+1! This is my approach also!! I can be perfectly happy with a vintage soap that performs even if the scent is long gone. Pleasant scent is a bonus for me not an absolute requirement!! YMMV for sure.
Controversial view of artisan soaps
- Thread starter AZBronco
- Start date
+1! This is my approach also!! I can be perfectly happy with a vintage soap that performs even if the scent is long gone. Pleasant scent is a bonus for me not an absolute requirement!! YMMV for sure.
Once I find a manufacturer/brand that I like, I am likely to be a many-times repeat customer.
However, if the question is "Does how they brand/sell their product affect me?" the answer is a definitive "No" and, in some cases, trying too hard may turn me off.
However, if the question is "Does how they brand/sell their product affect me?" the answer is a definitive "No" and, in some cases, trying too hard may turn me off.
When I started wet shaving, the classics really were in the lead position. Not much hype, not a lot of seasonal releases. For artisans, Mike’s was a favorite and I knew about Caties Bubbles. I took a break from acquiring any new soaps for a few years. In the last year I got back into the forums and found out about the artisans who have really pushed the classics out of my rotation. Tabac will always be the steadiest of performers for me and a soap I used continually for months before kicking the first puck. But between Seville in the Reserve base and Pure Lavender in Bison Tallow, I could call it a day.
I get the seasonal and LE releases based on procuring ingredients, seasonal mindset, and economies. It’s a bit of hype but when you think about it, good business as well. Some of the ingredients in the seasonal releases are hard to find and are best sourced in a once a year purchase and production. There’s a difference between an artisan managing 10 soaps available at all times with 10 LE’s throughout the year and 20 soaps available at all times. I received Lamplight in Icarus and am really enjoying that experience. No chance that could ever be available year round given the ingredients and cost. Plus there’s a healthy secondary market to liquidate without taking too much of a hit. We’re all blessed to have these options
Finally, sometimes the hype helps weed through all the contenders. And sometimes, it’s just hype. For me, Declaration, B&M, and Chatillon Lux are the new standard so I’ve narrowed down to their releases. Do some research and sampling...find a few vendors you like and make that your core. Branch from there if you want or stay narrow. It’s helped me manage the releases.
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I get the seasonal and LE releases based on procuring ingredients, seasonal mindset, and economies. It’s a bit of hype but when you think about it, good business as well. Some of the ingredients in the seasonal releases are hard to find and are best sourced in a once a year purchase and production. There’s a difference between an artisan managing 10 soaps available at all times with 10 LE’s throughout the year and 20 soaps available at all times. I received Lamplight in Icarus and am really enjoying that experience. No chance that could ever be available year round given the ingredients and cost. Plus there’s a healthy secondary market to liquidate without taking too much of a hit. We’re all blessed to have these options
Finally, sometimes the hype helps weed through all the contenders. And sometimes, it’s just hype. For me, Declaration, B&M, and Chatillon Lux are the new standard so I’ve narrowed down to their releases. Do some research and sampling...find a few vendors you like and make that your core. Branch from there if you want or stay narrow. It’s helped me manage the releases.
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I will add Saponificio Varesino to that list but that is my same limited list. Even with that contained list I am still going on sabbatical to tame the growing piles of soap in my house
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