Back in the old days of high fidelity stereo systems, you could go to a showroom and directly compare equipment. There would be a large "patch panel" and the salesman (back then, it was always a man) would switch while you listened to music of your choice. We would show up with our minds filled with signal to noise ratios, total harmonic distortion measures, etc. and listen to the difference between one amplifier vs. another. I bought into all of this, and to this day own some fairly expensive stereo equipment. Ultimately, however, I learned to listen to my wife who suggested that I not buy anything I couldn't hear. If I am being honest with myself, the only time I could actually hear a difference in those side by side listening tests was when comparing speakers.
So now on to shaving soap. Scent aside, is there really a difference that I can feel between my most expensive soap, Asylum Shaveworks Flying Mango made by Saponificio Varesino (SV), and my least expensive soap, RazoRock What the Puck Gold Label? Have we simply substituted categories like slickness, cushion, etc. for the old high-fi signal to noise ratios, etc.? To answer this, I lathered one side of my face with Flying Mango and the other side with RR Gold Label. I used two very similar synthetic brushes and face lathered as I often do. I did my normal two pass plus touch-up shave with my Blackland Dart razor. Did I feel any difference between one side and the other as I shaved? No. When I looked in the mirror, could I tell that I hadn't used the same soap on both sides? No. After my shave, as I always do, I applied an after shave balm. Following that, as I sit here an hour or so after shaving, can I feel any difference between one side of my face and the other? No, both sides are equally moisturized and wonderfully smooth.
I am not saying that there is no difference; I am simply saying that I cannot detect any.
So now on to shaving soap. Scent aside, is there really a difference that I can feel between my most expensive soap, Asylum Shaveworks Flying Mango made by Saponificio Varesino (SV), and my least expensive soap, RazoRock What the Puck Gold Label? Have we simply substituted categories like slickness, cushion, etc. for the old high-fi signal to noise ratios, etc.? To answer this, I lathered one side of my face with Flying Mango and the other side with RR Gold Label. I used two very similar synthetic brushes and face lathered as I often do. I did my normal two pass plus touch-up shave with my Blackland Dart razor. Did I feel any difference between one side and the other as I shaved? No. When I looked in the mirror, could I tell that I hadn't used the same soap on both sides? No. After my shave, as I always do, I applied an after shave balm. Following that, as I sit here an hour or so after shaving, can I feel any difference between one side of my face and the other? No, both sides are equally moisturized and wonderfully smooth.
I am not saying that there is no difference; I am simply saying that I cannot detect any.