new cella soaps

[Captain Howdy]

Well, many of us pay more or a lot more for other soaps. If this new Cella is as good as the other soaps in this price group, then I don’t see why the new price will be a problem.

That's a big if though, based on the few reviews so far. You can get some absolutely elite soaps for that price, and there's a lot of people that wouldn't describe cella as elite, myself included.

Plus many hobbyists have so much soap that they already have a hard time getting through pucks. I can easily see people being apprehensive to fork out $40 for a soap that may never be used or will require 12-14 months of 3017 to get through, and it sucks 3017ing soaps you don't love just because you don't want to be wasteful. If you buy a 4oz soap and don't like it, it's not as cumbersome as having 10 ounces of a soap you don't like.

There's also a lot of people with flat price ceilings of not paying more than $X for a soap, period. This will exclude the majority of them, I imagine.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

That's a big if though

Is that so? Based on this thread, only one person tried it, which then stated:

I’m three shaves in with the Cella Fresco and find it to perform very well. I get good post shave feel and the shaves themselves have been superb

Just to be clear, I did not try it yet but I will not dismiss it based only on assumptions. We've seen this before with Tabac, MWF or others. For example, the veg Tabac was supposed to be just a replacement and not an improved formula. It turned out to be slightly different but it is still on the same level. Then with the veg MWF, initial opinions were that is it no longer as good as it once was. However, when I tried the first veg formulation and compared side by side with the tallow one, I came to the conclusion that the veg MWF is also slightly different but overall about the same (an improvements in lathering, a small change in the scent). My veg MWF is nearly finished and I did not change my opinion.

Aren't people reacting the same way as they did when Tabac or MWF reformulated, just this time with Cella, even if this Cella is just a new product?

Plus many hobbyists have so much soap that they already have a hard time getting through pucks

Nobody is forcing anyone to buy more soap if they don't need it or don't want to spend money. I also know many which spend > $40 for soaps and use them in a long rotation.

There's also a lot of people with flat price ceilings of not paying more than $X for a soap, period. This will exclude the majority of them, I imagine.

There is a reason why we have a large range of soaps, from Proraso to MdC, C&S or even Sebum Gold. We are free to buy what we want and there is no point in hating Proraso because we can afford Sebum or the other way around.


In the end, the ingredient list of this new soap seems to be decent and similar to many artisanal soaps. Someone will probably mention this and that's a fair point, a decent list does not necessarily translate to a good soap. But if other artisans charge about the same price for soaps with similar ingredients, then why shouldn't Cella have the right do the same if they also perform similarly?

Again, my position is that we should keep an open mind and not judge it based on assumptions. I think we've all seen this mistake over and over again, even when it comes to shaving soaps.

Cheers everyone!

 

[sexy beast]

Cella is at the top of my rotation and personal favorite on what's available in the current market. Performance and price for my reasons. I considered trying Santa Maria Novella shave soaps and other premium shaves soaps that I've never tried. Trust me, I wouldn't turn them down if someone gifted them to me. The times that I have tried what is considered a luxury shave soap has never wowed me enough to repeat the purchase but that's just me. "Floris shave soap as reference." Yes, a change of pace is nice but for consider a 100% uptick on price is not 100% of performance and value that I've experience 40+ years of straight razor shaving. I'm confident that Cella is making a great premium line product but I'm very happy with there now entry level product by ordering a 1000ml block. I shave every day with a straight razor with exception on vacation or holidays. I hope the best for Cella because I don't want to be left with just Vitos or Arko as an option in the future.

 

[helicopter]

Hard pass for me. $37? Haha. I would rather have the green bio one, and I already have that. At that price I want 200 grams of soap in a wooden bowl with a wooden lid and some magical unmatched fragrance that is also available as a splash and EDT.

 

[Captain Howdy]

Is that so? Based on this thread, only one person tried it, which then stated:



Just to be clear, I did not try it yet but I will not dismiss it based only on assumptions. We've seen this before with Tabac, MWF or others. For example, the veg Tabac was supposed to be just a replacement and not an improved formula. It turned out to be slightly different but it is still on the same level. Then with the veg MWF, initial opinions were that is it no longer as good as it once was. However, when I tried the first veg formulation and compared side by side with the tallow one, I came to the conclusion that the veg MWF is also slightly different but overall about the same (an improvements in lathering, a small change in the scent). My veg MWF is nearly finished and I did not change my opinion.

Aren't people reacting the same way as they did when Tabac or MWF reformulated, just this time with Cella, even if this Cella is just a new product?


Nobody is forcing anyone to buy more soap if they don't need it or don't want to spend money. I also know many which spend > $40 for soaps and use them in a long rotation.


There is a reason why we have a large range of soaps, from Proraso to MdC, C&S or even Sebum Gold. We are free to buy what we want and there is no point in hating Proraso because we can afford Sebum or the other way around.


In the end, the ingredient list of this new soap seems to be decent and similar to many artisanal soaps. Someone will probably mention this and that's a fair point, a decent list does not necessarily translate to a good soap. But if other artisans charge about the same price for soaps with similar ingredients, then why shouldn't Cella have the right do the same if they also perform similarly?

Again, my position is that we should keep an open mind and not judge it based on assumptions. I think we've all seen this mistake over and over again, even when it comes to shaving soaps.

Cheers everyone!

B&B isn't the only forum trying this soap. Although we can already count several people in this very thread being priced out.

The veg versions of Tabac and MWF were also the same price as the previous tallow versions, and that appears to be what people are taking issue with. If the new MWF cost double -triple what the tallow did, reception would have been very different.. not that it received roaring reviews anyway. Not an apple to apple comparison

 

[Captain Howdy]

Mine arrived today. I'll post first impressions later today, possibly a more thorough review after a week of use.

 

[SalS]

The vast majority of buyers don’t have many thousands of dollars tied up in soaps, creams, blades and razors they don’t need or use, so $37 is not a deterrent. Does anyone really need a 100 tubes of Arko and 1.000 blades?

 

[BigJ]

I am still working on my old ‘tallow’ Cella!! And I will be sorry once I finish this puck!!

 

[BurnFree]

Has anyone used all three Cellas yet? Professional, Bio, and Original/Purissima?

I think Cella Extra Extra Bio punches way above it's price point for performance. It is still a good value even accounting for the hard cream/soft soap consistency. Post shave is decent and scent is only OK for me, otherwise it'd be a daily driver.

I can't handle the almond oil in Red, but think it performs just as well...maybe better.

Is Professional worth ~50% more than either of these (per oz) for what is probably a similar formula and hopefully-better scent options?

I might think about it after some guinea pigs have gone first.

 

[gregeraniol]

Looking forward to it. Have you used regular Cella? What about modern artisans or are you brand new to the hobby?

Sorry for the delay, quite a busy week. To start, I’ve been DE shaving for about 4 years but was almost strictly using TOBS sandalwood for the majority of that time. Only recently have I taken the deep dive into exploring other soap brands/types. I have not used regular Cella, primarily because I’m addicted to chasing the “best” sandalwood soap. It’s just a scent I know I like and my skin responds well to. Thus, other than TOBS I’ve tried GFT (great scent, poor performance kinda like TOBS) and Stirling (great performance, but scent was just ok IMO). In an ideal world, I’d have a tallow base like Stirling with the scent of TOBS/GFT. Thus alongside my cella order I got a sample of D.R. Harris which seems like the only option that checks those boxes. Wow this is already a proper essay. Nevertheless, on to the review!


I’ll start with the scent profile listed on Maggard vs. my own experience:
Maggard:
Top - Elemi, Lemon, Bergamot, Petitgrain
Middle - Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Turkish Rose, Cardamom
Base - Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Patchouli, Cedarwood, Oakmoss

My scent profile after huffing the tin for a while:
Top: aquatic, ocean, clean?
Middle: fresh, citrus, jasmine, rose are definitely in there
Bottom: zero tonka (which I’m thankful for as I don’t care for it) some spicy undertones but really faint.
At this point I was worried that I got stuck with a soap that was falsely advertised as a sandalwood, but it redeemed itself after lathering.

Texture/Performance:
This is a thick, smooth croap. Not as tacky in texture as Stirlings, but also not as creamy as, well, a shaving cream. Somewhere in between.
A little goes a long way, which I was surprised by given its vegan base. I was fearful it was gonna be a bubbly thin mess like GFT but it delivered in providing rich, thick lather from very little starting material. It provided a nice shave with good lubrication against the blade (I use German Wilkinson swords with a Gillette slim adjustable set anywhere from 3-5). However, I still prefer the qualities that tallow brings to the shave experience and wish this soap had that, especially at the price it’s offered at.

When the lather was spread on to my face, it still carried that strong “aquatic” scent which carried through until shaving was complete. Slowly, it dissipated away somewhat and I could then smell more of the sandalwood that was promised. Phew! To further promote the sandalwood scent, in later shaves I added some proraso red preshave and some TOBS sandalwood aftershave. Despite all having relatively distinct smells, they work pretty well together.


All in all, considering that very little soap is needed for a shave’s worth of lather, and its fairly optimal performance, I do feel like the cost per shave helps justify the steeper price to a certain extent. So at least for now I don’t regret buying it.

In total, I think it’s the wisest move to wait for samples to become available. But if you’re impatient like me give it a try and see for yourself!

 

[gregeraniol]

Sorry for the delay, quite a busy week. To start, I’ve been DE shaving for about 4 years but was almost strictly using TOBS sandalwood for the majority of that time. Only recently have I taken the deep dive into exploring other soap brands/types. I have not used regular Cella, primarily because I’m addicted to chasing the “best” sandalwood soap. It’s just a scent I know I like and my skin responds well to. Thus, other than TOBS I’ve tried GFT (great scent, poor performance kinda like TOBS) and Stirling (great performance, but scent was just ok IMO). In an ideal world, I’d have a tallow base like Stirling with the scent of TOBS/GFT. Thus alongside my cella order I got a sample of D.R. Harris which seems like the only option that checks those boxes. Wow this is already a proper essay. Nevertheless, on to the review!


I’ll start with the scent profile listed on Maggard vs. my own experience:
Maggard:
Top - Elemi, Lemon, Bergamot, Petitgrain
Middle - Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Turkish Rose, Cardamom
Base - Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Patchouli, Cedarwood, Oakmoss

My scent profile after huffing the tin for a while:
Top: aquatic, ocean, clean?
Middle: fresh, citrus, jasmine, rose are definitely in there
Bottom: zero tonka (which I’m thankful for as I don’t care for it) some spicy undertones but really faint.
At this point I was worried that I got stuck with a soap that was falsely advertised as a sandalwood, but it redeemed itself after lathering.

Texture/Performance:
This is a thick, smooth croap. Not as tacky in texture as Stirlings, but also not as creamy as, well, a shaving cream. Somewhere in between.
A little goes a long way, which I was surprised by given its vegan base. I was fearful it was gonna be a bubbly thin mess like GFT but it delivered in providing rich, thick lather from very little starting material. It provided a nice shave with good lubrication against the blade (I use German Wilkinson swords with a Gillette slim adjustable set anywhere from 3-5). However, I still prefer the qualities that tallow brings to the shave experience and wish this soap had that, especially at the price it’s offered at.

When the lather was spread on to my face, it still carried that strong “aquatic” scent which carried through until shaving was complete. Slowly, it dissipated away somewhat and I could then smell more of the sandalwood that was promised. Phew! To further promote the sandalwood scent, in later shaves I added some proraso red preshave and some TOBS sandalwood aftershave. Despite all having relatively distinct smells, they work pretty well together.


All in all, considering that very little soap is needed for a shave’s worth of lather, and its fairly optimal performance, I do feel like the cost per shave helps justify the steeper price to a certain extent. So at least for now I don’t regret buying it.

In total, I think it’s the wisest move to wait for samples to become available. But if you’re impatient like me give it a try and see for yourself!

More photos for your viewing pleasure:

 

[snowman]

More photos for your viewing pleasure:

Excellent review @gregeraniol . Well done.

 

[Captain Howdy]

Has anyone used all three Cellas yet? Professional, Bio, and Original/Purissima?

I think Cella Extra Extra Bio punches way above it's price point for performance. It is still a good value even accounting for the hard cream/soft soap consistency. Post shave is decent and scent is only OK for me, otherwise it'd be a daily driver.

I can't handle the almond oil in Red, but think it performs just as well...maybe better.

Is Professional worth ~50% more than either of these (per oz) for what is probably a similar formula and hopefully-better scent options?

I might think about it after some guinea pigs have gone first.

I've used all three. I was going to post a first impressions, but I've opted to use it a few more times first as I'm still familiarizing with the soap (croap) and only shave thrice a week. So far the performance isn't far removed from the red and green bio in that it's clearly slick enough for a serviceable shave, but also doesn't have that ultra creamy unctuous property that may or may not be meaningful to individual shavers. Detailed review after aforementioned familiarization

 

[NorthernSoul]

I was lucky enough to find two 150g tubs of Cella Extra Extra Bio for about $3.50 each awhile back. That kind of set my expectations for how much Cella soap should cost! It is an excellent soap for that price. Not sure about the new line, though.

The Extra Extra Bio scent is OK, though not a favorite. I've found that leaving the soap open to the air for several months reduced the scent strength a great deal.

 

[Captain Howdy]

Maggards now has samples! $2.35, I think?

 

[Chandu]

Has anyone used all three Cellas yet? Professional, Bio, and Original/Purissima?

I think Cella Extra Extra Bio punches way above it's price point for performance. It is still a good value even accounting for the hard cream/soft soap consistency. Post shave is decent and scent is only OK for me, otherwise it'd be a daily driver.

I can't handle the almond oil in Red, but think it performs just as well...maybe better.

Is Professional worth ~50% more than either of these (per oz) for what is probably a similar formula and hopefully-better scent options?

I might think about it after some guinea pigs have gone first.

I think the Extra Extra Bio is their best soap, but I don't care for the scent at all. The traditional red was way better in that regard.

 

[BurnFree]

Cella Bio would be all I ever use if they made it smell like Palmolive or a similar basic scent at the regular ~$12 per 5oz croap price.

Picking on SV as Cella's premium Italian competition, Bio's performance is not far off in my opinion. It is slightly better at some things in my hands (ease of lathering, residual slickness/stability) and slightly worse at others (outright slickness, post shave feel), but they're both all-around excellent/superior soaps from a performance standpoint.

SV is easily 1.5x Bio's daily cost and 4x the cash outlay at standard US prices.

Cella Bio is a relative bargain for anyone that enjoys the scent. Professional's price is not out of line if it performs the same and nails a scent for someone else. Is it higher than what some are willing to pay? Yes! We all have our own limits. But at least there will eventually be samples of the soap available vs a set of aftershave/cologne.

Recent Discovery: I left Bio outside to air out on an 85 degree (F) day. I was cleaning some new, extra-stinky boar brushes, and thought "why not?," but forgot to check on it for a couple hours. The soap was clear and just starting to liquify when I found it. Oops! Good as New after being placed in the fridge for a couple hours, with the happy side effect of diminished scent - maybe 50-25% of what it was.

This was with a remaining ~half tub that had been transferred into a wide Stirling container for easy loading, so the heating was probably more uniform than it would have been in the stock tub. I have enjoyed using it exclusively since then, but would not intentionally heat it up that far in a plastic container again. Probably best to age it @NorthernSoul style.

 

[VerbaVolant]

I sure hope regular almond Cella isn't discontinued...

I predict Cella brick will follow the other heavyweights, on its path to retirement... Oh well... what do I know?