Klar v. Klar Kabinett v. Gold Dachs

[OhMeWhiskers]

Klar Seifen, or what you are referring to as Klar, is a phenomenal soap. My #1 out of many great performers. I think its better than MdC. Its THAT good. The sandalwood is a very nice take, and the sport is a refreshing clean scent.

Are you saying you do not care for the Classic scent or that the Classic scent is the better of the three scents?

A quick search does make it seem that royalshave is the only (known) supplier in the states.

Being the cheapskate that I am, it would be nice if you could just get a puck - the tin is pretty cool looking though - of Klar Seifen at royalshave. The description for the tin states that there is such a thing ("a separate disc"), but it does not seem to actually exist (on the site).

As for the Calani - I would have guessed it was Italian, that is until I read its subtitle: Seifenmanufaktur - it seems that the Cadre Noir scent is no more. At least for royalshave. The other many choices sound pretty intriguing though.

I'm a fan of Gold Dachs myself and since it is the only non-ubiquitous German soap that I have tried it has me wanting to find out if there are more "hidden" German gems out there. And I stumble upon this! Thanks for the thread!

 

[GreekGuy]

Are you saying you do not care for the Classic scent or that the Classic scent is the better of the three scents?

I do like the classic scent, but it has been discontinued. That being said, Klar mades pretty small batches as its a family run operation, and so I'm trying to see if they will start producing it again or at least do another run.

A quick search does make it seem that royalshave is the only (known) supplier in the states.

As far as I know, they are the only ones carrying both Klar and Calani. Bullgoose used to carry Klar, but stopped as it wasn't selling well enough. In my opinion, its one of the very best soaps out there but it doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves

Being the cheapskate that I am, it would be nice if you could just get a puck - the tin is pretty cool looking though - of Klar Seifen at royalshave. The description for the tin states that there is such a thing ("a separate disc"), but it does not seem to actually exist (on the site).

RoyalShave was able to get Klar to produce a refill puck. However, they all sold out. It isn't listed on the Klar website as it was a special order for RoyalShave. They did reduce the price on the tin however. When I purchased mine it was $32 I believe

As for the Calani - I would have guessed it was Italian, that is until I read its subtitle: Seifenmanufaktur - it seems that the Cadre Noir scent is no more. At least for royalshave. The other many choices sound pretty intriguing though.

RoyalShave has never carried the Cadre Noir. HOWEVER, It is very much still in production and they should have it in with their next order of Calani which will hopefully arrive soon

I'm a fan of Gold Dachs myself and since it is the only non-ubiquitous German soap that I have tried it has me wanting to find out if there are more "hidden" German gems out there. And I stumble upon this! Thanks for the thread!

Gold Dachs is pretty much the only German shaving soap I know of that I haven't tried. I've heard its similar but not as good as Dr. Dittmar. Although since I've tried most everything out there I might as well try the Gold Dachs. Which one(s) are you using in terms of scent? Can you describe it at all?

 

[OhMeWhiskers]

I have only used the Gold Dachs Classic.

I believe the Classic scent is a very subtle lavender. With that said, there is no mistaking that it is a soap - so I guess a somewhat soapy scent too. Unless you are hyper-sensitive to scents, I don't see the scent as being a deal-breaker.

I'm pretty new to this game, so my performance critique may be questionable... It lathers fast and easy and holds up well to the heat from my brush scuttle. It is a dense lather as opposed to an airy lather - this though, I am finding out, can be a result of water-to-product ratio, brush specifics, etc. And I believe it would be considered "slick".

All I know for sure is that I have gotten my closest (and with comfort) shaves with it. It also seems to do well with my skin after the shave. Obviously post products have more of an effect on how your skin feels as the day wears on, but regardless of which post product I use the days I use GD my face seems to feel better.

I am really looking forward to trying these new Germans, especially since your (GreekGuy) comments here on other soaps (that I have used) really match my feelings toward them. So, extrapolating that makes me think that these new Germans - along with MdC (one of these days I'll have to open the wallet for it) and TFS - are going to do well for me too.

Oh, as for the Klar Seifen Classic, it seems that RoyalShave does now have it in stock. At least it is currently sitting in my shopping cart.

 

[petr]

Gold Dachs is pretty much the only German shaving soap I know of that I haven't tried. I've heard its similar but not as good as Dr. Dittmar. Although since I've tried most everything out there I might as well try the Gold Dachs. Which one(s) are you using in terms of scent? Can you describe it at all?

Gold Dachs: This soap is easy to like, but I don’t love it. It was a soapy lavender type scent.

I'm looking forward to trying the Klar. Can anyone describe the Sandalwood scent better?

 

[pdillon]

Awesome thread! Thanks for clearing up the Dr Dittmar vs Gold Dachs confusion.

 

[greenerock]

So can someone describe the "classic" and "sport" scents? Thanks!!!

 

[petr]

So can someone describe the "classic" and "sport" scents? Thanks!!!

Klar Classic arrived freakishly fast from Royal. The scent! It's ... soapy. IT IS a bit more complex than just soapy with a strong wood note, some tobacco/leather and citrus/spice. This is the kind of scent a guy could use for years - work horse kind of stuff. No flowers. Not foodie. Not offensive neither glamorous. It reminded me of deodorant.

Update: I had this on my desk and a gal in the office picked it up. She absolutely loves it. She says it's manly and amazing - wood and spice. "Yummy" was the word she used. I didn't get all that from it, but ... there it is. Guess I'll look into the AS

 

[Songwind]

How much soap is in the Klar tin?

 

[GreekGuy]

How much soap is in the Klar tin?

110 grams

 

[UngerWoo]

I received my order today, too. Not sure what to try first -- Klar, Dittmar, Calani or Gold Dachs. An embarrassment of riches. I'm sure to come up with something tomorrow morning.

 

[GreekGuy]

I received my order today, too. Not sure what to try first -- Klar, Dittmar, Calani or Gold Dachs. An embarrassment of riches. I'm sure to come up with something tomorrow morning.

Go with my #1, the Klar

Although the oriental plum is magnificent as well

 

[GreekGuy]

Klar Classic arrived freakishly fast from Royal. The scent! It's ... soapy. IT IS a bit more complex than just soapy with a strong wood note, some tobacco/leather and citrus/spice. This is the kind of scent a guy could use for years - work horse kind of stuff. No flowers. Not foodie. Not offensive neither glamorous. It reminded me of deodorant.

Update: I had this on my desk and a gal in the office picked it up. She absolutely loves it. She says it's manly and amazing - wood and spice. "Yummy" was the word she used. I didn't get all that from it, but ... there it is. Guess I'll look into the AS

The AS is very nice. It's a little heavier than the soap, and wears very well. Longevity is not in the frag territory, but its not fleeting either.

BTW, I want to make a quick correction. I spoke with the kind folks at RoyalShave and the classic has NOT been discontinued, they are just out of the refills they carried for a while. It was a special order for them, hence why it isn't on the manufacturers website

 

[lt114]

I tried the Klar Seifen this morning for the first time.
My only regret is that I didn't try this amazing soap sooner. To start, I loaded with a drier than normal boar brush (Semogue 1520). I loaded the brush for about 30-45 seconds and proceeded to face lather. I needed to dip the tips of the brush 4 times to get the soap properly hydrated. Looking back I probably should have put some water on the puck to soften it up a bit or loaded with a wet brush. Once I got enough water in the soap, the lather was outstanding. Both the slickness and protection were top notch. I can easily say that this soap belongs in my top 10 after the first use. The shave was great; three pass WTG, XTG, ATG with only one very small weeper and no irritation.

I also like the scent of the soap. It's spicy, woodsy, with a hint of citrus. I don't describe scents well, especially scents like this that have a lot going on. I would say this is a cooler weather scent.

My only complaint, and this is really minor, is that the tin is a bit small. I used a smaller brush so I didn't have problems loading, but if you like big brushes loading straight from this tin might be a bit troublesome. This is really nit-picking and does not in any way cause me to reconsider this purchase.

Thanks to Nick for recommending this great soap!

 

[GreekGuy]

Lucas,

I'm glad to hear that you liked it

It really is a shame that it doesn't get more attention. It's my #1 soap. And the smell

 

[lt114]

It is a shame it doesn't get more praise around here. It's a bit puzzling.

The smell is great. I found myself wandering by the bathroom over the weekend just to to open up the tin and smell it.
Next up is the Calani. I'm going to try it out either tomorrow or Tuesday morning.

Lucas,

I'm glad to hear that you liked it

It really is a shame that it doesn't get more attention. It's my #1 soap. And the smell

 

[GreekGuy]

It is a shame it doesn't get more praise around here. It's a bit puzzling.

The smell is great. I found myself wandering by the bathroom over the weekend just to to open up the tin and smell it.
Next up is the Calani. I'm going to try it out either tomorrow or Tuesday morning.

I actually really like the complex scent. It's intriguing, unlike so many kinda "one dimensional" scents out there in shaving products.

Which Calani did you get?

I hope you don't love your other soaps too much, I have a feeling they won't be getting much use from now one

 

[lt114]

I got the Spanish Sun. Royal Shave was down to this one and Oriental Plum when I ordered about a week ago.
I checked again tonight, and not they only have Spanish Sun.

I'm not crazy about the scent right now just smelling the soap, but I certainly am not put off by the smell of the Spanish Sun. My opinion about the scent could also change once I lather up the soap. I will report back with my thoughts after I try it out this week.
How are the other scents of the Calani?

I actually really like the complex scent. It's intriguing, unlike so many kinda "one dimensional" scents out there in shaving products.

Which Calani did you get?

I hope you don't love your other soaps too much, I have a feeling they won't be getting much use from now one

 

[GreekGuy]

I got the Spanish Sun. Royal Shave was down to this one and Oriental Plum when I ordered about a week ago.
I checked again tonight, and not they only have Spanish Sun.

I'm not crazy about the scent right now just smelling the soap, but I certainly am not put off by the smell of the Spanish Sun. My opinion about the scent could also change once I lather up the soap. I will report back with my thoughts after I try it out this week.
How are the other scents of the Calani?

The scent comes through much more when lathered. So there may be hope yet

I've tried Dubai, Spanish Sun, Cadre Noir, Oriental Plum, and Gentlemen

The Dubai is incredible. It is truly frag quality. A very sensual, mysterious, intriguing spicy scent. It sounds cliche, but it almost takes you on an olfactory journey

Spanish Sun is a nice, citrus, summer kind of scent. I'm not a big citrus fan, and I have a few others, so while I like it, I don't like it enough to buy a puck

Cadre Noir is very dark and spicy. Its been compared to Drakkar Noir. The fragrance is pretty heavy. If you don't like DN, you probably won't like Cadre Noir

Oriental Plum is another sensual, foodie kind of scent. I wasn't sure if I would like it, but its great. It reminds me of the holidays. Gingerbread, cinnamon cider. Worth trying. I think it also contains Lanolin

Gentlemen is said to be a mix of spice and woods. I've only tried it once and I didn't get either. All I got was soapy smell. But I may just not have gotten deep enough into it yet.

 

[petr]

How are the other scents of the Calani?

I liked the honey enough to order the AS. It's sweet and strong though. My 7 year girl old picked it up and said "honey ... yum" Unique. Honey. The flowers throw me off a bit, but the top note dies away in the soap and AS soon enough. My woman loves the highland honey AS on me ... so ... I'll finish the bottle for sure.

Malabar is interesting. It's very good. A mood scent. Delicious really.

Next on deck to try is Havana (her most popular), tea time spanish sun. So far, I think the Plum shaves the best.

 

[pipskicks]

No wonder everyone here has too many soaps, there are like a ridiculous amount of soaps here that are getting so many good reviews the temptation is terrible.


Anyways, I agree about your "generalization" of French soaps in the Sante de Provence Green Tea I tried. I haven't tried the rest, but if they're at all similar then they would be very moisturizing, a great feel, but you're right the glide is lacking. I would say they're more similar to cushioning lather, almost would think it was tallow if I didn't know it, usually the veggie soaps glide better. But it does make thick good cushioning lather and I've had a few great shaves with it, so I guess maybe that's a negative, although I really like the moisturizing part.


I haven't tried any German soaps yet. Is there anything special? Like the French seem to be moisturizing, the Italians seem to make a nice Croap (I guess if you like it which you clarified you do not ) is it mostly the lather or the scent?