Lightfoots. I love the pine scent, but it just wouldn't lather for me.
Soaps you wouldn't choose again
- Thread starter Toddy
- Start date
Yes. D.R. Haris too. Really, really mediocre soaps (but nice scents). If they lathered and worked like Arko, I'd be very happy.
They do lather and work like Arko. I can vouchsafe for that, having recently gotten a puck of Arlington, and having shaved away about two sticks of Arko last year. Calling them 'really, really mediocre' doesn't in any way fit the difference in how they lather. Are you sure your 'l4th3r1n sk1llz' are up to par? Have you tried Marco's method for lathering soft soaps already (if necessary scaling back on the water content in the brush a little)?
- Thread starter
- #144
It Must be connected to the water. I am lucky here in that the only soaps I have tried and absolutely cannot get to make a decent lather are Penhalions BB and Erasmic Bowl. Just about everything else mentioned I can actually get to work (have never tried Conk, Mama Bears, Williams or any of the sticks other than Erasmic and Palmolive.
Anything that has parabens, though I'm not going to hack around thinking that they're on someone long enough to really cause a problem.
Probably the ones I like the least are the classic shaving house brand pucks, the new williams and the proraso green soap.
I get better cushion from MWF and especially from Tabac.
Probably the ones I like the least are the classic shaving house brand pucks, the new williams and the proraso green soap.
I get better cushion from MWF and especially from Tabac.
Caswell-Massey. It just wouldn't hold a lather.
In order to understand the collective wisdom of the board I also tabulated 118 responses on this thread. Similar to the Top 5 Soaps thread I counted brands that people mentioned they wouldn't buy again. I only counted a brand once per person. I'm sure there are a couple of errors in counting, but this should be generally representative. Like the last chart, these numbers represent the percentage of responders who mentioned a soap of this brand as one they would not buy again. For example, 16% below means that about 1 in 6.5 people mentioned a soap of that brand.
Interpreting these results are harder, though. There are many reasons not to buy a soap again, aside from performance: smell, cost, similarity to other products. Also, to even make the list, a soap had to be interesting enough to be bought the first time. So truly bad soaps may not make the list because board members know not to buy them in the first place. Also, there were many comments like "No Melt & Pours" and "No Italian soft soaps", which were not counted in the numbers below at all.
One thing of note is that, unlike the Top 5 thread, there wasn't such violent agreement on a few top soaps. While 50% of respondents listed MWF as a favourite, no soap earned more than 16% agreement not to buy again. Opinions are more spread out. This is a good sign of The YMMV Principle. Another sign is that virtually every soap in the Top 5 list had at least one vote on this list. Truly, YMMV.
Another interesting thing is that Geo F Trumper seems to have really disappointed a lot of people.
Interpreting these results are harder, though. There are many reasons not to buy a soap again, aside from performance: smell, cost, similarity to other products. Also, to even make the list, a soap had to be interesting enough to be bought the first time. So truly bad soaps may not make the list because board members know not to buy them in the first place. Also, there were many comments like "No Melt & Pours" and "No Italian soft soaps", which were not counted in the numbers below at all.
One thing of note is that, unlike the Top 5 thread, there wasn't such violent agreement on a few top soaps. While 50% of respondents listed MWF as a favourite, no soap earned more than 16% agreement not to buy again. Opinions are more spread out. This is a good sign of The YMMV Principle. Another sign is that virtually every soap in the Top 5 list had at least one vote on this list. Truly, YMMV.
Another interesting thing is that Geo F Trumper seems to have really disappointed a lot of people.
Williams - usable in a pinch and great value, but I would not use it again.
The same for regular VDH.
VDH Deluxe unscented is one of my favorites as is the Muhle or Edwin Jagger sandalwood.
The same for regular VDH.
VDH Deluxe unscented is one of my favorites as is the Muhle or Edwin Jagger sandalwood.
Crabtree & Evelyn Sandalwood - no lather, poor shave (razor skips); should be called Craptree & Evelyn
Cella soap - awful scent, quick drying
Cella soap - awful scent, quick drying
Goners:
MdC
Cella
Tabac
Ogallala
C&E
Conk
P160
Pen's BB
Ralph Lauren Safari
Trumper's Violet
Prarie Creations
I bought Trumper's Violet in the bowl because that's my baby daughter's name but when the soap's finished, I'll fill it with something else. Most of the others on the list either irritated my skin or I didn't enjoy the scent.
MdC
Cella
Tabac
Ogallala
C&E
Conk
P160
Pen's BB
Ralph Lauren Safari
Trumper's Violet
Prarie Creations
I bought Trumper's Violet in the bowl because that's my baby daughter's name but when the soap's finished, I'll fill it with something else. Most of the others on the list either irritated my skin or I didn't enjoy the scent.
Mitchell's, not a lubricating soap at all, has a nice light sent though... but thats it.
Same as me. Good performer but horrible scent.
Williams -smells like a bug repellant candle (citronella).
Haslinger - they keep coming for free with Shavemac purchases, but don't like any of the scents
Irisch Moos stick - meh scent
Tabac - ??? Love the AS, but not sure yet about the soap stick
Cella- can't take the artificial almond of this or any product
Haslinger - they keep coming for free with Shavemac purchases, but don't like any of the scents
Irisch Moos stick - meh scent
Tabac - ??? Love the AS, but not sure yet about the soap stick
Cella- can't take the artificial almond of this or any product
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GFT Sandalwood and Rose soaps. both scents dissappointed me. The sandalwood was very week and smelled nothing like sandalwood and the rose was weak itself and smelled like a cheap knock off of geraniums.
If you don't make it too wet then it is very lubricating. I find the trick is to make it a little on the thick, drier and creamier side then wet.
Col Conk - a puck lasts about 2 months but a triple milled soap lasts about 9 months (for me at least).
Mine are as follows:
C&E soaps: do not agree with me
DR Harris Arlington: does not agree with me
Floris no 89: nice slick lather but no protection
Valobra soft soap almond: nice lather but seems to leach moisture from my face
Fitjar regular soap without tallow: lather too airy and unprotective
De Vergulde Hand: great performance but generic deodorant stink
Monsavon: great performance but poor scent
Arko: ok performance but disgusting scent
In a pinch, I could use Monsavon, Floris and De Vergulde Hand but why should I when I can use SIM, Tabac and MdC which all combine great scent, slick lather and good protection.
C&E soaps: do not agree with me
DR Harris Arlington: does not agree with me
Floris no 89: nice slick lather but no protection
Valobra soft soap almond: nice lather but seems to leach moisture from my face
Fitjar regular soap without tallow: lather too airy and unprotective
De Vergulde Hand: great performance but generic deodorant stink
Monsavon: great performance but poor scent
Arko: ok performance but disgusting scent
In a pinch, I could use Monsavon, Floris and De Vergulde Hand but why should I when I can use SIM, Tabac and MdC which all combine great scent, slick lather and good protection.
Caswell-Massey Almond... I am not sure this is even soap. I think it's a mislabeled chunk of wax.
