Etsy has some pretty interesting looking shave soaps for sale. Does anyone here have any experience with any of them?
Shave soap from Etsy
- Thread starter stromboy84
- Start date
Mike's Natural Soaps are fantastic and he has a storefront on Etsy.
Some soaps labeled "shaving" are utterly worthless. I wouldn't take a chance, unless you're wanting to test things out yourself. There are so many awesome soaps you can get without the crapshoot.
Go for it if you're in the mood to experiment, but why? Have you tried every other soap known and available?
- Thread starter
- #5
Nope, I haven't tried much actually. I'm pretty new, and have only used some VDH soap and Proraso green. I like them both, but I think I like soap better. I was thinking about trying some Arko, since a lot of people here like it.
Any other "must-try" soaps or creams I should check out?
Any other "must-try" soaps or creams I should check out?
PREPARE FOR INCOMING!!!!!!!
My favorites include the Tcheon Fung Sing "Ciotole Barbe Rosse" (thanks rxonmymind), RazoRock "Don Marco", and of course Arko which you already mentioned. I have collected quite a few soaps in the past 3 months since I started however these are the 3 soaps I reach for the most at this time.
The Fat, you must try the Fat-Mitchells Wool Fat.
The Shave Library soaps on Etsy are really good.
I have Gatsby and I like it very much.
I have Gatsby and I like it very much.
I'm guessing you're a newbie. I really wouldn't suggest any of them. There are literally 100's of other great soaps. I find that most "artisan" soaps are crap. I say "most" because there are a few winners. I love Portland General Store, and I found them when they were only on etsy.
Saying "From Etsy" is the same as saying "from the drugstore" - it's just a place for people to sell stuff, there's good and bad out there and you'd really have to ask about a specific product to get any kind of useful feedback.
+ Infinity. The average person making "shaving soap" is 100% clueless as too how shaving soap is supposed to perform. They simply take their bath soap recipe, add in some clay, and form it into a round puck shape. And then call it "shaving soap". The result is a soap that is useless for purposes of shaving, as it can't produce a thick, or lasting lather; instead you get a very airy lather than quickly deteriorates.
Be especially aware of shaving soaps that list Olive Oil as a main ingredient. Statistically shaving soaps that contain Olive Oil have a super high likelihood of being total crapola.
Etsy is mostly a bunch of hipsters making stuff, and hipsters aren't exactly known for shaving. Interesting is usually synonymous with poor quality and performance as they try and sell experimental batches. So yeah, I'm sure there is quality stuff, but asking here was the right thing to do before going out and buying random stuff!
Art of Shaving (whatever scent you prefer. I like the sandalwood and lavender)
DR Harris (I favour Arlington and Lavender)
MWF
Cella
Tabac
If you are really wanting an artisan shave soap there are a few that are good performers and well known on the forums. Mama Bear's Soaps has TONS of different scents and she has GREAT customer service too. I have heard good things about Mike's Natural Soaps too.
The RazoRock brand also has some interesting scents, especially in the "La Famiglia" and "Artisan" lines.
The RazoRock brand also has some interesting scents, especially in the "La Famiglia" and "Artisan" lines.
I think you will be happy with Arko in either the cream or soap formulation. Just be warned that if you are under age 40 Arko soap sticks will have a unique scent (older people will recognize it as it smells like dish or laundry soap from 1960). If the scent is offensive just let it air out in the bathroom for a few days and the scent will die down quite nicely. www.bestshave.net carries most of the Arko creams and soaps, Tulumba carries every Arko product known to man: http://www.tulumba.com/storeitems.asp?tag=30.20&pO=date&pS=desc&numRecs=16&pF=pA&p=1 . Both places mainly carry Turkish products (Bestshave is based in Turkey) but the websites are in English and US dollar denominated.
Arko soap comes in a stick form but can be smushed into the traditional puck using a shaving mug and the bottom of a large prescription bottle (most sticks can't).
- Thread starter
- #18
Thanks for the recommendations. I think next I'm going with some Arko and Mike's.
+1 on the Mama Bear's
Besides ARKO, you might want to try some L'Occitane CADE, Edwin Jagger Sea Buckthorn and some VDH Luxury.
Besides ARKO, you might want to try some L'Occitane CADE, Edwin Jagger Sea Buckthorn and some VDH Luxury.
