. AS Balm instead of a splash is the order of the day in a dry climate with this soap.

Bottom line - I paid full price for this soap and I have no regrets whatsoever. Go get some. You may want to split a package with a friend or three, however, as a half-kilo of this hard soap will go a long long way.
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Lather
5.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
5.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
3.00 star(s)
I was given a sample of this soap from Phil at Bullgoose. After using it for a few weeks, I feel that I've gotten enough use out of it to render a judgement on it.

Price: At 20 dollars for half a kilo, this is a good buy. The soap is a good enough performer to make the price an excellent value.

Quality: I get great shaves from this soap. It performs, and does so admirably. Enough said.

Scent: Strong! You'd better like rose if you use this stuff! It mellows out alot when in use, but if you leave this soap open to the air, it will perfume the room it is stored in and possibly the next one over as well. I'm not a tremendous fan of rose, so your mileage may vary on scent.

Lather: Excellent. This soap loves water, and even my softest, floppiest brush produced gobs of lather from this soap. The lather is about what I imagined perfect lather to be: Very rich, slick, and cushiony.

Efficacy: Gets the job done right. My shaves are smooth and comfortable, it lathers easily, and lasts a good while.

Moisturizing: I didn't notice anything special here, in either direction. I will say that my skin does feel pleasant after the shave, though.
Price
4.00 star(s)
Scent
3.00 star(s)
Lather
5.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Efficacy
5.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
3.00 star(s)
I was PIFed a sample of this soap from Phil at bullgoose.

For a non-tallow soap this stuff lathers like no other. It loves water and I mean a lot of water, which I really like as I think this provides much more slickness for a shave.

The Rose scent is VERY strong in a container (I milled mine), however once lathering it subsides quite a bit. I really enjoy the scent.

I've only used this soap with straights and get good quality shaves which I don't get if I normally use a glycerin based soap.

I don't notice anything overwhelming in the moisturizing department ala MWF, but it definitely doesn't dry my face at all.

All in all, this stuff would and may replace GFT rose soap in my rotation. I think it performs and lathers better. If you like GFT Rose, you will love this stuff. Just play around with the water ratio and you will get thick, dense and slick lather.

Price wise, I would not hesitate at all of spending $20 for 500g of this high quality product.
Price
1.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Lather
5.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Efficacy
4.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
4.00 star(s)
I received a sample of this soap from Phil at Bullgoose shaving to evaluate.

Since I received this sample free it is easily a 10 :001_smile But seriously, at $20 for 500 grams this a bargain.

I really like the rose scent of this soap. It is not overly strong, has a subtle powder effect to it.

Lather is where this soap really excels...it is thick and rich...very easy to whip up. The slickness is top rate and provided excellent BBS shaves all week.

I did not find it moisturizing, but it's not drying either. I use AS after my shaves so this is not a big deal.

This is a great soap and will be in my rotation.
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Lather
4.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
4.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
2.00 star(s)
I was lucky enough to be given a 50g sample of this soap by Phil at Bullgoose shaving.

After using it for the whole week, I can easily say this is a top-notch soap. It was effortless in lather creation. The lather is generates is a soft and dense meringue-like lather.

The rose scent was incredibly strong right out of the package. However, once you start lathering with it, the scent gets more muted. I would rate this Rose scent on par with a Trumper's in terms of "style" (somewhat generic and commerical) versus the rose of C&S #88 soap.

In terms of overall performance, this probably ranks right up there.

As for value, you're getting 500g for $20. This easily is the best value soap out there for a rose scent.

I can easily see this soap as being a very strong contender for knocking Trumpers off as the go-to Rose scented shave soap for B&Bers, I think it'll just take time before people start spreading word-of-mouth on how well this soap performs.
Price
4.00 star(s)
Scent
3.00 star(s)
Lather
4.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
4.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
2.00 star(s)
This stuff is quite good! In fact, I would put it at par with Tabac in many ways...except that it is a bit more difficult to lather, i.e. it doesn't explode like Tabac does. But that may be because I'm not used to the correct water/soap ratio yet. Seems to be a bit different and takes a lot of swirls.

Although the soap's fragrance doesn't knock my socks off, it is very pleasant and mild after lathering up. It is an old world, sweet powdery rose / talc scent that is much more barbershop-like than baby or feminine.

The lather it produces is incredibly thick, rich, dense and slick. This is where I think it is highly comparable to Tabac, which is interesting since this is not a tallow-based soap as I understand it. I'm guessing the way Klar acheives the density/slickness is by adding a lot of clay and/or talc to its soap (hence the scent?).

Price is amazing at $20 for 500 grams. BTW - I did not receive a free sample of this soap. I bought it lock, stock and barrel 'cause it looked cool and it's from Heidelberg, Germany. Heidelberg is about as old-world and cool of a place as their is (check out their big castle with the biggest friggin' wine barrel in the world) + plus I've got family in that area so it was a no-brainer!!! (bit of a romantic here but aren't we all on this site?)

But I digress, quality is top notch. Efficacy - I got a great shave!!!! Moisturizing, not so much, but not appreciably drying either.

This is a winner and will be in my rotation. All in all I would say that it is a hair below Tabac and place it squarely in the realm of Trumpers soaps in terms of performance (not including coconut which is a special, hallowed category unto its own).
Price
5.00 star(s)
Scent
3.00 star(s)
Lather
4.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
5.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
3.00 star(s)
I received a free small sample of this from a fellow member here. This stuff lathers up very well. I mean it produced thick, rich lather. It was slick on my face and the razor glided effotlessly over it. The smell is great. I don't really know how to describe it, but it's strong. I could smell it when it was still sealed inside of the bubble mailer it came in. Overall, this is a great soap and I would recommend this to anyone, if you can find it.

Ryan
Price
1.00 star(s)
Scent
5.00 star(s)
Lather
5.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Efficacy
5.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
5.00 star(s)
I'm not the most experienced when it comes to soap, but I have tried a few and have always preferred creams. I recently received a nice 1 oz. sample of this in a PIF and have used it a few times. So far I love this stuff!

I pushed my sample into a Old Spice mug and it stayed without any milling. It's very easy to load up and produces excellent lather without much effort. It performs just like a cream and gives a great shave.

As for scent, I didn't find it to be all that strong. It has a rather simple scent that shouldn't offend anyone. Personally, I barely notice it. What I do notice is the great lather it produces! I wish all soaps worked this well!
I can tell that this generous sample is going to last for a while, but before it runs out I plan to order more.

As far as I know, this can only be ordered from one vendor online, but hopefully that will change soon!
Price
1.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Lather
5.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
4.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
5.00 star(s)
I've been using a 1 oz sample that was PIF'd to me from Nemo for the past 3 days, and have been extremely pleased with the results. The sample was pretty soft when I received it, and was easy to press fit into the bottom of a medium sized plastic ramiken I stole from the kitchen. After the 1st use, I noticed the soap hardened up, and it appears it will last a while.

The Kabinett has what most would probably call a strong scent, but personally, I tend to like strongly scented shaving products (think Erasmic). I feel it adds to the whole wetshaving experience. The best I can describe the scent is that it is reminiscent of talc. It's what I would call a clean, fresh, powdery smell.

This soap lathers quickly and easily, and produces a thick, long lasting lather. I've been using a Tweezerman badger brush with the Kabinett, and I face lather. It is very easy to load plenty of soap into the brush. I'd guess it only takes me about 10-12 seconds of swirling the brush vigorously on the top of the soap. This has provided me with plenty of product to make 4-5 passes, and there is still plenty of soap left that has to be squeezed and rinsed out of the brush after the shave.

This soap provides plenty of cushion, and seems very slick, as well. The razor seems to slide effortlessly, without any skipping. As a comparison, I'd say the Klar Kabinett is both more slick, and provides appreciably more cushion than both current formulation Williams Mug Shaving soap, and Van der Hagen Deluxe. These are the only other shave soaps I've used prior to the Kabinett.

I didn't rate price, as I received this soap sample for free, but if you enjoy using new soaps, I'd definitely recommend Klar Kabinett if you have the opportunity to pick some up. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.:thumbup1:
Price
1.00 star(s)
Scent
4.00 star(s)
Lather
5.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Efficacy
4.00 star(s)
Moisturizing
4.00 star(s)
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