Hi, My name is Clausewitz and Im an addict. Im addicted to shaving soaps & creams.
It all started the 22[SUP]nd[/SUP] of July, 2016 with my decision to try traditional wet shaving with a DE razor. As I enjoyed the smell of lavender, I purchased a tub of TOBS lavender cream and after reading excellent reviews I purchased two sticks of Arko. The performance was outstanding, my face felt amazing, and the scents brightened my day I didnt know it at the time but I was hooked.
Since that time I have purchased or received as gifts the following products; Proraso (green tub), two pucks of Arko, TOBS (sandalwood hard soap), DR Harris (Arlington hard soap in wooden bowl), VDH (deluxe two pucks), Mitchells Wool Fat, LOccitane Cade (Soap & Dish), & Col. Conks Bay Rum .
In an effort to save my marriage to the lovely SWMBO, I have entered myself into rehab and am currently using the methadone of SSAD, samples.
Thanks to @MrDapper who linked shavedash.com in another thread, I have the opportunity to sample all the classic soaps I have been dying to try for a very reasonable price, and that last part keeps SWMBO happy. A special note on Shavedash.com, the prices on product 10 full grams or ml & shipping are very reasonable and the shipping was fast for economy from England, I highly recommend them.
MY PREFERENCES:
I prefer hard soaps & croaps to creams, hard soaps usually last longer and I enjoy the effort, attention to detail, and Zen aspect of blooming then loading my soap the traditional way. Creams have their place and a few will always be around , but Ill never have more creams than soaps.
I like the classics, the older, fancier, and more foreign the better. Ill work my way to the artisanal soaps in due time, because lets be honest every soap started as some guy or gal tinkering in a workshop, but for now I enjoy the connection to history & sense of gravitas & class of the old classic foreign brands.
Im going for original or unique from each brand, or the flagship product. I dont want every companys take on lavender or sandalwood. Ideally Id want each full puck or tub in my den to be unique in some way from most other companies out there.
Also Ive been looking for a good Apocalypse soap, something that I enjoy enough to use more days than not and hopefully tamp down some of this SSAD. And that leads us to .
THE SOAPS: All soaps are 10g samples excluding Cella which I rolled the dice and ordered 50g.
Round 1
Klar Seifen: Classic
Dusy : Kabinett (Klar Kabinett Copy)
Martin de Candre : Original
Martin de Candre: Fougere
Cella : Crema Sapone Extra Extra Purissima (AKA Cella Brick)
Floris of London : No. 89
Wickham 1912 Vegetal : Parma Violet (FREE SAMPLE)
Round 2
Baume.be : Ceam (soap not available, and apparently they only have the one soap product so we'll call this classic)
Pre De Provence : Original
Pre De Provence : No. 63
Provence Sante : Green Tea
Provence Sante : Verlaine
Saponificio Varesino : 70th Anniversary
Castle Forbes : Lime
THE METHODS:
In the interest of objectiveness all soaps will be tested over multiple days in the following manner with the following products:
BRUSH: WSP Superfine 2-Band Silvertip Monarch RAZOR: Fatboy BLADE: Treet Platinum or Rapira Platinum Lux BOWL: N/A
Soap sample will be pressed into bottom of wide coffee mug and bloomed.
Cold tap water will be used, wrung out brush to load & face lathered, 2-3 pass shave depending on efficacy and available time WTG XTG ATG.
Lucky Tiger Aftershave & Face Tonic to follow & if necessary (or weather conditions demanding ) Nivea Balm.
The Soaps:
It all started the 22[SUP]nd[/SUP] of July, 2016 with my decision to try traditional wet shaving with a DE razor. As I enjoyed the smell of lavender, I purchased a tub of TOBS lavender cream and after reading excellent reviews I purchased two sticks of Arko. The performance was outstanding, my face felt amazing, and the scents brightened my day I didnt know it at the time but I was hooked.
Since that time I have purchased or received as gifts the following products; Proraso (green tub), two pucks of Arko, TOBS (sandalwood hard soap), DR Harris (Arlington hard soap in wooden bowl), VDH (deluxe two pucks), Mitchells Wool Fat, LOccitane Cade (Soap & Dish), & Col. Conks Bay Rum .
In an effort to save my marriage to the lovely SWMBO, I have entered myself into rehab and am currently using the methadone of SSAD, samples.
Thanks to @MrDapper who linked shavedash.com in another thread, I have the opportunity to sample all the classic soaps I have been dying to try for a very reasonable price, and that last part keeps SWMBO happy. A special note on Shavedash.com, the prices on product 10 full grams or ml & shipping are very reasonable and the shipping was fast for economy from England, I highly recommend them.
MY PREFERENCES:
I prefer hard soaps & croaps to creams, hard soaps usually last longer and I enjoy the effort, attention to detail, and Zen aspect of blooming then loading my soap the traditional way. Creams have their place and a few will always be around , but Ill never have more creams than soaps.
I like the classics, the older, fancier, and more foreign the better. Ill work my way to the artisanal soaps in due time, because lets be honest every soap started as some guy or gal tinkering in a workshop, but for now I enjoy the connection to history & sense of gravitas & class of the old classic foreign brands.
Im going for original or unique from each brand, or the flagship product. I dont want every companys take on lavender or sandalwood. Ideally Id want each full puck or tub in my den to be unique in some way from most other companies out there.
Also Ive been looking for a good Apocalypse soap, something that I enjoy enough to use more days than not and hopefully tamp down some of this SSAD. And that leads us to .
THE SOAPS: All soaps are 10g samples excluding Cella which I rolled the dice and ordered 50g.
Round 1
Klar Seifen: Classic
Dusy : Kabinett (Klar Kabinett Copy)
Martin de Candre : Original
Martin de Candre: Fougere
Cella : Crema Sapone Extra Extra Purissima (AKA Cella Brick)
Floris of London : No. 89
Wickham 1912 Vegetal : Parma Violet (FREE SAMPLE)
Round 2
Baume.be : Ceam (soap not available, and apparently they only have the one soap product so we'll call this classic)
Pre De Provence : Original
Pre De Provence : No. 63
Provence Sante : Green Tea
Provence Sante : Verlaine
Saponificio Varesino : 70th Anniversary
Castle Forbes : Lime
THE METHODS:
In the interest of objectiveness all soaps will be tested over multiple days in the following manner with the following products:
BRUSH: WSP Superfine 2-Band Silvertip Monarch RAZOR: Fatboy BLADE: Treet Platinum or Rapira Platinum Lux BOWL: N/A
Soap sample will be pressed into bottom of wide coffee mug and bloomed.
Cold tap water will be used, wrung out brush to load & face lathered, 2-3 pass shave depending on efficacy and available time WTG XTG ATG.
Lucky Tiger Aftershave & Face Tonic to follow & if necessary (or weather conditions demanding ) Nivea Balm.
The Soaps: