Scentless Saturday

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Yesterday's Saturday shave...

Mike's Unscented.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Cal]

Saturday's Scentless Soap Shave

Brush: Shavemac "Kleiner Bayer" Silvertip D01 2-Band 14/42
Soap: Phoenix Scentsless
Razor: Yaqi Duomo GT
Blade: Feather (3)
ASL: Clubman Musk

A superb shave.

That was fantastic. The lightweight GT handle improved precision and handling (versus the OE handle).


Happy shaves guys.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

And here is something I wrote up in November 2021 at the request of the guys on the Shave of the Week Society.

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Since 2015, I have tried numerous unscented soaps. Why unscented? My wife has severe allergies and sinus issues, and strong or unpleasant scents (to her) will trigger a sinus headache or migraine. I can make a list of the soaps I have tried sometime, but in 2019 I stopped buying and used up what I had, settling on the Top Three soaps for me. These three will always be stocked in my shave kit. They are, in order of discovery, Mystic Water Soaps Sensitive Skin (11/2015), Mike’s Natural Soap Unscented (1/2016), and Shannon’s Soaps Nil (2/2016). What follows will be based on my experience and preferences. You have been warned!

Currently there are 15 different soaps in my soap drawer. There was one other, but I donated it to a Shavers in Need thread on another forum.

Here are my thoughts. The order is sort of alphabetical by maker.

1. Canada shaving soap: This is my most expensive soap, $41 CAD, plus $15 shipping. It is a hard soap, and the tub is filled to the rim, 175g of soap. It has only 6 ingredients, non-tallow, and a compelling story Our Story - Canada Shaving Soap. It lathers very fast, and since filled to the rim, I make a mess. I find loading 30 seconds and adding water makes a great lather. I am on the fence on this one. It leaves me feeling good, but the cost keeps bugging me. On the positive side, after using it almost 3 dozen times (lately I am using it to break in a boar brush), it hardly shows any sign of use! So maybe the price, averaged over the soap’s life, will make it worth it. But for now, I won’t buy again, but that is only due to cost.
2. Ethos Clean: Second most expensive soap, $34 USD, and tallow based. I liked the description, I have read the reviews of the scented version, but I don’t think it works any better than Mystic Water Soap for post-shave face feel.
3. Haslinger Aloe Vera: another hard soap, very inexpensive, and a light aloe scent. I have not used it more than 10 times, so the jury is out on it. Initial response is Meh.
4. House of Mammoth Z: tallow, 4 oz, $22 USD. A self-billed luxury soap. I like it, and plan to Buy Again.
5. Hub City Birthday Suit: tallow, 4 oz, and good stuff for skin. I like this one a lot, even after first use, my notes show I loved it. Lathers easily and abundantly, creamy, slick, etc. Water added can of course vary the lather, but this one Wowwed me right away. Buy Again.
6. Lakewood Soap Co revisited (11/6/21). Tallow, 5 oz. $17.50 USD. Performed well, but pricey. Didn’t outshine any of my top soaps, so I don’t see this as a buy again. Meh.
7. Mike’s Natural Soap: tallow, 4 oz, available as refill puck or in tub $12 USD tub). A great soap, ideal lather, very good post-shave feel. Buy Again.
8. Mitchell’s Wool Fat: tallow, hard soap, has a light scent that I am uncertain about. I used it once, and am currently airing it out in the furnace room, seeing if I can’t reduce that light, sort of powdery yet clean smell. If I can smell it, my wife will most certainly. Not enough time with soap, but scent probably means Don’t Buy Again.
9. Mystic Water Soap Sensitive Skin: tallow, 4oz puck or tub ($14.15 USD). This is my Gold Standard, Buy Again soap. Great lather, I like the smell (only from ingredients, no fragrance added) and wonderful post-shave feel.
10. Noble Otter Bare: tallow, 4 oz, $14 USD. Impressed me from the first time I used it. Definitely a Buy Again.
11. Shannon’s Soaps Nil: tallow, 4 oz, $11.95 USD for a tub. Awesomeness in a tub. Easy lather, great slickness, a Mary Poppins of shave soaps (Practically Perfect in every way!) Buy Again, don’t wait!
12. Stirling Beeswax: tallow, 5.8 oz, $14 USD. First use didn’t wow me, but this soap won me over, to where I now love it! I think I didn’t add enough water on first use, or the razor was rough and I blamed the soap. Subsequent uses changed my mind dramatically. Buy Again.
13. Stirling Naked and Smooth: as above. I had a sample back in early 2016 and I didn’t care for it. I was gifted a puck earlier this year, and still not impressed. I gifted it as well. Meh.
14. Stirling Sheep: tallow, lanolin, shea butter. $14 USD, 5.8 oz. Another home run from Stirling. And the ONLY company I know of that makes THREE unscented soaps. I love two of them. Buy Again.
15. Vintage Williams: tallow, a hard soap, price varies, no longer made as tallow. Age diminished all fragrance to having no detectable odor. Lathered well, and fun for nostalgia. With enough water it makes a very good lather.
16. Zingari Man unscented: tallow, 5 oz, $21 USD. Top of the food chain per website, great lather and post-shave. Buy Again.

There you have it, my current soaps and thoughts. The final tally is 3 Don’t Buy Again, 4 Meh, and 9 Buy Again. [November 6, 2021]

1. Here are my initial thoughts, after 4 uses of Sir Henry's/Black Tie #13: This is a nice soap! 4 oz, and priced at $14 USD. I was impressed at the first lathering and am still impressed. Not meh, but with so many wonderful soaps, I simply can't buy them all! I would probably place this one with Hub City, Shannon's, and Noble Otter, which I guess means I may Buy Again! (10/27/21)
2. PAA Scentsless (Formula CK-6). Non-tallow (made from premium veg fats), $25 USD for 5 oz. This stuff is awesome, worth every penny!
3. Bartigan & Stark Nil. Liking this a lot so far.
4. Sheermonik Pur. Have it but haven’t tried it yet. [after trying, I moved it on]
5. Martin de Candre Nature. Two shaves in on a sample and liking it so far. [irritating to my face, and I tossed it since it was a sample]

I have since added some more, like MacDuff's Aspen Parkland (really liking this one!) and two more that I told myself I can't open until I finish some others. Currently, there are 12 open tubs and the 2 unopend ones (Deton Majik's unscented and Murphy & McNeil Nil).
For the curious, the 12 in use are:

1. Sir Henry's Black Tie #13
2. Mystic Water Soap Sensitive Skin
3. Mike's Natural Soap
4. Shannon's Soaps Nil
5. Stirling unscented with beeswax
6. Stirling Sheep
7. Vintage William's Mug soap
8. Ethos Clean
9. Canada Shaving Soap
10. MacDuff's Aspen Parkland
11. PAA Scentsless (CK-6 formula)
12. Zingari Man

Always a go to post.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I tried a new unscented soap today.

My early impressions, linked here, were pretty good, but I like Mike's better.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Phoenixkh]

I'm a fussy bowl latherer.... Scoop and smear the creamy soaps and croaps.... Mike's, Stirling Unscented with Beeswax, etc. are a bit more difficult to smear. The ease of using Canada Shaving soap for me is.... I scrape out the right amount... mist it in the bowl..... and let it set while I'm showering... floating in a sink full of hot water. It's so much easier to use. I think that's why it's my fall back soap. I prefer the lather I get from Mike's unscented, truth be told... but it's more work. <eg>

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I'm a fussy bowl latherer.... Scoop and smear the creamy soaps and croaps.... Mike's, Stirling Unscented with Beeswax, etc. are a bit more difficult to smear. The ease of using Canada Shaving soap for me is.... I scrape out the right amount... mist it in the bowl..... and let it set while I'm showering... floating in a sink full of hot water. It's so much easier to use. I think that's why it's my fall back soap. I prefer the lather I get from Mike's unscented, truth be told... but it's more work. <eg>

Not that I'm seeking to justify my face lathering habit, but if I were...

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[MaineYooper]

I know I'll get called out for no photo (lol!), but today was Stirling Sheep. I find this a wonderful soap, and I don't get any mutton smell, which could be due to the puck being almost 2.5 years old now!

 

[Cal]

Saturday's Scentless Soap Shave

Brush: Shavemac "Kleiner Bayer" Silvertip D01 2-Band 14/42
Soap: Mike's Unscented (4)
Razor: 1947 Knockout
Blade: FlyDear (7)
ASL: La Rive Cabana

Another superb shave.

That was shave four of my Mike's Unscented seven-shave trial. I was surprised that I went on a learning curve for the first few shaves... normally I get great lathers straight away with any new soap. It's definitely a fine soap and I love it more with each shave.

Also, it was a wonderful gift from Jim (@Chan Eil Whiskers). You're an ACE, Jim. Thank you so much.


Happy shaves guys.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Saturday's Scentless Soap Shave

Brush: Shavemac "Kleiner Bayer" Silvertip D01 2-Band 14/42
Soap: Mike's Unscented (4)
Razor: 1947 Knockout
Blade: FlyDear (7)
ASL: La Rive Cabana

Another superb shave.

That was shave four of my Mike's Unscented seven-shave trial. I was surprised that I went on a learning curve for the first few shaves... normally I get great lathers straight away with any new soap. It's definitely a fine soap and I love it more with each shave.

Also, it was a wonderful gift from Jim (@Chan Eil Whiskers). You're an ACE, Jim. Thank you so much.


Happy shaves guys.

My pleasure, Cal.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[MaineYooper]

 

[Cal]

Saturday's Scentless Soap Shave

Brush: Shavemac Silvertip D01 16/47
Soap: Chiseled Face Natural (1)
Razor: Chiseled Face Aluminum Legacy on Herringbone handle (2)
Blade: FlyDear (1)
ASL: Benjamins Mentholated Bay Rum

A superb shave.

All the (hardware and software) players played a blinder tonight. I know it was only my first shave with CF Natural soap, but it stood out as the best scentless soap that I've used to date! Performance was superb and I couldn't detect ANY scent at all!


Happy shaves guys.

 

[MaineYooper]

Saturday's Scentless Soap Shave

Brush: Shavemac Silvertip D01 16/47
Soap: Chiseled Face Natural (1)
Razor: Chiseled Face Aluminum Legacy on Herringbone handle (2)
Blade: FlyDear (1)
ASL: Benjamins Mentholated Bay Rum

A superb shave.

All the (hardware and software) players played a blinder tonight. I know it was only my first shave with CF Natural soap, but it stood out as the best scentless soap that I've used to date! Performance was superb and I couldn't detect ANY scent at all!


Happy shaves guys.

Great to hear about the CF Natural! I bought a tub from Maggard last November and haven't tried it yet as I am feverishly trying to finish soaps bought 2 years ago. Using my BOSC skills, I will make it plan soon!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I'll have to look into the Chiseled Face Natural.

My Saturday shave was good. I used Mike's Unscented and a razor I've not used in a while.

It was a nice shave albeit unpracticed with this razor.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Phoenixkh]

I was traveling Saturday but got in a nice unscented shave yesterday... but with the brushless Cremo unscented. I can't say I like it.... as I much prefer to apply shaving lather with a brush.... but for a travel cream, it's easy and is slick enough to work well.

I've mentioned it in other threads, but using a brushless cream saves me over half an hour. I guess I take too much time lathering and even more time obsessively cleaning my shaving brushes. <eg>

 

[Cal]

I've mentioned it in other threads, but using a brushless cream saves me over half an hour. I guess I take too much time lathering and even more time obsessively cleaning my shaving brushes. <eg>

Excellent, Kim!