Burning Through Samples

[mikeschu]

At one point, I had acquired a relatively unheard of but intuitively common AD - shaving soaps and cream samples. Whether the samples arrived by PIF, in trades, as freebies, through the glorious institution of Garry's Sample Shop, or friends just giving them to me - I have a lot.

This year I've committed to reducing my supply, and samples are no exception. Since I'm under Gentlemanly Restraint for the year and am a committed 3017er, I've decided to run through the samples I have, 3017-style.

View attachment 305732

I'll have my list up and running soon, but it's on my wiki page if you want a sneak peek.

Here are the rules:

1. Samples are defined as one ounce or less for soaps, creams and aftershaves. Cologne decants are permitted and optional but are restricted to 10ml or less.
2. No blade samples for this thread, just to make it easy.
3. Use one soap or cream sample at a time. There is no order to what one can pick.
4. Use the soap or cream sample up before moving to the next one.
5. AS and cologne samples do not have to be used in order and to exhaustion unless one wants to. This is to prevent strange-smelling combinations that may impact how one feels about the sample.
6. I'll post only when I start a sample and end a sample.
7. You're out when your sample supply is exhausted.

Feel free to jump in if you wish. How far can you go on your samples? Will it be a month or more like 3017?

 

[sgtd]

Looks like you have your work cut out for you. I'm in the same boat though; trying to burn through what I have before getting anything else.

 

[kcenorez]

Great idea! I have loads of samples that I've gathered over the last six months. However, I have no plans on finishing most of them. Generally, they get one use and I'll decide on the spot if it's a keeper (look into buying it full sized) or not.

My plan is actually just to get all the samples I have left and PIF them.

 

[celestino]

Good luck!

 

[mikeschu]

Here are the samples I intend to use up for this thread. Soaps and creams are used continuously; aftershaves are used when it makes sense to. Therefore I may be on aftershaves long after the soaps are gone.

Aftershaves:
Floid Suave
Proraso
St. Lucia Citrocol Lime
Osage
Captain's Bay Rum
Pinaud Lime Sec
4711
DR Harris Sandalwood

Creams:
TOBS St. James
KMF Mint
TOBS Avocado
Proraso (regular)
Proraso Red
T&H Lavender
T&H West Indian Limes
Trumpers Coconut
Trumpers Sandalwood
Trumpers Almond
Trumpers GFT
Trumpers Extract of Limes
Trumpers Rose

Soaps:
Willow Springs mint soap
Martin de Candre
MWF
DR Harris Marlborough
DR Harris Windsor
DR Harris Arlington
AoS Sandalwood
Bald Frog Eucalyptus Lime
Mystery Lime Shaving Soap (brown bar in picture)

Burning through samples is great when you have a consistent setup. I encourage everyone burning samples to have the same setup, so this is mine for the soaps and creams:

Razor: Merkur 41C Open Comb
Blade: Gillette Thai Super Thin
Brush: Semogue 830

For the more substantive samples, I'll swap out the razor with a Gillette Sheraton from time to time to see if it makes a difference.

I also shave 3-4x per week, so keep that in mind when I'm not burning through samples as fast as you think I should!

 

[Graybeard57]

You are good for months. Enjoy.

 

[mikeschu]

The first shave is done. It was nice, sunny and 75 degrees in San Diego mid-day today, but by the time I went to shower and shave it was 70 and overcast. Since I have to meet up with people in the evening, I wanted to smell nice. What better way to do that then with sandalwood?

Soap: Proraso Red (new formulation) - good overall. I felt it burn a little on my face as it was seeping through the hairs but nothing spectacular. The shave went well and without too much talking from the alum block.
AS: sample of DR Harris Sandalwood - It's amazing. I almost bought a bottle last year. This should be a staple, even with an initial high alcohol burn (but not Pinaud Bay Rum bad).
Cologne: decant of C&E Sandalwood

And the first sample is used up, as I only had enough Proraso Red for one shave. I had used it twice or three times prior to starting this thread. I know my TOBS Avocado is in a similar state as well as my sample of 4711 AS.

 

[maxman]

That's a good idea. You've got 'em so you might as well use 'em up.

 

[mikeschu]

The sample list is in post #5.

 

[mikeschu]

Starting a 1/2 oz sample of Mitchell's Wool Fat from Garry. It's a good soap so far. I'm not sure it would be a regular in the rotation but for the dry, chilly mornings we have in San Diego during "winter" it may not be a bad one to have. I'll find out as I work through the sample.

I probably won't touch any AS samples for this soap but may give the Captain a go or two.

 

[catherix]

I like this idea. I won't be joining you as I have other 3017 goals at the moment but I do have many samples from the old days sitting in my cupboards. I may need to start super lathering them so I can get them tried. I think I've more or less decided I do not care for creams outside of super lathers so I could easily kill those while working through soaps.

 

[mikeschu]

I like this idea. I won't be joining you as I have other 3017 goals at the moment but I do have many samples from the old days sitting in my cupboards. I may need to start super lathering them so I can get them tried. I think I've more or less decided I do not care for creams outside of super lathers so I could easily kill those while working through soaps.

I was going to burn through samples between finishing off products in the 3017 thread, but then I realized that could take years with all of these samples. While AS could last that long, I didn't want the soap samples going that long.

Re: creams, the Semogue 830 is capable but I think I'm underpowered when it comes to cream-destroying brushes. Maybe it's on the list for a trade or purchase once the 2013 purchase sabbatical is over.

 

[lowjax]

I'm actually doing the same thing. I started by finishing up my puck of VDH Deluxe, finished up 2 other samples, using a travel size puck of C&S 88, and then 2 more samples to finish up. I didn't have a lot, but want to get through them all.

 

[catherix]

I was going to burn through samples between finishing off products in the 3017 thread, but then I realized that could take years with all of these samples. While AS could last that long, I didn't want the soap samples going that long.

Re: creams, the Semogue 830 is capable but I think I'm underpowered when it comes to cream-destroying brushes. Maybe it's on the list for a trade or purchase once the 2013 purchase sabbatical is over.

I wish I could help you there but I honestly have no idea what a cream killing brush would be like. I have soap destroying brush knowledge a plenty though.

 

[sarimento1]

neat thread.
i'll have to take some time and inventory my samples.
just now starting to ramp up.
perhaps have a dozen in the drawer and several dozen more on order from garry and others.

it's great that e-commerce makes it possible for all the small shops to put up these home-packed trial sizes and market them.
and this sample thing is quite deceiving.
you think, oh, what's a couple dollars for a trial size?
but they start to add up.
i've probably spent more on soaps and creams in the past couple months than in my entire life before.
but great fun.

 

[mikeschu]

I wish I could help you there but I honestly have no idea what a cream killing brush would be like. I have soap destroying brush knowledge a plenty though.

Reading through a few threads in the SB forum and I think the 830 is about the best for a boar brush. Which is fine by me for this year

 

[mikeschu]

neat thread.
i'll have to take some time and inventory my samples.
just now starting to ramp up.
perhaps have a dozen in the drawer and several dozen more on order from garry and others.
View attachment 306641
it's great that e-commerce makes it possible for all the small shops to put up these home-packed trial sizes and market them.
and this sample thing is quite deceiving.
you think, oh, what's a couple dollars for a trial size?
but they start to add up.
i've probably spent more on soaps and creams in the past couple months than in my entire life before.
but great fun.

I know exactly what you mean. I love Garry and samples, but once you say to yourself that you need to try a sample, they breed like rabbits.

BTW, I'd say based on what you have pictured you have a good 3-4 weeks of sample shaving ahead of you. Let me know how the T&H sandalwood and the QCS samples are; I've been wanting to try them but will need to wait.

 

[mikeschu]

I'm not quite finished with the MWF sample yet, but MWF and Pinaud Clubman are a great combination.

I'm going to guess I have another 3-6 shaves with the MWF before I get to move on.

 

[mikeschu]

Because it's near-80 degrees out here today, I interrupted my MWF to finish off the sample of TOBS Avocado cream. I believe I got three shaves out of it. I like it, and I would probably get it again. Smells grassy and protects okay, but I think I would need to use more than I did for the third shave.

I think I have one or two more shaves from MWF and then I'll move on to another soap sample - probably DR Harris of some sort.

 

[mikeschu]

This MWF sample will not die. This morning was lather #9 and there's still a little bit to go.

I will need to add in a sample of what I think is Tabac AS into the mix as well.