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Consolidated Soap Review List

HUGE props to MrSmith! He painstakingly took the time to consolidate all of the reviews from the first round of the soap box passaround. Thanks to those participants, we now have a healthy list of soap reviews.

Again, I want to thank MrSmith for his time and effort on this project. Figuring out the un-numbered soaps had to be quite a challenge.

BRANDSCENTNoSCENT REVIEWSPERFORMANCE REVIEWS
3P VEGGIE - ITALIAN SOFT SOAPALMONDNo Number"If you like the marzipan-scented croaps, it's worth giving 3P a shot.""the sweetest of my almond creams & soaps. I love almond and this stuff is right up there." " typical Italian soft soap, much like Cella. Great almond scent, great lather, and a nice shave."
ART OF SHAVINGSANDALWOOD100"Liked this version of this scent. A woody version that I could appreciate" "The scent was a very woody sandalwood that each time I smelled it I would fall deeper in love with.""It also whipped up nice cushiony lather that I could drive down into true yogurt consistency."
BAIER BODY BOUTIQUEMAN'S MAN SHAVING SOAP2"I’ve never heard of the company before, but the soap smelled great! Cinnamon and almond with an almost smokey undertone to it. ""lather started out frothy with a lot of bubbles (my brush was too wet) but after 2 or so minutes of working with it I was rewarding with some thick and slick yogurt. This soap actually gave up a ton of lather with a small amount of product."
BEER SOAP BREWING COMPANYBAY RUM11"To me, this smelled very, very sweet and candy like. Think Haribo Gummy Coke Bottles (I still vividly remember the smell of these from my childhood), although this has nothing to do with the scent. Actually didn't detect much, if any of the scent on the label at all. ""Lathered a little thin at first, then after some work came around. Still on the thin side though. Feels like it could be slick."
BEER SOAP BREWING CO.ITALIAN BERGAMONT & PATCHOULI12"Slight masculine floral scent, with a note maybe kind of like a certain herbal tea, plus musky or earthy""Not bad performance, but not as thick and slick as others I've tried. "
CELLA93 / 111"The smell is that classic almond (think Maraschino Cherries)." "Note that while it does smell great, the marzipan taste just isn't there." "Love the almond scent."" I didn't even actually shave with it, but it was the first one I test lathered and I knew it was a pick from day one. …It is very soft, more of a croap, it loads and lathers effortlessly and just by the feel I know it will shave great." "Not only does it smell great, but it's one of the slickest lathers I've ever shaved with. You're gonna love it!" "Oh my goodness, I can't believe I have come SO LATE to the party! I can't believe I have never tried it before."
CRABTREE & EVELYNSCENT UN-KNOWN (SANDALWOOD)PIF IN PLASTIC BAG"The lather was just so~so for me. I could have been lazy to give it a proper go since the scent became a little bit off-putting for me."
CZECK & SPEAKE8888" The best description I can give is that it's that old classy scent like Clubman. The scent your grandfather would use. Kind of similar to a Barbershop scent but, not quite."" It was slick and cushiony but, it wasn't as "fluffy" as I would have thought. I think that'll get better with more use. I would rate it a solid 8.5/10."
GEO F TRUMPEREUCRISNo Number"It doesn't smell like the Veg at all but it grows on you (well on me, anyway) like the Veg did. At first I was like, why would anyone make let alone use or most especially BUY something like this? It has a stout smell, here is how Trumper describes it:
"The striking fragrance of Eucris sweeps the gentleman into the realms of utter sophistication and pleasure. The warm, sensual beauty of sandalwood, musk and moss is enhanced by a heart of rich, honey-like jasmine and exquisite muguet. Rousing, peppery top notes of cumin and coriander radiate with the fullness of plump blackcurrants."
Hmmm. I don't know about all that. I'm not sure i can pick out a single one of those aromas, But it is earthy, peaty, stout. A smell that brings to mind when men smelled like men and didn't care what anyone thought about it. I test lathered this twice before using it this morning and the smell opens up nicely as you lather it. " "I took a whiff of the Eucris last time I was at Old Town Shaving in Pasadena...Almost dropped it right on the spot...Must be an acquired taste for sure!"
"My shave with it this morning was wonderful, great lather--it was definitely in the "I used more product and it worked" category, but I didn't even need any touchup so slick and close was the shave. Then I was sitting in church this morning 3 hours after shaving and I still couldn't find a single missed spot or returning stubble. Yeah it was a keeper. " "I had real trouble with the eucris. Smell was a+, lather c-at best for me."
GOLD DACHSSPEZIAL RASIER-SEIFE188"The smell is good but light...Scent kinda dies fast. I'm kinda sad about this one." "Light smell, a touch of maybe toothpaste scent to it" "This is a special soap, hard as a rock, odd size for the container, but man does it give a great shave, and the smell is high class all the way (to me).""I'm very interest in its lather. Its a very hard soap." "super nice thick smooth lather"
Lathers extremely well on my omega boar brush. Same with my no name badger." "Couldn't get past the impractical container. The puck was way too small for it, and the container itself was hard to open and close."
THE HANDLEBAR SUPPLYCARRIBEAN SNOW152"LOVE this smell... I hope it performs as much as I love the smell! " "Cooling with a great beachy smell.""left a cool feel behind but not the menthol burn/cold feel. I really like this soap and will be keeping it for sure. Nice cushion and slickness, I have faith it will get better as I dial it in. "
HOW TO GROW A MUSTACHE (HTGAM)SYNERGY - CAVENDISH112"A masculine vanilla scent. The Synergy is the Cavendish scent, but it smells like vanilla, or at least baked goodies, to my nose.""Very surprising performance for a vegetable soap. Did very well in my very hard water."
INSTITUT KARITENo Number"I had it down to 2-3 soaps, and ultimately, the IK won because of it's wonderful lather, that was absurdly easy to make. Not much of a scent, but a really terrific lather, and very moisturizing, too. " "I'm a big fan of using IK like a shave stick. Lathers up like a dream and the load time from rubbing on my face is about 5 seconds."
LA TOJA40"I love the scent of the stick, hated the scent of the cream when I tried it." "Masculine scent,""Lather is outstanding." "Much talked about and well deserved...easy as pie to lather, and did I mention the lather is real, real good? "
LA SHAVING SOAPUNSCENTED101 /"this soap is Unscented and so I originally did not even plan on trying it but decided to give it a try while I could. I am glad I did.""Very slick." "Lathers like a creme (proraso is my only creme I have exp with) Very slick on my face but I got a strange burning sensation. I lathered it on my arm and left it on for over 15 mins no burning sensation. Perhaps my face was burnt out on soaps!" "It lathered well was nice and slick. " "I love that LA shaving soap. Super slick"
MAMA BEAR'SBEAR ICE (SAMPLE)63"Really liked the cooling effect of this one, was nice, not quite as knock you down as QCS Vostok, more refined, but as its almost 100 already down here in Texas, the sample will be a welcome addition." "wasn't thrilled by the scent."
MAMA BEAR'SHONEYSUCKLE42-H"very good representation of this scent" "really surprised me. I was expecting just some fake man-made scent but, I thought that they had really hit it out of the park. I too love it for old memories." "Fantastic and accurate honeysuckle scent that took me back to a child romping through the woods on those long summer days.""I just have hard water and I can't ever get a lather to last for more than one pass. I've tried many times." "I loaded a proper amount of time with a slightly wet brush and was rewarded well for my effort. Still not quite as slick or cushion-y as some of the others, but I was pleased with what I had produced." "I recently got to sample some Mama Bear's soap for the first time, and was very impressed with the lather."
MAMA BEAR'SICEBERG13"It smells amazing! Hoping this will give me a pick me up on those morning I can't quite get out of first gear." "WAY COLD (to me, I'm not used to menthol soaps). Almost burning. I'm not a fan of that menthol feel/smell. This one didn't have a strong menthol smell but my face felt like it was burning so I rinsed it off. It cooled with the rinse and stayed cool for a few minutes." "Mentholated version of 13. While it had the same properties as 13, then menthol was very very subtle. I really wanted to like it more, but I guess I am used to those super mentholated soaps now." ""is the mentholated version. " "Name is misleading. Was expecting menthol, but it was more orange-y. A fairly feminine orange scent to my nose. Glycerin." ""The scent blossomed when lathered. " "It has a nice, but I would call it complex smell. I could not pick out one of the things listed in the soap when I went back and looked to see what scents were being used."""Lather is excellent as well. I couldn't get #1 to lather the same as this puck." ""Felt cool to the skin but not too cool since it didn't have menthol. lacked slickness but could be that I didn't load enough product." "It lathered up great, and seemed really slick""
MAMA BEAR'SSPELLBOUND WOODS42-SW"I was overwhelmingsurprised with the scent during lather""I just have hard water and I can't ever get a lather to last for more than one pass. I've tried many times." "This was my first exposure to a glycerin based shave soap. ..., however the lather itself could beimproved, I found it a little dry afterwards, and I had too many bubbles...This is probably due to my lack of exposure to this kind of soap and not the soapitself."
MAMA BEAR'SSTARGAZER LILY42-SL"Wife was like dont even open that one...dont you dare! I opened it and she ran away. Might keep it just for times when I want to be alone!" "The scent is nice but not what I was wanting. I have strong associations/memories with the actual scent and so this attempt to replicate it in soap fell slightly short for me." "Strongly floral scent. Not in the Trumper's Violet or Trumper's Rose sense, but VERY feminie. Mom loved it." "Really intriguing scent. Enjoyed the scent so much and the memories it evoked I knew it was a take.""I based my choices on gaining that thick lather that my OCMM was able to slice through like butter."
MARTIN DE CANDREORIGINAL124 - SAMPLE ONLY"I like the packaging of #124" "The regular scent is hard to describe, as many others have said. I love it. It smells so clean and fresh. " "The scent did grow on me. I have to admit I'm not in a rush to love this soap" "intoxicating smell, very sage-y. Masculine." "A fresh, crisp, clean scent, maybe a little piney or woodsy." " it is very classy, the label, weight of the jar, the way the lid keeps a nice firm seal as you unscrew it, all of this makes it very nice. The smell is indescribable, other than to say it is very clean smelling. Some scents lend themselves to being seasonal, this one has a lightness than makes it nice in the summer, and a richness than can keep you going with it to the winter.
"
"This stuff lathers like a dream." "Absolutely loved it. I've always thought it was priced a little high.After the one sample lathering, I called Damon @ Old Town Shaving and a jar is en route as we speak." "It lathered up nice and pretty but it lacked slickness on my face. I may have not used enough product. The razor dragged and skipped a bit. I tweaked the later by adding a bit more product for the second and third pass, it got better a bit. It was a nice shave but not great." "Great shave. No better soap than this, but several are as good as this." "Damn fine product, probably one of the best shaves I have seen, and the scent is very pleasing" "It wasn't quite as magical as I had hoped but still a nice solid choice to lather up for a nice shave. The smell is great and lathers with ease." "Performance was excellent! Really thick and luxurious, and very slick.....almost as slick as the other one, but not quite, which surprised me. I would call it the second slickest soap I've tried. Felt great in the hands too...very pillowy. Again, great shave. " "Latherability was too easy. I once read three swirls of the brush is all it takes for a full shaves worth. I got greedy and did five and got enough to shave 3 faces easily. It has a WIDE sweet spot as far as the water/soap ratio goes. After applying lather to my face for the first pass I accidently added the brush to my brush scuttle still filled about 1/4 with water and didn't realize it till the second pass. The soap was a soupy at first but after a minute or working the lather on my face all was forgiven."
MIKE'S NATURALORANGE, CEDARWOOD, & BLACK PEPPER"It's as good as everyone says. Slick, rich, easy lather." "Love the lather I get with Mike's soaps" "I have the exact same scent with the Mike's...love the stuff! It's in my regular rotation." "It lathers easily, but it is different from other soaps I've used. It doesn't have the thickness and volume of, say Tabac, but the slickness is unparalleled. The suburb glide makes it an excellent soap for using with a straight...Between the suburb lather, and wonderful scent, this is quickly becoming one of my favorite soaps."
MITCHELL'S (MWF)WOOL FATNo Number“If I had one complaint, it would be on the scent. I prefer bold scented soaps…” “Can't describe it, but I love it!” LISTED ON ORDER OF THE FAT AS: "I get clean laundry, hanging on the line outside a farm house, caressed by country breezes."can be problematic for some to lather; “excellent soap” “man I love the stuff” “it's a top performer for me as well” "Great stuff; I don't know why so many people seem so intimidated by it. Easy peasy." "shave was fantastic. I'm not one to use balm or any kind of moisturizer, but I imagine that's what one's skin feels like afterwards - soft and almost greasy, but not really. Hard to explain, but I like it. This is the kind of fat I can dig..." "I use ASB after almost all my shaves, but when I use MWF, I usually don't need it. Love that stuff!" "Lathering was effortless, with no trouble in producing a slick and comfortable shave. The scent grew on me almost immediately and the result was fantastic. Each time I've used it, my face has felt soft and moisturized all day. Must be the lanolin. Consider me a big fan."
MYSTIC WATERMARRAKESHNo Number"Love the scent""I never get a rich full lather from MW, but it's always slick and protective and I never fail to get a good shave from it."
MYSTIC WATERROSALIMONE49"The name indicates two components to the scent, but all I got off the puck was the first one, which is not a scent I'm usually a fan of...When I lathered it, the second component of the scent came out, and I liked it a bit more...A few hours later, after washing up (I lather on my hand when I test lather), the distinct scent that I don't care for came back, pretty strongly, so I left it." "It's scent is very light and reminded me of summer..." "I found the lemon to really come out when it was lathered and I was shaving with it but I would agree the rose scent seems to return. I did not find the rose to overpowering so I figured I would go with it.""What I found was an excellent lather that was very easy to achieve"
OGALLALABAY RUM, LIMES, AND PEPPERCORN20"This was a great example of a classic scent. Not too powerful, but it really opened up when lathering." "what I was thinking of when I see that scent." "I loved the scent, but I couldn't figure it out to get a good slick lather. The scent was killer" "the more I smell it the more I love it!" "I think #20 is possibly my favorite example of that particular scent."" I just didn't get a very good lather from it. It was super thin, seemed to have no protection, and not very slick." "hough I did manage to get a usable lather eventually, though it still wasn't great. A pity, as it's a great example of the scent." "Ive tried three different soap makers in this scent and by far this is the best lather." "Unfortunately, I didn't have very successful test lathers, so I let it go." "I shaved with the Ogallala this morning which I botched the lather but surprisingly still got a good shave that left my face feeling very moisturized!" "The smell was fantastic, but I just couldn't get it to lather well in the couple of test lathers I did. "
PANNA CREMALAVANDOTTO72"Needed more soap than others. Scent and slickness just wasnt there for me. " "interesting scent that I couldn't pinpoint what it reminded me of. I determined I didn't care for it." "I wasn't thrilled with the scent on either of these. " "Smells like clay. Other than that, the scent is indiscernible." "this soap has a warm doughy, cinnamon type smell to it. Apparently this was not the intended smell from the maker? But myself and SWMBO both picked up those scents.""Very easy to lather, and very slick. " "Great little soap that lathered up even better than its brother (don’t know if it’s the soap itself or my inconsistency in lathering) This one have me a great shave and made me hungry at the same time."
PANNA CREMAVETIVER27" had a very light scent and didn't bloom as I thought it would." "I wasn't thrilled with the scent on either of these. " "Nice light earthy smell that I really enjoy" " I have this same scent in another brand and thought it smelled ok, but not great. THIS soap smelled a lot better than mine. Not strong, but definitely not mild either. Smells slightly soapy, earthy/woodsy, light masculine floral scent, and maybe even a small touch of vanilla somewhere in there. Hippies come to mind for some reason. ""I tried to lather them but it wasn't slick. I probably didn't get enough product. " "Lather and smell were both great, minimal product needed." "This lathered better than my version of this scent as well. Actually, it lathered wonderfully. It felt very thick, slick and protective. My Slim just glided across my face (even with a 4 day old Permashave in it). When The shave was over, squish factor between my fingers felt solid, exactly what I think a great lather should feel like if whipped up properly. This definitely had the richest lather of the three."
PETAL PUSHERS FANCIESCIDERHOUSE 5193"Fantastic scent and great texture. Makes me want to plant an orchard in the backyard."
THE PIRATE COVECUCMBER & MELON154"Loved the smell on this one right away...This one is glycerin based and like I said, I love the scent. Very clean and fresh. I'm pretty sure this is a keeper"" I test lathered this one into my palm last night. Slick slick soap."
PRAIRIE CREATIONSWALTERS LEATHER14"I lathered this one up just to see how the scent developed as the listed scent was not very noticeable out of the box. After lathering this one up, she smelled just like she was supposed to, like a new Brooks Brothers coat! " "These are among my favorites scent-wise...and the scents only got better when I lathered. They were both convincing versions of the named scent. "" I had a hard time finding the performance sweet spot for either of them. They both produced a beautiful lather quickly...But they didn't seem to want to apply well to arm or face or to have much staying time on either. Nor did I find them to be among the slickest." "I lathered it up, and it was pretty slick. I have never used the soap this was modeled after, so I don't know if it is true to the feel of that soap, but if it is, that soap should never have reformulated." "It's supposed to be based off the old formula for Williams. If they actually nailed it, I have no idea why Williams would have reformulated."
PRAIRIE CREATIONSWALTERS LEMON18"THIS SOAP SMELLS FANTASTIC! I really enjoy the lighter, tropical type scents…" "These are among my favorites scent-wise...and the scents only got better when I lathered. They were both convincing versions of the named scent." "The scent is very natural and strong and reminds me of one of my favorite candies as a kid!" "I loved the scent of 18." "A very strong Lemon with a balance of sweet and bitter (I know sounds like an oxymoron), kind of like a mild sweet with a touch of zest." "I loved the fact it was a very strong scent.""She lathered up quite nice after a little work and although it did not create a super lather, what it did produce was slick and provided for a great shave. " " I had a hard time finding the performance sweet spot for either of them. They both produced a beautiful lather quickly...But they didn't seem to want to apply well to arm or face or to have much staying time on either. Nor did I find them to be among the slickest." ""This is a smaller (75g) hard puck that was created to perform like vintage Williams. Now, I have never tried vintage Williams, but this stuff lathers great and the scent is simply stunning!" "I really like the Walters, it's a simple formula that performs very well."
PRE DE PROVIDENCENo Number"I find the scent mild but very clean and refreshing. ""I love how easy the pre de provence soap is to lather for me"
PROVENCE SANTEGREEN TEA8"light refreshing scent and a completely different consistency to the others." "It had a kind of muted scent in the container. I lathered it up and it was pretty slick with a mild scent. I am not sure I have ever used anything with this scent, so I can't say how true the scent is to the original. " "This is the one that I think is supposed to be green tea. It doesn't seem to have a strong scent to my sniffer, and probably isn't supposed to." "They call it that, but I don't get that from it. It seems to be a light floral scent to me. ""It lathered nicely and was pretty slick for a straight shave." "It's a nice smell but the performance is the big winner for me. One of the best I've used."
QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOAPSVOSTOCKNo Number"I'm usually not a fan of the mentholated soaps...but the performance of the vostok was top notch."
RAZOROCKBEES KNEESNo Number"Light bee's wax candle smell, very light soapy undertone...The bee's wax scent dies down and the soap scent takes over, but is still mild.""Lathers easily to form thick, creamy lather. Slick shave. Good after shave feel and no irritation."
RAZOROCKFRESCO113"I liked the subtlety as well as the ease with which to lather. I tend to enjoy a fairly dense, "frosting" lather over anything else and this performed very admirably."
RAZOROCKINAUGURATION31"This has to be in my top 3 scents. Light scent but I just like it. Its supposed to be a lemony smell and I dont get that. I get a clean fresh scent. Almost like clean clothes drying outside.""OMG lather bomb with my boar brush. I felt like I was sleeping on a pillow of lather."
RAZOROCKNONNO MICHELINO (INTENSE SANDALWOOD)38"The scent was mild," "the scent is very light, mostly soapy to me."" I started loading my brush, and noticed a lot of thick proto lather building on the puck. I started lathering, and very quickly was overwhelmed with a lot of lather. Thick, creamy, and quite slick. Very similar to the IK. " "Excellent lather, on par with Tabac as far as qualities: slick, creamy, and also works great when soapy and wet. Wonderful stuff." "was excellent, the reputation of the maker is well deserved." "The RazoRock was probably my favorite soap I tried that I didn't take. Every RR product I've ever tried was excellent, but that was the best of the bunch."
RAZOROCKSON OF ZEUS150"Good maker, great soap, just wasn't a huge fan of that scent. I guess I go more for lighter, florals and fresh scents rather than the more "manly" "smokey" scents." " I was close to taking, Love the scent." "The scent is intense, very hard to describe but manly not citrus or floral to my nose. ""The soap itself has a texture I had yet to experience, a funky croapy style. I felt it gave quite an adequate lather especially given the price point"
RAZOROCKTHIRD EYE (SANDALWOOD)22"I love this scent, and I can tell you that this was a very nice rendition. " "I found #22's scent to bloom a bit more when I did a test palm lather, but it was slight." "This has to be in my top 3 scents.""The soap was super slick." "Lather Pillow."
RAZOROCKXX136"The scent is very mild, but its a great scent." "Great scent that is hard to peg exactly what it is." "I would try lathering 136, the scent does seem to bloom a bit more to me. It will never knock your socks off in terms of strength, but it does bloom and become a bit more pronounced." "The scent did bloom a little, it was aquatic with a light floral side to my nose,""I loaded this for about 20 seconds. I always expect an awesome.e lather from razorock products. They never disappoint!" "the lather is really, really good." "...I had a hard time getting a good lather. I'm going to chalk it up to using a large brush and maybe not enough product. " "I've found that #136 does benefit from a good loading, which will give you a nice slick lather."
SAINT CHARLES SHAVEBAY RUM105" I lathered it up, and the scent strength is pretty good, but it didn't seem to be super strong. It isn't quite like any other scents with the same name. Although, this is one of those scents that has many variations and interpretations." "A little bit different take on Bay Rum, but I kind of liked the smell. It really bloomed nicely for me" "smelled like spiced chai tea to me" "Loved the Spicy scent" "Amazing scent""this soap was really slick. I mean really, really slick. I was quite surprised about how slick this was. It's kind of a soft soap too. Not really a croap, but definitely a soft soap." "...boy did SCS make a super, super slick soap." "Great scent and great lather." "great performance right out of the gate." "The lather was quite nice and cushioned nicely. All around greatperformer." "I am trying to learn how to best face lather, but even with that going against me the soap gave up a nice slick lather, which turned into a really nice shave.... When I first started lathering it, it was producing a thick/dense lather. This is usually an indicator that my lathering/soap isn't going to be to good for the shave. I like a slicker, which usually means thinner, lather for my straight shaving. I decided to proceed anyhow and it was slick and thick - almost yogurty. I think it could have still used a bit more water, but the way it was didn't hamper the shave. In fact after the lather was off the face, I could wet my hands a bit and rub it over my face and it got slick again - a great indication of a slick soap."
SAINT CHARLES SHAVEMOCHACCINO107"They are both incredibly natural and authentic in scent. They are both an extremely close approximation to the real thing!" "the smell in the container was already pretty pronounced, so I wasn't sure how much it would bloom when lathered. My wife walked in the bathroom while lathering this one, and she commented that she really liked the smell of this one. The smell really filled the bathroom, with the door shut, that when she walked in she could smell it without having to smell the soap bowl/scuttle. " "This is the soap where my wife walked in the bathroom and commented on how great it smelled. ""Like #105, it was super, super slick and a pretty soft soap. " "...it was super, super slick."
SAINT CHARLES SHAVEREFINED106"subtle masculine scent, like a sweet cologne." "Cedar and other stuff. All the scents of waking up on a camp-out with 99.9% less stiff back."
SAINT CHARLES SHAVESUGAR AND FIG104"a delectably sweet smell that would drive me nuts if she were to wear it" "They are both incredibly natural and authentic in scent. They are both an extremely close approximation to the real thing!""Effortlessly produces a thick, slick lather."
SHAVING YETIYETI SNOTNo Number"Smells great, nice cushion, and was really cold on my face." "It was definitely COLD, but a neat feeling. Re-lathering for the second pass gave an even colder feel, but by the third pass my face started to get the same feeling as when I go a little too aggressive on myself - raw. I'm thinking, ah man this is not going to be good, but I finished my third pass, rinsed off, put my aftershave on and had ZERO irritation. " " It's a glycerin soap, so the lather is easy to produce and very slick. The chill is absolutely intense. The coldest shave I've ever had, but a BBS result each time I use it. If you like peppermint and face freeze, you'll love the Snot!!" "My eyes watered when I used it, but it did produce a nice slick easy lather and while my eyes watered, they didn't sting, weird..."
STIRLINGBAY RUM91"Great classic scent that comes through with a punch." "smelled like vanilla chai tea to me" "transformed during lather & hot water with clove becoming quite strong with a subtle allspice note as well" "I like the scent but not while I'm shaving." "Same scent as #11, but much more true to scent. Smelled like other soaps that I own of this scent.""One of the best surprises in the box. Same maker. Very stable lather." "Whipped up nice and easy, loads of lather. VERY slick and VERY moisturizing on my hands. Half hour later as I was writing this, my hands still felt extremely soft." " The scent, the lather, the shave...all just wonderful. Leaving my hands unbelievably soft, I knew this soap would feel great on my face! Being on the more inexpensive side is a big plus too. "
STIRLINGBLACK CHERRYNo Number"Wow. Intense cherry scent…If you think Cella is a nice cherry scent, you need a whiff of this stuff!""I had moderate success lathering it, but I liked the scent so much I'm willing to work through the learning curve. I also took the sample of Stirling Spice, to help with dialing in my lather." "Lather was fairly thin, and not as protective as I'd like. It was still pretty slick, but I knew, based on what others say, that this soap could be better...Yesterday, I decided to lather it with my WD silver tip, instead of the B&B Essential I've been using. My hope was that the badger would hold more water, and load more soap. Not sure if that was the reason, but the end result was a big success! Creamy and slick, plenty of cushion. A wonderful shave."
STIRLINGBLACK CUMIN AND ORANGE80"A very masculine orange-y scent. " "he aroma of the spice hits your nose first, but when you lather it the underlying fruit smell comes out,""It works GREAT with my hard water." "lathers great (like all from this brand)"
STIRLINGCLUBMAN25"I found the scent subtle, but entirely pleasant. The soap washes off clean. " "I am still at odds with the scent which to me is subtle in that when I lathered it, it did not take over the room, but it was very pronounced and had some interestingly strong notes in it." "reminds me of Brut" "Wife likes the scent""The lather is superb as expected, with a huge sweet spot; I get excellent results running the gamut from thick creamy lather to soapy wet lather, all good." "My first experience with this soap maker and I will have to say that the lather was superb. I was able to quickly get a nice slick lather with my Omega boar brush." "I test lathered this one tonight and had a bit of an issue getting a great lather with it at first but after a little work, and a many drops of water on the brush got a nice, slick lather and the scent remained true throughout the process." "with this mfr gave me the best lather - just as slick as its brothers, but a bit more cushion. This one is in a tin, so I think that helped a lot." "Great smell but I couldn't get it to lather like I would want. " "I enjoy the lather."
STIRLINGGLACIAL61"It has a very strong and overpowering mentholated scent and it really makes you wonder why you put it on your face after about 2 minutes!""Overall, excellent slick lather and I can see this one being something in the summer rotation for those hot days or when you need a little extra help waking up in the morning" "Slick, not too much cushion. Heavy menthol (overpowering for me) that gave quite a bit of punch in the cooling department." "I found it to be quite “cold” The lather is quality, however took some work to get." "I got to try the glacial in a pass around and loved it. If you're having difficulty, try leaving it open to air for some added curing time."
STIRLINGOZARK MOUNTAIN110"It has a very woodsy pine scent to it. Very masculine but not too strong either. The Central Coast of California has me waking up to a lot of cold, foggy mornings. This scent, combined with a warm cup of coffee shortly after would make waking up to that a pleasant experience. ""One of the best surprises in the box. Same maker. Very stable lather." "The soap is a little harder than a croap so it didn't take much work to get enough product on the brush. Lather was super slick, not too thick, and the blade glided easily across my face. "
STIRLINGSHARP DRESSED MAN1"Very subtle scent." "…a great classy scent. I will be picking up some in the future." "is growing on me, this is the first soap I've tried from this vendor, it's a good version of this scent. It's lighter than I like but again, I haven't lathered this one." " it's a great scent and lathered really easily for me." "I liked this fragrance a lot. It's scent name makes gives you that same feeling" "nice fresh scent,""….top-notch, reasonably priced, and provide a fantastic shave….All of the soaps create a great, slick lather, and the lather sticks around and you can take your time getting a proper shave." "1 was an excellent soap with a great lather" "Great scent, but the lather was bubble bath for me. It was probably a case of not enough product & too much water, but this one bubbled up and faded fast." "lathers up really nice for a rock hard puck of soap. I did shave with this one and it did a great job of keeping my face slick and burn free."
STIRLINGSTIRLING SPICE (SAMPLE)No Number"I wasn't a huge fan of the scent the first time I lathered it. However, each time I lather it, I find the scent growing on me. Now I kinda like it." "Wife likes the scent.""I was rewarded with a very dense lather before I knew it...it is pretty slick and my favorite part is that the lather didn't break down after a couple of minutes" "When I use my boar brush I get a thin lather that isn't as thick/creamy as I would like. When I use my badger brush I got a rich thick lather...probably just a water ratio problem as my boar brush works on par with my badgers for my other soaps." "...used the badger, with great results again, though I wish the scent was a little stronger. I guess Stirling will be a "badger only" soap for me..."
STROP SHOPPE1887165"Full disclosure, my wife said this smelled like old lady in the container. I kind of liked it...maybe I like old ladies? LOL" "Medium strong scent, can't place it at all. Really, I am absolutely stymied by this scent. The name they gave it gives you no clue as what to expect." "Scent was really good. I prefer woodsy, spicy scents over floral. This one had hints of cinnamon and other spices, but it was not heavy smelling like some soaps with these kind of scents can be. ""I could not get it to lather at all, it was just a bubbly wet mess," "Made a pretty good lather, not huge, but then again maybe I didn't take enough of a sample. The shave was slick, and....somewhat cushioning/protective?" "The lather was very nice and easily achieved. It took a little more water than I was expecting, but produced and nice thick lather after a few dips of the brush into the water. The shave was very nice; this soap has a good balance of slickness and cushion. The cocoa and shea butter it is made with left my face feeling almost as good as I feel after a shave with Mystic Water soaps (for me, that's saying a lot, big MW fan here). "
STROP SHOPPEBLACK TIE161
STROP SHOPPEBAY RUM162"It has a very nice scent to it (the best of this scent I have smelled, a LOT of companies make this scent)" " By far the best Bay Rum scent I have ever laid my nose on""This one lathered up right away with little need for gobs and gobs of water, … It went on my face nice, even took to extra lathering once I had it on there. Smoooooooooth shave, very slick, and left me feeling like I had already done my after shave ritual. "
SYNERGY (HTGAM)CAVENDISH155Light pipe tobacco scentnice, large tin “very easy to lather and held up really nice with my hard water “ “ease of lather, stability, and slickness” "I *really* liked this one and wanted to include in my selection, but I wanted to leave the box a little "richer" than I found it." "This has to be the easiest soap to get a lather that I have tried to date. Slick and creamy, this soap just explodes in the bowl."
TABAC26 / 247"nd yes, it smells exactly like the inside of my Grandmother's purse. Perhaps that's why I was craving Velamints today ""A classic, and one that everyone seems to either love or hate. It created a super lather for me right off the bat and provided an excellent close shave, probably one of the closest I have experienced in my six months of wet shaving. I would liken the quality of this with my Floris any day." "Yes, I bought Tabac for the box and had never actually tried it till this morning. It is a phenomenal performer that deserves the praise it consistently gets."
TAYLOR OF OLD BOND STREETLAVENDER103"Scent on this soap is fantastic. Mild and floral but a masculine scent nonetheless. " "The scent is pretty nice, and I wouldn't have a problem with it." "Great floral scent that my wife loved (and I did too)." "The scent was striking and surprising. Like I stated before; it was soft and sensual""It lathered great for my last night, and I guess looked like great lather today and even though I gave it a couple of tries and reloaded I found those mounds of lather looked thin on my face and didn't last through a whole pass. I think this may be an issue of not enough product, It's clearly meant to be in a bowl where you can really go at it to load and I was trying to do it in my hand. Maybe I need to fine a bowl it will sit in to try. And maybe I need to use a a boar brush. The shave itself was good, irritation and blood free, so the soap is clearly plenty slick." "That brand of soap is a great performer always." "The slickness was actually pretty good. I was pleasantly surprised." "Lather was phenomenal for me. " "Lathered up like a charm"
TCEHON FUNG SINGMANDARINO & SPEZIE19" I love orange/neroli fragrances and this one did not disappoint. Not only did it lather up into a dense creamy goodness easily but the fragrance wasnt quite your typical orange spice. "
VALOBRA (STICK)53"I really dig the soapy, clean scent. Intriguing. " "Nice subtle scent.""Lather is very good, not quite on par with #38, but that is more due to my technique. " "This one I had a bit of trouble with the test lather, totally my fault. When I rubbed it on my face to use, it exploded into a superb, slick, moisturizing lather that made my shave a complete pleasure."
VALOBRAMENTHOLNo Number"This was also a cool scent, although I just got "cold air", not your typical vics vap-o-rub scent that you might expect to dominate these types of fragrances.""lathers up very well. It's a quality soap, even if there's really no scent to speak of." "The lather was quite close in comparison and performance to #69 with perhaps a slightly better balance of cushion / slickness." " The performance was top notch, the "afterglow" of the menthol was refreshing, and the post shave feel was fantastic. Definitely has placed itself amongst the "top shelf" soaps for me." "I almost took the Valobra as well. It lathered really well" "I loved it myself and living where I do, menthol soaps are part of my rotation much of the year. I was torn between the Valobra stick I ultimately chose and the menthol version, the stick won because my collection contains a menthol plethora." "It's a great croap. "
WILLIAMS (VINTAGE)TONSORIALNo Number"Light soapy scent, but not really a Dove-like soapy scent.""This lathers into thick, creamy lather easily. Pretty slick shave. Moisturizing, but I had some light irritation that I think was probably the Lord Platinum blade dying. "
XPECSCENTED24 - SAMPLE ONLY"This scent is a little hard for me to describe,however was quite enjoyable." "The scent of #24 is not something I like, but my wife liked it so I'll try it just for her." "Dont care for the scent. " "Not a huge fan of scent" "Really, really, REALLY disliked the scent. It is the epitome of "Old man scent" IMHO. Wife didn't like either." "I'm not a huge fan of the scent" "I feel like I am not old enough for this scent yet." *SIDE NOTE: Container shattered in tranist. Interesting since this was the only container to do so.* "24 is overwhelming to me, I can't handle it" "I found the scent other sample only soap (#24) not to my liking and decided to pass on it." "The smell of this was very strong. I've been thinking all day of how to best describe this and it's not coming to me. I can't place one individual scent in here. But together, maybe..... a rich-old-man smell? Or an over-the-top "I'm trying too hard to look wealthy" scent? Chachi? Tough to describe. But strong....with a note that's, maybe a tiny bit unpleasant. I can see why some members chose not to lather this.""It lather quite quickly and got a niceyogurt consistency with ease." "Lathers extremely well. Made my skin feel dry afterwards. Needs very little soap holy cow. I scraped the tip of the spoon in and got too much. The stuff was like no way Ash I'm not going back in there." "The performance was good, really slick nice lather." "Good shave" "I went for it anyway and I'm glad I did. I have to say this was the best performing, slickest lather I've ever tried. I understand now what people say about their razors "just gliding across their face". I though I knew that feeling before, but I guess I was wrong. Absolutely fantastic shave!"
CRABTREE & EVELYNNOMAD99"I wonder what the scent actually is?" "the scent was mild, yet interesting. I liked it, but my wife didn't. " "like the scent of this one, not sure what the scent is but I want to try it.""Its a very hard soap that also surprised me with its lather." "It lathered up nicely and gave a nice shave. " "v"
RAZOROCKNAPOLEAN'S VIOLET7"has a really unique scent" "I was surprised about #7 as well. It was one of those, that just by the name alone, I figured I wouldn't like, but I really did." "my wife does not like at all! I'm again surprised I would like this scent. I usually don't care for floral scents but there are two in this box that I'm really loving! " "I like the smell. Its not my typical scent." "had a mild scent that didn't really bloom as anticipated, but still a nice mild, enjoyable,scent." "OK scent, great maker, may come back to this one but the smell doesn't thrill me." "Smells like lipstick to my nose.""Lathers well need to do a 2nd test" " it was still a pleasurable shave with this soap. This maker has an outstanding reputation for performance, both these soaps did not disappoint in that area. " "Again, I was very impressed with the brand in general's ability, while using different producers to make a soap that is incredibly good at lathering densely. " "Good lather, very slick, squish factor a little weak though. Could've been the way I whipped it up in a hurry. But felt very moisturizing."
RAZOROCKBRAIN FREEZE69"Not my favorite version of this type of soap, I'm getting almost, I don't know, glue?...But scent is the ultimate YMMV factor." "I found the scent #69 to be pretty much non existent. " "I got Vics vap-o-rub" " I just wish the menthol wasa bit stronger." " I'm a bit sad that scent-wise it isnt my top scent. I'm hoping one I lather it up it will shock me. This menthol scent didnt knock my socks off. I'm a bit of a menthol-holic and I guess snob now. :)" ""menthol properties were nice, but not near the freeze that's expected. " "like the smell but it kinda reminds me of Vicks Vapo rub so I'm going to pass on that one." "Smells tlike the steamroom at the gym. Very cold. I don't care for menthol." "The scent was identical to a certain cough drop that I absolutely hate the smell of. Instant turn off.""The performance was excellent. A very short load time yielded tons of beautiful lather, thick, luxurious, huge sweet spot, paints on like a dream feels wonderfully slick (even though I didn't shave with it) and it seems to have great hang time. " "This one was quick to produce real nice lather. It was slick, but not snail snot slick. It provided what I thought was tons of cushion without being airy. This brand really doesn't let down." "The lather was quite nice and provided cushion" "Lathered fine, but very surprisingly, the cooling effect on my face was negligible. I barely felt it during and after a three pass shave. Performance was what I'd expect from this company, which is good. "
STIRLINGBONAPARTEUN-NUMBERED IN PLASTIC BAG"this scent is my Nemesis! My wife was like thats the one that smells like urine! I was like no no no that was the Veg. " " Bloomed into a slightly different scent when lathered. Almost a little mentholy, which I wasn't expecting. Starting to really like this soap maker, but don't think this scent is a good one for me.""Great moisturizing properties.
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STIRLINGNAKED & SMOOTH133"This scent is hard to describe: It smells like your first kiss felt. It is the sun peeking over virgin white snow on Christmas morning. It is night out on the town with the love of your life. It is a puppy looking with love into your eyes and licking your face.""Lathers well. Feels good on my face. "
Baier Body BoutiqueFireside3"A unique, strong scent. So much so that I wasn't quite sure that I wanted to try it. The name sounds good and all, but wasn't sure I would ever reach for it in the morning if I chose this""Below average lather for me and felt like it may be lacking in the performance department. "
RAZOROCKNervous Wreck5"it has a nice subtle soapy smell that I found very appealing" "Not a heavy scent at all...barely detectable. Light, light floral (could be either neutral or masculine) comes through. And maybe lipstick....like the smell of the inside of my mom's purse when I was a kid. Kind of a light soapy smell to it came out when lathered.""The soap itself had a similar look a consistency to #150 and lathered up just as perfectly." "ery thin lather, practically disappeared when I was done. Weird. Maybe I screwed up the lather somehow again. What lather was left started ok in the moisture department....left my hands kind of sticky-moist until they completely dried a few minutes later. But ten minutes or so after that, had a dry feeling on my hands. "
RAZOROCKNo. 888 (Eucalyptus)6"This didn't smell anything like what I thought it would. Lightly floral and fruity maybe? Admittedly, I don't have any experience with this scent in soaps or anything else for that matter so I might've drawn some early false conclusions about what I thought this was supposed to smell like.""Again for me, this started to lather thin and airy, but came around to average with some work."
97"Unscented, my backside!!! I am either smelling the tallow or glycerin or something not too nice. What a shame." "Another member was right on when he said he felt it had a waxy scent or something else...can't remember....but yeah, it has a slight scent to it." "The smell was unscented, all unscented soaps still have some type of scent, some are more pleasent than others. I didn't find this one objectionable.""Performance was great! " "As I applied the soap I got a very thick paste that took a fair amount of water to get it too loosen up. The lather for the first pass ended up having a lot of cushion but lacked slickness (probably had too much product). I made sure to really wet my face down for the second pass and got a much slicker lather. I tend to prefer a thinner slicker lather to thick and cushiony."
137"Very interesting (although subtle) scent. Kind of a very, very slight coconut and citrus maybe? Those two things have nothing to do with the listed scent on the lid....just what I got""Lathered very well, thick and rich. "
BAY RUM142"interesting take on that scent. I'll have to decide which brands' scent I like better. I like the scent but not while I'm shaving. " "the scent had licorice undertones that I don't appreciate." "Another company I have never heard of. The scent of this soap is one I do not usually enjoy. I have tried I believe 4 different companies take on this scent and hadn’t found one that I liked until I came across this little soap." " normally like this style of scent, but this one was a little off. Not horribly, just a little, but I didn't like it.""I wanted to like it so badly, but unfortunately, I once again couldn’t get a usable lather. I like the scent so much I tried twice to get some sort of shave worthy lather but just couldn’t manage to get it to produce." "this was the thinnest, airiest, weakest lather I've experienced during my time with the box. Even took another very small sample to make sure I didn't do something wrong. Maybe it's my water...I dunno"
163"I just couldn't get passed the scent. It just came across as a cross between a flower shop and high end perfume, so way to feminine for me" "It has a super clean floral and wood smell to it. " "On first opening the container, I got a good amount of dill up the nose, followed by floral. Too much floral. I think that's where the dill smell I'm getting is coming from. I think they were trying to hard for a floral scent and ended up with a dill flower head (the kind you put in a jar of pickles when canning) start, followed by just a mix of flowers for the finish. A little too weird or feminine for me.""It lathered up real well, and I think it would be a great soap for someone," "Minimal product for tons of almost instant lather. This one really surprised me. This soap made for a great shave, really slick with plenty of cushion" "Lathered ok, not great. Slickness and cushioning weren't really there"
164"I’d never heard of this company, but what a great smelling soap. This scent really took me back, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out specifically what that smell was. I bothered me for a day until I finally figured it out. While I really do enjoy the scent it is more of a novelty scent and I couldn’t see myself using it everyday." "A perfect mix of root beer and A&W cream soda""Upon taking it for a test lather I was really disappointed, all I could manage was a frothy mess of useless lather. That one really bummed me out." "Felt a little thin, not nearly as cushioning as the others today. Can't exactly speak to performance since I didn't shave with it, but questioning the slickness, moisturizing, and protective feeling it would provide just from playing with it in my hands for a few minutes. Without putting it to the test, for now, this would be more of a novelty soap to use every once in a while. "
4" The primary scent did come through first, subtly, but had a more piney scent to me as a middle note, and almost a slight clay/play dough finish.""I scraped off a small sample to my G12 and began to lather. Immediately it was quick to whip up, but weak, airy and VERY thin. I know the reputation of these soaps to be very good latherers, so I immediately assumed It was operator error. It was. Must've had too much water still hanging around in the Commodore. I took another small scraping and added to the scuttle. Instantly became a lather monster. "
 
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Very nice write up and very much appreciated. I thought I had more soaps than almost anyone but you got me beat LOL. Not by much though. Since you like MDC, try it with a crème and some glycerin and it will get even better. I was kind of surprised you did not have Le Pere Lucien on the list? It is as good as or better than MDC for less dinero
 
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