+2 and Cella
Looking for A Different Soap
- Thread starter Birddog
- Start date
+5 I think... Just had my first ARKO experience the other day and wow is all I can say. Plus amazon has 12 sticks/900g for 13 bucks right now. Cheap but quality is very nice!
Sure this will change from person to person or brush to brush for that matter. I have all different sized brushes so if I grab the 28mm brush the thing just eats soap. With the 20mm brush the soaps stay looking just about brand new for a very long time.
The idea with the cost per shave is that you'll still go through some soaps faster than others. I can probably blow through a tub of RazoRock in three weeks with the 28mm brush while it may take 6 or 8 weeks with the smaller brush. With the MWF I might chew it up in 4 months with the 28mm brush and it might last 8 months with the smaller brush. It just depends if guys enjoy using a larger brush and don't mind going through soap faster. As long as you compare the soaps used by the same person you'll still get an idea of how long a soap might last in relation to another. You have to take into consideration that the person you were referring to might be tired of using the same soap and trying to kill it with a larger brush or just doing what they call "load it like you hate it" to get to the next offering sooner. The concept is still the same that some soaps last longer than others and are a better bargain for that reason. For the most part any hard puck of soap will far outlast a reasonably sized tub of soft soap so the $14 puck of MWF or the $28 puck of Valobra might still be a better deal than a mid priced soft soap.
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Proof positive that YMMV is not just a cliche. I don't like Haslinger Schafmilch at all. I know I'm in the minority on this one, but it just doesn't do anything for me. The lather is unearthly and unnatural, almost water-repellent. The scent is awful (IMO).
I'll make a recommendation. You should check out Beer Soap Brewing Company and pick a scent that appeals to you. These are really nice tallow-based soaps with beer used in place of water in the recipes. I believe that this makes them lather just slightly better, probably because of the sugars in the beer. They don't smell like beer, they are scented, and you can choose one that suits you.
These are very nice soaps that, for some unknown reason, continue to fly under the B&B radar.
I'm surprised there haven't been more recommendations for Speick. This is a very good soap that you can find for $5. It lathers easy and is very slick. Another good option would be Arko, but that seems to have gotten enough attention already.
A lot of the artisan soaps are really great, but they will almost all be well above your $3 limit. One of the good "cheap" ones is St Charles Shave. They usually run about $7/puck.
If I were you I would get an Arko stick. Very good soap and easy to lather. The scent is nothing to rave about, but it's not the worst either.
If you could swing $5 then you should opt for Speick.
A lot of the artisan soaps are really great, but they will almost all be well above your $3 limit. One of the good "cheap" ones is St Charles Shave. They usually run about $7/puck.
If I were you I would get an Arko stick. Very good soap and easy to lather. The scent is nothing to rave about, but it's not the worst either.
If you could swing $5 then you should opt for Speick.
I'll be honest and say that this is the first and only negative reaction to Haslinger I've ever seen! Wow! I totally understand issues with the scent, but I've never encountered a person with lather issues. For me, the stuff almost lathers itself. Haslinger Schafmilch is my standard first recommendation. It's inexpensive, typically unoffensive, and lasts a good long time (unless you're brucered).
(Kingfisher, please don't take my comment as any sort of reproach. I'm just flabberghasted! I guess ymmv is true... ymmv.)
- Thread starter
- #28
Thanks guys. I got more than enough replies, my soap wishlist is pretty long now.
- Thread starter
- #29
It is overwhelming but I figured I better start somewhere. I started with Stirling Soap, the wife ordered a bunch of soaps, and who am I kidding? It was far, far from cheap by the time our order was complete. Oh well, it is just money and if we can't enjoy it on shave soaps, body soaps, lip balm, and lotion then it isn't worth having money. Lol
This morning I shaved with a puck of Sharp Dressed Man. I am very impressed at how well the soap lathered and left my face feeling smooth. Now I'm convinced that a good soap goes a long way to a good shave. I also bought a puck of the Ozark Mountain scent. It isn't as strong as Sharp Dressed Man.
I also ordered a two pack of Arko sticks from Amazon. I look forward to giving them a try. But I don't think I'll be going back to VDH anytime soon, it works okay but was more difficult to lather than Stirling. Anyway, I've got a lot of different shave soaps to try out and hopefully a good 40 years left to try many and return to some favorites. Thanks again.
This morning I shaved with a puck of Sharp Dressed Man. I am very impressed at how well the soap lathered and left my face feeling smooth. Now I'm convinced that a good soap goes a long way to a good shave. I also bought a puck of the Ozark Mountain scent. It isn't as strong as Sharp Dressed Man.
I also ordered a two pack of Arko sticks from Amazon. I look forward to giving them a try. But I don't think I'll be going back to VDH anytime soon, it works okay but was more difficult to lather than Stirling. Anyway, I've got a lot of different shave soaps to try out and hopefully a good 40 years left to try many and return to some favorites. Thanks again.
