I was highly skeptical of it, but I took a $16 chance on a tub. I have used it with every shave since buying it and (luckily) bought a second tub just before they sold out of the remaining stock. There is so much hype about just about everything but, in my opinion, this lives up to the hype.
Grooming Dept club
- Thread starter dabrock
- Start date
Rhody
I'm a Lumberjack.
Glad you enjoyed it too
but put this stuff with wolfnan! Never in stock. After reading this thread and against my better judgment i poked over to the site and guess what? "sold out" across the board.as good as the supposed products are i will never know.
but put this stuff with wolfnan! Never in stock. After reading this thread and against my better judgment i poked over to the site and guess what? "sold out" across the board.as good as the supposed products are i will never know.
Unfortunately you are absolutely right. Mohammad’s biggest downside is not having enough of his product available. Will that ever be corrected? I really don’t know...
Having read some initial reports, I was skeptical that a pre-shave could make that much of a difference. But I've been very happy with my GD soaps. So when they went up for sale I bought two.
I have been resisting saying anything about them because they are unbelievable. (And I mean that using the literal sense of the word.) Excellent glide and amazing post-shave. The great thing about the product is that they improve mediocre soaps as well. I have one soap that is in a solid soap but not much in the way of post-shave. My shave went great and felt great after. I've had what may be my best shaves wet shaving career while using it.
Now I know this sounds like hype and that's one reason that I've been reluctant to say anything. (Also to tamp down the FOMO aspects of life on shaving boards.) I also acknowledge that given the makeup of the pre-shave perhaps a super-lather and or some combination of oils would perform almost as well. But I'm extremely happy to have some and I hope that Mo keeps on making it.
I have been resisting saying anything about them because they are unbelievable. (And I mean that using the literal sense of the word.) Excellent glide and amazing post-shave. The great thing about the product is that they improve mediocre soaps as well. I have one soap that is in a solid soap but not much in the way of post-shave. My shave went great and felt great after. I've had what may be my best shaves wet shaving career while using it.
Now I know this sounds like hype and that's one reason that I've been reluctant to say anything. (Also to tamp down the FOMO aspects of life on shaving boards.) I also acknowledge that given the makeup of the pre-shave perhaps a super-lather and or some combination of oils would perform almost as well. But I'm extremely happy to have some and I hope that Mo keeps on making it.
Unlike Wolfman, Mo announces when releases happen. It’s only one guy and he’s working alone.
Sounds like a product the maker worked very hard on. Glad you’re experiencing the benefits. Thanks for sharing!
Good stuff Gus!
Yes, but you can do that with a simple layer of Noxema under a layer of mediocre soap.
I tried his shave soap and quickly sold it as although a good soap, I saw nothing to warrant all the hype. However, that is merely my subjective opinion for which there is no wait and no $23.00 charge.
I was in the same boat as you and was reluctant in saying a word about it. I’m more of a let me buy it and see what the deal is. Honestly, no one can really ever buy into what anyone says anymore because everyone is viewed as a fanboy or shill when an individual is trying to put into words how a particular product has worked. It’s either viewed as too high or too low and unfortunately you can’t do a damn thing about it. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. It’s the nature of the beast I suppose. Skepticism, or a neutral pessimism, it’s the new guideline for accepting and actually revoking or downplaying a thought or view. It’s the new age of thinking. Let’s beat it up first then we can all build it back up and put it on a grand pedestal. Well, at least that’s what it seems like to me.....
The thing is that the product works and works very well unlike anything else I’ve tried. And like you I mostly bought it to enhance the other so called lower end performing soaps to give them an extra boost in performance. And it has done just that. But, also I have benefited from the skin care and conditioning properties that the product has delivered.
Yes, but you can do that with a simple layer of Noxema under a layer of mediocre soap.
I tried his shave soap and quickly sold it as although a good soap, I saw nothing to warrant all the hype. However, that is merely my subjective opinion for which there is no wait and no $23.00 charge.
Absolutely. And I appreciate getting your opinion delivered quickly as well.
It’s not my goal to sell this stuff to you or to anyone else, but from experience, Noxema is nowhere close.
Great thoughts Gus! I’m also not big on preshave. The most I ever do, if I don’t hot shower and wash, is a prelather of Williams to add some slickness before using a non-elite soap.
I think I’d rather he keep with his quality than ramp up production and lose it. When an artisan finds that special “something”, they should fight tooth and nail to hold on to it!
I think I’d rather he keep with his quality than ramp up production and lose it. When an artisan finds that special “something”, they should fight tooth and nail to hold on to it!
I still vividly remember my first and last Noxzema experience. I used very little of it, but my face (and razor) have never been so unpleasantly gunged up. Despite numerous washings to try and get rid of its effect my face felt suffocated and unpleasantly greasy for a good two days.I do appreciate that a lot of people love this stuff in this YMMV shaving world.
Thank heavens for that!
Rhody
I'm a Lumberjack.
My skepticism comes out of the myth making of a product that has such limited availability.im glad folks like it and im not disputing that at all. Practically speaking these situations are really theoretical.
Understood. But, theoretical only to those that haven't used it. More a fact for those that have used it and found it beneficial.
As always, the YMMV rule is always in effect as there will be those that will use a said product and won't see any beneficial improvements in their shave routine.
The question that should really be asked is, "Are product reviews actually beneficial or are they not necessary in relation to the wet shaving hobby?"
For myself and others, I say yes. For others it's a definite waste of time. This can be debated until the end of time with no clear cut answer or solution. There are far to many variables from individual to individual to create a set standard on anything related to wet shaving.
Best solution? Buy and try. If it works, home run. If it doesn't, discontinue and move on.
Concerning your point on the myth of a product that is virtually gone instantly and only used by a lucky few is valid. But, this is not a major cosmetic manufacturer here. Just a small artisan who is working practically right in their own kitchen. Availability and ease of acquisition will be a concern as long as it stays that way. Hopefully the time will come when it can be available to the wet shaving masses and stil be a quality product. Wishful thinking perhaps. It's good to dream....
Last edited:
I think the real concern @Rhody might be referencing, and I’d been thinking, is that after his challenges in October/November with getting supply out the door, he seemed to finally have some soaps on hand. Appreciating he is a one man show, he’s yet to put himself in a place where his highly regarded soaps are available with regularity. Therefore, coming out with preshave and postshave products only will exacerbate that problem. Only so much Mo and so little time, less of which will now be available for his “bread and butter” soaps, which haven’t been obtainable without difficulty. I’m glad the additional products are excellent, just questioning the timing and business logic is all.
I am certainly not a GD fanboy.
I have tried numerous scents and versions of the soap and came to the conclusion that in the scent department, there was only one that I would keep in rotation and in the performance department, it’s a good soap but IMHO no better than many of the others out there and probably doesn’t crack my top 5. In my experience, the soap is certainly not worth the effort to obtain it.
On to the preshave. I have always liked using a preshave as it keeps my face from drying out while I load my brush and prepare to shave. I’ve tried WhollyKaw, Chattilon Lux, Maggards and a few others. Recently, I settled on a homemade mix of grape seed oil & glycerin which is inexpensive and does the job.
As a thank you for a favor, another B&B member offered to purchase an unscented preshave from GD and have it shipped directly to me. Due to the hassle, I probably never would have made this purchase myself. Once received I gave it a go and so far, I’ve been impressed. The original review in this thread is accurate. I’m excited to continue using and hope it becomes more readily available in the future.
If you don’t currently use or see any value in a preshave then this may not be for you. If you do use a preshave, I’d say give this a try if you get a chance. It is much better than any of the others I’ve used and the considering the quantity in the tub, it’s actually pretty inexpensive.
I have tried numerous scents and versions of the soap and came to the conclusion that in the scent department, there was only one that I would keep in rotation and in the performance department, it’s a good soap but IMHO no better than many of the others out there and probably doesn’t crack my top 5. In my experience, the soap is certainly not worth the effort to obtain it.
On to the preshave. I have always liked using a preshave as it keeps my face from drying out while I load my brush and prepare to shave. I’ve tried WhollyKaw, Chattilon Lux, Maggards and a few others. Recently, I settled on a homemade mix of grape seed oil & glycerin which is inexpensive and does the job.
As a thank you for a favor, another B&B member offered to purchase an unscented preshave from GD and have it shipped directly to me. Due to the hassle, I probably never would have made this purchase myself. Once received I gave it a go and so far, I’ve been impressed. The original review in this thread is accurate. I’m excited to continue using and hope it becomes more readily available in the future.
If you don’t currently use or see any value in a preshave then this may not be for you. If you do use a preshave, I’d say give this a try if you get a chance. It is much better than any of the others I’ve used and the considering the quantity in the tub, it’s actually pretty inexpensive.
My sense is that Mo has his own goals/aspirations for GD and that maximizing profits/market share/etc. is not at the top. If GD was my company, I would probably put a different emphasis on various aspects of the business.
But if GD was my company, we wouldn't currently be using the preshave either because it wouldn't have been on my priority list. So far be it for me to say that my way is better.
That's an excellent point. I don't know the man on a personal level as it has all been just emails and pm's that have been our medium of communication. I truly believe at the moment that he's not looking at his business as to maximize profit or establish a foundation on how he wants to run his business.
From what I can tell and perceive is that he's a creator, free thinker and artist with his creations. He gets a thought and in his mind that's the next challenge or project and he thinks freely of it. The creation and perfection of a product is his sole and main priority. The business aspect is mostly secondary and is not a priority in his eyes. And for the majority of user's, he produces excellent quality products that at times are consideredd to be ahead of the competition. I think that might be saying a bit much as there are a couple that come to mind that compete with his level of quality and product performance. But, on a purely creative level, that's his game and mindset. That's what I perceive anyways.
I just think he needs someone with a business mind to set a structure and business strategy plan to help him lay a foundation for success and let Mohammed do what he does best and that's create. That way he doesn't have to worry about building and organizing. Just my $.02 worth.....
Paging Doug Smythe?
Well, though he has some baggage that some in the wet shaving community don't want to forget, ( I can careless about it as I've not a single bad experience with his business) he is brilliant at marketing and promoting his product line.
