New soaps for Christmas

[RayClem]

Those of you who are familiar with my posts know that I have a very large collection of soaps and have absolutely no need to add additional soaps to my connection. However, when you have SAD, need has nothing to do with it. For Christmas, I four new soaps were added to my collection. This post will list the new soaps and give you my comments on the scents. As I evaluate the soaps over the coming few weeks, I will provide performance notes.

Grooming Dept Fortis Le Tabac. I already had three Fortis soaps in my collection, but Mohammad reformulated Fortis to improve performance. It is designed as an affordable soap, but it is not designed to compete with Mo's premium formulas Nai and Kairos. The Le Tobac scent has notes of cherry, aged Tobacco Leaves, Tobacco Pouch, Vanilla, Woody Notes. This is a very well blended scent and one of my favorite scents; even my wife likes it. Although the cherry and tobacco scents are apparent, the blending of the notes makes it impossible to distinguish the other notes individually. I consder this to be a masterpiece scent.

Grooming Dept Lamb Tallow formula Angel scent. This is the final release of the Lamb Tallow formula. Although I have a significant collection of Grooming Dept soaps, I did not have Lamb Tallow. The Angel scent is "heavenly". The notes are: Mandarin, Blackcurrant, Fruit Accord, Cedarwood, Oud, Myrrh, Rose, Ambergris, Amber, Opoponax, Guaiacwood, Musk. This is another well blended scent. Although it is a fruit forward scent, it is balanced by the woods and resins. This will become another favorite scent in my den. Since it will not be released again in the Lamb Tallow formula, I do hope Mohammad will release the scent in one of his newer formulations. Angel deserves to be preserved.

Mammoth Soaps Tusk Formula Mood Indigo. I have heard some good reports about the Mammoth Soaps Tusk formula, but I had never tried it. I wanted to see if it competed well with the elite soaps in my den. Mood Indigo has notes of black pepper, oud, vetiver, blueberry, rum, and night sky. To my nose it is a well blended scent with blueberry standing out slightly above the others. It is a very pleasant scent.

Barrister and Mann SoftHeart (PP-8) Roam. I have been trying to get my hands on SoftHeart for some time. However, it has been sold in such limited quantities that this is the first time I have been successful in ordering one. Roam combines the "aromas of real pipe tobacco absolute, smoke, leather, herbs, damp earth, and grass into a bright, robust scent reminiscent of life on the open range". Will's description of theis pretty accurate. Like many Barrister and Mann scents, this one will never be one of my favorites. However, I am hoping the performance will be good enough that the soap will find a welcome place in my den.

More to come as I evaluate these soaps.

 

[BigJ]

CONGRATULATIONS!

Look forward to the reviews!

 

[MtView]

I held off ordering Roam because there is no AS splash. I thought the Hallows ASB had a weak scent strength. Then I changed my mind because I found out the balm is supposed to be scented to the same strength as the AS splashes, but Roam was sold out. I just found it at Top of the Chain and ordered a set.

On a separate note I hope B&M starts producing AS splashes again soon. I understand supply chain problems, but given that all of the other soap shops are still producing splashes I have to wonder if this is more of a strategic shift.

 

[RayClem]

OK, time to start posting evaluations.

For my Christmas shave, I picked Grooming Dept Lamb Tallow Angel because I thought its "heavenly" scent was suitable for the day. I got a splended shave, near BBS with zero skin irritation in spite of my coarse beard and sensitive skin. My wife loved the way I smelled afterward.

Loading- it loads easily into the brush. A 10 second load time was adequate to produce enough lather for four passes plus a bonus conditioning application while I clean my shaving tools.
Slickness- Both primary and residual slickness were superb, ranking up there with the best soaps in my collection,
Cushion/protection- When properly hydrated, the soap makes a nice dense layer of protection on my skin. Even when the visible lather is removed there is enough protection and slickness to use buffing strokes. The proof was zero feedback when I applied witch hazel after the shave.
Post-shave- I use nothing other than witch hazel as an aftershave product. The soap left my face feeling moist and conditioned immediately after the shave. That feeling persisted for the next 16 hours before starting to fade. However, I could still feel the effects of the conditioning 24 hours after the shave. That is what I have come to expect from the very best soaps in my collection.

Thus, I rank Grooming Dept Lamb Tallow formuia as one of the top soap formulations in my den. It joins Ariana and Evans Kaisen, Declaration Grooming Milksteak, Grooming Dept Kairos, Gentleman's Nod Cardinal, Grooming Dept Nai, Oaken Lab V3, Wholly Kaw Siero, and Zingari Man Sego as the very best soaps in my collection. However, in my next review, I am about to add another soap, Mammoth Shaving Tusk formula to the list.

Mohammad of Grooming Dept has indicated that price increases for some of the ingredients in the Lamb Tallow formula have made it economically feasible to continue releasing this formula. He has indicated the possibility of releasing it again the end of next year if pricing comes down. So if you missed out on the recent release, you may have to wait a while to get another chance. I am very glad I grabbed mine when I did as both the scent and performance of Angel are exquisite.

 

[RayClem]

My next review is for Mammoth Soaps Tusk Formula Mood Indigo. As I indicated in my first post, I really like the scent of Mood Indigo. It is a very pleasant, well blended scent.

As with Grooming Dept Lamb Tallow, the Tusk formula gave me a wonderful shave...near BBS and zero irritation.

I found the Tusk Formula to be semi-soft. It loaded easily into the brush and lathered easily. Both primary and residual slickness were elite. When properly hydrated, the lather leaves a layer of protection between the blade and skin preventing irritation. I got zero feedback when I applied the witch hazel. My skin felt moist and conditioned immediately after the shave. It has now been 16 hours since my shave and the post-shave feel is still quite apparent. Although the feeling is starting to fade, I should still be able to feel the effects for at least another eight hours. Thus, I am very pleased to report as I alluded in the previous post that I now consider Mammoth Soaps Tusk formula to be among the very best soaps in my den, elite in every aspect.

Mammoth Soaps are not the easiest soaps to procure as they are made in small batches and released infrequently. I will be checking the web site often as I am anxious to add a second soap to my collection. Although I rarely use aftershave splashes and seldom use aftershave balms, I like the Mood Indigo scent well enough to consider an aftershave balm in the same scent if it is restocked.

Two more evaluation to come later this week.

 

[RayClem]

Time for another review. This time for Barrister and Mann SoftHeart Roam.

I commented on the scent in my first post. However, i found that over time, I do like the scent a little better than my first sniff of the puck. However, I do not consider Roam to be a well-blended scent. The wood fire note overpowers everything else. i grew up in Virginia where hickory fired smokehouses are used to cure peanut-fed hams. As much as I love a good Virginia ham, that is not the scent I want on my face. I guess Roam is the perfect scent for COVID social distancing. You will be fine as long as everyone stays at least six feet away. However, wearing a mask does make the aroma rather strong. Roam is definitely not a soft scent.

Based on the name, I thought SoftHeart would be a soft croap. Although it is not firm, I consider it to be semi-firm, much like the Reserve soaps. As such, it loads easily. Like Reserve, it is a somewhat thirsty soap, so you have to be careful not to overload the brush. I loaded too much soap on my first try with SoftHeart and had difficulty getting proper hydration of the lather.

On my second attempt, I decided that I would do a face-off between SoftHeart and Excelsior. The SoftHeart formula, also known as test formula PP-8, was one of the formulas tested in the development of Excelsior. Thus, I wanted to see which was better. I used similar amounts of soap, similar amounts of water, and similar lathering techniques. I lathered one side of my face with SoftHeart and the other with Excelsior. I concluded that the two soaps performed almost identically.

1. They both loaded easily.
2. They both lathered similarly. They are not as easy to lather as Grooming Dept Lamb Tallow or Mammoth Soap Tusk formula in that it did take a little more effort to remove bubbles from the Barrister and Mann soaps. However, the difference was not enough to penalize the Barrister and Mann soaps.
3. Both soaps had excellent primary and residual slickness.
4. Both soaps provided sufficient cushion/protection for a fine shave.
5. The post shave moisturizing and conditioning of SoftHeart and Excelsior were essentially same, but shortly after the shave and over the next several hours. The immediate effect was better with the Grooming Dept and Mammoth Soap offerings. While the conditions of the Barrister and Mann soaps had faded significantly after twelve hours, the two other soaps could still be felt 24 hours later.

Thus, i give SoftHeart the same score as Excelsior. They are A-level soaps.They are both good enough to be considered a part of my group of Elite soaps. However, I consider Grooming Dept Lamb Tallow and Mammoth Soaps to be A+ level soaps.
As such, they are now part of the exclusive group of soaps I consider to be my top ten best performing soaps.

 

[Hannah's Dad]

Time for another review. This time for Barrister and Mann SoftHeart Roam.

I commented on the scent in my first post. However, i found that over time, I do like the scent a little better than my first sniff of the puck. However, I do not consider Roam to be a well-blended scent. The wood fire note overpowers everything else. i grew up in Virginia where hickory fired smokehouses are used to cure peanut-fed hams. As much as I love a good Virginia ham, that is not the scent I want on my face. I guess Roam is the perfect scent for COVID social distancing. You will be fine as long as everyone stays at least six feet away. However, wearing a mask does make the aroma rather strong. Roam is definitely not a soft scent.

Based on the name, I thought SoftHeart would be a soft croap. Although it is not firm, I consider it to be semi-firm, much like the Reserve soaps. As such, it loads easily. Like Reserve, it is a somewhat thirsty soap, so you have to be careful not to overload the brush. I loaded too much soap on my first try with SoftHeart and had difficulty getting proper hydration of the lather.

On my second attempt, I decided that I would do a face-off between SoftHeart and Excelsior. The SoftHeart formula, also known as test formula PP-8, was one of the formulas tested in the development of Excelsior. Thus, I wanted to see which was better. I used similar amounts of soap, similar amounts of water, and similar lathering techniques. I lathered one side of my face with SoftHeart and the other with Excelsior. I concluded that the two soaps performed almost identically.

1. They both loaded easily.
2. They both lathered similarly. They are not as easy to lather as Grooming Dept Lamb Tallow or Mammoth Soap Tusk formula in that it did take a little more effort to remove bubbles from the Barrister and Mann soaps. However, the difference was not enough to penalize the Barrister and Mann soaps.
3. Both soaps had excellent primary and residual slickness.
4. Both soaps provided sufficient cushion/protection for a fine shave.
5. The post shave moisturizing and conditioning of SoftHeart and Excelsior were essentially same, but shortly after the shave and over the next several hours. The immediate effect was better with the Grooming Dept and Mammoth Soap offerings. While the conditions of the Barrister and Mann soaps had faded significantly after twelve hours, the two other soaps could still be felt 24 hours later.

Thus, i give SoftHeart the same score as Excelsior. They are A-level soaps.They are both good enough to be considered a part of my group of Elite soaps. However, I consider Grooming Dept Lamb Tallow and Mammoth Soaps to be A+ level soaps.
As such, they are now part of the exclusive group of soaps I consider to be my top ten best performing soaps.

Great review!

 

[RayClem]

My final review of this series is Grooming Dept Fortis Le Tabac. I have already noted that I consider the scent to be a masterpiece, one of my favorite.

I have used Fortis soaps in the past, but Mohammad tweaked the formula to make it even better. The post shave conditioning of the initial Fortis release was not good enough to be considered among my elite soaps, although other aspects of the soap were to the elite level. The improved version of Fortis has excellent post-shave properties lasting for many hours after the shave. However, the post shave is not up to the level of the top ten best performing soap bases I have evaluated. Thus, I consider the new Fortis base to be an A level soap, but it does not attain the A+ level of Nai, Kairos, and Lamb Tallow.

Grooming Dept Fortis is not an inexpensive product. However, it is a more affordable alternative to premium luxury soap bases costing $20 and higher.

 

[RayClem]

After these recent evaluations, here is my current summary of my top soap bases:

My top ten favorite soap bases (A+ level) in alphabetical order:
Ariana and Evans Kaisen
Declaration Grooming Milksteak
Grooming Dept Kairos
Grooming Dept Lamb Tallow
Grooming Dept Nai
Mammoth Soaps Tusk
Oaken Lab V3
Wholly Kaw Siero
Zingari Man Sego

Other elite (A level) soaps in alphabetical order:
Barrister and Mann Excelsior
Barrister and Mann SoftHeart
Gentleman's Nod Cardinal
Grooming Dept Fortis (recent release)
Highland Springs Soap Co tallow
Hub City Soap Co Raider
Murphy and McNeil Aon
Murphy and McNeil Kodiak


There is another soap that might well belong in one of these lists. That is Ethos Grooming Essentials EOS. However, they are selling on The Razor Company website for $36.00 for a four ounce tub. I hesitate spending more than $30 for any soap since there are so many wonderful soaps that can be purchased for less.

 

[Southsider]

This is a very nice set of reviews.

I personally, however, would not put Nai in the top group. There is just something missing from this soap for me and it happens to be tallow. I don't agree with Mo that this vegan soap matches up Kairos tallow. For me, it doesn't.

 

[RayClem]

This is a very nice set of reviews.

I personally, however, would not put Nai in the top group. There is just something missing from this soap for me and it happens to be tallow. I don't agree with Mo that this vegan soap matches up Kairos tallow. For me, it doesn't.

It depends upon which Nai you have used. I ranked the initial release of Nai in the 2nd group. However, Mohammad of Grooming Dept made some tweaks to Nai before the second release that improved the performance to the point I moved it into the top group. So if you have the Aion scent from the 1st release, you have not yet experienced the best Nai has to offer.


Nai is the only vegan soap that I rank as an elite soap. Like you, I am very much a fan of animal fats in soaps. I never thought it possible for any artisan to make a vegan soap that was anywhere near as good as the best tallow soaps. However, Mohammad proved me wrong.

 

[CJB3]

After these recent evaluations, here is my current summary of my top soap bases:

My top ten favorite soap bases (A+ level) in alphabetical order:
Ariana and Evans Kaisen
Declaration Grooming Milksteak
Grooming Dept Kairos
Grooming Dept Lamb Tallow
Grooming Dept Nai
Mammoth Soaps Tusk
Oaken Lab V3
Wholly Kaw Siero
Zingari Man Sego

Other elite (A level) soaps in alphabetical order:
Barrister and Mann Excelsior
Barrister and Mann SoftHeart
Gentleman's Nod Cardinal
Grooming Dept Fortis (recent release)
Highland Springs Soap Co tallow
Hub City Soap Co Raider
Murphy and McNeil Aon
Murphy and McNeil Kodiak


There is another soap that might well belong in one of these lists. That is Ethos Grooming Essentials EOS. However, they are selling on The Razor Company website for $36.00 for a four ounce tub. I hesitate spending more than $30 for any soap since there are so many wonderful soaps that can be purchased for less.

Nice list, Ray. I am a big fan of Grooming Dept Soaps as well and bought pucks of Nai and Kairos in the current release.

I also just purchased some Ethos and am looking forward to trying it out. One thing about Ethos is the jars are 7.5 oz, not 4 oz, so you get quite a bit of soap.

 

[RayClem]

Nice list, Ray. I am a big fan of Grooming Dept Soaps as well and bought pucks of Nai and Kairos in the current release.

I also just purchased some Ethos and am looking forward to trying it out. One thing about Ethos is the jars are 7.5 oz, not 4 oz, so you get quite a bit of soap.

Ethos used to sell soaps only in 7.5 oz jars, but now offers 4 oz jars as well. The ones at The Razor Company are 4 oz jars selling for $36.00.