How much for soap?

[naughtilus]

@Boar Fighter I'm not vilifying soap makers or thinking of premium prices soap buyers as suckers. Actually I think we have a lot of catching up to do with the high spending of other hobbies. The myth of trad shaving to save money is slowly but surely disappearing from our narrative. Performance, slickness, hydration etc. are taking over. Eventually we will buy $50 shaving soap without the need to rationalize it by saying how long it takes to use it up.

 

[Boar Fighter]

@Boar Fighter I'm not vilifying soap makers or thinking of premium prices soap buyers as suckers. Actually I think we have a lot of catching up to do with the high spending of other hobbies. The myth of trad shaving to save money is slowly but surely disappearing from our narrative. Performance, slickness, hydration etc. are taking over. Eventually we will buy $50 shaving soap without the need to rationalize it by saying how long it takes to use it up.

I am not trying to vilify anyone either. I agreed with everything you said. I just attempted to further elaborate the situation. I am not a soap maniac. I am more of brush maniac. So, i don't see me buying a 50 or 100 EUR soap, because, quite frankly, i fear complex scents (when i dislike a scent, i just can't stand it) and i don't shave to smell the soap. I can spray my favourite EdT on my nostrils and i can smell the whole time my own chosen scent. I shave for the joy of swirling. I also don't see a need for "more performance", maybe because i don't use aggressive razors. I have a very hard time nicking myself and when that happens, it's usually because i got distracted (for example, wife talking while i shave).

IMHO, if you use a mild razor and you "need" "performance" of a EUR50 soap, unless you have a particular skin condition, maybe the problem lies in your technique rather than in the soap. But, like you say, there is no need to rationalize anything. If you want to spend $50 on a soap, you will. And i am not going to convince anyone that he is wrong. As a matter of fact, what i previously mentioned is that someone could already attempt a 100$ soap and there are chances that he could be profitable.

 

[Wtd1911]

@Boar Fighter I'm not vilifying soap makers or thinking of premium prices soap buyers as suckers. Actually I think we have a lot of catching up to do with the high spending of other hobbies. The myth of trad shaving to save money is slowly but surely disappearing from our narrative. Performance, slickness, hydration etc. are taking over. Eventually we will buy $50 shaving soap without the need to rationalize it by saying how long it takes to use it up.

Here is my rational explanation for the + 30 soaps. YMMV.
My favorite soap is Boellis Panama 1924 that is $45 for 250g. I put A&E newwst base up there with it. 4oz=113.4g I need to buy 2.2 tubs of A&E to equal my Panama 1924. Cost.. $45 Panama (Free shipping) vs $39.66 ($17.99 per tub) for 2.2 tubs of A&E plus shipping for A&E. Total cost is a wash. Plus I use less of the Panama 1924 per use. I will say that you need to love the soap to use up 250g. With my skin type and scents I like the Panama is a bargain. Especially if you factor in if you need a post shave balm and a AS. I don't require and post shave with this soap. Don't need post shave with PannaCrema Nuavia either. PannaCrema Nuavia is pushing the limits of cost/benefit ratio.

 

[guitarslinger]

I went under $30.

Sometimes, I figure I would be fine with a $10 Stubble Buster
Or a $12 Shannon's
Or an $18 A&E
Or a $22 DG
Or a $24 WK
Or a $24 B&M
Or a $25 APR
Or a $25 GD

Right at this point, I haven't tried anything better than the above-listed. Above $30, IMO gets into "Saks 5th avenue type" products that are expensive for the sake of being expensive, and probably don't work as well as the above listed.

That said, I've always been curious about Saponificio Varesino.

 

[naughtilus]

My favorite soap is Boellis Panama 1924 that is $45 for 250g.

Would you buy it for the same price if it was 150g? I would. I think weight is irrelevant at these prices. What one buys is the story, the experience and social capital among peers in the hobby.

Weight really matters to professional barbers. I don't care. I see price per unit of soap.

 

[abj]

About €20 is the max. Lea classic €18 in a wooden bowl*, Tabac original €15 in a glass bowl*. So if I will ever spent more then +/- €20 it has to be very special, a very nice bowl or something like that.

* refills are cheaper

 

[Wtd1911]

I went under $30.

Sometimes, I figure I would be fine with a $10 Stubble Buster
Or a $12 Shannon's
Or an $18 A&E
Or a $22 DG
Or a $24 WK
Or a $24 B&M
Or a $25 APR
Or a $25 GD

Right at this point, I haven't tried anything better than the above-listed. Above $30, IMO gets into "Saks 5th avenue type" products that are expensive for the sake of being expensive, and probably don't work as well as the above listed.

That said, I've always been curious about Saponificio Varesino.

I'm doing a shootout now which includes a SV Beta 4.3. Not making any conclusions yet but for my face... I'm lacking the love. Head shaves with it have been wonderful. As of right now... my A&E soaps are better at half the price. For me.. PannaCrema and Boellis Panama 1924 have been stellar performers no matter the price. Now that said... A&E is right up there for me.

 

[guitarslinger]

I'm doing a shootout now which includes a SV Beta 4.3. Not making any conclusions yet but for my face... I'm lacking the love. Head shaves with it have been wonderful. As of right now... my A&E soaps are better at half the price. For me.. PannaCrema and Boellis Panama 1924 have been stellar performers no matter the price. Now that said... A&E is right up there for me.

I believe it. FWIW, Shannon's, Stubble Buster, and A&E shave on par with anything I've tried in the $20-30 range.

 

[Wtd1911]

I believe it. FWIW, Shannon's, Stubble Buster, and A&E shave on par with anything I've tried in the $20-30 range.

I have not tried Shannon's yet but it's on the radar. Not buying anything till I use up/pif a lot of what I have.

 

[naughtilus]

IMHO, if you use a mild razor and you "need" "performance" of a EUR50 soap, unless you have a particular skin condition, maybe the problem lies in your technique rather than in the soap. But, like you say, there is no need to rationalize anything. If you want to spend $50 on a soap, you will. And i am not going to convince anyone that he is wrong. As a matter of fact, what i previously mentioned is that someone could already attempt a 100$ soap and there are chances that he could be profitable.

I've spent over $100 on a brush. There are people with 60 soaps who think I'm bonkers. I can't claim sanity while waiting in line for my meds.

 

[Wtd1911]

I've spent over $100 on a brush. There are people with 60 soaps who think I'm bonkers. I can't claim sanity while waiting in line for my meds.

Hahaha! My brushes are 100+ and I love them! No need to ever buy more. Can I get a hip jacket like yours?????

 

[Fatboy]

Thanks to a pricing error on Amazon I paid under $0.75 a stick for my hoard of Arko, and it lathers as well as anything I've tried.

I cast a vote for >$20 minus the container if it's reusable. There are too many great soaps at that price point for me to go higher.

 

[Boar Fighter]

I've spent over $100 on a brush. There are people with 60 soaps who think I'm bonkers. I can't claim sanity while waiting in line for my meds.

But remember! There are various acquisitions disorders in wetshaving. You are bonkers only for those that have less ADs than you and only if they 've given less than $100 for a brush!

 

[naughtilus]

Hahaha! My brushes are 100+ and I love them! No need to ever buy more. Can I get a hip jacket like yours?????

It's members only. Clicky

 

[Wtd1911]

It's members only. Clicky

Just joined.....

 

[njpaddy]

With my well water, my favorite soaps are all under $20 (Harris refills, Captain's Choice, Stirling, and others (now discontinued). My worst soap purchases were all over $20. Topping my worst shaving soap ever was, my most expensive soap, MdC.

 

[branford]

Was MdC worst because you felt you wasted too much money, or was the soap objectively lousy for you?

 

[njpaddy]

Was MdC worst because you felt you wasted too much money, or was the soap objectively lousy for you?

Both. Maybe due to my harder well water (or maybe not), I get better shaves with a drier, thicker lather. MdC seems to perform best with a wetter lather. I probably have 25 soaps I'm comfortable using. I just don't like to alter my preferred method for one soap.

 

[shavefan]

How's $79 for 100ml of shave cream? Closer to that $100 mark, without some hand made ceramic pot to hold it.

Antica Barbieria Colla Shaving Cream, Almond Oil

 

[naughtilus]

How's $79 for 100ml of shave cream? Closer to that $100 mark, without some hand made ceramic pot to hold it.

Antica Barbieria Colla Shaving Cream, Almond Oil

View attachment 979073

Close, but no cigar. Although $79 for 100ml benzaldehyde scented cream in a tin can is moving in the right direction.