Hi B&B!
I know, I know, I know... I need to wrap up my recent installment of the quality artisan shootout and start the next round. I've been a little discouraged by some of the disparaging comments I received after giving a non-glowing review of one of those soaps, so I've found myself casually exploring some of the new toys I have around my den rather than wrapping that up as I should.
I recently learned of a new artisan in our little corner of the world called Noble Otter - Shaving Soap
I learned of this soap on July 15th when the proprietor announced it on a popular news/link sharing site that I frequent. I was intrigued by the brand but didn't want to pop on a full tub. A week ago today the company announced newly available samples so I took a flier on two of their three scents.
Ingredients
Stearic Acid, Water, Beef Tallow, Castor Oil, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Coconut Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Lanolin, Sodium Hydroxide, Kokum Butter, Fragrance, Tussah Silk
The soap comes in unscented (Bare) as well as three scented varieties, BarrBarr, Flying Hide, and Northern Elixir.
I recently ordered a soap from another new artisan, Victory Soaps, that reminded me of Flying Hide so I opted for BarrBarr and Norther Elixir.
I purchased the two 1/2 oz samples and the took nearly a week to arrive from Texas to Florida.
I tried the BarrBarr tonight and here are my first impressions:
- The lather is nice! This soap excels with a mid-range hydration level and was easy as pie to dial in
- The post-shave feel is silky smooth. I'm actually considering grabbing a full tub of one of the scents to toss in the quality artisan shootout based on the post-shave feel. I splashed on Fine's American Blend and can't quit rubbing my chops to appreciate the glassy smoothness.
- Slickness was great! I'm not usually much of a "residual slickness" guy but I got the impression you could do 2 passes for every 1 lathering. This isn't a feature I seek out but I did take advantage of the opportunity to slip in a little buffing with my Blackland Sabre and GEM PTFE.
- The scent... welp... the scent. I understand this is subjective. I wasn't a fan but I suspect this scent will be popular with many other B&B users. BarrBarr is Noble Otter's take on the classic barbershop scent. I got the powdery side of Clubman mixed with a healthy dose of baby powder, which for me, wasn't a true winner. If you like powder, you need to try a sample of BarrBarr. The Northern Elixir seems far more up my alley at first whiff. Scent strength is medium-high... no irritation from fragrance oils but I could pick out different elements of the scent throughout my shave.
What's next?
This is the end of the road for myself and BarrBarr. I'm going to take the Northern Elixir for a spin or two then pass these along to a pair of forum pals that I consider to be excellent reviewers. Depending on what happens with Noble Otter's scents, I'd can definitely picture myself grabbing a full tub sometime down the line. If you're up for something new, give this one a try, I think you'll like it!
I know, I know, I know... I need to wrap up my recent installment of the quality artisan shootout and start the next round. I've been a little discouraged by some of the disparaging comments I received after giving a non-glowing review of one of those soaps, so I've found myself casually exploring some of the new toys I have around my den rather than wrapping that up as I should.
I recently learned of a new artisan in our little corner of the world called Noble Otter - Shaving Soap
I learned of this soap on July 15th when the proprietor announced it on a popular news/link sharing site that I frequent. I was intrigued by the brand but didn't want to pop on a full tub. A week ago today the company announced newly available samples so I took a flier on two of their three scents.
Ingredients
Stearic Acid, Water, Beef Tallow, Castor Oil, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Coconut Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Lanolin, Sodium Hydroxide, Kokum Butter, Fragrance, Tussah Silk
The soap comes in unscented (Bare) as well as three scented varieties, BarrBarr, Flying Hide, and Northern Elixir.
I recently ordered a soap from another new artisan, Victory Soaps, that reminded me of Flying Hide so I opted for BarrBarr and Norther Elixir.
I purchased the two 1/2 oz samples and the took nearly a week to arrive from Texas to Florida.
I tried the BarrBarr tonight and here are my first impressions:
- The lather is nice! This soap excels with a mid-range hydration level and was easy as pie to dial in
- The post-shave feel is silky smooth. I'm actually considering grabbing a full tub of one of the scents to toss in the quality artisan shootout based on the post-shave feel. I splashed on Fine's American Blend and can't quit rubbing my chops to appreciate the glassy smoothness.
- Slickness was great! I'm not usually much of a "residual slickness" guy but I got the impression you could do 2 passes for every 1 lathering. This isn't a feature I seek out but I did take advantage of the opportunity to slip in a little buffing with my Blackland Sabre and GEM PTFE.
- The scent... welp... the scent. I understand this is subjective. I wasn't a fan but I suspect this scent will be popular with many other B&B users. BarrBarr is Noble Otter's take on the classic barbershop scent. I got the powdery side of Clubman mixed with a healthy dose of baby powder, which for me, wasn't a true winner. If you like powder, you need to try a sample of BarrBarr. The Northern Elixir seems far more up my alley at first whiff. Scent strength is medium-high... no irritation from fragrance oils but I could pick out different elements of the scent throughout my shave.
What's next?
This is the end of the road for myself and BarrBarr. I'm going to take the Northern Elixir for a spin or two then pass these along to a pair of forum pals that I consider to be excellent reviewers. Depending on what happens with Noble Otter's scents, I'd can definitely picture myself grabbing a full tub sometime down the line. If you're up for something new, give this one a try, I think you'll like it!
