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Little Martin De Candre help please?

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
I'm planning on buying a horde of Martin De Candre, and would like some advice please!

I'm getting what I can in the 200g amount and would like to know what your thoughts are on getting the closed jar, the wooden bowl, or the glass bowl.

I love the idea of the wooden bowl, but my understanding is that it is simply packed in the bowl and is lidless. Are the special edition glass bowls open as well?
The closed jar has a lid, which seems to be the best way to preserve this not inexpensive soap, but not having purchased it before, I can't speak from experience.

I've gone through the online Pasteur site, and they have some scents in all types, but some in only one type.
What is your opinion on the best packaging to buy? Closed jar, glass bowl or wooden bowl?

Once I decide which I am looking at, I can decide where I am getting it so that I can maximize purchases from one location.

Thanks in advance for any help!
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Phil, I would only buy a soap with a lid. And, even more important, I would test a small sample of it (if you haven't yet).

Martin de Candre has divided this forum in those who love it and those who think it's OK, but way overpriced. I belong to the latest category.
 

jackgoldman123

Boring and predictable
Phil, I would only buy a soap with a lid. And, even more important I would test a small sample of it (if you haven't yet).

Martin de Candre has divided this forum in those who love it and those who think it's OK, but way overpriced. I belong to the latest category.
2 kinds of people in this world:
those who love mdc
those who don't
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
Yeah, I know about polarizing products, but there are enough guys that do like it that if I hate it, I can PIF it.
I may not be one of those that adore it, but I have not yet found a soap or cream that I couldn't use (except for Kiehls Lite Flite Shave Cream for the brush), so I'm sure I will at least like it.
I'm just wondering about the wood bowl, the glass bowl or the lidded jar, and whether users have found the open bowls dry out and becomes less effective over time, or cause some other type of concern.
I never use one product till it's gone, so I'd be jumping around between these and other soaps that I already have.

The "Oooh, that's really nice" part of me wants the wood and glass bowls, but the "Use your head dummy" part of me is telling me to get the lidded jars.
 
I have had both the wooden "brain bowl" and closed glass jar. In terms of preservation I didn't notice any difference between the soap in the jar vs the bowl over an extended period of time. I did use the bowl consistently (3-4 time per week) so maybe the regular exposure to water kept it fresh.

I'm with Marco, it's an OK soap but overpriced relative to its performance.
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
Well, it's running around 45 dollars for 50 grams, and around 74 for 200 grams.
That's 90 cents a gram versus 37 cents a gram.
The "Oooh that's really nice" part of me just made a good cost analysis argument.
The "Use your head dummy" part of me hasn't responded.
 
It is all I have used for the last year and I don't have a desire to look for anything different.

Now that I have the opinion portion out of the way, I thought I would point out that the lidded 200g jar of Original that I am using came with instructions encouraging you to leave the lid off. That coupled with the fact that the brain bowl is sold without a lid leads me to believe that MdC expects users to not keep it sealed.
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
It is all I have used for the last year and I don't have a desire to look for anything different.

Now that I have the opinion portion out of the way, I thought I would point out that the lidded 200g jar of Original that I am using came with instructions encouraging you to leave the lid off. That coupled with the fact that the brain bowl is sold without a lid leads me to believe that MdC expects users to not keep it sealed.

Thank you, that's very helpful!
 
Well, it's running around 45 dollars for 50 grams, and around 74 for 200 grams.
That's 90 cents a gram versus 37 cents a gram.
The "Oooh that's really nice" part of me just made a good cost analysis argument.
The "Use your head dummy" part of me hasn't responded.

Yeah, I saw the same thing. It was a quick risk assessment and decision to buy the 200g product. A bit more at risk, but assuming it works, its a lot cheaper per shave.
 
tbch, with array of expert advice you've already received, it's not been explained that you really need one of each type of container!
i fully enjoy my few MdC shave soaps, no regrets.

martin de candre bowls.jpg
 
Phil, I would only buy a soap with a lid. And, even more important, I would test a small sample of it (if you haven't yet).

Martin de Candre has divided this forum in those who love it and those who think it's OK, but way overpriced. I belong to the latest category.
I too would only buy one with the lid, which is exactly what I have done 😁

It's a soap and at that it's a darn good one.

It's not a laotop, it's not a Ferrari and it's not a space shuttle either.

Just my $0.02

IMG_20210715_143322_edit_276639432408829.jpg
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
You can always put it in a bowl after you buy it. I dug my MdC fougere out of it's jar and keep it in an open Plisson bowl. I thought it was going to be harder and more puck like but it was pretty workable.
That would work.
 
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