Soap Sample Passaround Box

[dfoulk]

I own the the whole line. She lives 90 min north of me.

Awesome, she's a really nice person as well. The type of vendor that you want to root for, to see them be successful just because they're good people.

Do feel free to review some of her soaps in the thread at your convenience even if you're using your own soap and not what's in the box. I'm sure she'd appreciate it.

 

[bobmsp]

As far as the Barrister & Mann soaps in that box go I'm certainly not one of the dedicated groupies that collect every soap Will ever made. I don't really understand that whole thing, as I grade soaps as honestly and accurately as I can no matter who it is. I don't factor in price at all, and scent is an afterthought in comparison to performance. I'm really particular with soaps, so if you get a good review from me or make it into my highest tier, then you've certainly earned it. I've only owned two of Will's soaps (white label Nocturne and Bay Rum) over the years and I found them to be good, say about on par with Mike's performance wise. The new Luxury line is a huge huge step forward though, challenging for a spot in my top tier, so I'll give credit where credit is due. I'm not a fan of the scents in the Luxury line (mostly old school aftershave type scents) but it's one I'd definitely purchase when some new scents are introduced.

I think the groupies place much more emphasis on Will's scents than you do, David. I admit to stocking up on many B&M soaps early on in my acquisition days and it's still the brand of which I own the most (8 out of 26 soaps). It's probably not the absolute best performer that I have, but I really like the scents and am able to get great shaves out of it. I'm looking forward to trying the reserve formula when Box 4 arrives.

By the way, 2 more scents are coming out in the reserve in September. They're also based on 2 discontinued classic aftershaves - Fern (cloning Houbigant Fougere Royale from 1882) and Lavender (cloning Caldey Island Lavender). In addition, there's a pre-sale for Will's new scent, Fougere Gothique, starting on August 15 and releasing in October. That limited edition soap will be in the reserve line as well.

 

[dfoulk]

I think the groupies place much more emphasis on Will's scents than you do, David. I admit to stocking up on many B&M soaps early on in my acquisition days and it's still the brand of which I own the most (8 out of 26 soaps). It's probably not the absolute best performer that I have, but I really like the scents and am able to get great shaves out of it. I'm looking forward to trying the reserve formula when Box 4 arrives.

By the way, 2 more scents are coming out in the reserve in September. They're also based on 2 discontinued classic aftershaves - Fern (cloning Houbigant Fougere Royale from 1882) and Lavender (cloning Caldey Island Lavender). In addition, there's a pre-sale for Will's new scent, Fougere Gothique, starting on August 15 and releasing in October. That limited edition soap will be in the reserve line as well.

You're probably right about the B&M groupies. For me I don't have any brand that I have to collect and purchase every scent of. From any soap maker with a decent inventory of scents, I suspect some scents I will like and others I won't.
So, I'm not one to rush out and buy something blindly.

Thought I'm not sure what Houbigant Fougere Royale smells like, I am definitely a fan of fern type scents. Lavender is another I own in a couple different brands of soap so that's likely a safe bet for me as well. Will might get some of my money once those come out. As far as the Fougere Gothique goes, with most of Will's scents I either really like them or really don't like them. Though lately I seem to be gravitating towards the more complex scents so maybe I'll come to appreciate some scents that I likely wouldn't have before.

 

[joeyboy]

Very interesting thoughts. I am scent conscious. A soup could be so good it could shave me without a razor but if I don't like the scent I won't try it. I have two Caties bubbles that work great that just don't do it for it me any longer. I know there are great soaps in the boxes I won't touch due to scent but are probably better than creams and soaps I use now, at least on par.

I am making mental notes of all mentioned. Those that are perfume like will probably be a no go. Who knows. This really limits my purchases as a description is hard to understand sometimes.

 

[tclobaugh]

Very interesting thoughts. I am scent conscious. A soup could be so good it could shave me without a razor but if I don't like the scent I won't try it. I have two Caties bubbles that work great that just don't do it for it me any longer. I know there are great soaps in the boxes I won't touch due to scent but are probably better than creams and soaps I use now, at least on par.

I am making mental notes of all mentioned. Those that are perfume like will probably be a no go. Who knows. This really limits my purchases as a description is hard to understand sometimes.

I will try most any soap just to see how it performs, as most soaps come in various scents, and I like to know what to have on my radar. However, I won't put a soap in my rotation that I don't enjoy the scent no matter how well it performs, and I will add soaps that are not top tier to my rotation simply because of scent. Examples for me are Nuavia, which is a top tier soap that shaves great, but the scents just didn't do it for me; and Tiki Bar The Captain, which is a pretty good soap, but not as good as many others around, yet it never leaves my rotation as it's my all time favorite scent.

 

[dfoulk]

Very interesting thoughts. I am scent conscious. A soup could be so good it could shave me without a razor but if I don't like the scent I won't try it. I have two Caties bubbles that work great that just don't do it for it me any longer. I know there are great soaps in the boxes I won't touch due to scent but are probably better than creams and soaps I use now, at least on par.

I am making mental notes of all mentioned. Those that are perfume like will probably be a no go. Who knows. This really limits my purchases as a description is hard to understand sometimes.

I agree with Christian as I have some soaps that have made it into my soap rotation on scent. They have to perform well with no obvious weaknesses but scent can go a long way in my decision to keep a soap around that might not make the cut otherwise. On the other hand when I'm judging a soap I realize that we don't all like the same scents so I won't really factor the scent into the score. If it's a scent I absolutely love I'll take that into consideration but unless the scent is putrid I'm not really going to deduct points for that.

The good thing about these boxes is that most vendors have several soap scents represented. So you just try the one you like the best and you're good to go. You get to skip buying them all blindly and hoping for the best once they arrives.

Another thing that has happened to me more than a few times is I've come across a soap that performs really well but the scent definitely is not a favorite. These are the ones I find myself using daily with a larger brush for several weeks just to get rid of them. In doing this I've often found the scent to become more and more likable to the point where I've purchased a replacement tub once I finally used up the original one. I guess there's something to be said about trying something more than once. Many of the more complex scents I've come to appreciate this way.

With these boxes there are enough soaps in each one that it's really easy to find several that you like. The hardest part will be narrowing down your wish list once you get through all of the boxes.

 

[Grundi]

I will try most any soap just to see how it performs, as most soaps come in various scents, and I like to know what to have on my radar. However, I won't put a soap in my rotation that I don't enjoy the scent no matter how well it performs, and I will add soaps that are not top tier to my rotation simply because of scent. Examples for me are Nuavia, which is a top tier soap that shaves great, but the scents just didn't do it for me; and Tiki Bar The Captain, which is a pretty good soap, but not as good as many others around, yet it never leaves my rotation as it's my all time favorite scent.

+1! Performance alone isn't the deciding factor. To me, scent is a very important part of choosing a soap!

-
The good thing about these boxes is that most vendors have several soap scents represented. So you just try the one you like the best and you're good to go. You get to skip buying them all blindly and hoping for the best once they arrives.
-

I've now purchased 5 soaps as a result of the soap passaround! Even though we try just a sample, many times that's enough to determine if I'd like a soap or not.

 

[cvargo]

August 11th
Razor:Timeless
Blade: Astra SP (2)
Soap/cream: Smooth Operator Red Cedarwood and Rose
Brush: Rudy Vey 2016 B&B Brush
Aftershave1: Thayer's Witch Hazel Lemon
Aftershave2: Aqua Velva Balm

No review today. I lathered the soap which lathered well, but once on my face I got a burning sensation, and cheeks went bright red. I quickly did one pass and then decided that was enough for a Saturday.

This was also the last soap I had selected from the passaround. According to @dfoulk the updated soaps I am to add to the box should be here Monday. So I will ship on Wednesday. So I just need to know who send the box to next? Then I will do a couple of shaves with some of my own stuff, then I will start the challenge soon.

*Soaps Used: Rock Rose Apothecary Cypress Lime > Wholly Kaw Fougere Boutique > Barrister and Mann Luxury Reserve Cool > Razormaster Oskar = OSP d'Ardenne Short and Bell> Le Pere Lucien Abricot = Crowne and Crane Rose Garden>Big Easy Soaps Woodland Spring > Turtleship Coconut > Chelsea's Arabian Nights

Not rated due to reaction Smooth Operator Red Cedarwood and Rose

 

[dangerousdon]

I lathered the soap which lathered well, but once on my face I got a burning sensation, and cheeks went bright red.

I don't have sensitive skin at all, in fact I would say my skin is the exact opposite of sensitive. But most rose scented soaps do the same thing for me. Which is a shame...because I like some of the more masculine rose scented soaps and aftershaves. Sorry for the sting Chad!

 

[BigSpivito]

Sorry for the radio silence lately. Work has been nuts. I'll be posting 3-4 reviews today when the kids go down for a nap.


Happy Shaving
-Chris
US Army Veteran, Foxhole Shavers Club Member

 

[dfoulk]

August 11th
Razor:Timeless
Blade: Astra SP (2)
Soap/cream: Smooth Operator Red Cedarwood and Rose
Brush: Rudy Vey 2016 B&B Brush
Aftershave1: Thayer's Witch Hazel Lemon
Aftershave2: Aqua Velva Balm

No review today. I lathered the soap which lathered well, but once on my face I got a burning sensation, and cheeks went bright red. I quickly did one pass and then decided that was enough for a Saturday.

This was also the last soap I had selected from the passaround. According to @dfoulk the updated soaps I am to add to the box should be here Monday. So I will ship on Wednesday. So I just need to know who send the box to next? Then I will do a couple of shaves with some of my own stuff, then I will start the challenge soon.

*Soaps Used: Rock Rose Apothecary Cypress Lime > Wholly Kaw Fougere Boutique > Barrister and Mann Luxury Reserve Cool > Razormaster Oskar = OSP d'Ardenne Short and Bell> Le Pere Lucien Abricot = Crowne and Crane Rose Garden>Big Easy Soaps Woodland Spring > Turtleship Coconut > Chelsea's Arabian Nights

Not rated due to reaction Smooth Operator Red Cedarwood and Rose

Chad, Really outstanding reviews during your turn. It was a pleasure reading them. Please do share your thoughts on the Tallow & Steel soaps provided you're still willing to take that challenge. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think and if you're getting the same experience that I am after using them for several days to a week straight.

Box four will be sent to Christian next - tclobaugh (Box four only)

 

[cvargo]

Chad, Really outstanding reviews during your turn. It was a pleasure reading them. Please do share your thoughts on the Tallow & Steel soaps provided you're still willing to take that challenge. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think and if you're getting the same experience that I am after using them for several days to a week straight.

Box four will be sent to Christian next - tclobaugh (Box four only)

I will be doing the challenge. I'll be starting it in about a week and post the reviews here.

 

[BigSpivito]

Just forewarning, this is going to be a long one...

August 9, 2017

Razor: D1 Fatboy
Blade: Red Israeli Personna
Brush: 24mm Sterling Silvertip Badger (From Box)
Soap:Martin de Candre (From Box)

Martin de Candre was on the must try list, and it must be quite a favorite from the things that I have read. As you will see through my review, I think I must have completely different skin than most people, because it just didnt work for me. I couldnt get much of the scent, but what I did get was nice. I got a decent enough lather with it, but even with a think coating my razor was jumping across my skin as I tried to shave.

• Lather: The lather was not the best that I have had, but was easy enough to lather up. It made a decently thick lather, but I think that I might have missed the mark on the water. It wasnt wet and airy or dry and chalky, but didnt seem to perform the way that a crowd favorite should have.
• Performance: The performance was not very good for me. As I stated in my intro, my razor skipped across my skin the entire time. I had to pull my skin super tight to even get a smooth shave, which is not typical of most soaps for me.
• Post Shave: The post shave feel not bad. With the skittering of my razor, I predicted my skin to feel very tight and dry, which wasnt the case. It didnt get me one of those "wow" kind of feelings throughout the day, but it wasnt bad. slightly above average is about all I could give it.
• Scent: I enjoyed the scent. The scent was not very strong through the shave, but that may be because of the age of the sample. It gave me a cologne sort of feel, but wasnt one that lasted very long on my face. Solidly above average

The soap was a bit of a let down in regards to its performance, but again that could have been my own fault. I will admit that the brush is a bit different than my normal badger and is a bit more stiff, so that could have had something to do with it.

August 10, 2017

Razor: D1 Fatboy
Blade: Red Israeli Personna
Brush: Star Spangled Badger
Soap: Midnight & Two Citrus Island (From Box)

I had owned a tin of The Cabin in the past, but didnt use it much because I wasnt a fan of the scent. I was looking forward to having all of the current offerings from M&2 (other than The Coast).

• Lather: The lather completely exploded from the brush, and it whipped up really fast. I think it is a combination of using my own brush, the soap being high quality, and bowl lathering, but this was the best performer so far!
• Performance: The performance was sensational. The razor had a great glide through all 3 passes, on all three settings (I do a 8-5-2 three pass shave). There was a great level of cushion, and an above average level of slickness all around.
• Post Shave: The post shave was what really set this one apart. I kept noticing how great my face felt all day, and was truly impressed. This is one of the top 5 that I have experienced as far as post shave goes.
• Scent: The scent was not quite perfect, but I enjoyed it the most of the other M&2 scents. There was a very nice citrus scent, but I wish it was a bit stronger. I think that if M&2 added a bit more of the essential oils that are used for fragrance, I would place this one neck and neck with PannaCrema Nuavia in the top spot regardless of price.

I will most likely be ordering a tin of M&2 Citrus now that I found one of their scents that I enjoyed.

Midnight & Two Citrus Island > Captains Choice Lime > Tabac > B&M Cheshire > Martin de Candre

August 11, 2017

Razor: D1 Fatboy
Blade: Red Israeli Personna (New)
Brush: Star Spangled Badger
Soap: Shannon's Soaps Amaretto (From Box)

I didnt have any background on Shannon's soap, but I really liked the scent from the container.

• Lather: The lather was one of the least thick I have been able to get going. I worked it for a good long while to get it looking good in the bowl, but it was extremely airy on my face and dissipated quickly.
• Performance: It felt like I was shaving on just wet skin. I was not able to continue the shave for a full shave.
• Post Shave: NA
• Scent: The scent in the container was very nice, which is what got me to try it. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and even enjoyed the scent from the bowl. I didnt get a full shave in, so I dont know how long the scent would have lasted post shave.

I did not have a great experience with this soap, mainly because of the lathering issue. I also started to get a tingle that only happens when I am sensitive to an ingredient, so that convinced me to move on from this soap. I will have it at the bottom of my list, if for no other reason than I couldnt get the lather to stay on my face even beyond shaving one cheek.

Midnight & Two Citrus Island > Captains Choice Lime > Tabac > B&M Cheshire > Martin de Candre > Shannon's Soaps Amaretto

August 12, 2017

Razor: D1 Fatboy
Blade: Red Israeli Personna
Brush: Star Spangled Badger
Soap: Mike's Barbershop (From Box)

I am a sucker for a solid barbershop scent, so I wanted to give Mike's a try. I really enjoyed the scent, and it reminded me quite a bit of Maggard's Barbershop scent. On to the shave!

• Lather: The lather was a strange one. I started with the same amount of water that I normally use, and I could not get a lather going. When I say no lather, I mean NOTHING!!! I was confused to a point that I thought that it might be a joke. I added a splash of water to the bowl, and WOW! the lather exploded, so I think im going to be adding more water to all of my bowls moving forward . The lather was slick and lasting once I got it going. High quality.
• Performance: The performance quite good. I had a great level of slickness, and was able to go back over a few spots that were missed. The cushion was pretty good, and felt great while shaving.
• Post Shave: The post shave feel good, but it was the only part of the soap that didn't wow me. I wanted to use a splash of Skin Bracer, and it worked really well with the Barbershop scent.
• Scent: The scent was the greatest part of the soap. I really enjoy a high quality barbershop scent, and this one completely delivered. It smelled great and like a barbershop, without smelling synthetic at all. This is, IMO, the best barbershop scent that I have ever used.

Mike has done very well with this soap. I got a great shave from it, and thoroughly enjoyed the scent.

Midnight & Two Citrus Island > Captains Choice Lime = Mike's Barbershop > Tabac > B&M Cheshire > Martin de Candre > Shannon's Soaps Amaretto

 

[WildWest74]

Great reviews, Chris.

As for MdC, I will say that to get the best performance I only needed a 5 to 10 second load onto the brush, then about 1.5 teaspoons of water in the bowl. It is a thirsty soap that can be stretched a LONG way.

 

[BigSpivito]

Great reviews, Chris.

As for MdC, I will say that to get the best performance I only needed a 5 to 10 second load onto the brush, then about 1.5 teaspoons of water in the bowl. It is a thirsty soap that can be stretched a LONG way.

I might have to do a lather test with it again, just adding bit more water. From all the good I heard, it seemed a bit strange for me to have so many issues.


Happy Shaving
-Chris
US Army Veteran, Foxhole Shavers Club Member

 

[sfeile]

I might have to do a lather test with it again, just adding bit more water. From all the good I heard, it seemed a bit strange for me to have so many issues.


Happy Shaving
-Chris
US Army Veteran, Foxhole Shavers Club Member

I took the same little bit out of the sample jar as I did for the rest of the soaps when I had it, and had enough for two complete shaves.
The second time I used it I added more water than the first and it seemed to be a bit better. It does seem to be a thirsty soap.

 

[dangerousdon]

Great reviews Chris! It's interesting to see what works for some and not others.

 

[dfoulk]

With the Martin de Candre you really need a very, very little amount of soap. Think about the size of a dime or even less. Just maybe a half dozen brush swirls on the full size tub can give you plenty of soap for a three pass shave. I got three passes from three swirls once just to see if it was possible. It seems the more you lather it the more the lather multiplies. No other soap lathers this easily or uses less product for a shave, so if it's not lathering well for you then something is wrong. This one should be super easy.

You're not going to get the outstanding post shave from this one but it always gives me a really nice close shave.

 

[BigSpivito]

With the Martin de Candre you really need a very, very little amount of soap. Think about the size of a dime or even less. Just maybe a half dozen brush swirls on the full size tub can give you plenty of soap for a three pass shave. I got three passes from three swirls once just to see if it was possible. It seems the more you lather it the more the lather multiplies. No other soap lathers this easily or uses less product for a shave, so if it's not lathering well for you then something is wrong. This one should be super easy.

You're not going to get the outstanding post shave from this one but it always gives me a really nice close shave.

In that case, I'll give it another shot at a test lather, and hopefully I can update my review. Thanks for the tip.


Happy Shaving
-Chris
US Army Veteran, Foxhole Shavers Club Member

 

[tclobaugh]

Chris - don't automatically start adding more water to every soap as every soap is different. I recommend starting in the drier side of things and then adding a little water at a time until the lather gets to where you want it ( or breaks down if you push it too far). I call the area between the minimum water you need to get a good larger to the point where the lather starts the sweet zone, and soaps vary widely in this area. Some soaps have a very narrow sweet zone, meaning you need to get the water just right, while others have very wide zones and can therefore be more forgiving to hydration variance. And some soaps have a sweet zone that starts with a lot more water than others where some have a zone that starts with less. That is why I recommend starting drier, as that way you are less likely to overshoot the beginning of the sweet zone, which is key to me to being able to dial a soap in.

Great reviews - glad you ar enjoying the soaps