Artisan soaps and creams?

[sidpost]

I was looking at the Shave Of The Day thread and noticeed a new soap to me, HAGS Grinched out of Greece. The scent profile I found online looked really good. I also see a lot of references to Saponificio Varesino out of Italy and others.

After reading several posts about the high initial cost of these soaps not being a problem because they last so much longer than their Arko and similar soaps, they are a good value as well if you look beyond the initial purchase price.

How do you find and rate various artisanal soaps and lesser-known names from Europe? Is there an online guide or forum for soaps and cremes that are not mass-market available? How do you find a version that is good for your skin and razor type? Each of us have different facial skin types, whiskers, etc. so, I realize this isn't an exact science. However, a website or guide that lets you down-select for basic things like main scent characteristics, slickness, and skin moisturizing properties seems like a good resource for people like myself. Individual threads are good for "randomly" finding awesome soaps but, for those of us not strolling the streets of Paris or Rome, finding that special scent or soap is nearly impossible. The few retail shops I have been in that had "wet shaving" products beyond the common mass market stuff like Van der Hagen have been a real turn-off for me due to mainly poor quality products and relatively high prices for very average products locally to me in the USA-Texas.

To be honest, I am put off by the retail markups at most specialty stores. Yes, they are providing a service and I don't expect them to "work" for free but in the shave soaps I have seen, a $20~$30 (MSRP) soap from Italy is $50~$60 in the big city shopping center, and that price (and markup) puts off most buyers. 100% on a tub of Proraso is bad but tolerable for a good shave shop IMHO but, really hurts the smaller artisanal makers from breaking into the marketplace. 100% markups on Artisanal products and the better ones out of Europe are simply too expensive for most people. That gets me back to the issue of, how does a normal wet shaver find better artisanal soaps at reasonable prices for online purchases? Yes, soap samplers are a place to start but, I also don't want to end up with $20~$30 soaps I need to try and move on the secondhand market because I don't like them for whatever reason and aren't available as a sample (or when the sample is 1/3 the cost of the puck!).

TIA,
Sid

 

[Mr. Shavington]

A lot of those ‘artisan’ soft soaps don’t last long at all, so they can be even more expensive than you think. Other triple-milled or harder soaps (e.g. Martin de Candre) last forever. Many of the traditional and less expensive shaving soap brands are very good quality and value - if you want value for money then these are the way to go.

But soap isn’t so expensive, whichever ones you get, and it’s not the most expensive indulgence to get what you really like. Up to you.

 

[sarimento1]

Sir sidpost, thanks for the post with your thoughts and questions!
As a shave hobbyist hopelessly overstocked in hundreds of soaps/creams, I've long ago abandoned any thoughts of economy!
Now,it's simply explore, experiment and enjoy!
I rationalize the overspending to "indulgence" and "thankfully no alimony" (at least, so far!)!

 

[SalS]

Having gone through the cycle of which product is more interesting and exotic over a period of years, I found nothing better than Proraso Red and White and Cella Red and Cella Bio. All four are about $12 for 6 month’s supply since I only shave twice a week. Now, I am thrilled with a brushless cream by Blu Atlas. Same thing with razors, I haven’t shaved with a better razor than the Henson.

At 60 years old, simplifying things. You will probably do the same at some point.

 

[Alum Ladd]

Having gone through the cycle of which product is more interesting and exotic over a period of years, I found nothing better than Proraso Red and White and Cella Red and Cella Bio. All four are about $12 for 6 month’s supply since I only shave twice a week. Now, I am thrilled with a brushless cream by Blu Atlas. Same thing with razors, I haven’t shaved with a better razor than the Henson.

At 60 years old, simplifying things. You will probably do the same at some point.

I would also add to those classics the wonderful Palmolive Classic Cream, which is well worth getting if you can.

Excellent rock solid performance.

That everybody also has at least a couple of sticks of Arko! and Tabac is a given there.

 

[sidpost]

I would also add to those classics the wonderful Palmolive Classic Cream, which is well worth getting if you can.

Excellent rock solid performance.

I will probably add a tube or tub of Palmolive next time I get something from the UK or EU. With LEA and some others being ~$2 or so on the other side of the Atlantic, I'll probably do a "sampler" of them since they are 50% or more off the cost of a sampler from any of the USA sources other than a PIF on the forums!

 

[sidpost]

In my case, I am most interested in the soap pucks for their durability and their longer lasting nature. Creams as noted seem to get consumed much faster and tend to lose their fragrance much faster than a hard soap and, I assume part of that is also due to using more for each shave versus a hard puck.

I get the indulgence part as well. For me, a good shave experience is similar to a good bourbon experience! Most of the bourbons I truly enjoy are ~$20 for 1.75L too! I don't have to spend $50 or more for a 500mL bottle to get a really nice complex and aged bourbon but, every once in a while those are a nice alternative too!

That HAGS Grinched to me looked like that special high-dollar bottle of bourbon I've been known to pick up on occasion! Hard Liquor and Wines have good flavor profiles and ratings to look at so, not much risk there with buying a bottle "blind". Heck, I'm not a Scotch drinker but, I did a store demo of Nadura from the distillery and with a drop of water, the character really changed and got me to buy a significantly expensive bottle of that instead of bourbon!

 

[gsurko]

On the longevity thing, I can’t believe that $80.00 worth of Arko or Cella won’t outlast a jar of MdC.

 

[musicman1951]

You're not going to find a list because we can't seem to agree on much. You can get pretty darn good information here if you ask specific questions. Scents are a real problem because we all have different noses and opinions vary.

There are members getting fine shaves from a bar of bath soap, so it's hard to find a soap that simply won't work at all. My standard suggestion is to not pay for quality you don't perceive or appreciate.

MdC has the best longevity by a mile. I purchase MdC from the manufacturer two tubs at a time, so you have to figure in how that reduces the shipping cost - but if I shave every day MdC cost me $45 a year. SV, which initially starts out a little cheaper, cost me more than twice as much for that every day for a year shave. Now SV is truly wonderful soap and many members will tell you they're buying it at any price, so that's a personal decision. It's not my only soap, but I think it's delightful enough to buy.

I'm currently doing a longevity test on Canada Shaving Soap and it's looking like it might be in the MdC category. It's a slightly smaller puck and quite a bit cheaper, and I don't have enough information yet to do all the math, but I'm quite certain it would be a good choice if you're looking for the longevity bang for your buck with a really nice soap.

Comparing artisan soaps with the $2-$4 choices seems ridiculous to me, but it might not to you.

Characteristics of soaps that seem to hold some interest to many people:
Initial price - which is often misleading (i.e., MdC)
Longevity - which brings us to actual price
Post shave face feel
Scent
Easy of lathering
Tub or stick
Slickness

Scent is very important to some shavers, others not so much. I follow each shave with Thayer's w/aloe and then moisturizer, so post shave feel is not first on my list of importance.

Every post about "slickest soap" garners 35 different answers, but fortunately I've never had a soap recommendation from B&B that was lacking in slickness.

Still, if you ask for soaps with great longevity you're going to get a good list. It will run the gamut from Arko to SV, so you'll still have to decide if your wallet comfort wants a top tier soap or not - but they will all be good choices for your question. And you will see some soap names repeating from many members. Those immediately go to the top of my list. While there is no substitute for trying a few, it will get you closer to your goal much faster.

 

[lasta]

In my case, I am most interested in the soap pucks for their durability and their longer lasting nature. Creams as noted seem to get consumed much faster and tend to lose their fragrance much faster than a hard soap and, I assume part of that is also due to using more for each shave versus a hard puck.

I get the indulgence part as well. For me, a good shave experience is similar to a good bourbon experience! Most of the bourbons I truly enjoy are ~$20 for 1.75L too! I don't have to spend $50 or more for a 500mL bottle to get a really nice complex and aged bourbon but, every once in a while those are a nice alternative too!

That HAGS Grinched to me looked like that special high-dollar bottle of bourbon I've been known to pick up on occasion! Hard Liquor and Wines have good flavor profiles and ratings to look at so, not much risk there with buying a bottle "blind". Heck, I'm not a Scotch drinker but, I did a store demo of Nadura from the distillery and with a drop of water, the character really changed and got me to buy a significantly expensive bottle of that instead of bourbon!

This is from 2007, if anything, scent has become more concentrated.

 

[sidpost]

On the longevity thing, I can’t believe that $80.00 worth of Arko or Cella won’t outlast a jar of MdC.

Yep, $80 of either of those would fill a footlocker in addition to most shave den cabinets and it last most people years!

 

[sidpost]

You're not going to find a list because we can't seem to agree on much. You can get pretty darn good information here if you ask specific questions. Scents are a real problem because we all have different noses and opinions vary.

There are members getting fine shaves from a bar of bath soap, so it's hard to find a soap that simply won't work at all. My standard suggestion is to not pay for quality you don't perceive or appreciate.

MdC has the best longevity by a mile. I purchase MdC from the manufacturer two tubs at a time, so you have to figure in how that reduces the shipping cost - but if I shave every day MdC cost me $45 a year. SV, which initially starts out a little cheaper, cost me more than twice as much for that every day for a year shave. Now SV is truly wonderful soap and many members will tell you they're buying it at any price, so that's a personal decision. It's not my only soap, but I think it's delightful enough to buy.

I'm currently doing a longevity test on Canada Shaving Soap and it's looking like it might be in the MdC category. It's a slightly smaller puck and quite a bit cheaper, and I don't have enough information yet to do all the math, but I'm quite certain it would be a good choice if you're looking for the longevity bang for your buck with a really nice soap.

Comparing artisan soaps with the $2-$4 choices seems ridiculous to me, but it might not to you.

Characteristics of soaps that seem to hold some interest to many people:
Initial price - which is often misleading (i.e., MdC)
Longevity - which brings us to actual price
Post shave face feel
Scent
Easy of lathering
Tub or stick
Slickness

Scent is very important to some shavers, others not so much. I follow each shave with Thayer's w/aloe and then moisturizer, so post shave feel is not first on my list of importance.

Every post about "slickest soap" garners 35 different answers, but fortunately I've never had a soap recommendation from B&B that was lacking in slickness.

Still, if you ask for soaps with great longevity you're going to get a good list. It will run the gamut from Arko to SV, so you'll still have to decide if your wallet comfort wants a top tier soap or not - but they will all be good choices for your question. And you will see some soap names repeating from many members. Those immediately go to the top of my list. While there is no substitute for trying a few, it will get you closer to your goal much faster.

Good points there! Absolute cheapness is not my ultimate goal but, affordability and an agreeable scent are!

 

[sidpost]

This is from 2007, if anything, scent has become more concentrated.
View attachment 1613363

Some scent components lose potency over time due to scent component degradation or needing something like alcohol as a carrier. Others that are more "durable" concentrate over time as their 'carriers' dissipate for whatever reason (thinking of something similar to salt or sugar in water as it evaporates away).

 

[BigJ]

Great discussion!

IMO, you need to answer two questions:
1. Do you want the newest, greatest, most stylish and exclusive products?
2. Are you happy with what you are using now?

I have more soaps than I am likely to finish during this life, so take this with at least a grain of salt.

I love reading reviews of the newest artisan soaps! But it is important to recognize that their ingredients can and will change. The artisan may move on, or the company may cease production. From time to time I break down and order an artisan soap (just cannot help myself).

Established soap makers also change formulas. When I find a product that really works then I lay in a good stock!!

 

[sidpost]

Great discussion!

IMO, you need to answer two questions:
1. Do you want the newest, greatest, most stylish and exclusive products?
2. Are you happy with what you are using now?

Sometimes, I just want something different for whatever reason. Like ice cream, Vanilla is really good but, sometimes Chocolate is a nice change of pace.

Then there is the issue of "not knowing what you don't know"!

I never knew how much I loved FRESH GREEN HERRING straight from the Atlantic with salt water still dripping from them as I impersonated a SEAL at the Circus! I need to return to the Netherlands for some more post-COVID. Yes, they are supper yummy!

 

[know1special]

How do you find and rate various artisanal soaps and lesser-known names from Europe?

I swear I'm not trying to be facetious but..threads like this one.

Honestly, B&B is my main source of info regarding what's out there, it's relative value, reviews, etc.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

@sidpost

I see your displaying your patriotism for this fine nation, with the flag, way to represent! Ohhhhh say can you see, all the delicious artisan soap. What thats not the words? Well, I reject your reality and substitute my own. JK

Considering your recent posts on the board, I am most certainly getting the sense, that you are wanting to amp up your traditional wet shaving life. You see all the available choices out in the shaving universe, and like a kid in a candy store, your like, oooooo I want that, and that, and I want that too. HEHE

I have made posts on the board of all the soaps that I have tried, since I became a traditional wet shaver, back in March of 2022. And in that time, there has not been an artisan soap that has impressed me more, then Stirling. Wait, don't believe me? Have a look at my mountain of Stirling soaps, in the formation of a Saturn 5 rocket.

These are the reasons why I love Stirling soap, so much.

(1) High performance tier soap, nearly rivals Tabac and Arko for slickness.
(2) Soap lather's up nicely, even with hard water.
(3) Cost per quantity: 14 buckaroos for 5.8 ounces of soap.
(4) Huge variety of scents, provided by Ron & his amazing team.
(5) Awesome jar containers the soap comes in.
(6) Family owned artisan company, no corporate shareholders to screw the company up.
(7) Excellent customer service, have spoken with the CEO Ron several times.

PS: As another reason why I love Stirling, their coffee is to die for, have you tried Stirling Kenya? OMG, its like bringing heaven to your coffee mug.

 

[musicman1951]

Good points there! Absolute cheapness is not my ultimate goal but, affordability and an agreeable scent are!

I agree. I should have added that the Canada Soap is pretty much scent-free.

 

[ChriWilson]

@sidpost

I see your displaying your patriotism for this fine nation, with the flag, way to represent! Ohhhhh say can you see, all the delicious artisan soap. What thats not the words? Well, I reject your reality and substitute my own. JK

Considering your recent posts on the board, I am most certainly getting the sense, that you are wanting to amp up your traditional wet shaving life. You see all the available choices out in the shaving universe, and like a kid in a candy store, your like, oooooo I want that, and that, and I want that too. HEHE

I have made posts on the board of all the soaps that I have tried, since I became a traditional wet shaver, back in March of 2022. And in that time, there has not been an artisan soap that has impressed me more, then Stirling. Wait, don't believe me? Have a look at my mountain of Stirling soaps, in the formation of a Saturn 5 rocket.

These are the reasons why I love Stirling soap, so much.

(1) High performance tier soap, nearly rivals Tabac and Arko for slickness.
(2) Soap lather's up nicely, even with hard water.
(3) Cost per quantity: 14 buckaroos for 5.8 ounces of soap.
(4) Huge variety of scents, provided by Ron & his amazing team.
(5) Awesome jar containers the soap comes in.
(6) Family owned artisan company, no corporate shareholders to screw the company up.
(7) Excellent customer service, have spoken with the CEO Ron several times.

PS: As another reason why I love Stirling, their coffee is to die for, have you tried Stirling Kenya? OMG, its like bringing heaven to your coffee mug.

Agree - Rod and team are fantastic, as are their products

 

[SalS]

I think Blu Atlas qualifies as “artisan” best I have used.