I didn't really intend to do a comparison between these four soaps but I ended up using them each for my last four shaves. I thought my experience was pretty eye opening.
The four soaps:
1. Antica Barbieria Colla Almond Oil Shave Cream $79.00 for 100ml -- Stearic Acid, Aqua (Water), Cocos Nucifera Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Carbonate
2. Boellis Panama 1924 Shaving Soap $48 for 250 grams -- Aqua, stearic acid, palmitic acid, tallow, cocos nucifera, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, tetrasodium edta, parfum
3. Tcheon Fung Sing Red Shaving Soap $6 for 125 ml -- Stearic Acid, Aqua(Water), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance (Parfum), Potassium Carbonate
4. Razorock P160 $8 for 150 ml -- Stearic Acid, Water(Eau), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Potassium, Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Tallow Acid, Hydrogenated Lanolin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea)Butter,Fragrance(Parfum), Argania Spinosa (Argan)Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Extract(Aloe)
The shaving process was the same for each soap. 48 hours of growth. Timeless Ti .68 oc razor with Personna Lab Blue blade. Equal amounts of soap each shave. No post shave treatment of any kind; just a cold water rinse.
What was indistinguishable between the four soaps:
Each soap lathered very easily and produced plenty of lather. Each soap was also equally protective and slick. I don't think I could tell the difference between these four soaps in terms of performance during the shave. Post shave they each left my skin drier than most modern artisan soaps and the better performing European soaps like SV, MdC, etc, but not terribly so.
Where they were different:
Scent. The ABC and Boellis had a cleaner, more pure almond scent, especially compared to the TFS which was sweeter and had more cherry to it. I also detected a very slight chemical type note to the TFS scent and to a lesser degree the Razorock. I don't really know exactly how to describe it other than they just weren't quite as pure smelling.
The only other difference might have been the post shave performance of BP. If it was any better it was very slight. I need to go back and use it again to see if it was truly better or not.
Conclusion: The inexpensive soaps performed just as well as the expensive soaps. I definitely wouldn't buy ABC again and would only buy BP if I can confirm that it truly does have a better post shave feel and wanted to treat myself to a slightly more pure scent. Other than that, I'll stick with TFS and Razorock from now on.
The four soaps:
1. Antica Barbieria Colla Almond Oil Shave Cream $79.00 for 100ml -- Stearic Acid, Aqua (Water), Cocos Nucifera Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Carbonate
2. Boellis Panama 1924 Shaving Soap $48 for 250 grams -- Aqua, stearic acid, palmitic acid, tallow, cocos nucifera, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, tetrasodium edta, parfum
3. Tcheon Fung Sing Red Shaving Soap $6 for 125 ml -- Stearic Acid, Aqua(Water), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance (Parfum), Potassium Carbonate
4. Razorock P160 $8 for 150 ml -- Stearic Acid, Water(Eau), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Potassium, Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Tallow Acid, Hydrogenated Lanolin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea)Butter,Fragrance(Parfum), Argania Spinosa (Argan)Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Extract(Aloe)
The shaving process was the same for each soap. 48 hours of growth. Timeless Ti .68 oc razor with Personna Lab Blue blade. Equal amounts of soap each shave. No post shave treatment of any kind; just a cold water rinse.
What was indistinguishable between the four soaps:
Each soap lathered very easily and produced plenty of lather. Each soap was also equally protective and slick. I don't think I could tell the difference between these four soaps in terms of performance during the shave. Post shave they each left my skin drier than most modern artisan soaps and the better performing European soaps like SV, MdC, etc, but not terribly so.
Where they were different:
Scent. The ABC and Boellis had a cleaner, more pure almond scent, especially compared to the TFS which was sweeter and had more cherry to it. I also detected a very slight chemical type note to the TFS scent and to a lesser degree the Razorock. I don't really know exactly how to describe it other than they just weren't quite as pure smelling.
The only other difference might have been the post shave performance of BP. If it was any better it was very slight. I need to go back and use it again to see if it was truly better or not.
Conclusion: The inexpensive soaps performed just as well as the expensive soaps. I definitely wouldn't buy ABC again and would only buy BP if I can confirm that it truly does have a better post shave feel and wanted to treat myself to a slightly more pure scent. Other than that, I'll stick with TFS and Razorock from now on.
