B&M vs Stirling vs Fine vs others

[icemanjs4]

Get a sample of Varen too. (mutton tallow)

Ill second Varen. If you're going Sheep, I think it's their best scent.

Also the best thing with Stirling is how cheapo their samples are. But a bunch in both sheep and beef tallow, and maybe even throw in a glacial off you like cold mentholated soaps.

Also I sent you a link above to one of those unobtabium fine pucks for $16 directly from Fine.

 

[AlphaFrank75]

I’m hearing a lot of recommendations for Stirling sheep. Considering the potentially off-putting smell, is the performance really that much better then their non mutton offerings? I guess I’ll get the sample size and find out myself.

Right now I’m more or less decided on Stirling sheep, executive man, and bergamot lavender in sample sizes. B&M le grand chypre. I’ve been browsing their scents and this one seems the most appealing to me based on description. I’m going to skip Fine since the recommended hard pucks will become unobtainium. In it’s place I want to try Ariana & Evans Khalifa. I’ve seen great feedback on the K2E base and khalifa is their best seller on topofthechain, although I’ve seen the scent described as a “punch to the face”. That could be a good thing or not, has anyone tried Khalifa?

Btw, thanks everyone for the suggestions, especially introducing me to topofthechain. What a gem of a shop, hard to believe it took me this long to find it. This is a great community of distinguished gentlemen (and a few ladies). As of late, I’m actually enjoying this forum more then my regular social media.

IMO, Khalifa should not be your introductory A&E soap. I have 7 or 8 tubs of various A&E soaps and Khalifa is at the bottom when it comes to scent. I'd start with Kaizen(K1), the one with a red dragon and naked lady on the label, or The Club brand Signature(K2). I have a couple of K2e base soap and I didn't find them that much different from their K2 base. I find A&E's K2 soaps so good that K2e is just more of the same.

 

[Southsider]

Right now I’m more or less decided on Stirling sheep, executive man, and bergamot lavender in sample sizes. B&M le grand chypre. I’ve been browsing their scents and this one seems the most appealing to me based on description. I’m going to skip Fine since the recommended hard pucks will become unobtainium. In it’s place I want to try Ariana & Evans Khalifa.

Stirling Bergamot Lavender is an excellent scent choice as is B&M LGC. Le Grand Chypre is a layered presentation of really nice scent notes--unlike many other complex scents you can pick out various notes as they appear.

Insofar as A&E/The Club is concerned, I have to respectfully differ from the poster above who suggests Kaizen. I don't find Kaizen scent at all remarkable and it is in an older formula--the original Kaizen formula. I rarely reach for it. I suggest trying to find a scent you might like in the newer bases, K2e or K2. I really like Chasing The Dragon and Tibetan Temple as examples. Scent is a subjective thing so there is no right or wrong answer. I have both Apricity and Poison Hemlock in K2e and like both of those as well. The nice thing about A&E/The Club is that Peter Charkalis has very advanced scent making skills. Compared with most other soapmakers the risk of getting a scent you don't like is less.

 

[ohansen]

Peter doesn't compose his scents. His scents are all done by a couple of notorious (in the frag world) dupe houses.

 

[hcoop112]

I have to say Stirling hands down it’s amazing ….noble otter is around the same as well but in a different way that Stirling is

 

[RenoRichard]

Canada Shave Soap is vegan, unscented, available in Canada, and an excellent soap. You might enjoy it.

 

[Bob L.]

In August of 2014 I bought my first Stirling soaps. (Ozark Mountain and Stirling Spice) I found they worked extremely well and have been a Stirling only user since then.