The Latest and Greatest Soap

[Guido75]

Just ordered two soaps (Chervona Kalyna and Phantom of Kyiv) in pair with their aftershaves and few soap samples from Arrefa. Read good things about them here and wanted to support Alessia, who is producing them in Kyiv during that mad war
Eager to try and review them here.

Discoverer is also very nice. I tried Kyiv earlier this month and a small amount takes me a long way. Super soap. Put me out of GRUME in December but wanted to support Alessia for Christmas.

Guido

 

[purecro]

I ordered a bunch of soaps from Areffa, Discoverer was one of them, also Kentucky Bourbon (how could I not with this one, badger tallow boiled with beer! plus the name and being in the USA ). I made sure I ordered soaps with bear tallow and badger tallow, don't think many if anyone else I heard of uses this. Tallow ie beef tallow is used as tallow's way more often, as far as I have seen, so yea it was something to try plus with all that is going on in Ukraine.

I also ordered Croatian soap, Meštar is the brand, and the types were Bagulina (saw it first on the site here) and Dišpet, I had to so I will be trying this tomorrow so it should be fun.

 

[UncleBob59]

The quality of the artisan soaps in 2023 is so high. Grab any of them, I can't see how they could get much better. My favorite for performance is Barrister and Man Omnibus base. But Zingari Man, Declaration Grooming, House of Mammoth, Grooming Dept, Spearhead Seaforth, and many, many others are right there with it. It's splitting hairs.

I agree. Artisans have really upped their game when it comes to formulations. It is difficult to buy a poor-performing artisan soap and if you do, they won't be in business for long. I love Barrister and Mann Le Grand Chypre. Fantastic performer with a banger scent.

 

[frbock]

I played around with several Noble Otter samples. They worked pretty well, but the only one I loved the scent of was Lonestar. Second ingredient is beef tallow.
I've got to do a meltdown on the Noble Otter, and the TOBS St. James tomorrow. Low heat, lid on loose in a frying pan with water. It softens the soap, and it goes back to being flat. Once liquified, take it out and let it sit for a couple hours. It hardens up, and you have a flat surface, just like new.
Don't crank the heat, that drives off the volitives, and you have something with no scent. You're looking for about 110F in the water.

 

[WhatAFool]

The quality of the artisan soaps in 2023 is so high. Grab any of them, I can't see how they could get much better. My favorite for performance is Barrister and Man Omnibus base. But Zingari Man, Declaration Grooming, House of Mammoth, Grooming Dept, Spearhead Seaforth, and many, many others are right there with it. It's splitting hairs.

This is pretty much spot on! Can't really go wrong...

 

[walpan]

First Line Shave 3.1 base. I recently picked up a tub of FLS Sutton Distilled soap which is in their 3.1 base. This was also my first soap from FLS so I can't comment on any of their other soaps. Sutton Distilled left my skin feeling smooth and supple until the next morning. I'd say it's equal to ETHOS or Grooming Dept and I have a large collection of both of these makers, but that's just my opinion.

I am new to wet shaving and this board, but I have tried First Line Shave soap, Origins soap and after shave. I found it to be an outstanding product. Great slickness and scent and I built a lather in no time. The scent is clean and lasts quite a while. I will be trying some of their other brands soon.