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Prairie Creations

How does this soap stack up to QED, Mama Bears and TGQ?

I think the containers are approximately the same height.



Oh, that's not what you meant!

I honestly can't compare it to those you list since I have never tried any of them, but I can tell you PC soaps are excellent. Many of us here have used and been very happy with PC soaps. That, I'm sure, includes those who *have* experience with the others.

I don't think you would regret giving PC a try.
 
How does this soap stack up to QED, Mama Bears and TGQ?
Here's my take on these 4 fine soap lines:

  • QED is a fairly standard glycerin soap with very pungent essential oils added. The aroma is what you are buying with QED, and Charles has good taste.
  • Mama Bears is also a fairly standard glycerin soap, but is offered in a bewildering array of scents and menthols. Sue offers huge variety.
  • TGQ starts as a glycerin soap and has some clays and whatnot added to improve the shaving cushion. I think Colleen makes the best "house" scents of any soapmaker I know of.

PC is quite different than these 3 glycerin-base soaps. I find PC to give a superior shave and an approach to scent similar to Mama Bears. She stocks many choices of scents (but probably not as much as Mama Bears) and is open to custom blending scents should you propose something.

Roger
 
All are great soaps. Keep in mind though that the PC soaps are tallow based whereas the others mentioned are melt-and-pour types. I have and use all you mentioned. If I were to rank them I'd go; PC, Mama Bear's, QED and finally, TGQ... TGQ soaps tend to sting my face hence their last place position. The Mama Bear's and QED soaps are pretty much on par with each other. Of course, being a tallow-head, the Prairie Creations soaps are highest.
 
Keep in mind though that the PC soaps are tallow based whereas the others mentioned are melt-and-pour types. .

I don't know about QED, but you just handed Mama Bear and TGQ soaps a pretty big insult.

The term "melt and pour" implies a soap base purchased from a vendor that is melted to add fragrance, color, and whatever else is desired. Mama Bear and TGQ make their own soap from start to finish. Calling their soaps melt and pour is like comparing a high class italian restaurant with the Olive Garden (they serve pre-made frozen meals)
 
I don't know about QED, but you just handed Mama Bear and TGQ soaps a pretty big insult.

The term "melt and pour" implies a soap base purchased from a vendor that is melted to add fragrance, color, and whatever else is desired. Mama Bear and TGQ make their own soap from start to finish. Calling their soaps melt and pour is like comparing a high class italian restaurant with the Olive Garden (they serve pre-made frozen meals)
Certainly no insults were intended.. All three offer a great, quality product. Guess I should have said those other three are not tallow based.

However, from TGQ website:

"The Gentlemen's Quarter" shaving soaps are made from the finest quality base on the market today and are unique in that they are soap, not just a glycerin base filled with detergents. Our shaving soap is 100 % natural with added Kosher glycerin from a vegetable source. We add no synthetic detergents, chelators, foaming enhancers or artificial colors to our base. What we do add is a Custom blend of rich creamy goat's milk, moisturizing Shea butter and skin soothing Aloe Vera along with our own special blend of the finest ground Kaolin, Bentonite and Rhassoul clays to provide superior slip and glide without drying your skin.

That certainly fits your definition of what a melt-and-pour soap is.
 
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Certainly no insults were intended.. All three offer a great, quality product. Guess I should have said those other three are not tallow based.

However, from TGQ website:



That certainly fits your definition of what a melt-and-pour soap is.

Sorry for the hasty response - I think I came off as less friendly than intended.

The verbiage in your quote is interesting and might indeed point at the shaving soaps be made with a melt and pour base. I had previously read about Colleen's journey into soap making that specified both hot and cold process soaps - which means she was making her own soap from scratch. I assumed that this included her shaving soap as well.

Whether or not TGQ uses a pre-made soap base, I am certain that Mama bear makes her own soap - I guess I was just trying to draw a distinction between "glycerine" soaps and melt and pour soaps and that melt and pour infers a product purchased from a third party that is then melted and enhanced with fragrances and other ingredients.

Another misconception is that so-called glycerine soaps preclude the use of Tallow in their creation. All soap (tallow or vegetable based) starts as a cold or hot process soap. Adding glycerin and other solvents to the soap will get you the meltable, sometimes translucent soap that people refer to as glycerin soap.
 
Are you positive Mama Bear makes her own soap? The Brambleberry melt and pour shaving soap is very similat to her soap.

Bramblebeey soap:
Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Safflower Oil, Glycerin (kosher, of vegetable origin), Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent), Sorbitol (moisturizer), Sorbitan oleate (emulsifier), Soy bean protein (conditioner), Wheat Protein (conditioner)
Mama Bear soap:
Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Castor Oil, Safflower , Glycerine (kosher, of vegetable origin), Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent), Sorbitol (moisturizer), Sorbitan oleate (emulsifier), Soybean protein (conditioner), Wheat protein, Shea Oil, Natural Vit. E, Aloe Vera Gel and fragrance either natural or synthetic.

With the exception of the last 4 ingredients they are identical, same verbage too. I am not a soaper so I don't know if the shea oil, vit. E, and Aloe Vera can be added to a melt and pour base.

Cheers,
David
 
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Are you positive Mama Bear makes her own soap? The Brambleberry melt and pour shaving soap is very similat to hear soap.

Bramblebeey soap:
Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Safflower Oil, Glycerin (kosher, of vegetable origin), Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent), Sorbitol (moisturizer), Sorbitan oleate (emulsifier), Soy bean protein (conditioner), Wheat Protein (conditioner)
Mama Bear soap:
Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Castor Oil, Safflower , Glycerine (kosher, of vegetable origin), Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent), Sorbitol (moisturizer), Sorbitan oleate (emulsifier), Soybean protein (conditioner), Wheat protein, Shea Oil, Natural Vit. E, Aloe Vera Gel and fragrance either natural or synthetic.

With the exception of the last 4 ingredients they are identical, same verbage too. I am not a soaper so I don't know if the shea oil, vit. E, and Aloe Vera can be added to a melt and pour base.

Cheers,
David

LOL, I'm not positive of anything anymore :blush:

I may be getting my artisan soap vendors mixed up, so I'll just shut the hell up now :biggrin1:
 
Sue (Mama Bear) specifically says here that she doesn't use Brambleberry.

My guess is that most artisan shave soaps start with some kind of pre-made base, and this doesn't really bother me, since these soaps work better for me than all of the big name commercial soaps that I have tried.
 
I don't know about QED, but you just handed Mama Bear and TGQ soaps a pretty big insult.

The term "melt and pour" implies a soap base purchased from a vendor that is melted to add fragrance, color, and whatever else is desired. Mama Bear and TGQ make their own soap from start to finish. Calling their soaps melt and pour is like comparing a high class italian restaurant with the Olive Garden (they serve pre-made frozen meals)

yep.. you sure did! All of us specialize in soaps for wetshavers.. and we work the recipe over and over and over and over ad nauseum... in order to create a superb shaving soap. The artisans on this forum are particularlly dedicated to wetshaving.. and in addition.. to perfuming and additionally aromatherapy.. Also, take into consideration the support that all of those vendors have given to the folks on Badger and Blade... regarding coming up with special essential oil blends (perfumery) and constant attention to the best recipe for a shaving soap vs a bath soap.... and that leaves years of my life sequestured with folks on ebay who don't know what they are doing.. and don't care. There is a HUGE difference between a bath soap and a shaving soap. I don't care if it is tallow, aloe or palm..... there is a science behind it.

Give those of us who try so very hard to make wonderful products for you a little bit of a break... please.
 
Sue (Mama Bear) specifically says here that she doesn't use Brambleberry.

My guess is that most artisan shave soaps start with some kind of pre-made base, and this doesn't really bother me, since these soaps work better for me than all of the big name commercial soaps that I have tried.

I do not use Brambelberry Thank you.~
 
As a parting thought.. those of us who have tried for years to create a specifically excellent product for wetshavers on this and other shaving sites.. have a lot more invested than buying melt and pour and adding fragrance to it...

nite all... bear hugs...
 
I can only comment on the PC vs MB soaps.

MB positives: Wide variety of intense scents. No subtlety, just strong, enjoyable, and true scents. The lather is more the adequate and the soaps afford a good slick shave. The containers are awesome and are worth buying empty for other soaps.

MB negatives: The strong fragrance oils may give your skin some problems.

PC positives: Also a wide variety of scents but these are a bit more subtle while being strong enough. The rose is one of the better roses I have experienced. The lather is thick and creamy and retains it's moisture well. The shave is very good and the skin feels great.

Negatives: While the container is well built it seems a little smallish. Also the soap is one of the tougher ones to get that perfect point.

Overall both are good soaps from good people. IIRC the price point is virtually the same. Performance wise, PC edges out MB IMO, but both are solid choices.
 
Are you positive Mama Bear makes her own soap? The Brambleberry melt and pour shaving soap is very similat to her soap.

Bramblebeey soap:
Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Safflower Oil, Glycerin (kosher, of vegetable origin), Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent), Sorbitol (moisturizer), Sorbitan oleate (emulsifier), Soy bean protein (conditioner), Wheat Protein (conditioner)
Mama Bear soap:
Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Castor Oil, Safflower , Glycerine (kosher, of vegetable origin), Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent), Sorbitol (moisturizer), Sorbitan oleate (emulsifier), Soybean protein (conditioner), Wheat protein, Shea Oil, Natural Vit. E, Aloe Vera Gel and fragrance either natural or synthetic.

With the exception of the last 4 ingredients they are identical, same verbage too. I am not a soaper so I don't know if the shea oil, vit. E, and Aloe Vera can be added to a melt and pour base.

Cheers,
David

And OMG.. let's say that I actually did use Brambleberries melt and pour base... which I do not.

I need to state that Brambleberry is an awesome vendor however for me.. in many ways.. I would hope that their melt and pour base was everything that mine is.. and maybe even more so.

But the point is.. there are half a dozen vendors on this site.. most of whom start out with a melt and pour base.. If you have issues with this... be aware that there are hundreds of melt and pour bases out there.. most of which are using petroleum products as well as SLS.... and it seems Bramble berry's base does not go in that direction.

Therefore, you can buy your base from brambleberrie... and you can get the clay and natural ingredients to add to.. a natural base.. and then you can buy your frangrance and essential oils from them.. and viola, you have a shaving soap.

Is this a good shaving soap? Well... frankly, you won't know until you try it. And probably spend a few years learing about aromatherapy and essential oils... and then fragrances.. and then learn about labeling and what the industry requires, (very specific) and then buy containers that are correct.. and then you may have a good shave soap..

Sue has been working on creating a natural melt and pour soap.. with.. omg.. TALLOW! and maybe it is just a question of adding an additional 20% of natural organic glycerin to the base.. to come up with a melt and pour soap..

OK.. I am sorry, I am going on and on.. but I am not going to leave this forum being told that the products that I painstakingly make by hand are equal to something you can do yourself.. On the other hand.. do it yourself.. and share what you have learned with everyone as we have.. and maybe you can be a soaper too....

sorry for going off on the soapbox.. but ya.. that one hurts.
 
"If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great."

Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan, A League of Their Own.

How handcrafted soaps stack up against each other is pretty subjective, and since they all offer so much quality for very little expenditure I'd say you should try them and see for yourself.
 
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