I know that Soap Commander has been a long time favorite for some, but I only had occasion to try one of their soaps for the first time today through the Power of the PIF. So, I thought I'd just put my impressions out there for anyone else that hasn't had the pleasure.
I received a tub of Soap Commander's Respect shaving soap which is billed as "Lime and Patchouli". While I'm not entirely sure what Patchouli smells like on its own, there was a definite lime smell that I found clean, bright, and refreshing. The undertones were much more complex, with a hint of non-floral sweetness, that still left this soap in the "bright and light" portion of the spectrum without being cloying or flowery.
Loading the brush (an Omega silvertip) was fast and easy, and I quickly had a generous lather in my scuttle. The shave (using a self-honed Griffon XX straight) was smooth, with the lather giving good slickness, cushion, and a pleasant aroma through each pass.
However, I did feel that the lather didn't stand up well in the scuttle, and I had to rework the lather for each pass to be able to get a good coverage. I didn't have to reload the brush, just rework the lather in the scuttle as it had thinned and dried during the pass.
Overall though, that's a small price to pay for such a pleasant and clean scent. Definitely an enjoyable shave, but I doubt that Soap Commander's Respect will make it into my rotation.
Of course, since soaps and their attendant scents and lathers are subject to such a wide range of individual preferences, YMMV.
I received a tub of Soap Commander's Respect shaving soap which is billed as "Lime and Patchouli". While I'm not entirely sure what Patchouli smells like on its own, there was a definite lime smell that I found clean, bright, and refreshing. The undertones were much more complex, with a hint of non-floral sweetness, that still left this soap in the "bright and light" portion of the spectrum without being cloying or flowery.
Loading the brush (an Omega silvertip) was fast and easy, and I quickly had a generous lather in my scuttle. The shave (using a self-honed Griffon XX straight) was smooth, with the lather giving good slickness, cushion, and a pleasant aroma through each pass.
However, I did feel that the lather didn't stand up well in the scuttle, and I had to rework the lather for each pass to be able to get a good coverage. I didn't have to reload the brush, just rework the lather in the scuttle as it had thinned and dried during the pass.
Overall though, that's a small price to pay for such a pleasant and clean scent. Definitely an enjoyable shave, but I doubt that Soap Commander's Respect will make it into my rotation.
Of course, since soaps and their attendant scents and lathers are subject to such a wide range of individual preferences, YMMV.