I recently ordered some samples from Stirling and they included a couple of extra samples with my sample order. I thought that was a nice touch and a smart move on their part.
Have any gents backed mass-produced soaps after trying some artisan ones like me?
- Thread starter Vincentchou
- Start date
I recently ordered some samples from Stirling and they included a couple of extra samples with my sample order. I thought that was a nice touch and a smart move on their part.
Like others have said, I'm not big on scents. I have aftershaves and colognes for that. I just want a soap to do it's job.
That being said, I bought an entire line from an artisan, 12 soaps. 4 ended up as shower soaps and the other 8, I can't wait to be done with them. I like them just fine but a 6 oz tub of soap lasts a really long time. I also don't like them as much now that I have tried some classics; the performance just doesn't match up in my humble opinion.
The 5 soaps that will always be in my rotation, in order of favoritism are:
Arko
Tabac
MdC
Cella
Williams
These are proven classics that have been around a long time. They are fairly easy to get and most are widely available.
I can even still purchase Williams locally at my pharmacy.
MWF may end up in there when I finish my Arko donut and add the Fat to my rotation. If it does, those 6 will be all I ever use. It will really just be 5 as the MdC probably won't be replaced but it will definitely last long enough, being in a rotation, to be there awhile.
I'm glad we have artisans out there working hard and being successful and, by all means, they should be supported. I order quite a bit of bath soap for me and my wife from Stirling, they are great soaps, and I will end up getting a few sample shave soaps from them as well, but I doubt that I will ever order a full tub. Those samples will probably be their unscented soaps as well.
Just my .02.
That being said, I bought an entire line from an artisan, 12 soaps. 4 ended up as shower soaps and the other 8, I can't wait to be done with them. I like them just fine but a 6 oz tub of soap lasts a really long time. I also don't like them as much now that I have tried some classics; the performance just doesn't match up in my humble opinion.
The 5 soaps that will always be in my rotation, in order of favoritism are:
Arko
Tabac
MdC
Cella
Williams
These are proven classics that have been around a long time. They are fairly easy to get and most are widely available.
I can even still purchase Williams locally at my pharmacy.
MWF may end up in there when I finish my Arko donut and add the Fat to my rotation. If it does, those 6 will be all I ever use. It will really just be 5 as the MdC probably won't be replaced but it will definitely last long enough, being in a rotation, to be there awhile.
I'm glad we have artisans out there working hard and being successful and, by all means, they should be supported. I order quite a bit of bath soap for me and my wife from Stirling, they are great soaps, and I will end up getting a few sample shave soaps from them as well, but I doubt that I will ever order a full tub. Those samples will probably be their unscented soaps as well.
Just my .02.
Out of the four soaps I own, only one is artisan, Stirling, which is a great soap. The other three are, Haslinger Schafmilch, MWF and Tabac all of which are very good. However, I use Palmolive Classic and Kapo creams most of the time. I tried a couple of Proraso, Cella and three or four others but gifted them. I’m not into collecting a bunch of soaps.
With my well water, I bloom every soap. Although I may use Captain's Choice and Stirling soaps more frequently than my Harris, DRH Almond and Lavender will always have a place in my den until they change the formula to one that no longer works for me.
I think if you’re looking for a good vegan soap, artisans are a must
Ridpath
FIGHTER!
I think MdC and SV (both commercial) are vegan in their formulations as well - may be mistaken though.
I believe they are vegan and great options. I guess I’m more so looking at it as someone who has SAD. The vegan mass produced options are pretty limited.
I've enjoyed trying many artisian soaps, almost all as samples or raffle/PIF won pucks as I attend a lot of meets, but if I ever actually need to buy a soap, it almost surely will be a mass produced soap. I am quite happy with Arko after all, though several of the veggie soaps have gotten my attention.
Haslinger is trying to help out. They reformulated from tallow to vegan fairly recently.
I purchased a few pucks of the aloe version that I’m waiting on. I’m excited to try it.
I was fortunate to purchase one of the last remaining Valobra soaps from BullGoose Shaving.
![[Image: IILKDdb.jpg]](https://www.badgerandblade.com//forum/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FIILKDdb.jpg&hash=fadb38e63bc2a04eb3e2197e19d2446f "[Image: IILKDdb.jpg]")
I'm not sure what counts as vegan but if you want something without animal products a lot of the French soaps would qualify such as Pre de Provence, L'Occitaine en Provance, and I believe the RazoRock hard pucks as well.
After seeing a few lose scent and approach rancid, I don't mind preservatives in my shave soap. There are too many in rotation and its going to be a few years; don't want them to spoil.
AA
AA
Same here.
This list might be useful in deciding whether to go down the artisan route: ShaveScore - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ychFwRh6tdWCwWDjsNqP6vKlLCmthkzW0Vka7jEhlPI/edit#gid=0
And I'd also ask @RayClem for an advice.
And I'd also ask @RayClem for an advice.
Your confidence in my recommendations is appreciated.
I have added a few new soaps to my collection recently, so I am up to about 80 different formulations and around 180 soaps. I keep a detailed database of all my soap evaluations: performance, scent notes, ingredients, overall impressions, etc. I know not everyone like the same things I do in a soap, but I can tell you what to expect from any soap or cream I have tried. I have spent a lot of money on soaps; that money is well spent only if others can benefit from my experience with them.
Your evaluations and reviews are exactly why I follow you on here. It doesn't matter if I agree with you or your reasons or not. I do, however, know exactly what to expect from a soap you have discussed.
I was fortunate to purchase one of the last remaining Valobra soaps from BullGoose Shaving.
CONGRATULATIONS!!
MWF is definitely in my rotation to stay. I've used it for 3-4 shaves now and dread finishing off my artisan soaps even more. Once they are all finished, I don't think I will buy any more artisan soap. The classics just work to well.
I have also found that I just enjoy a simply scented "soap" smelling shave soap and just getting my scent from AS and EDT.
