Where are the fans of small soaps or sample bars?

[El Generico]

One of the things that I really enjoy about wet shaving is the variety of soap available to me. I started out with some VDH and added a puck of TOBS Sandalwood. I've gotten bored with my huge puck of TOBS. I really like variety and I've recently discovered Mike's Natural and Mama Bears Soaps. In the past two weeks I've purchased four samples from Mike's and two 1.5 ounce pucks from Mama Bears.

Does anyone else like variety and try new soaps by picking up several samples/smaller pucks at a time?

 

[tomcj2]

Thanks for reminding me. I just ordered 7 slivers from Mike's, and I'm looking at some samples from Ogallala

 

[Matt555]

Does anyone else like variety and try new soaps by picking up several samples/smaller pucks at a time?

Yes, when I have the opportunity Most products however are not available in samples. Luckily, Garry (a vendor here...check him out if you have not yet) changes stock pretty often so you can try 1/2oz samples that way. But I know what you mean, sometimes you just get bored using the same thing everyday.

 

[Toothpick]

i am a big fan of samples. i think it saves money over buying full product that you have never used and dont know if you like yet. when i want to try a new soap i'll always look for a sample first, and if i like it once the sample runs out i'll buy the full product.

 

[El Generico]

I don't believe that I've heard of Ogallala. I'll have to check them out.

Thanks for reminding me. I just ordered 7 slivers from Mike's, and I'm looking at some samples from Ogallala

 

[El Generico]

Thanks, Matt. I'll have to look up Garry and check out his soap.

Luckily, Garry (a vendor here...check him out if you have not yet) changes stock pretty often so you can try 1/2oz samples that way. But I know what you mean, sometimes you just get bored using the same thing everyday.

 

[nsl]

Kell's has samples for $2, and many differant scents.

 

[Wcoppage]

Honeybee has samples for a buck as well.

Big fan on the new mama bear mug soap size.

 

[El Generico]

I really appreciate that you guys keep adding names to the list of soap's that I want to try.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Yes, when I have the opportunity Most products however are not available in samples. Luckily, Garry (a vendor here...check him out if you have not yet) changes stock pretty often so you can try 1/2oz samples that way. But I know what you mean, sometimes you just get bored using the same thing everyday.

+1 for Gary's. Great selection, awesome to deal with. Soaps, creams, AS, cologne... he carries a little of everything from lots of different places.

 

[Matt555]

I really appreciate that you guys keep adding names to the list of soap's that I want to try.

Have you tried any Shea Butter ones yet? I really like Pre de Province and Province Sante Green Tea. Intitute Karite is another popular one, but I don't like the scent as much.

 

[mharris127]

Honeybee has samples for a buck as well.

Big fan on the new mama bear mug soap size.

In the case of Honeybee the samples are actually a thin puck that can be used in a mug just like its full size version. Garry's samples come grated so you can mash them together in a mug to use like a puck as well. Garry said once that his half ounce samples should last for approximately ten shaves, making the price per shave pretty reasonable assuming you order a number of samples at once to amortize the shipping charge.

 

[vtguy22]

Honeybee has samples for a buck as well.

Big fan on the new mama bear mug soap size.

I love the Honeybee samples, they last forever!

 

[mharris127]

I love the Honeybee samples, they last forever!

I can imagine, a group of us tested a Honeybee shave stick (labeled 2.5 oz., it was in a deodorant container -- packaged that way by Sue at Honeybee), we counted 45 shaves as-is from the stick (mblakele melted the leftover soap from the holding mechanism and got two more shaves from the mini-puck he made from that soap, so the reported total was 47 shaves). Since 2.5 ounces came to 45 shaves and Sue's samples are 1.5 oz., even accounting for the extra soap used when loading from a puck I would guess 15-18 shaves could come from her samples (using the stick numbers I come up with 27 shaves from that size but people tend to load heavier from a puck).

 

[kingfisher]

I agree with you in many ways, but I think rather than buying a boatload of samples it would be better if soapmakers would make a smaller puck of soap, one that is larger than a sample but way smaller than their current pucks. They could sell them for a lower price than the full puck. I'd much rather have two or maybe three pucks of soap that would add up to one puck of the current full puck. But samples are a little too small.

Just my $0.02.

 

[mharris127]

I agree with you in many ways, but I think rather than buying a boatload of samples it would be better if soapmakers would make a smaller puck of soap, one that is larger than a sample but way smaller than their current pucks. They could sell them for a lower price than the full puck. I'd much rather have two or maybe three pucks of soap that would add up to one puck of the current full puck. But samples are a little too small.

Just my $0.02.

I like the idea. However, most of the cost is in the shipment of supplies, gas for heating the product, labor and packaging (in this case as most shave soaps come in a plastic bowl or stick holder), labor probably being the largest cost on a per puck basis. The product itself is a small portion of the cost so I estimate that reducing the size of the puck would actually reduce costs by less than five per cent per half-ounce. A four ounce puck that costs $3 to make being reduced to two ounces would still cost $2.60 to produce. For forty cents I would rather have the larger puck. Maybe Mama Bear's Sue can comment here since she has a vendor's membership and soap is her primary business.

 

[wimbouman]

Haslinger is pretty smll pucks too.
And a great soap.

The new mug size pucks by Mama Bear have really caught my attention!