The long journey is over. I've finally settled for "my" shaving soaps

[Ricksplace]

Thank you for your very kind words, but don't overestimate me. Polar bears are rather simple creatures that tend to divide the everything into two categories: edible and not of interest.

Here's an interesting polar bear story.
Wes and I have been friends for 40 years.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/punch-in-nose-saves-man-from-polar-bear-1.939732

 

[RayClem]

Nice selection to settle on!

I have 120 in rotation and the total number of soaps I've used is over 200.

For me, MWF is the one and only soap that gives me a uniquely close shave and skin conditioning.

Every other soap is basically for scent variety.

I use RO water to build a lather so none of my soaps are ever subjected to water quality variations. I get great lather from every soap.

I have a similar number of soaps in rotation. I love the variety of scents available.

I tried MWF and sent the puck to a friend. I have hard water and MWF was hard to lather for me. I finally learned how to lather it, but the process was so different from the other soaps in my den, I knew I would have issues with it when it came up in rotation.

I do agree with you that once lathered, MWF is a great soap with wonderful slickness, cushion and face conditioning properties. I am not sold on the soapy scent, however.

 

[jdp93]

I enjoyed this post @Polarbeard. Now, if you ever decide to unload some of your beautiful straight razors in the same fashion, let me know! (j/k)

 

[Wtd1911]

I am also trying to pair down my soaps to just 4 or 5 bases. I have not tried Mike's or Wickham but the MdC and SV make the cut for me. The following bases make my list for now, in no particular order....

PannaCrema Nuavia
Panama 1924
A&E
MdC
SV
With that said I will always have a puck of TOBS Sandalwood. This particular soap gives me one of the best shaves ever on long growth. No other TOBS performs like Sandalwood does for me.

 

[Polarbeard]

Here's an interesting polar bear story.
Wes and I have been friends for 40 years.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/punch-in-nose-saves-man-from-polar-bear-1.939732

Your friend was very lucky. I'd say that he with almost total certainty should have died. An adult polar bear is the largest land living carnivore in the world and the only one that views humans as prey. It's also a very intelligent animal. It was fascinating to read, thank you for sharing.
Below is a video of an encounter between a BBC cameraman and a half grown polar bear.

I enjoyed this post @Polarbeard. Now, if you ever decide to unload some of your beautiful straight razors in the same fashion, let me know! (j/k)

Thank you very much. I'm also glad that you like my razor collection, alas so do I so I'm afraid that they'll stay with me.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Good job, Arne.

There are a number of soaps I've not tried including one on you list, but I certainly see how MdC, SV, and Wickham 1912 made your list. Wickham is not discussed very much on this forum, but I think it's right up there with MdC, SV, and WK King of Oud.

I rank Grooming Dept soaps above all the others I've tried, but your list is not supposed to be my list. I'm very glad though to see 1912 get some love. In all respects it is an excellent soap. I discovered it pretty much by accident looking around on Connaught and was glad to have done so.

I feel certain you are now planning to thin your razor collection just as you did with soaps. I am offering my services as a razor disposal facilitation expert. Oh, I can assist with brushes as well. Splashes, too, if it comes to that.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Polarbeard]

Good job, Arne.

There are a number of soaps I've not tried including one on you list, but I certainly see how MdC, SV, and Wickham 1912 made your list. Wickham is not discussed very much on this forum, but I think it's right up there with MdC, SV, and WK King of Oud.

I rank Grooming Dept soaps above all the others I've tried, but your list is not supposed to be my list. I'm very glad though to see 1912 get some love. In all respects it is an excellent soap. I discovered it pretty much by accident looking around on Connaught and was glad to have done so.

I feel certain you are now planning to thin your razor collection just as you did with soaps. I am offering my services as a razor disposal facilitation expert. Oh, I can assist with brushes as well. Splashes, too, if it comes to that.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Jim!
Thank you for your great generosity it's truly a grand offer and I feel very ungrateful to have to turn it down. Even so it's great to know that there still are old school Gentlemen like you around prepared to sacrifice yourself for a fellow man in need. I'm also glad that you've found Wickham soaps and that I'm not the only one outside the UK who likes them.

 

[bobmsp]

I'm also glad that you've found Wickham soaps and that I'm not the only one outside the UK who likes them.

I was very impressed with the sample of Wickham Parma Violet that I just finished last week. It's now on my relatively small list of bases to repurchase once I've whittled down my stock. The scent is very nice as well - woodier than I had expected.

 

[MaxG]

For me, MWF is the one and only soap that gives me a uniquely close shave and skin conditioning.

Every other soap is basically for scent variety.

My experience exactly! That stuff is truly different in performance. Since I don't look to soap for fragrance, especially lasting fragrance, it's unscented / very lightly scented quality is a non-issue for me. The performance is in another league.

- Carl

 

[J-MN]

I am also trying to pair down my soaps to just 4 or 5 bases. I have not tried Mike's or Wickham but the MdC and SV make the cut for me. The following bases make my list for now, in no particular order....

PannaCrema Nuavia
Panama 1924
A&E
MdC
SV
With that said I will always have a puck of TOBS Sandalwood. This particular soap gives me one of the best shaves ever on long growth. No other TOBS performs like Sandalwood does for me.

I'm working on locking in my top three. AoS Sandalwood Tallow and PannaCrema Nuavia Blu make the cut, but still working on finding what I want to fill the third spot.

Boellis Panama 1924 would make the top three if it didn't cause irritation on my skin. Fabulous lather and I adore the scent.

I'm working through some SV samples right now, so we'll see if one of them stands out.

 

[nav]

My experience exactly! That stuff is truly different in performance. Since I don't look to soap for fragrance, especially lasting fragrance, it's unscented / very lightly scented quality is a non-issue for me. The performance is in another league.

- Carl

In addition, MWF may be mildly scented but it's still my all time favorite soap scent (along with SV Dolomiti).

In order to preserve the scent, I heard up some of the puck and pack it into a shave stick container and use it that way.

Otherwise, I find the puck takes on water and losses its scent about half way through.

 

[HarryAU570]

MWF all the way baby fantastic throughout winter