Ogallala Bay Rum Soap - First Two Shaves

[Buxwheat]

I received my order from Ogallala a couple days ago: The sample pack of cologne and AS and a puck of the bay rum shaving soap. I eagerly unwrapped and sniffed everything. Good stuff. John included a sample of the air freshener and the bay rum bath and shampoo bar soap.

My first attempt at lathering the shaving soap was not good. I thought I had the brush loaded well and took it to the scuttle to whip up the lather. It looked good so I put the brush to my face. The lather did not build on my face but just thinned out, but left what looked like curds. The more I worked it into my face the thinner it got. Using paint strokes I was able to get my face covered without actually wiping the soap off. The first pass was OK. Pulled the brush out of the scuttle and the lather looked dried out. I figured maybe the scuttle temp was too warm for this soap so I reloaded and put the brush to my face again. Same result. Tried adding more water. Couldn't improve the lather. Still sort of thin, but with what I can only describe as not uniformly smooth: the same curd like appearance. Paint strokes only to keep from rubbing the lather off. Another OK pass with what I feel was sub-optimum lather. On the plus side, with the second application of lather, my face got a really nice warm feeling from the soap that felt good. Also, when rewetting my face between passes, it felt pretty slick. With the third lather I tried to minimize the water to see if I had it too wet. Same result: Lather looks like it builds well on the puck or in the bowl, but just thins out when I apply it to my face. Third pass was fine and the overall shave results were good.

Today I Used my Omega 10048 (Yesterday was my Mühle Silvertip Fiber) thinking that this might make a difference. Same results. Less water, more water, more product, more whipping, less whipping. Nothing I did produced lather any different than yesterday. Again, the shave results were good, face felt slick between latherings, and it smells good. Just lousy lather. The initial smell of this stuff reminds me of egg nog or some other Christmas goodies, but the sweetness dies down and a good bay rum smell lingers.

Anyone have an idea about how to make this soap work? I want to like it, but haven't been able to make good lather with it.

 

[sea]

worked most of the way through the soap sampler. Generally lather was better than what you are experiencing. Overall, the samples have worked pretty well for me.

 

[Buxwheat]

@regularfella: I'll be glad to take the stick off your hands. I'll even send you a tube of cream I'm not fond of in exchange for it. Even though I haven't been able to make good lather, I have had very good shaves (especially this AM). PM me if interested. It is a cream from India. I am interested in trying the stick to see if I get better results, plus for travel. Thanks in advance.

 

[gash]

I found the Ogallala soap to lather as well as any chalk I've tried. The chalk smelled less cloying, though.

 

[djm2]

I have found that once you think you have the lather properly whipped up, beat it like a dead horse for about 20 more seconds. My suspicion is that you have a tad too much water.

 

[shakin_jake]

Ogallala bay rum shave soap is kick *** and makes mounds of creamy lather, you just have to know how to make it work...here, read this

http://www.shaving101.com/index.php...do-you-get-a-good-lather-on-shaving-soap.html

I have no problems making this soap lather using my Omega 48, 49 boar brushes or my chubby 3 best badger. Either way, Ogallala is a very slick soap and will build a respectable lather. FWIW my water is 250 PPM hardness, well water and unfiltered

And I don't think it matters what kind of razor you use to shave with but for the record I shave using straight razors and I need a good slick lather so the blade glides across my face...Ogallala shave soap gets it for me and will always have a place in my rotation*

FWIW, I face lather and can't remember trying to build it into a lather using a scuttle or a bowl, although I have a 1.5 dirty bird scuttle I'll use from time to time with shave cream


Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.


*tried a new shave soap last shave...mystic waters lilly of the valley...primo tallow

 

[gmgaj]

I face lather my ogallala exclusively, and it is one of my best performers that I have found. I bought a stick and the sample pack, and plan on melting the samples into a twistup tube when I finally manage to empty one. I haven't really tried bowl lathering yet. Maybe I can do that tomorrow to see if it is different.

 

[dougmac]

I recently purchased a shaving soap sampler from Ogallala as well, and have been working at building lather properly with it. I noticed the same "curds" that you mention, to me it looks like whipped cream thats about to break (ie turn to butter). When shaving with it, i too noticed a substantial burn, as regularfella reports. This was with the bay rum scent. I tried a different scent (bay rum and sandalwood) to see if my face was reacting to the mix of aromatics, but had the same results.

Went back to my go-to (Col Conk Amber) and for one reason or another, decided to leave the puck in the bowl and build lather on top of it as I did with the Ogallala. Guess what? Same curds as in the Ogallala. And I've NEVER had this issue before with the Conk. Next day, whipped up another batch of Ogallala BR&SW, this time as shown here. I ended up using less product than the other times, and with more water and whipping. No more curds. No more burning. Just a great slick shave soap.

My suggestion is that you don't write it off just yet. Give it a few more goes and experiment. Or PIF if you'd rather not, I'm sure someone here will take you up on it

dougmac

 

[Latherdude]

I'm not sure if it's just bay oil or something else, but whatever it is, bay rums tend to burn my face like Yellowstone. The Original OBR and my since-PIFed Burt's Bees bay rum ASB really burned, like a lingering heat very unlike an alcohol sting.

Interestingly though, I didn't have this experience with the OBR Bay Rum and Sandalwood, or Bay Rum, Limes and Peppercorns aftershave splashes. The sample of those I received hardly stung at all. Could it be from reduced bay oil?

As for the lather, I can also relate to the curd-like consistency, but a thin layer is plenty slick. If it just works, it doesn't have to look "pretty"

 

[Buxwheat]

Thanks for all the replies. I've got too much Bulldog in me (Go DAWGS!) to give up on anything. I'll try the tips/techniques mentioned and get back. Today was a little better, but still not really good lather. However, as in previous shaves, the result was still good. The stuff does leave my face slick, but it just doesn't seem to let the razor glide as well as some of my other soaps. @dougmac: Your description is better than mine. It's like if you beat cream a little too much and instead of getting whipped cream you get something akin to butter.

 

[Shave_Rat]

I'm not sure if it's just bay oil or something else, but whatever it is, bay rums tend to burn my face like Yellowstone. The Original OBR and my since-PIFed Burt's Bees bay rum ASB really burned, like a lingering heat very unlike an alcohol sting.

Interestingly though, I didn't have this experience with the OBR Bay Rum and Sandalwood, or Bay Rum, Limes and Peppercorns aftershave splashes. The sample of those I received hardly stung at all. Could it be from reduced bay oil?

As for the lather, I can also relate to the curd-like consistency, but a thin layer is plenty slick. If it just works, it doesn't have to look "pretty"

I'd guess you are more likely reacting to the clove oil, which the sandalwood and limes/peppercorn versions don't have much (or any I can smell) of.

 

[Snidely]

I face lather with Ogallala soap most days. I use an Ogallala syick when i travel. Either way i get a thick, slick lather. Not sure what I'm doing right. It just works for me. And the smell is nice.

 

[dougmac]

Good to hear you won't be giving up too easily, Buxwheat! Keep us posted on your progress, as I'm still working out the kinks with this stuff too.

I'll be shaving with the regular OBR Shave Soap tonight, we'll see how it it goes with the burning and curds

 

[shakin_jake]

what kind of shave brush are you using?

curious minds...



Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.

 

[shakin_jake]

i don't wanna say you have fair skin...I have and use several Omega 48's and 49's (several of each), and even the new unused Omegas will not burn my face so I'll unequivically say that I have old leathery dry skin, impervious to Omega boar hair shave brushes=

more than a few peeps here say the boar (like an Omega) is too harsh for them...then there are more that will say that brush is fine for them after most of the hair ends start to split ...around after a month of use

I can pick up a brand spanking new Omega boar hair shave brush and it feels gentle on my face

if your Omega is still new you can speed up the break in (to split the hair end tips) by drying the brush using a hand towel...after rinsing the brush after using, shake the water out of it, then gently brush the tips of the hair into a cotton hand towel. I do this after using with some of my shave brushes, for the aforementioned effect, which is to help break it in, split the tips, but mostly to get it dry. I'm, a little more gentle with my chubby 3 in best badger, only shaking the water out of it after rinising, then I stand it up on it's end to dry. Next shave cycle (24 hours later) it's always dry for me so I don't think it's necessary to dry a brush using a hand towel, but brushing the tips into the hand towel will help to speed up break in


Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.

 

[michiganlover]

I had some samples of Ogallala Shaving Soap about two years ago, and found them to be entirely worthless. They could not be made to make a proper lather no matter how hard I tired.

Their is a huge slew of superior products on the market, so I am not losing any sleep over this failed soap.