In your opinion what's the best inexpensive shave soap?
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I'll probably get flamed or take some heat, but there is absolutely no reason for some of the soaps out there to cost what they do. I've had small samples, or had a chance to have a single shave here or there with some rather pricey soaps, and quite frankly, there isn't much of a difference performance wise to the staples I use. - Just no way I'm paying over $20+ for a puck or container of soap, just not happening, and usually no more than $12-$14 for most.
I've had a chance to shave with Holy Black, their Tangerine Creeper I think it was, and while it was a really nice soap, I'm sorry, at $80+ for a set of soap & aftershave, if you can find it, just isn't happening. (Full disclosure, didn't get to try the aftershave, just a enough soap for a shave). Yes, it had an awesome cold or chill for hot weather, they use Koolada as opposed to Menthol, so the cool/cold hit stays a bit longer, and the scent was very nice, but not several times nicer than Stirling, Caties Bubbles, or other similarly priced soaps. - FYI, you can buy a small bottle of Koolada for like $12 on eBay, and add it to your favorite cream, croap, or aftershave.
Performance wise, there truthfully doesn't seem to be much of a difference between the more affordable artisan soaps and some of these rather expensive soaps. Evan cheap Proraso, which can be had for $6-$7 a container routinely performs nearly as well. - And during the summer, I LOVE Proraso Green, or Stirling Margaritas in the Arctic, both of hit well above their price class. Just doesn't seem to be a reason to spend that sort of money on a soap.
Now there are soaps which I didn't care for, either no scent to my nose, or I found them lacking in the lather. Most of the Razo-Rock soaps don't appeal to me, either the lather didn't see protective enough, or many times there wasn't a detectable or pleasant smell to my nose. (I like to enjoy the smell during the shave). I can barely smell XXX, Mudder Focker just plain smells like dirt to my nose, and didn't care for P160. On the other hand, their 'What the Puck' may be their best offerings imho, and perform really well for me, with a nice scent. - I paid like $8.00 for the set of all three on sale in 2018.
I've had a chance to shave with Holy Black, their Tangerine Creeper I think it was, and while it was a really nice soap, I'm sorry, at $80+ for a set of soap & aftershave, if you can find it, just isn't happening. (Full disclosure, didn't get to try the aftershave, just a enough soap for a shave). Yes, it had an awesome cold or chill for hot weather, they use Koolada as opposed to Menthol, so the cool/cold hit stays a bit longer, and the scent was very nice, but not several times nicer than Stirling, Caties Bubbles, or other similarly priced soaps. - FYI, you can buy a small bottle of Koolada for like $12 on eBay, and add it to your favorite cream, croap, or aftershave.
Performance wise, there truthfully doesn't seem to be much of a difference between the more affordable artisan soaps and some of these rather expensive soaps. Evan cheap Proraso, which can be had for $6-$7 a container routinely performs nearly as well. - And during the summer, I LOVE Proraso Green, or Stirling Margaritas in the Arctic, both of hit well above their price class. Just doesn't seem to be a reason to spend that sort of money on a soap.
Now there are soaps which I didn't care for, either no scent to my nose, or I found them lacking in the lather. Most of the Razo-Rock soaps don't appeal to me, either the lather didn't see protective enough, or many times there wasn't a detectable or pleasant smell to my nose. (I like to enjoy the smell during the shave). I can barely smell XXX, Mudder Focker just plain smells like dirt to my nose, and didn't care for P160. On the other hand, their 'What the Puck' may be their best offerings imho, and perform really well for me, with a nice scent. - I paid like $8.00 for the set of all three on sale in 2018.
I agree with Cyberdog about the What the Puck? soaps from Razorock. Three of those soaps for $8 is a steal, and since they are triple-milled, they last a long time, too.
But I'm not talking about samples. I'd like to get 2-oz pucks. That's twice the size of Stirling samples, and about 4-5 times the size of Maggard's samples.
I'm not saying I want to "try out" a bunch of soaps in order to choose one I would like to use (which is technically what samples are for). I'm saying I'd like to buy what amounts to half-size pucks of soap to put them into my den and use them, albeit for half as many shaves. That would allow me to have twice as many varieties without having an enormous amount of soap sitting around.
I don't know where you get your MWF from but it's available for around £6 pounds basically everywhere in the UK.
I use Arko at a pound a go
Arko, derby, Palmolive and many of the Turkish sticks are excellent value for money.
Unfortunately I hated the scent of them and the way they left my skin feeling a bit raw.
Palmolive stick is great though, no complaints! I have a few in my stash.
I find these sticks and budget soaps like Williams, vdh etc don't provide any luxury to my shave and are purely utilitarian.
Sounds like a potential business idea for you or anyone interested. If the manufacturers/market won't give you what you want, you can create the product you want and sell it. Devise a way to remove the puck, 'slice' it into appropriate portions, and then repackage. Resell your ~2 oz versions with the label you like. I imagine that's what samplers do (like tryablade, shavedash, etc.).
I can only agree 2oz/75g is the sweet spot and it is a bit over 2 months shaving for croap and it gives a lot more fun in less space imho
My best soap bargains have come from Marshall's and T.J. Maxx. Most recently I have picked up a puck of triple milled Art of Shaving lavender soap and a tub or Proraso Red for $5 each. Of course, it's very hit or miss, but I don't think you can find a better price/performance ratio.
Gillette Pure is a good bargain in the US for a 170g's for around $6. Amazon has a 3 pack for $17.91
Uncle Jon's and Caties Bubbles are two artisans i can name who do provide a 2oz option alongside a 4oz tub.
I was being serious and the virtue signaling here is pointless. I don’t like or want to sell or give away used soap. For personal reasons, it’s not something I ever do. What’s best is for me to just toss it.
I just picked up a tube of Prorasso red for $3.50 from Ross. It never even occurred to me to look there for W/S stuff till someone mentioned it on here.
Yes, on any given day you never know what you'll find in the discount stores. I suppose much of it may be old stock, but I have never had any issue with the quality of wet shaving items that I've bought in a discount store.
Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
That's where MdC shines for me. I have oily skin.
100% true. But.... we're all going to disagree on which ones should cost what they do and which one's shouldn't. I think certain soaps are over priced. Some of the over priced ones cost less than some soaps I don't consider over priced.
To the general topic - "How Much Is Too Much To Pay For A Soap". First change the topic to "How Much Is Too Much To Pay For X - where X is something I value beyond it's intrinsic value"
Threads like this drive discussion but are ultimately useless to answering the question. Our answers tell more about us than answering the actual question.
How much to pay has two viewpoints. Price and Value. Some see only price and ignore value. Thinking all items called soap are exactly the same, only the price differs. That same person may feel that way about shaving soaps and at the same time be winning an auction for a vintage pocket knife wherein they are paying 75 times what it sold for new. So if we all take a serious look at ourselves it's hard to point fingers. There are probably very few of us that don't overpay for some item according to someone else's value.
I can write the same poem with my free Bic from the Hotel chain as you can with your $1000 fountain pen. Or, I may get infinitely more satisfaction making a grocery list with my $1000 fountain pen than you do writing a wonderful novel with a Bic. Do what you like. To heck with what others deem too expensive or whatever. Do we really need the validation of forum members?
I NEEEEEEEED THE VALIDATION!!!!!!!!!
I have been the recipient of some truly AWESOME soaps from you dudes and possibly some dudettes on here. Some even unobtainium ones.
I love that werd unobtainium.
Anyway, my favorite is still the one that is probably the most blue collar: Arko.
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