To Conk or not to Conk.

[hawaiianstubble77]

Greetings!

Upon the recommendation of a fellow B&B member, I visited a small mom-and-pop shop that sells a small collection of shaving gear: Colonel Conk and Merkur, along with some straight razors. I try to support local small businesses whenever possible, and this shop sounds like a good alternative to the "Big Boy" online stores.

If I read descriptions and reviews correctly, Col. Conk boar brushes are made by Vulfix.

And what's your opinion of Conk soaps? I have sensitive and dry skin, so I'm looking at the amber soap.

Happy Shaving, everyone!

-Ross

 

[djh]

I've never tried a Conk soap as they are not that common in my part of the world. They are not expensive, so I would suggest buying one and trying it...... everyone's experiences are different.

 

[Deano]

Ive used Conk Bay Rum. Its a good enough soap and I dont find it harsh at all . To me, it is very similar to the VDH soaps.

 

[Graybeard57]

Give it a try, it works. It has a pleasant scent, too.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Meh. Cutesy brand name. Pretty okay soap but slightly overpriced IMHO. (actually, most soaps are overpriced. VDH is around a buck and a half! Why pay four times as much for a soap of the same quality except it has more scent-y foofoo fragrance in it?) Haven't used a Conk brush. I like badger anyway. Tried a Conk straight, and was severely disappointed. I think it was just a rebranded Dovo Best. Absolutely NOT shave ready when I bought it, though the shopkeeper insisted it was. It was my second straight and I knew how to shave with a straight. Same defects that are common with the Bests. But do go in and have a look around. They might have some clever doodad that you can't live without.

See if the owner is himself a straight shaver, and if he hones in-shop. Don't buy a brush on the recommendation of a man who doesn't use one, only sells them, is my advice. Don't buy a new straight for full retail from a man who doesn't hone or isn't very very good at it. Soap? Well, what do you got to lose? Just don't stock up with a 10 year supply. Try a puck. You might like it. If you don't, okay, no biggie. Report back here, give us your opinion.

 

[mistercitizen]

I've never Conked. I'm pretty happy with all the other soaps in my rotation (Tabac, MWF, MdC, DRH, Calani, Klar Seifen, Cade, QCS, Mike's, Haslinger, among others.....).

Ben

 

[hawaiianstubble77]

Ive used Conk Bay Rum. Its a good enough soap and I dont find it harsh at all . To me, it is very similar to the VDH soaps.

Gonna pay a visit to that shop again after work. I might just pick-up a puck and try it out.

Meh. Cutesy brand name. Pretty okay soap but slightly overpriced IMHO. (actually, most soaps are overpriced. VDH is around a buck and a half! Why pay four times as much for a soap of the same quality except it has more scent-y foofoo fragrance in it?) Haven't used a Conk brush. I like badger anyway. Tried a Conk straight, and was severely disappointed. I think it was just a rebranded Dovo Best. Absolutely NOT shave ready when I bought it, though the shopkeeper insisted it was. It was my second straight and I knew how to shave with a straight. Same defects that are common with the Bests. But do go in and have a look around. They might have some clever doodad that you can't live without.

See if the owner is himself a straight shaver, and if he hones in-shop. Don't buy a brush on the recommendation of a man who doesn't use one, only sells them, is my advice. Don't buy a new straight for full retail from a man who doesn't hone or isn't very very good at it. Soap? Well, what do you got to lose? Just don't stock up with a 10 year supply. Try a puck. You might like it. If you don't, okay, no biggie. Report back here, give us your opinion.

Not sure if the owner uses a straight, and I don't know if they are shave ready. As for soap, I'm going to start small and work my way through the other brands (there is a LOT). Choosing a good soap or cream is almost like blade choice. It's all personal preference and what your skin can take. Will not be buying a DE razor for a few months yet, so I think the term: "Practice makes perfect" takes on a whole new meaning. That and reading threads and posts in this forum to refine my technique.

Thanks for all of the helpful responses!

Happy Shaving, everyone!

-Ross

 

[Chevyguy]

Ive used Conk Bay Rum. Its a good enough soap and I dont find it harsh at all . To me, it is very similar to the VDH soaps.

It is made by VDH and repackaged for Col. Conk. They aren't bad soaps, the lime can be a little drying to the skin. I liked the Amber, and Almond, scented soaps. Bay Rum has a very light scent to it.

Clayton

 

[Harry Snider]

My very first soap was Col. Conk almond. Great smell and made decent lather, I say go for the amber!

 

[Gingerbread]

The Bay Rum Conk was pretty great. To this date, one of the slickest soaps I've tried.

 

[Dalejr]

I always wanted to try their lime soap but never did.

 

[gash]

Col. Conk bay rum was my first soap. After trying others, I have no desire to use it. I'd recommend RazoRock, instead. It's at a similar price point, and the quality of the lather knocks the colonel out. If you don't mind spending more, the raved-about soaps are raved about for a reason.

 

[SteveWY]

I've used Conk bay rum and lime soaps. They are OK soaps, they do the job but nothing special.

 

[bassopotamus]

Man, is there anybody whose first soap wasn't Col. Conk? I started with the Almond. It is perfectly adequate, but nothing special. It also seemed to get used up pretty fast, so not that great of a deal on a shave to shave basis.

Shaving soap is pretty cheap when it comes to life's indulgences. There are so many better soaps for only a little more cash. Razorock is only like a buck more, and infinitely better. Cella. about the same. Mama Bear's, Mikes, Proraso, Tabac, etc etc. Not that much more money, so much better in the shaving. Heck, if you're really on a budget, go for Arko. That stuff is practically free and shaves as well as anything I've ever tried.

 

[mmack66]

I've used Conk almond, and it was okay. I've since moved on to other soaps, and currently use either Arko or Dr. Dittmar, which are both inexpensive, but are excellent performers.

 

[Curlingfly]

I have Col Conk Bay Rum and the best I can say is that it's OK. The fact that it's available locally to you, and you would be supporting a brick and mortar, mom and pop store, may just make it worth it to you.

 

[Whiskey Badger]

Conk Amber and Almond is always in my rotation. They are great soaps. Amber is my favorite.

 

[hawaiianstubble77]

I just couldn't help it. I ran out and got myself a puck of Conk Amber. Granted I still don't have a DE razor (still using my Gillette Sensor) and my only brush is a synthetic from 'The Body Shop', but it's the best I have for the time being. Here are my thoughts regarding Conk's soap. Please note that this is the first "real" shaving cream/soap I've ever used, so I only have the canned 'Colgate for sensitive skin' to compare it against. Here goes:

Col. Conk's amber soap is infinitely better than Colgate, with more slickness and cushioning. As an added bonus, I didn't get that usual tight post-shave feeling to my face, thanks to the glycerin, avocado oil and vitamin E. Aroma was also delightful. It was not overly strong and I caught subtle hints of honey and vanilla.

I still got some razor burn, but that's my fault, mostly attributed to a slightly dull blade and repeated passes without adequate lather.

And now on to the dreaded 'Con's': I could not build a thick enough lather, despite nearly an hour of practice. Perhaps I have to build more lathering skill, need to charge my brush with more soap, or the synthetic brush is just not up to the task. I think I may also need a shaving bowl with sloped sides so that I can really swirl that brush around. I'm thinking that it's a combination of all of the above.

BTW, I believe I did a fairly good job of facial prep. I rinsed my face with hot water, then used a hot towel to help soften my week-old growth even further.

But I'm not discouraged, nor am I giving up. It was actually fun building that lather using Conk's amber soap, and I'm looking forward to the next shave, albeit with a set of new blades. Yeegads, those things are pricey!

In the meantime I'll continue to peruse B&B to learn more about this fine, and addictive art of Wetshaving, and stockpile my wishlists from the various other retailers, both online and at that mom and pop shop where I bought my first shaving soap. All in all, it was a VERY educational (and fun) experience for me. Hmmmm....what shall I try next? Tabac? Proraso? TOBS? EJ? Ah, the heck with it. I'm gonna ORDER THEM ALL! LOL

Happy Shaving, everyone!

-Ross

 

[Eeyore]

The first change I would make, is buying a decent brush! Cheap synthetics are horrible for lathering.

A quality Omega boar brush would certainly be below $20, and it is definitely worth it! Of course you might want to invest in a badger brush as well, but then you have to spend more.

 

[hawaiianstubble77]

The first change I would make, is buying a decent brush! Cheap synthetics are horrible for lathering.

A quality Omega boar brush would certainly be below $20, and it is definitely worth it! Of course you might want to invest in a badger brush as well, but then you have to spend more.

I love detailing both my car and my wife's. Because of the huge amount of products and manufacturers available, it's easy to get carried away and become 'addicted'. I think wetshaving is pretty much the same. There's always more razors to buy, new blades to try, new soaps and creams to experiment with. The list goes on and on....

Fun though.

Happy Shaving, everyone!

-Ross