It's just soap?

[cytus]

I have been using shaving soap for the past 2 years. My favorites are Haslinger, Stirling, PDP 63, and others. All my choices cost less than $15. I find they all provide a good lather, nice scent, cushion, slickness and post shave feel that is enjoyable. In fact, I think Stirling soaps are awesome and very inexpensive.

My question is; How much better are the expensive soaps? What do they offer that justifies prices over $30? I'm talking about Antica Barbieria, Czech & Speake, and others. Is there something that makes expensive soaps more than just soap?

 

[Tomo]

It may experience you don’t always get what you pay for but sometimes you do need to spend a bit more for the best. My favourites include mostly mid range soaps but I have tried most of the famous high end soaps too. My current top 5 are below.

1. Saponificio Varesino
2. Mike’s Naturals
3. Mitchell’s Wool Fat
4. Czech and Speake
5. Tabac

It’s always worth it to try before you buy if possible. Everyone has different taste and price is not a guarantee of performance. The soaps you mentioned have many fans and are fine performers. PDP does lack a bit of residual slickness for my taste but may be fine for you.

The trouble with soaps is you don’t know what your missing until you try it and there is soooo much to try. Do yourself a favour and get some samples. At least then you will know what all the fuss is about and if it really is just a lot of hot air.

 

[lloydw]

I would never dare quote a brand or ingredients as better or worse but I see that the preference for any one soap is too subjective, based on not only scent and performance but also affected by lathering skills and even water quality.
Higher cost or prettier items can create happiness when aligned with the right personalities. So the value in higher cost or luxury packaging is real for some people.

I definitely have great soaps that are in that $15 category but I’ve also come to appreciate the value in some of the more expensive ones. Performance, scent and overall shave quality are excellent. Sometimes better than the $15 tubs, sometimes not. Is the value worth 3,4 or 5 times that more affordable puck? Some days and months it is worth more to me, many times it’s not even close.

Try some samples if you can - see how you like them

 

[BigJ]

You can ask the same question about many things: liquor, fly rods, cars, etc., etc.!!

Sometimes higher cost purchases a more enjoyable product, often it does not. For example, I find that riding in exotic sports cars is often less comfortable than my old daily driver! The ‘hot’ cars often look great, but you can only go so fast on the congested roads around here.

The point is to read enough reliable reviews and develop the taste to understand what makes you happy! For me, that is knowing that I am just as happy with Haslinger’s or MWF as I am with MdC!

 

[Atlantic59]

I think you are fortunate to have found soaps that you like at a reasonable price. If you are satisfied with them, there's no compelling reason to go on a quest for "the best".

This question comes up a lot: "Is it worth it?" and the answers are very subjective.

People look at cost per ounce, but it is better to
look at this on a cost per shave basis. The results may surprise you.

Pre de Provence
$10 / 250 shaves = 4.0 cents / shave

Czech & Speake
$35 / 150 shaves = 23.3 cents / shave

Wholly Kaw Donkey Milk
$25 / 55 shaves = 45.5 cents / shave

C&S is a very good soap, made by Valobra, but you are paying a premium for the name and the scent. The scent is going down the drain after your shave and no one will know you are using a big name soap. It costs six times as much to use compared to PdP. On the other hand, C&S costs half as much to use as Wholly Kaw, one of the top artisan soaps. Whether it is worth it is up to you.

 

[GaryTha]

I use Williams--everything else is just soap.

(I'm known to be a tad biased.)

 

[brucered]

Is there something that makes expensive soaps more than just soap?

Branding, propaganda, myths, fanboys, prestige, feeling of superiority/exclusivity by using $$$, forum mentality/pressure.

Don't fall for it. Use what you like and like that you use. As you said, it's just soap. Use your hard earned dollars elsewhere.

 

[PeteVK]

Great question @cytus , just about every major brand of shave soap will work great, hence the reason they are still around. At the same time, the tried and true artisans produce a product that will work great as well. There are differences between them all, and really it's all about finding what you enjoy. We've all come to this place for different reasons in addition to simply shaving.

I for one am a collector when it comes to my hobbies, and so I have a tendency to go a bit overboard with whatever I become fascinated with. I have quite a few razors, soaps and brushes. I've only run into two soaps that I did not enjoy, and frankly it's not worth naming them, because there are plenty of people on this board who enjoy using them. Hence the abbreviation "YMMV" being used so often.

One of my favorite soaps is the Arko shave stick, which is super affordable, lather's like an absolute champ and is an absolute joy to use. At the same time I've been using Haslinger since November, and I've come to really appreciate that soap as well. Yesterday I decided to switch things up and used my Declaration Grooming soap and again was extremely happy. I honestly had a better lather with the Declaration Grooming soap, but it wasn't much better than what I can create with Haslinger of Arko.

Once you get into the esoteric aspect of any hobby, you run into the law of diminishing returns. Don't expect the difference in performance to equal the difference in price. I would definitely recommend trying some of the higher end brands, because why not? Life's short and there's nothing wrong with dabbling in some of the finer things in life as long as they are within your means. Worst case scenario, the soap doesn't impress you and you don't buy it again.

Happy Shaves!

-Pete

 

[cytus]

I think you are fortunate to have found soaps that you like at a reasonable price. If you are satisfied with them, there's no compelling reason to go on a quest for "the best".

This question comes up a lot: "Is it worth it?" and the answers are very subjective.

People look at cost per ounce, but it is better to
look at this on a cost per shave basis. The results may surprise you.

Pre de Provence
$10 / 250 shaves = 4.0 cents / shave

Czech & Speake
$35 / 150 shaves = 23.3 cents / shave

Wholly Kaw Donkey Milk
$25 / 55 shaves = 45.5 cents / shave

C&S is a very good soap, made by Valobra, but you are paying a premium for the name and the scent. The scent is going down the drain after your shave and no one will know you are using a big name soap. It costs six times as much to use compared to PdP. On the other hand, C&S costs half as much to use as Wholly Kaw, one of the top artisan soaps. Whether it is worth it is up to you.

@Atlantic59: I like the way you broke down the cost on a cost/shave basis. It is certainly a consideration if a more expensive soap lasts longer due it's properties require less to achieve a consistent lather.

 

[karacha]

Most of the time, no. Not really. Clever marketing sometimes inflates prices etc. Those products you mentioned are all fine soaps.

I mean, let's be realistic here: if you can't get a GREAT shave with Stirling, you're doing something wrong. And I could say the same thing about cheaper products, as long as you like the scent: Tabac, Proraso and others. They have a good reputation for a reason, and they have existed for a long time. Will a $30 soap give you a much better shave than Stirling soap or a ToBS cream? No.

 

[cytus]

I appreciate all the responses. This has been a terrific discussion. I started the thread because after reading so many reviews on B&B, it perked an interest in me to consider higher end priced soaps. I will check out some samples as a good (and relatively inexpensive) way to compare the soaps.

 

[steveclarkus]

I have been using shaving soap for the past 2 years. My favorites are Haslinger, Stirling, PDP 63, and others. All my choices cost less than $15. I find they all provide a good lather, nice scent, cushion, slickness and post shave feel that is enjoyable. In fact, I think Stirling soaps are awesome and very inexpensive.

My question is; How much better are the expensive soaps? What do they offer that justifies prices over $30? I'm talking about Antica Barbieria, Czech & Speake, and others. Is there something that makes expensive soaps more than just soap?

I expect the answer to your question “Is it just soap” is close to the truth. How much better than Haslinger and Sterling can one possibly expect. I would include MWF as well.

 

[Frozenshades]

You can ask the same question about many things: liquor, fly rods, cars, etc., etc.!!

Sometimes higher cost purchases a more enjoyable product, often it does not. For example, I find that riding in exotic sports cars is often less comfortable than my old daily driver! The ‘hot’ cars often look great, but you can only go so fast on the congested roads around here.

The point is to read enough reliable reviews and develop the taste to understand what makes you happy! For me, that is knowing that I am just as happy with Haslinger’s or MWF as I am with MdC!

Perfect analogy. I love tabac and always enjoy using it. It lasts forever and a refill puck is under $20. Maybe if I get tired of the artisan fast lane I'll shave with Tabac or Speick every day and call it done. But for now I don't really care about spending some extra coin on fancy artisan soaps, because I like them and enjoy having a diverse rotation of products to use. That's reason enough for me.

I don't get too nitpicky about performance. Most artisan soaps are darn good these days and are not going to leave me with a bad shave when used right. It's all about the scents.

 

[Rusty Blade]

There are some excellent low priced soaps like Proraso, Cella, many of the Razorock soaps. And there are also some really nice mid range (MWF, PdP) and expensive soaps like Truefitt and Hill, DR Harris, Tabac, etc.

You almost have to work out the cost per shave to compare them properly. A soap like MdC is expensive but the cost per shave is really low because it lasts forever.

 

[Timeclo]

I have been using shaving soap for the past 2 years. My favorites are Haslinger, Stirling, PDP 63, and others. All my choices cost less than $15. I find they all provide a good lather, nice scent, cushion, slickness and post shave feel that is enjoyable. In fact, I think Stirling soaps are awesome and very inexpensive.

My question is; How much better are the expensive soaps? What do they offer that justifies prices over $30? I'm talking about Antica Barbieria, Czech & Speake, and others. Is there something that makes expensive soaps more than just soap?

As many have said already, soap can be very subjective. Sometimes the extra price is the premium ingredient that goes into the soap and sometimes it's just the name/brand. I think $15 or below is a fine range for soaps as I love Stirling soaps. Stirling soaps provide everything I need so I don't see a reason to buy more expensive soaps. I'll try out stuff for fun but I'm not drawn to those.

 

[MrSmith83]

I have been using shaving soap for the past 2 years. My favorites are Haslinger, Stirling, PDP 63, and others. All my choices cost less than $15. I find they all provide a good lather, nice scent, cushion, slickness and post shave feel that is enjoyable. In fact, I think Stirling soaps are awesome and very inexpensive.

My question is; How much better are the expensive soaps? What do they offer that justifies prices over $30? I'm talking about Antica Barbieria, Czech & Speake, and others. Is there something that makes expensive soaps more than just soap?

I wouldnt call $15 cheap either tbh.
Expensive soaps might be more expensively scented and packaged, but that's about all you can say objectively. The cheapest soap I've ever used (palmolive) lathers as well as or better than the most expensive.

 

[brucered]

I wouldnt call $15 cheap either tbh.
Expensive soaps might be more expensively scented and packaged, but that's about all you can say objectively. The cheapest soap I've ever used (palmolive) lathers as well as or better than the most expensive.

Yeah $15 for 150ml or smaller, isn't cheap. When I used to being in 12-20 pucks of Haslinger at a time, it was about $6-7 landed.

To put it into perspective, I pay about $12-14 Canadian for 450ml of JM Fraser's cream or $8-9 Canadian for 150ml or Proraso....both locally.

 

[samhain666]

I use mostly Palmolive stick 1,49€/50gr and Taback stick aprox 7€/75 gr and have superb shaves. I can't justify to my self spending 15 or more € on a SOAP, especially when I had some blunders with creams of known producers that were just HORRIBLE!!! And not to mention 2-6times cheaper than my faveourite products

 

[RayClem]

The soaps that will work best for you depend a lot on your face and beard and also your shaving routine.
1. Is your beard heavy and coarse or fine and thin?
2. Is your face as sensitive as onion skin or as tough as rhino hide?
3. Do you use any pre-shave product?
4. Do you use any post-shave splash, lotion, or balm?

The answer to these questions will determine the type of soap you should consider. I have a heavy, coarse beard and sensitive skin. I shave after showering and use conditioning shampoo on my face as well as my hair, but otherwise use no pre-shave application. I prefer not to use post-shave splashes or balms other than witch hazel. However, on very cold days (it is 8 degrees F this morning), I make an exception.

Under my circumstances, I prefer luxury quality soaps that provide superb slickness, superb skin protection, and superb post-shave moisturizing and conditioning. I can use lesser quality soaps, but my shave won't be as close, or as comfortable, or leave my face feeling as good as with higher quality soaps. My current favorites in alphabetical order are as follows:

Ariana and Evans formula with strained yogurt (AKA The Club)
Barrister and Mann Excelsior (I have not yet tried Soft Heart)
Declaration Grooming Milksteak
Grooming Department Nai formula or the new Kairos formula which I have tested, but which has not yet been released
Murphy and McNeil Kodiak formula
Wholly Kaw Siero
Zingari Man Sego

Although these are my favorites, they are others, including some older formulations by the artisans mentioned, that will provide a great shave.

Unlike many of the YouTube shave video influencers, Jason Rudman of Ruds Shaves does a great job of evaluating soaps. You can find a listing of his shave scores here:

Google Sheets: Sign-in

Access Google Sheets with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

docs.google.com

The list has links to the various videos in which he evaluates the soaps so you can get an idea if the soap might work for you. Ruds seems to be looking for many of the same things I look for in soaps, so I tend to like most (but not all) of the soaps he likes. However, your needs may differ.

 

[shave/brush]

Of course some soaps perform better than others. Performance should be the way to judge all soaps. Most soaps should perform good enough. Some soaps will stand out from the others. You can find these soaps in all price ranges. Just pick the one you enjoy using the most.
The simple answer to your question, are expensive soaps worth it? I would say because there are so many inexpensive soaps that work just great my general answer would be No. They are not worth the extra money unless they really stand out for you.