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CDC: Cult de Candre

I know many of us on B&B are aficionados of Martin de Candre (you could say it is a cult following) and I wanted to start a club thread on it. There are several classy presentations of this soap and think this would be an ideal forum for posting, showing, and discussing how we each use it.

So, who can join?
Open to all members that use this fine product and are B&B members for 30 days with 50 posts are welcome

Also, I think it will be a great resource for those that are looking to start using MdC and are on the fence.

Welcome aboard to the CDC

-Greg
 
I wanted to start off and chat about my use.......
I am primarily a straight razor user (moved from a fusion to SR) with some DE shaves thrown in there. I really owe my wet shave awakening to a gift card to AOS. I enjoyed the products, but now see my shaves as more an experience that gives me tons of choice.....SR/DE, soap/cream, AS. Since I tossed the fusion, I have had great shaves and now look forward to them. I enjoyed the creams, but heard a lot about soaps, first went to MWF and after a bit got soap acquisition disorder....I was itching for something and came across a Martin de Candre discussion and became intrigued. Went to youtube, saw some good reviews and off to order i went.

When it came I was surprised how potent it was. I did follow what they say to leave open to air and it definitely did mellow out an is very pleasant. Also, I was a bowl lather with my creams before this so I decided to face lather and also ditch pre shave oil. From that point I have been hooked on MdC and use it for about half my shaves (usually rotated with SV Tundra Artica)
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I am a night shaver, mainly because I usually use a straight and in the morning I'm usually rushed and half awake. Put those together and it equals shave at night (for me at least)
i just finished tonight's shave and wanted to compare some notes....not really MdC, but there are two soaps everyone compared to MdC....Caties bubbles LPV, and LPL. When I got a sample of MdC fougere these others were included.
Scent wise I really enjoyed Caties bubbles, I found it ok performance wise. Maybe it was the sample I got, one day I'll pick one up, it's $20 so not horrible if I'm still not thrilled.
i bring this up because tonight I used SV tundra Artica. For me, it's an A+. My biggest problem will be figuring out how I rotate soaps.
Also ordered cold river soap works barber shop. Many say this is an awesome soap, looking forward to seeing for myself.

How does everyone rotate their soap stock?
what do you find to be comparable to MdC, ease of load/ease lather/performance?

this is by no means meant to take away from those that get great results from LPL or CB, just one of those times where YMMV applies
 
Night shaver here also, for various reasons.

When you introduced Saponificio Varesino Tundra into the mix, you created a hopeless situation that will create rotation problems for the foreseeable future. My MdC sits on the counter neglected ever since I found it. I'm tempted sometimes to use MdC just to remember why I like Tundra so much. One thing I got while using MdC Fougere was a slight face tingle if I left the lather on my face for a few minutes. What is the purpose of leaving the jar open on MdC?

As for soap rotation, it is a servant to help you, not a master to control your soap choices. Rotations are tools meant to further your enjoyment of soap. So I put whatever I want in a cue based on what I want, and if I change my mind at the last minute, the cue just waits. In other words, if you like it, cue it up and use it. If you are just trying to use it up, pass it along to someone else. Nothing should interfere in your shaving soap pleasure. Rotations shouldn't degrade into attempts to get rid of soaps you don't like. Rotations should enhance your shaving experience.

Done this way, you have my problem. Too many nice soaps I want to shave with, but not enough time or oppourtunity to shave with each one. Each night I have a choice of the world's best soaps. Done this way, the most luxurious shave is the one I'm doing next. And for me at the moment, that means Tundra tops MdC. But MdC is a proven soap that I'll always leave in my rotation. Whenever I get back to one.

Edit:

In response to what is comparable to MdC, there are a few contenders. PannaCrema Nuavia is the best soap worldwide at the moment in performance. Scent has been polarizing though, and the future of the brand hangs on them coming out with a less divisive scent, meaning lower intensity and more mainline. The rest of the normal PannaCrema line is also on about the same level as MdC (once dialed in).

Saponificio Varesino Tundra is better than MdC without question, though some may be slow to acknowledge that. People like you and me, who have both, know better. The rest of the Saponificio Varesino line may or may not top or equal MdC depending on what characteristics one holds dear.

A runner up would be WSP, but whether it equals or tops MdC depends again on what one considers important. It's definitely a runner up though, and worthy of any MdC fan.

MdC is still the most important soap of all time for one very important fact. It is a de facto standard.
 
Thanks and you are so right on soap rotation and the SV comparison. I don't know if I'll ever be able to say product X is the best ever, but SV tundra Artica just has something scent wise which I find amazing which I can't put my finger on. Both work so well for me, and I enjoy each in different ways.
I definitely agree on rotations, I enjoy the couple soaps I have and think I'll rotate every three shaves and also swap out as the mood hits. I think it's more on my part to gain familiarity (loading, lathering,...) than anything else. Back in the dark ages, it was the same can of edge gel, now, I would go insane if I was forced back to that.
As I'm typing this I'm smelling both, scent wise, MdC is more herbal (reminds me of Rosemary and my vegetable garden) and SV has a sweeter fruit type floral scent. It really does boil down to what I'm in the mood for (and not to complicate further, but I also have a DR Harris Windsor I turned into a shave stick and TOBS jermyn st cream)

as as for why to leave jar open....from what I can tell it is to allow the soap to dry after use. This is true, especially since it's also available as the brain bowl, so no lid option there. I also think there's another reason. When my jar of original arrived it was a really potent scent. So potent, I was a bit unsure if I would really like it the more I used it. I used it a good 10 days straight and left it uncovered most of the time and noticed it mellowed out, significantly. That's my opinion though

one last thought.....I may not really need to shave daily, but having great soaps I WANT to shave daily, that was not the case before I tossed the cans.
 
Question of the day:
After you load your brush, how do you clean up the jar? (Not just MdC, but any soap)

me, after I load the brush, I sweep across the top of the soap, apply that to face, maybe clean up edges with towel, and that's it. If I made a real mess of it, then I use a bit of cold water and pat the top dry.

Curious us what others do.
 
I'm using MdC Fougere. Great scent and performance. I have tried a few of the greats, including L'Occitane Cade cream. The only product I have found comparable to MdC is is Nuàvia Blu. Similarly spicy / herbal scent. Similar rich easy lather. Wetter than Nuàvia if I am correctly judging brush wetness and brush loading. The instructions do explicitly say to leave uncovered so it will dry and therefore last longer. The only jar cleaning I do is to rinse the outside by holding upside down under the tap. Nuàvia only has a loose fitting cap on its crock, so it doesn't stay wet. Despite a collection great soaps and fine creams, I had come down to Nuàvia every day. Now I'll rotate the two.

By the way, at some point recently, MdC apparently switched to a plastic jar, which I prefer for safety reasons.
 
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Welcome come to the cult! Plastic jar......that must be very recent, I got my original no more than two months ago and that's still glass.

Post a pic, curious to see.



I'm using MdC Fougere. Great scent and performance. I have tried a few of the greats, including L'Occitane Cade cream. The only product I have found comparable to MdC is is Nuàvia Blu. Similarly spicy / herbal scent. Similar rich easy lather. Wetter than Nuàvia if I am correctly judging brush wetness and brush loading. The instructions do explicitly say to leave uncovered so it will dry and therefore last longer. The only jar cleaning I do is to rinse the outside by holding upside down under the tap. Nuàvia only has a loose fitting cap on its crock, so it doesn't stay wet. Despite a collection great soaps and fine creams, I had come down to Nuàvia every day. Now I'll rotate the two.

By the way, at some point recently, MdC apparently switched to a plastic jar, which I prefer for safety reasons.
 
They must have very recently switched. I bought the fougere directly from MdC in France just before Christmas and it was the 200g glass jar. Plastic does make sense for safety though. I do like the heft and classier, vintage feel of glass.
 
Glass jar + costly shipping, ok can deal with that, called group buying
plastic jar + cheaper shipping = cool
plastic jar + price increase + cheaper shipping = not cool

whats the deal? Plastic jars cost more than glass?
 
I know many of us on B&B are aficionados of Martin de Candre (you could say it is a cult following) and I wanted to start a club thread on it. There are several classy presentations of this soap and think this would be an ideal forum for posting, showing, and discussing how we each use it.

So, who can join?
Open to all members that use this fine product and are B&B members for 30 days with 50 posts are welcome

Also, I think it will be a great resource for those that are looking to start using MdC and are on the fence.

Welcome aboard to the CDC

-Greg
I am interested in joining the group. Is there anything special I need to do. Thanks!
 
I am interested in joining the group. Is there anything special I need to do. Thanks!

Nothing special, just add the signature CDC: Cult de Candre and you're good to go.

bonus points....post pics of your favorite shaving gear with the cult classic!

Welcome aboard
 
Completed the collection. I have to disagree with those who have said original and fougere have a similar scent. I find the totally different. As for plastic vs glass jars...my original and fougere are plastic while the unscented is glass. The dimension of the jars are slightly different. Otherwise the are exactly the same. The plastic is actually very sturdy and thick. Does not even come across as plastic under initial observation. Even if safety were not an issue I prefer the plastic.

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I was sent a 5% discount code for my birthday. So tempted to get the fougere, but I have some of my sample left....stuff just lasts.

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk
 
The fougere is fantastic. Used it this morning. Highly recommended.

I think I have found soap nirvana. I would be content using MdC and nothing else. If only they would develop an aftershave and EdC!
 
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