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Soap/Cream recommendations that wow!

Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker

Likes a fat handle in his hand
I was so tired earlier, I realize that I forgot to post the picture of the soap puk itself! Sorry about that!

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I've ordered from Stirling twice, and never been sent a soap sample. I like their unscented soaps though.

Maybe they thought I was fragrance-sensitive and didn't want to waste a sample on me?

Awwww, I am really sorry to hear that! Either they ran out of samples at the time, or they thought you were too sensitive to them like you said. While its indeed possible the packager could have forgotten, but the QC person would have caught that though I'd think. So probably one of the first two. Again, I am sorry that they didn't include them, I hope that things work out better in the future.

I ordered unscented stuff from Stirling twice and samples of their Sheep bath soap. I’m sorry, @Dnallehekaj

I haven't experienced any of their sheep based scents yet, how do you like them thombrogan? I've been thinking that the next time I make a Stirling order, I'd like to go with Scotts Pine Sheep, and Executive Man, as people talk a lot about those, especially EM.

It's all good! Their tubs of soap last me plenty long, and if I ever use up this MdC Fougére, I can get back to the neglected Stirling Sheep.

That is, unless I decided to open the DR Harris Windsor in that LOVELY wooden bowl ;)

Ohhhhhhh, I'm quite afraid you will be upping this MDC Fougere before the year is over. The rabbit hole draws you in, resistance is futile I'm afraid. The life of a Badger & Blade warrior is ever expanding their soap and razor base, as thy tools to rid them of the chaos that is on ones face, the tools of whisker reduction. And we love our scents, so we keep buying more soaps, cause that makes our world go around. At least it does for me lol.
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
if I ever use up this MdC Fougére, I can get back to the neglected Stirling Sheep.

I used my neglected sample of Stirling Sheep last night. More uses are needed, but it felt like absolute luxury.

@Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker , I just broke into their unscented Sheep for the first time last night. I think I liked it a lot. Aside from ARKO!, Col Conk Bay Rum, and Haslinger Marigold and Aloe, my soaps are unscented.
 
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Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker

Likes a fat handle in his hand
I used my neglected sample of Stirling Sheep last night. More uses are needed, but it felt like absolute luxury.

@Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker , I just broke into their unscented Sheep for the first time last night. I think I liked it a lot. Aside from ARKO!, Col Conk Bay Rum, and Haslinger Marigold and Aloe, my soaps are unscented.

This is really great to hear! My favorite part of your statement, was when you said it felt like absolute luxury! That pretty much sums it up I think, excellent! 😍
 
I have nine soaps and creams in my current rotation, and to me they are all excellent+. But the one that really met the “wow” test the first time, and continues to do so is Castle Forbes Shaving Cream Line Essential Oil. I did not expect to like lime, but tried it based on reviews. The scent is intense, in a great way. The scent, appearance, lathering, packaging, “face feel”, and after shaving effect on the skin are the “wow-iest” for me.
Of all the soaps and creams I have tried, and it is many, this is the one that wows me the most. I absolutely love it.
 
Hi everyone. Please forgive me if this post is in the wrong place. I'm creating this post in the hopes that I can get some really good, quality recommendations for either shaving soaps or creams that have really impressed you. Ones that have really stood out to you and that are currently available. What I'm looking for are recommendations based on actual use and not just hearsay. The more experience you have wet shaving the better.

So, my story goes that I'm at the end of my current shave soap and am in desperate need of a replacement. Don't ask me what my current one is because I honestly don't remember. I know its English and was a puck. Its lasted me for 7 / 8 years, so that plus my poor short term (and apparently long term) memory has made it so that I don't recall exactly

I'd say that my preference is on the soap side but do like and am open to creams. With that said about all my exposure to creams has been with Proraso Red (sandalwood) and Green (eucalyptus). My soap rotation was rather small as well. I occasionally use a Geo. F. Trumper
Eucris puck and a Palmolive stick from Germany I believe. It says "stiftung warentest" on it.

What I'd like to try is something new to me that will not only wow me but also my lady. She isn't really a fan of my Eucris soap scent but did give me a wow when I used my Proraso Red the other day, which was the first time I used it in a while. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!
Hi KMF79,

Good guess that the soap you used up may have been a D.R. Harris Arlington puck. You posted when you purchased it along with the Eucris puck 10 years ago (links to your posts below). My recommendation, given YMMV, is to get another puck of the D.R. Harris Arlington (DRH) if you were happy with it (guessing you were with use over 10 years) and they haven't changed the formulation over that time. Curious if your Eucris soap is the the original you purchased in 2012? How often do you shave with your soaps?

If you you want to try something new the closest soap in my rotation is Mitchell's Wool Fat that, like the DRH, is tallow based. Great lather but does require a bit extra loading time and use of a good boar brush for optimal results. Have seen others post on Arko above and agree it is an excellent shave soap that easily produces great slick lather with a strong soap scent. May be duplicative of what you get from your Palmolive shave stick and not consistent with your desire of a pleasant scent per your post above. You may also what to consider Italian Barber's Razorock "What the Puck" triple milled shaving soaps now on sale at $12.99 for four 3.5 oz. pucks (different scents). I recently acquired some and they easily produce lots of thick slick lather and have a good scent. Note these are not tallow based like your DRH. Main difference for me versus my tallow based soaps is that the residual soap rinses off much more easily. Do need to get the water right to achieve desired residual slickness.

Hope this helps, best of luck.




 
You are very welcome, I like to help where I can, even if all I can report on, is the scent of something. I can't specifically place the Venture scent to any specific cologne. I can only say, once the soap has been bloomed, when its wet, it smells like a masculine scent, like something you'd smell from a mens cologne. If you like men's colognes, I am sure you will like it, and performance wise, the soap is excellent.

The Lime soap is a bit on the weak side, its not super strong, I personally think it should be stronger, but it is also a nice scent. Performance wise, its also an excellent performer. And yes, I think that if you love citrus scents like I do, you'd like just about any citrus scent. The real question really is, which citrus based scent will you buy first?

Well, amazing news for both you and I, my order from Stirling ended up coming a day early, they sent my package via 2-day shipping! And just like the last time, they also sent me another bath soap sample, because they are awesome that way hehe.

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For education purposes, I am also going to include a photo showing the shave soap puk, so you can see what it looks like when brand new. I am also putting my photo's in my shaving supply thread to update everyone. I haven't had a chance to use the shave soap yet, but I expect no performance difference from that of the Black Cherry. I can report on the scent, it smell lovely, and its powerful!

Even when all the soaps were wrapped in plastic, and sealed in the box they came in, I could smell the lemon just bursting out to greet me and say hello. Stirling has been providing me first rate service, and I couldn't be happier with them right now. They appreciate you as a customer so much, that they hand write a thank you note on the invoice package sheet!

And not only that, but I took note of something very interesting on that same sheet. That sheet is initialed by the one who packed my order, then its initialed by a separate person, who double checks everything. Basically, it was proof of their top tier quality control. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! I've made the realization that going with Stirling was an excellent choice on my part that I do not regret.

I also don't regret choosing Captain's Choice for soaps as well. I will say, Stirling soaps are cheaper, where as Captains Choice soaps are more expensive, and you technically get less. If your looking for value to go with that quality, probably Stirling is going to be your best bet. When I opened my package today, there were several different things that just completely wowed me speechless.

(1) Package sent Priority 2-day shipping, when I know for a fact I paid for 5 to 7 day ground!
(2) All my soaps were packaged well, sealed in plastic, a sign that Stirling really cares!
(3) Stirling uses that eco friendly shredded paper for packing material, which works really amazingly!
(4) The invoice sheet, with the hand written thank you note, and signed initial's showing QC!
(5) Stirling's included FREE bath soap sample, to show how much they care!

Please keep us updated on what you buy, and please by all means, take pictures and post them, we love pictures here. And as you can tell, I love taking pictures and posting them lol.
So here's my latest update....

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After some of the first recommendations I received on this thread, I went ahead and ordered some Pre de Provence No. 63 and some Arko in puck form. As you can see I got a little overzealous and opened the Pre de Provence No. 63 before taking a picture of it in it's pretty packaging. Lol.

I shaved with it today and not only was I impressed but my lady was as well. This one definitely holds up to the "Wow" factor I was looking for. It has a very nice, classy, woodsy, spice scent that holds up long after my shave is over. I think I'll look into their aftershave balm to compliment the soap. I'm very happy with this purchase.

Arko is next while I wait for the next order I placed to arrive 😁

Good thing my orders are staggered. I know my lady's going to give me a hard time when she finds out all the soaps I've purchased. Next to arrive is the Orange, Cedarwood, Black Pepper puck from Mike's Natural Soaps. This one should be fun.

The story doesn't end here though. I couldn't resist so I also placed an order for some Stirling Light-ish Red (3oz), Ramblin' Man (5.8oz) and last but certainly not least, some Executive Man (5.8oz). I'm really hoping to be wowed by these, though I highly doubt I won't be disappointed with all that I've heard.

With all the great recommendations I've received, I take no blame for what I've done. I went so long using the same soap as my main that I forgot what else was out there. And as a man that loves variety in all aspects of life, I feel it's my duty to experience more with each shave.

I'll keep you and everyone else on this thread posted as my orders arrive and I try them out. I also want to say thank you to you and everyone else that's provided their opinion and/or recommendations to me. 🤘
 
So here's my latest update....

View attachment 1452249

After some of the first recommendations I received on this thread, I went ahead and ordered some Pre de Provence No. 63 and some Arko in puck form. As you can see I got a little overzealous and opened the Pre de Provence No. 63 before taking a picture of it in it's pretty packaging. Lol.

I shaved with it today and not only was I impressed but my lady was as well. This one definitely holds up to the "Wow" factor I was looking for. It has a very nice, classy, woodsy, spice scent that holds up long after my shave is over. I think I'll look into their aftershave balm to compliment the soap. I'm very happy with this purchase.

Arko is next while I wait for the next order I placed to arrive 😁

Good thing my orders are staggered. I know my lady's going to give me a hard time when she finds out all the soaps I've purchased. Next to arrive is the Orange, Cedarwood, Black Pepper puck from Mike's Natural Soaps. This one should be fun.

The story doesn't end here though. I couldn't resist so I also placed an order for some Stirling Light-ish Red (3oz), Ramblin' Man (5.8oz) and last but certainly not least, some Executive Man (5.8oz). I'm really hoping to be wowed by these, though I highly doubt I won't be disappointed with all that I've heard.

With all the great recommendations I've received, I take no blame for what I've done. I went so long using the same soap as my main that I forgot what else was out there. And as a man that loves variety in all aspects of life, I feel it's my duty to experience more with each shave.

I'll keep you and everyone else on this thread posted as my orders arrive and I try them out. I also want to say thank you to you and everyone else that's provided their opinion and/or recommendations to me. 🤘
Nice choices. Also given how important scent is to you the Arko puck was a good choice vs. the sticks. The pucks were a special production run back in 2015-16. I've both and found that the puck scent is much milder then the newer sticks. Let us know how it works for you. Enjoy.
 

Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker

Likes a fat handle in his hand
So here's my latest update....

View attachment 1452249

After some of the first recommendations I received on this thread, I went ahead and ordered some Pre de Provence No. 63 and some Arko in puck form. As you can see I got a little overzealous and opened the Pre de Provence No. 63 before taking a picture of it in it's pretty packaging. Lol.

I shaved with it today and not only was I impressed but my lady was as well. This one definitely holds up to the "Wow" factor I was looking for. It has a very nice, classy, woodsy, spice scent that holds up long after my shave is over. I think I'll look into their aftershave balm to compliment the soap. I'm very happy with this purchase.

Arko is next while I wait for the next order I placed to arrive 😁

Good thing my orders are staggered. I know my lady's going to give me a hard time when she finds out all the soaps I've purchased. Next to arrive is the Orange, Cedarwood, Black Pepper puck from Mike's Natural Soaps. This one should be fun.

The story doesn't end here though. I couldn't resist so I also placed an order for some Stirling Light-ish Red (3oz), Ramblin' Man (5.8oz) and last but certainly not least, some Executive Man (5.8oz). I'm really hoping to be wowed by these, though I highly doubt I won't be disappointed with all that I've heard.

With all the great recommendations I've received, I take no blame for what I've done. I went so long using the same soap as my main that I forgot what else was out there. And as a man that loves variety in all aspects of life, I feel it's my duty to experience more with each shave.

I'll keep you and everyone else on this thread posted as my orders arrive and I try them out. I also want to say thank you to you and everyone else that's provided their opinion and/or recommendations to me. 🤘

Oh my gosh, you are so very welcome! We love helping folks find their way through this journey. I am still in the early days of my journey, as I have been doing this for a couple of months now. But rest assured, we are here for you along this journey, no matter where it takes you. I am super impressed with both the results you've had so far, and all the soaps that you have purchased within a short time.

For me, I make monthly purchases on stuff, and I got a couple of other things I want to get this month still. And I want to get them this month, because next month is going to be a tough month for me, and I know I won't be able to buy stuff next month. So getting what I can now. Rabbit hole or not, wet shaving is a journey of a lifetime.

Congrats to you sir, I think your awesome! 😎
 
Nice choices. Also given how important scent is to you the Arko puck was a good choice vs. the sticks. The pucks were a special production run back in 2015-16. I've both and found that the puck scent is much milder then the newer sticks. Let us know how it works for you. Enjoy.
Hey there, Lane101...

I meant to reply to your previous message and thank you for reminding me what it was that I've been using all this time. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew it was D.R. Harris Arlington but with it just being a puck in a dish for so long, I had forgot. My opinion is that it is a good, quality soap. My only issue was that it really didn't smell like anything to me. I'd almost argue that it's unscented. I admit I don't have the best sense of smell. Maybe I just grew too used to it. Anyway, I would buy a D.R. Harris soap again but probably not that one.

I do appreciate your recommendation for Mitchell's Wool Fat. Without a lot of talk of it here in this thread, I have seen it mentioned a lot in other threads on this site and know it's one of the brands with a lot of loyal users. I currently have it saved to my wish list and will most definitely try it at some point. I do also appreciate your advice on using a boar's hair brush with it. I happen to have one of each, as they may say. A badger hair, boar hair, horse hair and synthetic hair brush. I just hope I remember to use the boar's hair brush when the time comes.

I'm going to be demoing the Arko tonight as I have a very, very early day tomorrow and won't have time to shave when I get up. I've honestly really liked the Palmolive stick. It smells great and I never get nicks when using it. If the Arko is similar, then the performance will outweigh all else. I mean how can anyone deny t a soap if its performance is that good.

I've heard of Italian Barber's Razorock but have not checked out their offerings at all lately. I'll give them another look. I'm sure I'll find something of theirs I want to try.

I hear you on the tallow versus non-tallow. Getting the amount of water just right is really where the learning curve is.

Thanks again.
 
Update for anyone following this thread.

@MrSpeedy

Mike's2.jpg


I have yet to use this as you can see but am anticipating it quite a bit. You can smell it right through the shrink-wrap.

@Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker @Dnallehekaj @thombrogan

StirlingLot3.jpg


So here it is. My order has arrived 😁
I'm super excited to try these! They smell great in the bowl. They also included a free sample of Vanilla Sandalwood. I'm just not sure which one I'll try first.

I've had a couple goes with my Arko puck and it lathers up right away, has a mild lemony, citrusy scent and protects very well. For ad inexpensive as this stuff is, I see why so many men use it.

I also have had a couple goes with the Pre De Provence No. 63 and am totally hooked on its scent. I've ordered the aftershave balm and am waiting for that to arrive. My biggest issue is that it come is square form and can't think of something I can permanently keep it in to when lathering. If anyone has any suggestions / pictures of what they use, I would greatly appreciate it.

Everyone here has been extremely helpful with their recommendation and suggestions. I'm much more excited to shave with the new soaps I've added to my rotation.

So that's it for now. Thank you all!
 

Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker

Likes a fat handle in his hand
Update for anyone following this thread.

@MrSpeedy

View attachment 1454909


I have yet to use this as you can see but am anticipating it quite a bit. You can smell it right through the shrink-wrap.

@Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker @Dnallehekaj @thombrogan

View attachment 1454914


So here it is. My order has arrived 😁
I'm super excited to try these! They smell great in the bowl. They also included a free sample of Vanilla Sandalwood. I'm just not sure which one I'll try first.

I've had a couple goes with my Arko puck and it lathers up right away, has a mild lemony, citrusy scent and protects very well. For ad inexpensive as this stuff is, I see why so many men use it.

I also have had a couple goes with the Pre De Provence No. 63 and am totally hooked on its scent. I've ordered the aftershave balm and am waiting for that to arrive. My biggest issue is that it come is square form and can't think of something I can permanently keep it in to when lathering. If anyone has any suggestions / pictures of what they use, I would greatly appreciate it.

Everyone here has been extremely helpful with their recommendation and suggestions. I'm much more excited to shave with the new soaps I've added to my rotation.

So that's it for now. Thank you all!

Now thats what I am talking about! Stirling shave soaps for the win! Oh my gosh, they have vanilla sandlewood! I can already tell that would be a perfect match, combining those two scents, why didn't I think of that? Well, I tell you what, I am building a list, and I am checking it twice, and in two months, naughty or nice, I am going to order a bunch of shave soaps, and some coffee!

I am really happy for you! You will have to give us a full report on each of those soaps. 😁
 
Proraso (Single blade) Wood and Spice shave cream and Aftershave Balm.
Works great on DE razors as well of course.
Lots of lovely lather and scent.
An absolute luxury shave. The Proraso wood and spice shave cream and aftershave balm leaves my face feeling like it’s been kissed by angels. (Well that’s what I imagine😂) A knockout combination and another of my favourite creams and balms.

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