Ruds is a YouTube influencer by the name of Jason Rudman. His channel is Ruds Shaves. His first video dates back to 2015. His is known for his shaving videos, primarily reviews of about 125 shaving soaps and creams. He rates each of them according to his own proprietary scoring system, details of which he has never released. He face shaves and head shaves using both straight razors and DE razors. Occasionally, he will review other products such as razors, brushes, post-shave products, etc.
Rud's Scores
- Thread starter GeoWashRocks
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Ruds is a YouTube influencer by the name of Jason Rudman. His channel is Ruds Shaves. His first video dates back to 2015. His is known for his shaving videos, primarily reviews of about 125 shaving soaps and creams. He rates each of them according to his own proprietary scoring system, details of which he has never released. He face shaves and head shaves using both straight razors and DE razors. Occasionally, he will review other products such as razors, brushes, post-shave products, etc.
OK, I don't follow the youtube shavers at all, thanks ... good bio.
Castle Forbes (UK, non-artisan, cream)
Valobra (Italy, non-artisan, hard)
Haslinger (Austria, non-artisan, hard)
Razorock (Italy, non-artisan, hard)
Fine Accoutrements (Netherlands, non-artisan, hard)
SV (Italy, non-artisan, hard, current forum favorite)
Non-artisan soaps from outside North America seem to get a lower rating. All but one are hard milled soaps.
In his system, a soap has to offer luxuriant "residual slickness" and "post-shave feel" to be considered "elite" or even worthy.
I have to laugh at being a wet shaving influencer. It's not a huge market to be sure. Ruds is a stand up person, if for no other reasons than (1) he always discloses the source of what he's using, and (2) I have no other objective reason to doubt him. Do I think he's right sometimes? Yes. Do I think he's wrong sometimes? Yes. Just like everybody here on B&B. He's just a person trying to do his best to evaluate shaving soaps for people who are interested. Use his information as you will.
Just as an example, I love Murphy and McNeil (he does too), and Stirling (a little less for him), and Martin de Candre (don't think he's reviewed it). I do watch him, but pay more attention to the words he uses describing something than any score. I write this as someone who has most definitely checked his numerical scores
and will still do so because it's fun for me.
Just as an example, I love Murphy and McNeil (he does too), and Stirling (a little less for him), and Martin de Candre (don't think he's reviewed it). I do watch him, but pay more attention to the words he uses describing something than any score. I write this as someone who has most definitely checked his numerical scores
and will still do so because it's fun for me.
Well said. I think he’s trying to do a good thing by having a voice in the hobby. While he has a few primary areas of focus for the products he reviews, he appears to just be honest of his impressions. I agree with you that some things I agree with him and others I don’t. It’s a YMMV or perhaps a RMMVI have to laugh at being a wet shaving influencer. It's not a huge market to be sure. Ruds is a stand up person, if for no other reasons than (1) he always discloses the source of what he's using, and (2) I have no other objective reason to doubt him. Do I think he's right sometimes? Yes. Do I think he's wrong sometimes? Yes. Just like everybody here on B&B. He's just a person trying to do his best to evaluate shaving soaps for people who are interested. Use his information as you will.
Just as an example, I love Murphy and McNeil (he does too), and Stirling (a little less for him), and Martin de Candre (don't think he's reviewed it). I do watch him, but pay more attention to the words he uses describing something than any score. I write this as someone who has most definitely checked his numerical scores
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
If I'm looking at a purchasing a new product, Rud sometimes has his opinion after using it and he is reasonably accurate IMO.
One thing you must know by now that traditional wet shaving is very opinionated because it is in our DNA & there is just to many products out there to give a opinion on IMO.
Saponifico Varesino does make some awesome high end products, they are one largest soap manufactures in Europe also & so that indicates something to me they know what folks want. I had one of their sample aftershaves and just enjoyed it greatly.(Cosmo AS)
I know that Ruds does put a premium on soaps having residual slickness and post shave feel. As someone with a fast-growing, tough beard and sensitive skin, I have to do a four-pass shave, so I am also concerned about these factors.
You state that SV is a forum favorite. I have SV beta 4.3 in my den; I rate it below average. It is not nearly as slick as some of my other soaps, the residual slickness is only fair and the post-shave feel is poor. For the price I paid, this was a poor purchase. I have the Assylum Colonia (Bullgoose Shaving exclusive) scent. The scent is the only thing superb about this soap.
I am not a fan of hard milled soaps either. They work well for someone who uses them every day, but when you only use a soap a couple of times a year like I do, lathering a hard puck is a royal pain.
My preference is to read reviews here on B&B first! (And I appreciate different opinions as there are so many subjective factors) 
If I am interested in a product, then I try to get a sample before committing to a purchase.
If I am interested in a product, then I try to get a sample before committing to a purchase.
I‘m not particularly a fan of Ruds or any YouTube shaver, but knowing what some of his top choices are, if what you said is true you’re going to miss out on some truly fantastic soaps.
I like reading his reviews on Reddit, but I don't follow them super closely. Separating soaps by a point out of 100 or more seems impossible especially when your prep or the amount of uses on a blade can make a bigger difference than the difference between two amazing soaps.
I just watched a few of his reviews...he does a good job reviewing the product. What I really liked about his reviews is he mentions other products that have a similar scent profile.
True! You definitely get more data points and opinions this way, especially with the different scents from soap makers.
I've seen some of Rud's reviews in the past, but I never saw his ratings until this thread prompted me to look for them. My soap usage is not nearly as exhaustive as his, or as many of the forum members here at B&B, but I can say that I found many soaps he rated as no better than average that I quite like. I checked out his video reviews on a couple of them, like Shannon's Soaps (79) and Wet Shaving Products Formula T (77) and I think I can see where our evaluations part company. I don't find residual slickness and post shave feel to be all that important. From force of habit, I always apply cream to anyplace I am going to shave. Even during touch-ups, I dip my finger in the bowl or run it across the brush and spread a bit of lather on the area I'm touching up. And I always use a post shave moisturizer.
As with any rating system that incorporates multiple factors, how you weight each factor is a major determinant of the overall rating. While Rud does not document how he weighs each factor, his videos make it clear that he finds residual slickness and post shave feel much more important than I do. Others here at B&B likewise prize those characteristics. For me, ease of lathering and the consistency of the lather and the key factors, along with scent (which is completely subjective) that determine how I feel about a given soap.
As with any rating system that incorporates multiple factors, how you weight each factor is a major determinant of the overall rating. While Rud does not document how he weighs each factor, his videos make it clear that he finds residual slickness and post shave feel much more important than I do. Others here at B&B likewise prize those characteristics. For me, ease of lathering and the consistency of the lather and the key factors, along with scent (which is completely subjective) that determine how I feel about a given soap.
Completely agree , I might hear some buz about some new soap here but I can't know if it works for me without trying it for myself . As far as Shavie Shave Faces on the tube I can't stand watching some else shave and don't care what they think.My preference is to read reviews here on B&B first! (And I appreciate different opinions as there are so many subjective factors)
If I am interested in a product, then I try to get a sample before committing to a purchase.
What is a Ruds and why should I care?
You are quite right that a difference of 1-2 points does not make a lot of difference, but once you start to get 4-5 point spread, the difference it noticeable. Anything that Ruds rates 100+ is superlative. Anything he rates 95+ is terriffic. Anything he rates 90+ is excellent and will provide a nice shave.. Once you start getting below 90, you start to see some deficiencies. Once you get below 85, those deficiencies are quite noticeable, at least to me.
Today I shaved with an Oleo Soapwoprks Canard base soap that Ruds rates at 91. I got a very nice shave, but I can easily tell the difference between that soap and one rated 95 or higher. Through evaluation of more than 80 soap bases, I have developed a system that allows me to detect subtle differences that others might miss.
You claim that you have "different requirements for a lather' than Ruds. As I am always looking to improve my system of evaluating soaps, I wondered what your requirements might be. Perhaps I am missing something important out of ignorance on my part.
I presume that since you chose the name "BudgetShaverGuy" that price is one of your primary criteria, but I could be jumping to an false conclusion. Thus, what do you look for in a lather that Rud's top choices don't provide.
CzechCzar
Use the Fat, Luke!
Where is his list?
I can only say that, for me, post-shave feel is vastly overrated. Most people use splashes, balms, creams and recently sprays, such as this one:
They provide the best post shave feel and nourishment without being greasy and most of these products can be found cheap at TJ Maxx and similar stores. Therefore - again, for me - that part of the overall soap score is pretty much irrelevant. My questions about any soap/cream are:
They provide the best post shave feel and nourishment without being greasy and most of these products can be found cheap at TJ Maxx and similar stores. Therefore - again, for me - that part of the overall soap score is pretty much irrelevant. My questions about any soap/cream are:
- Does it lather up without too much trouble?
- Is the glide good?
- Does it feel protective?
- How does it smell?
- Do I have to re-lather to buff certain spots or not? (I usually do anyway, because its enjoyable and only takes a couple of seconds)
- How much does it cost, relative to the overall performance?
I find post-shave pretty important for my criteria. One thing that relates to post-shave tends to be residual slickness. If it dries out my skin, the chances are that it won't have much residual slickness.
The reason for my emphasis on post-shave is that it'll help even more with the added splash/balm. If a soap has a good post-shave feature, the balm will have a better effect on my skin. However, if the soap dries out my skin, the balm has to work harder to re-moisturize the skin and the end result is average. I think it's better to prevent skin from drying out so that the balms have less to work on and just add to the nourishing properties. I know this is not a popular opinion but that's my stance on it after couple years of trying drying and moisturizing soaps.
The reason for my emphasis on post-shave is that it'll help even more with the added splash/balm. If a soap has a good post-shave feature, the balm will have a better effect on my skin. However, if the soap dries out my skin, the balm has to work harder to re-moisturize the skin and the end result is average. I think it's better to prevent skin from drying out so that the balms have less to work on and just add to the nourishing properties. I know this is not a popular opinion but that's my stance on it after couple years of trying drying and moisturizing soaps.
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