Soap price increases

[bmw45mo]

As the prices of soaps continue to increase with various producers, what are some of your all's favorite affordably priced soap artisans/companies?

I personally do not like paying more than $15-$18 dollars for a soap, and have developed a favorable usage of soaps from Noble Otter, Stirling Soap, CBL Soaps, Crowne & Crane, and PAA.

The trend appears to be so many new "better" bases coming out, limited runs, etc. I tend to find myself not interested in the chase for the newest, supposed "best" base out there. It's good that we all have our own personal preferences and opinions, that is what makes the wet shaving industry a great thing.

 

[shave/brush]

I think Van Der Hagen Luxury and Tabac are two great buys. Great performance and good price. Both have been around for awhile.

 

[Rhody]

I have such a stock of artisan soaps that I’m not currently too familiar with reasonable pricing now. Generally I think wsp and stirling are probably best in price / value. Not needing artisan stuff right now I’ve stocked the Proraso line (not soap) very affordable and high value IMO.
I recently got a bar of mogno. That’s very affordable but the bar can be difficult to use and store. I just bought a travel soap box for it.

 

[bmw45mo]

I think Van Der Hagen Luxury and Tabac are two great buys. Great performance and good price. Both have been around for awhile.

I still have not tried Tabac, but need to, I see so many great reviews of that soap.

 

[Adjustingtolife]

345 soap co is fantastic. $16.99 for 5.8 ounces.

Shannon's soap
Stirling
Caties bubbles

- Fayiz D.

 

[Contact_vs_Feedback]

Tabac, Mitchell's Wool Fat, Stirling Soap Company, and Vitos Extra Super Coco are all great products in the price range.

I've personally uses these and they are great all round products.

I have plans to try:
> Haslinger, Musgo and Speick in the starting range, and

> CK6, Oaken Labs, Fitjar Islands, SV in higher ends of price range.

These above listed soaps are generally long lasting and their formula and price doesn't change very often.

 

[wormspank]

I'm fairly new to the DE scene, so I don't have a very amazing collection of soaps. However, Catie's Bubbles and the WCS series of soaps were cheap ~$15. They both perform very well in my opinion. note: the WCS branded ones are made by or are a collaboration with Catie's Bubbles.

 

[Ravenonrock]

Speick, La Toja, Tabac, Cella.

 

[BigJ]

Speick, La Toja, Tabac, Cella.

+1! Also Haslinger, Vito’s, MWF and (if you are feeling brave) Arko!!

 

[English Shaver]

In the UK you can get MWF for £6.30. Thats probably around 5 pence per shave.

 

[AZBronco]

I’ve noticed the price creep, too. Razorock is still under $10, B&M (some scents and bases) are under $20. Stirling is also still reasonably priced, especially with how much soap you get (almost 6 ounces compared to 4 of B&M). Captains Choice is $18 and 5 ounces.

 

[DaveHStone]

I'm very happy with A&E and SV (my two favorite soap brands), as well as Cella which is also one of my all-time favorites.

SV soaps are triple milled, so they last "forever"... a 5%, 10% or 20% price increase means very little to me, when one such soap can last me more than 2 years, with another 3-4 soaps in my rotation.

 

[jackgoldman123]

I'm very happy with A&E and SV (my two favorite soap brands), as well as Cella which is also one of my all-time favorites.

SV soaps are triple milled, so they last "forever"... a 5%, 10% or 20% price increase means very little to me, when one such soap can last me more than 2 years, with another 3-4 soaps in my rotation.

I agree - for my favorite soaps (CRSW, Wholly Kaw) a 100% increase would not sway my opinion.

 

[Burundian Hawk]

There is a DEFINITE price increase, even in very cheap products. As if coronavirus stopped people from shaving and companies try to reduce their losses...

Now, for people of high refinement and exquisite nose, i am afraid that there is no other option than to pay...

However, for skillful razormasters and less concentrated on how their lather smells, in EU there are still many cheap products:

- Lea Classic hard soap (i don't understand why people don't buy this. I buy it for €6 and it lathers in very hard water like crazy. Pleasant scent and seemingly immortal. I am now using a puck bought 4 years old and seems like new).
- Arko and TABAC (for those who can stand its scent). Arko is as cheap as it gets and TABAC can be found for less than €10. Seek german vendors in Ebay.
- Haslinger soaps (in Ebay there are always good bargains from german/austrian vendors. I have stocked up years ago).
- Lea, LaToja creams and sticks that you can grate (the Spaniards).
- Proraso obviously.
- The "italian bricks": Vitos, Cella, Rasozero, TFS, 3P.
- Cella in tub or tube.
- Palmolive creams.
- Nivea creams.
- De Vergulde Hand: dutch soap. Very good. I wish i had stocked up on this one, when i bought one.
- A certain italian store that sells in all the EU, also has its own soaps under its brandname, at less than €10. Probably rebranded TFS...

These are all options up to €10. With these are hard nucleus, you can throw in something with more exotic scent, if you like. But lather-wise, if you are a "good razor", you can have excellent shaves.

If i were to start shaving again, i would stock up on hard soaps. The creams can go bad with time. But soaps last much longer, even if they lose the strength of the scent. But is the scent so important? To me only the scents i can't stand are important. Otherwise you can do many things if you are scent-maniac. Use your own perfume or do as my wife does and use essential oils dispenser in the bathroom and go shave while the bathroom smells lemon grass to add scent to the almost scentless Haslinger...

 

[MtView]

I agree - for my favorite soaps (CRSW, Wholly Kaw) a 100% increase would not sway my opinion.

I've got to admit that I stopped buying WK because of sticker shock. OTOH I have liked their base more than some of their fragrances so it was never a must have for me. If I see a soap maker increase significantly in price I would like to know why, especially if other shops are not having the same increase. To me it gives the perception of a money grab - even if that perception is wrong.

 

[jackgoldman123]

I've got to admit that I stopped buying WK because of sticker shock. OTOH I have liked their base more than some of their fragrances so it was never a must have for me. If I see a soap maker increase significantly in price I would like to know why, especially if other shops are not having the same increase. To me it gives the perception of a money grab - even if that perception is wrong.

Perception is more important than reality.

 

[Ivo4u2]

Since I love some variety and rarely see the bottom of a tub I wish they made 50g/ml standardized pucks and simply sold them in a wrapper with a separate sticker. And if you want to a standardized fitting container in that size. It would encourage reusing containers. And yes I know more handling so that puck is a buck more expensive as the big one.
But I am also sure more soap will be actually used instead of binned after halve used.

 

[old_school]

Since I love some variety and rarely see the bottom of a tub I wish they made 50g/ml standardized pucks and simply sold them in a wrapper with a separate sticker. And if you want to a standardized fitting container in that size. It would encourage reusing containers. And yes I know more handling so that puck is a buck more expensive as the big one.
But I am also sure more soap will be actually used instead of binned after halve used.

Like this^. Partly there as most sticks are around 50g and can be smashed or grated into a tub. Tabac is 100g and Arko 75g? Only draw back is not everyone makes sticks.

 

[Ivo4u2]

Like this^. Partly there as most sticks are around 50g and can be smashed or grated into a tub. Tabac is 100g and Arko 75g? Only draw back is not everyone makes sticks.

Stirling makes nice large samples. Stick two in a tub, done...
Oh and there are lots more companies making shave sticks (paa, muhle, tabac, Arko, lea, speick, Palmolive, Nivea) but they have different sizes.

 

[AZBronco]

Stirling makes nice large samples. Stick two in a tub, done...
Oh and there are lots more companies making shave sticks (paa, muhle, tabac, Arko, lea, speick, Palmolive, Nivea) but they have different sizes.

^^^^This

Stirling samples are $3.50 and 1 ounce. Plus they have like 50 scents to choose from.