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Barrister and Mann's new Omnibus base: discussion and reviews

Without trying it, you can't possibly know if it will or won't. Not saying you should try it, but I prefer evaluations from people who have used the soap.
Agreed. There's enough variation between individual skin/beard properties, shaving style to take even first hand accounts with a grain of salt. Especially concerning residual slickness where how you prep and hydrate the lather is a huge variable. I'd at least try a sample...but then I'm not overly sensitive about a soaps scent.
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
Agreed. There's enough variation between individual skin/beard properties, shaving style to take even first hand accounts with a grain of salt. Especially concerning residual slickness where how you prep and hydrate the lather is a huge variable. I'd at least try a sample...but then I'm not overly sensitive about a soaps scent.
Also water hardness plays a big factor. I have very hard water, but I travel a lot and get to experience many different types of water with my lathers.

Shaved with Leviathan last night after I returned from a four day camping trip. I too noticed that the residual slippery feeling between passes was less than with other soaps. But instead of slippery slickness after a pass, my skin is left soft and supple. Moisturized. It feels great, and that is what counts. I try to not shave without lather anyways.

I think the Leviathan balm is the real winner. As I mentioned it’s not really what I would normally call a balm. It’s more like a creamy lotion. But the face feel of this stuff, as well as the scent, are absolutely wonderful. It’s 10 hours later and my face still feels amazing. I will have to shave with leviathan without the balm and see if the soap still leaves my face feeling great. I suspect it will.
 
After the final cold water rinse (and pat dry) following my shaves with Omnibus, my fingers literally squeaked down my cheeks — like the sound of a squeegee on glass. If that means that there’s no residual slickness, than so be it. I’ve never heard my fingers squeak down my cheeks like that with a soap — ever.
When you go to rinse and your face is slimy/slick feeling that is residual slickness. You can continue to make passes with the razor even after the lather is gone. Personally, I don't like it and don't base a soaps performance on that feature. This is why I never read into any quantitative rating of software because it's misleading.
 
Shame to hear that it's on the softer side. Perhaps he intends to firm it up over time. I'll probably hold off until then.
 
Shame to hear that it's on the softer side. Perhaps he intends to firm it up over time. I'll probably hold off until then.
You can always just leave the lid off for a week or two in between uses, basically curing it at home. this is what PAA recommends if you find their CK6 to be too soft. The extra water in the soap will evaporate and the puck will turn nice and firm.
 
You can always just leave the lid off for a week or two in between uses, basically curing it at home. this is what PAA recommends if you find their CK6 to be too soft. The extra water in the soap will evaporate and the puck will turn nice and firm.
I've done so in the past, and I found that it diminished the scent a bit too much for my comfort. I'd rather just purchase a firmer base.
 
I think its as firm as most other artisan soaps. The soap has Shea butter and chupacabra butter mixed into the saponfied product so you have to expect it to not be a hard soap. If you need a hard puck then this soap is probably not for you, anyway.
 
The more things change the more they stay the same! I have never had a bad soap from any Artesian, 10 years going. Folks, stop giving away your money! Use what you have. Work on your technique if you are having issues, its not the soap. I know all here are in the hobby and want to try new base X. And we all use post shave stuff anyway. But common, when will it end, its just shave soap tweaked a little.

Barrister and Mann should bring back Fouger Gotheic and Angelic, along with the AS and edp for them.
 

Hannah's Dad

I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
The more things change the more they stay the same! I have never had a bad soap from any Artesian, 10 years going. Folks, stop giving away your money! Use what you have. Work on your technique if you are having issues, its not the soap. I know all here are in the hobby and want to try new base X. And we all use post shave stuff anyway. But common, when will it end, its just shave soap tweaked a little.

Barrister and Mann should bring back Fouger Gotheic and Angelic, along with the AS and edp for them.

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Since the coffee note is so prominent in Leviathan off the puck, I decided to pay attention to when it starts to blend in with the other notes when shaving. I purchased my soap from B&M last year. I noticed it start to blend in just about as soon as I start lathering :). I've gone from kind of ambivalent about Leviathan to really enjoying it this year.
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
Had another go with the Leviathan for Wolfman Wednesday. I can’t put this stuff down. It’s great. I switched to a synth today. I had only used a Paladin badger with this soap up to now. Boy did the lather explode off my custom Leo Frilot Timberwolf. I loaded from the tub for about 18 seconds and face lathered. What a huge cushy lather. I even added extra water for pass two to see how it would cut the lather. And it was good both ways. This is a fantastic soap.

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I'm having a hard time using anything but Leviathan. I've got 13 shaves with the new base and starting to see a dent in the soap. Going to WAG it and say the tub should get me through around 40-ish shaves. I don't think that is unreasonable. Synthetic brush users should get even more than that.
In this day and age of exceptional soaps with a variety of scents from so many artisans, it's cool to hear stories like yours where you just can't put a soap down. That's a special soap.
 
I'm having a hard time using anything but Leviathan. I've got 13 shaves with the new base and starting to see a dent in the soap. Going to WAG it and say the tub should get me through around 40-ish shaves. I don't think that is unreasonable. Synthetic brush users should get even more than that.
The main thing for me is that there are soo many good bases at this point that I would gravitate to the base that would provide 100+ shaves. No reason not to prefer it if the scent is right.
 
The main thing for me is that there are soo many good bases at this point that I would gravitate to the base that would provide 100+ shaves. No reason not to prefer it if the scent is right.
This is interesting, I am used to getting well over 100 shaves from all but one soap that have. The interesting part is that B&M is offering the EdT in a small 30ml only, most that I have seen are double that. I was debating whether to gamble and buy 2, but this seems like an acknowledgement that the soap is only going to last about 60 shaves or so.
 
100 shaves? Maybe I'm loading way too much. Most of artisan soaps i have experienced are relatively soft and my badgers chew them pretty well. I dont particularly care how long a soap lasts, anyway. I load heavy and probably have enough lather for 4 passes.
 
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