Precisely why I dropped Declaration out of the den. I find GD and WK (DM) are now both better than T+S as well...
Declaration Grooming Trismegistus arrived...WOW!
- Thread starter Mceuph75
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Precisely why I dropped Declaration out of the den. I find GD and WK (DM) are now both better than T+S as well...
I own several of their soaps in both vegan and tallow. I didn't really research which one the unscented one is as they're both top tier soaps. I don't buy any unscented soaps myself. Given the choice I'd choose the tallow over the vegan but the difference between the two isn't really that noticeable to most people. Both versions are outstanding.
For me performance wise I'd rank Grooming Dept and Tallow & Steel slightly higher than the Wholly Kaw soaps (including the Donkey Milk version) but all three are absolutely outstanding and definitely worthy of a spot in my shave den. Wholly Kaw seems to do a better job with the scents as many find the Tallow & Steel scents to be a bit of a love it or hate it thing while Mohammad at Grooming Dept is making some bold choices in terms of fragrances (often inspired by some high end colognes), so some of the scents from him are really outstanding while others are less well received. He's getting better and better at this with each release and some of the scents he's making now are exceptional. I'm drawn to these makers mostly because of the exceptional post shave qualities of their soaps.
Declaration soaps get top marks in terms of lather and slickness but they aren't as moisturizing and don't have the same skin care properties of the three listed above. Post shave is very good but not over the top skin changing good like the others. Still an absolutely outstanding soap though and worthy of a spot in my shave den because of it's other qualities. Just my opinion though, so you know how that goes.
The Declaration brushes are still somewhat unknown but they are some of the very best I've tried. Very densely packed with really high quality hair. It depends on your preference but I'd say on par or better than the highest level brushes from Shavemac, Paladin, etc.
@dfoulk Excellent and highly insightful summary! Well done.
I don’t find the post shave feel of T+S is on par with WK Donkey or GD...But...that’s my particular beard and skin type.....One thing I’ve learned here...Different soaps perform very differently for different people.....For me...WK Donkey ever so slightly outperforms GD on protection and post-shave...But...admittedly....That’s splitting some very, very thin hairs...
I don’t find the post shave feel of T+S is on par with WK Donkey or GD...But...that’s my particular beard and skin type.....One thing I’ve learned here...Different soaps perform very differently for different people.....For me...WK Donkey ever so slightly outperforms GD on protection and post-shave...But...admittedly....That’s splitting some very, very thin hairs...
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Thank you! How I tested each one was to use something like Tabac for about a week in between to essentially zero out my skin making it a bit dry. Nothing wrong with Tabac but it's not known for it's post shave qualities. Once a week of Tabac shaves had passed I used the Tallow & Steel soap for the next week straight. After about the third day I started to notice my skin changing for the better. Day's four through seven it improved a bit more each day, and after the week was through my skin was feeling great. Rinsing in between passes was where the moisture in my skin really stood out. In using something like Tabac again after this week the Tabac was a lot better than it was prior to the week of Tallow & Steel as my face felt a bit less moisturized each day until it was zeroed out again. I've repeated this process to test the other soaps as well. My findings were that the Grooming Departments got my skin to a desirable state after about three days not unlike the Tallow & Steel soaps. Wholly Kaw (donkey milk soaps) got me to the same state after about four to five days leading me to believe that Tallow & Steel and Grooming Dept were about on par with one another in post shave while Wholly Kaw was slightly less moisturizing. I do have a water softener so this helps as well and I'll usually stick to the same aftershave balm, usually Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion to keep things consistent. This is how I test all of my tier one soaps to compare them to one another in terms of their moisturizing qualities. Sudsy Soapery will also change my skin for the better in about the same time as Wholly Kaw, maybe a day longer, unless I use them with their aftershave balms. Their balms have exceptional skin care properties that drastically speed up this process.
As far as how soaps are different with different people, maybe so but I can only tell you what I've found in terms of my own testing keeping as many variables as consistent as possible. The main thing isn't really how quickly a soap can change your face for the better but more so that it can do so and that it can maintain you skin once it gets it there. Other factors in choosing a soap do come into play as far as what a person likes and doesn't like so we're all going to like different things. Someone with oily skin may not want a soap with exceptional post shave qualities and might in fact opt for the exact opposite. I find myself reaching for Tallow & Steel or Grooming Dept about 90% of the time with the other 10% going to Sudsy Soapery, PannaCrema, Declaration Grooming and Wholly Kaw depending on what scent I'm in the mood for. None of these soaps ever disappoint me and I'm happy to replace the scents I like from each of the vendors as I finish each tub.
One thing that I've noticed is that (in my opinion) the very best shaving soaps ever made are being made right now. These Artisans have taken soap making to a whole new level and I'm thrilled to be enjoying the soaps that they've put their hard work into. Some seriously exceptional soaps are being made right now and my shaves are that much better due to the advances that they've made.
I've still not tried the donkey WK and I tossed a regular version because I didn't think post shave matched B&M reserve or sudsy Soapery. I had been using the reserve and SS straight for a while. My face was in great shape and I could really tell the difference. Wk doesn't have any donkey versions that interest me right now.
Listening to you all about declaration grooming, it will be interesting based on what I'm currently using.
All great info here.
So true! It’s a golden age to be sure vs. 2 or even 1 year or even 6 months ago for that matter.
Your evaluation protocol far exceeds and is more rigorous than anything I’ve ever done. That said, once again having a nearly smooth, moisturized BBS 12 hours after shaving with WK-DM is all the proof I need. Never had this experience consistently during my many years of wet shaving. GD is very close behind. None of the other brands are close....at least in my case. And I have a pretty tough beard. That said...I firmly believe soaps can work differently for each person. It’s definitely not one size fits all. The challenge, so to speak, is using trial and error to find which ones perform best for you. There is no one best soap. There is only the best one(s)...for you. My hardware btw is always my trusty OneBlade Genesis 2.
I love all these soaps. The ones I use most are Wholly Kaw (tallow, both with and without donkey milk), Grooming Dept (vegan and duck fat), T&S, B&M Reserve, CRSW Glide, MdC, Nuavia, Sudsy Soapery and, especially, Declaration. I believe I've now got a dozen Declaration (or L&L) soaps, all with beautiful scents and outstanding performance. The others are also amazing, but for some reason Declaration stands out for me.
I just ordered Darkfall and Trismegistus soap/aftershave sets from Top Of The Chain.
I see no love for Mystic Water? They have a great natural soap that’s easy on the skin and the performance is lights out, Scott’s soaps are great performers for me likely top 5 artisan as well as Michelle’s soap, both excellent.
Mayflower, which was a limited seasonal release is my favorite. Trismegistus follows with Darkfall (another seasonal) tied for second. Original is behind those two. The others are nice as well, I just prefer the aforementioned ones.
Great list. Thanks for the info. But 600? I thought I was getting excessive with my 20+. You may need therapy, even if it is an ideal addiction!
Hopefully, this scent will be back in stock soon. I can't find it anywhere...
Scott has been overwhelmed with all of the hype Milksteak has been receiving in the past few months. Rest assured that it will be restocked on his site and major retailers soon.
Love this in the old bison base. Looking forward to trying the Milksteak version.
The Milksteak is legit.
You are correct Sir!
Guys, I totally agree on the quality. The problem is the availability: I had ordered my last batch from WCS a year ago and now all of the Declaration soaps are "Sold Out" both on their site and on the company's e-shop !! What can I do ? PS. I live in Europe so the e-shop must be able to ship abroad.
