Best and Worst High End Soaps
- Thread starter ackvil
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Best: Harris Almond. Stirling is just as good a performer at a cheaper price, if you find a scent you like.
Worst: MdC Rose. One of my regrettable purchases. A decent soap, but I have to force myself to use it over better performing and cheaper soaps like Harris, Captain's Choice and Stirling.
Worst: MdC Rose. One of my regrettable purchases. A decent soap, but I have to force myself to use it over better performing and cheaper soaps like Harris, Captain's Choice and Stirling.
Worst Performing high dollar soap for me was Truefitt & Hill Sandlewood soap. Scent wise it was outstanding, nothing like sandlewood at all but such a clean really great fresh laundry type of scent. Performance wise it's a mess being not much better than something like VdH Luxury. A thin weak lather that did nothing for me.
Best performing high end soap for me is PannaCrema Nuavia. The scents are amazing and the performance is outstanding. Expensive yes, but to me this one it actually worth the cost.
That being said there are a lot of very reasonable priced soaps that are every bit as good or better than even the most expensive ones. You just have to know which ones they are. For example: Tallow & Steel (new version), Sudsy Soapery, L&L Grooming and Wholly Kaw (donkey milk version). Most of these soaps cost somewhere between $15 and $25. PannaCrema's Pure2O line is really exceptional as well at the under $20 mark.
Best performing high end soap for me is PannaCrema Nuavia. The scents are amazing and the performance is outstanding. Expensive yes, but to me this one it actually worth the cost.
That being said there are a lot of very reasonable priced soaps that are every bit as good or better than even the most expensive ones. You just have to know which ones they are. For example: Tallow & Steel (new version), Sudsy Soapery, L&L Grooming and Wholly Kaw (donkey milk version). Most of these soaps cost somewhere between $15 and $25. PannaCrema's Pure2O line is really exceptional as well at the under $20 mark.
Most disappointing "high end" soap: Czech & Speake No88, in terms of scent, or lack thereof! Scent, and specifically, strength-of-scent (the stronger and more robust, the better) are important to me with shaving soaps. This particular soap is virtually unscented to me; it's so subtle that I rue the fact that I paid so much for it. Performance-wise, it's quite nice, but not any better than the many artisan soaps available now which are at a fraction of the cost of C&S.
Best "high end" soap: Hmmm, tough one. I really like the new MdC Vetyver - the scent is fantastic. But I'm going to give the nod to PannaCrema Nuavia, like David above. The scents are strong and robust (right in my wheelhouse); I especially like the Verde, with the Blu a close second. The Red is also most excellent, but the most "cologne-like" of the three (to me).
Best "high end" soap: Hmmm, tough one. I really like the new MdC Vetyver - the scent is fantastic. But I'm going to give the nod to PannaCrema Nuavia, like David above. The scents are strong and robust (right in my wheelhouse); I especially like the Verde, with the Blu a close second. The Red is also most excellent, but the most "cologne-like" of the three (to me).
BEST: Sudsy Soapery
High end artisan soap with an incredible, detailed, skin friendly ingredient list. Phenomenal lather, scents, postshave and price.
WORST: Martin de Candre
Just ok lather. Drying post shave. Simple ingredient list (not a good thing here) and way over hyped and overpriced. Ugh.
High end artisan soap with an incredible, detailed, skin friendly ingredient list. Phenomenal lather, scents, postshave and price.
WORST: Martin de Candre
Just ok lather. Drying post shave. Simple ingredient list (not a good thing here) and way over hyped and overpriced. Ugh.
I'm with the cmh737 and dfoulk on worst high end being Czech & Speake based on scent and I thought the performance was not worth the money..It's probably the only high end soap I've purchased that I've had regrets on buying. Not high end but I don't like any Col. Conk soap.
Favorite high ends are PannaCrema Nuavia & Verde. SV Fern and 70th with honorable mention to the Asylum version made by SV as well as ADP which takes some practice as far as working up a great lather but once you do get it right it's great and I love the scent. Never tired MDC but I'm sure I will at some point.
Also like many have said there are a lot of lesser costing soaps that are great like WSP, Cold River,St James, Stiriing to name a few and of course I'll always love Proraso as it my first shave soaps and I still really enjoy the green, white and red in that order.
Favorite high ends are PannaCrema Nuavia & Verde. SV Fern and 70th with honorable mention to the Asylum version made by SV as well as ADP which takes some practice as far as working up a great lather but once you do get it right it's great and I love the scent. Never tired MDC but I'm sure I will at some point.
Also like many have said there are a lot of lesser costing soaps that are great like WSP, Cold River,St James, Stiriing to name a few and of course I'll always love Proraso as it my first shave soaps and I still really enjoy the green, white and red in that order.
Best: Saponificio Varesino
Worst: Martin De Candre
MDC is a good soap overall, but it falls short in that particular tier IMO.
Worst: Martin De Candre
MDC is a good soap overall, but it falls short in that particular tier IMO.
Best: Czech and Speake Oxford and Cambridge
Worst: MdC. Drying lather, horrible scent.
Castle Forbes lime. Decent lather but nothing to write home about. Smells like lime-scented shoe polish.
Worst: MdC. Drying lather, horrible scent.
Castle Forbes lime. Decent lather but nothing to write home about. Smells like lime-scented shoe polish.
Xpec original is a great performer. I found it extremely superb be it the scent is not for everyone (but then again that applies to all soaps).
I was not fond of LPL cologne fougere. not impressed by the scent or the performance. The scent I found was very "chemical" and the performance was no better than what I could get from a low budget soap like ARKO.
I was not fond of LPL cologne fougere. not impressed by the scent or the performance. The scent I found was very "chemical" and the performance was no better than what I could get from a low budget soap like ARKO.
The most expensive soap I've tried to date is B&M diamond or SoA. They were both home runs.
Don't think I have had a terrible soap, but Stirling is my favorite for good scents and price
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Don't think I have had a terrible soap, but Stirling is my favorite for good scents and price
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My favorite is MdC. Quick load and very fast lather building (nice for someone like me with some tendonitis in the elbow). The tub lasts close to a year and on this year's tub I've had one weeper so far. Good post shave face feel as well.
My second choice would be ABC. Much harder soap: not quick loading or particularly fast lather build, but probably average. The amount of product required is, again, much less than the cheaper soaps. Great lather and shave.
I have not tried a high end soap that wasn't considerably better than the cheaper variety. I travel with Haslinger, which is an excellent bang for the buck soap.
My second choice would be ABC. Much harder soap: not quick loading or particularly fast lather build, but probably average. The amount of product required is, again, much less than the cheaper soaps. Great lather and shave.
I have not tried a high end soap that wasn't considerably better than the cheaper variety. I travel with Haslinger, which is an excellent bang for the buck soap.
Worst was modern Geo F Trumper. Amazing scent and a beautiful, rich lather that collapsed so quickly I could hear it fizz.
My overall best is Czech & Speake #88. A complex scent. Easy, slick, cushiony lather. Excellent post-shave conditioning. Martin de Candre and Pannacrema Nuavia are both great soaps and close runners up. Both exceed C&S in some respects, but not on balance.
My overall best is Czech & Speake #88. A complex scent. Easy, slick, cushiony lather. Excellent post-shave conditioning. Martin de Candre and Pannacrema Nuavia are both great soaps and close runners up. Both exceed C&S in some respects, but not on balance.
Best is wholly Kaw tallow, haven't tried donkey milk version yet and Dr. Jon's Savannah Sunrise. DR Harris Winder is a close second.
Worst is proraso anything.
Worst is proraso anything.
My favorite is Meissner-tremonia. I think they are under appreciated because they have many choices. Then when you compare the price, about $24, it falls in that middle pricing. My other favorite is MdC but I admit I have not used it in a couple of years because I have no place in my current bathroom for an open jar.
