I used Tao today and I have never used a better soap. Some of the scents are okay, but the performance is absolutely top notch. Tao and Verbrannt smell amazing, Before and After the Fire are okay and Island in the Sun is simple and pleasant.
Did I miss a Grooming Department release?!
- Thread starter SonofdavidS
- Start date
And there we go.
Once people realized there is no soap presently being made that matches GroomingDept (and there isn’t) we could hear a pin drop. What a relief.
Well, considering that this thread had to do with the lead-up to, and the subsequent delays with the new releases, some might feel that there really isn't much point in posting on this thread anymore, as most people have received their orders.
I didn't see any complaints about his soap, mine is due in today, tomorrow I will use it and maybe vote it's the best soap in the world. The last few days Grooming Dept ran like a professional company, hope he can keep it up.
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I for one still haven't received the soaps from the original release and I keep getting excuses as to why they haven't shipped. Since that time I've placed 2 other orders - 1 for the Chypre Vert and a 2nd yesterday for 2 other soaps that I wasn't able to pick up on the 1st release.
So the pin is still in the air and the bell is tolling. As another poster stated, I to believe he's used up a lot of Goodwill and it will take a significant effort to reestablish what he's lost.
So the pin is still in the air and the bell is tolling. As another poster stated, I to believe he's used up a lot of Goodwill and it will take a significant effort to reestablish what he's lost.
- Thread starter
- #226
I used Naranja de Sangre and had a wonderful shave. The scent was blood orange and leather. At first I didn’t know if I’d like it but it smells wonderful, especially after it’s lathered. Performance is as good as any soap I have.
It seems to me that performance with this batch is even better than his previous iterations.
It seems to me that performance with this batch is even better than his previous iterations.
I was pretty darn frustrated with the delays and lack of communication too... but I’ll give the guy credit, he makes the best soap money can buy. Wholly Kaw is close, but GD beats it (all in my opinion of course).
Orange and leather seems like such a odd combination. Does the scent work? Should I buy it?
- Thread starter
- #229
I thought it might be weird but it smells very nice. I even got a compliment from my wife about the smell, that doesn’t happen very much with my soaps, unless it smells like Aventus.
I got my original soaps today even though usps says they were delivered Saturday.
I asked Mo to cancel my replacement that he was working on. He sent me a really nice email reply.
I received:
Incense & Rose
Island In The Sun
Chypre Conifère
They all smell great. I am 3 for 3 with this vendor in terms of scent. This is rare for me with the newer artisans.
In his email he asked me to mention:
I'm really sorry for the delays in shipping. I'm working hard on fixing this bottleneck. I'm not trying to create artificial scarcity, I'm juggling my space to make do with the current constraints. I need space for manufacturing that's pristine, the soaps needs to cure in an ideal environment, then I need to store an inventory.
I’m pretty sure he makes this stuff out of his house which would be inherently difficult to do from an efficiency standpoint. Although I’m miffed about the delays, ultimately I wish him success and hopefully he will be able to lease a nice large space someday.
I received my two soaps today. Chypre Conifere smells nice. After the Fire smelled off-putting and strange. Like I could smell only the fat in the base? I’ll certainly lather it up and see what happens.
Against all better judgement I purchased Elan yesterday. Interested to see how long that one takes to ship. At any rate, I’ll have three of his soaps which is about my max for any one soap maker, regardless of performance. Time to start my 2019 purchase sabbatical!
I shaved with the Incense & Rose.
Scent is a 10- wonderful is how I would describe it. Definite repurchase.
Scent strength is 5-6. I still smell it post shave but just a little.
The post shave consistently mentioned is apparent but I think that is just a result of excellent cushion, glide or protection(I got those properties confused).
I have to try the other scents and some more time for a true opinion.
I do want to point out that the shaving community never mentions that Mo ships for free so this stuff is probably less expensive than his closest competitors and the soap is equal to or better.
I can put up with the growing pains of a part time business.
Scent is a 10- wonderful is how I would describe it. Definite repurchase.
Scent strength is 5-6. I still smell it post shave but just a little.
The post shave consistently mentioned is apparent but I think that is just a result of excellent cushion, glide or protection(I got those properties confused).
I have to try the other scents and some more time for a true opinion.
I do want to point out that the shaving community never mentions that Mo ships for free so this stuff is probably less expensive than his closest competitors and the soap is equal to or better.
I can put up with the growing pains of a part time business.
I think the point in continuing this thread is simply to underline the opinion of old and new users of GD that these are the best soaps you can buy. That wasn't happening earlier in the thread where the prevailing mood was "there are plenty of other soaps just as good that you can get without the hassle".
Ok, since you appear to miss reading the sentiment, I'll say it: "there are plenty of other soaps just as good that you can get without the hassle". Better?
There are indeed plenty of other soaps with comparable performance that will be more available and in more traditional/universally appealing scents. My Tao performed similarly to Storybook Soapworks, which has an excellent barbershop scent (hallward's dream). Admittedly, Storybook Soapworks is an exceptionally comfortable shave. But it is still comparable. The post-shave of Tao is amazing, but it's similar to the post-shave of Declaration grooming Icarus or the new Southern Witchcrafts formula. Admittedly, I haven't dialed in the lather to Tao yet. Performance is really good, but I wouldn't say it's significantly better that you'd be missing out on your shaving life by not using a GD product (assuming your den as Excelsior, Icarus, Noble Otter, Southern Witchcrafts, Storybook Soapworks, Eleven, SV...)
I'll also note my skin is distinctly different (legs) so it is likely the soap "feels" differently. From what I understand, my legs feel like the neck area- sensitive to aggression and in need of a very comforting shave. In this department, GD performs very comfortably, and I'm sure with dialing in it'll perform even more comfortably. But I'm mostly using the product for the scents- I love the wild, creative scents. There are profiles being done here that have very minimal or no overlap with other artisans.
- Thread starter
- #236
Just got the rest of my order today, but not really. I was supposed to get:
1. Tao
2. Island in the Sun
3. Sandalwood Fig
4. Before the Fire
5. Mallard Kulfi
Instead I got another Magnolia Oud and Naranja de Sangre.
I’m frustrated.
1. Tao
2. Island in the Sun
3. Sandalwood Fig
4. Before the Fire
5. Mallard Kulfi
Instead I got another Magnolia Oud and Naranja de Sangre.
I’m frustrated.
Hannah's Dad
I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
Thank you. You totally nailed it! I've been trying to convey to folks for some time that there is no such thing as "the best soap". What works best for one person might totally turn another off to a product. You mention Grooming Dept's "wild, creative scents", and yeah, I admit that I have enjoyed quite a few of their scents. But the fact is that I very rarely want to use my shave soap or aftershave as the scent that I project over the course of the day. I have EdTs and EdPs for that. Though I dove head-first into the world of artisan shave soaps with great scents (thanks Barrister & Mann!), I am now at the point where I really just prefer a more mildly scented soap with great performance (Pere de Lucien, Tallow & Steel, Lisa's Naturals). Based on my needs, I don't think that I'll be buying many more powerhouse shave soaps.
And because of stuff like this,
I feel pretty good in saying that I really won't be missing out when I pass on Grooming Dept.
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That would be frustrating. Especially after the shipping delays.
Hopefully he has the backstock available to make it right.
I got my order in today. Looking forward to shaving with one in the morning. Think I’ll go with Sandalwood and Fig. It has a fine scent in the tub. The wait was a bit long, but, IMHO, these soaps are worth it. Angel and Coattails are the leaders in my den, nudging my Nuavias, B&M Reserve and T&S.
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