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Why do you have too many soaps?

Too many soaps and not enough time

  • Can't resist a bargain

    Votes: 28 31.8%
  • Have to have the latest soap

    Votes: 15 17.0%
  • Can't seem to finish one

    Votes: 20 22.7%
  • Don't want to run out of a particular soap/soaps

    Votes: 16 18.2%
  • Trying to find "the one"

    Votes: 29 33.0%
  • I am curating a soap museum that will one day be a wonder of the world

    Votes: 25 28.4%

  • Total voters
    88
How would I know what I'll like best if I don't try them. And for the ones I really like I usually acquire a few backups.

I still have a little room before I hit the ceiling, after that I might need to make choices like more restraint on buying, putting up more shelves or buying a house with a bigger bathroom.
 
I'm currently running a large Shaving Soap museum lol as the main curator it is my responsibility to keep the spark of artisans alive after many of them closed down shop. In all seriousness it is fun to experiment with different soap bases and having some variety adds to the excitement of this hobby IMO.
 

Mike M

...but this one IS cracked.
I have made it my life mission to get down to only three soaps and whenever I get close to my target I start to shake uncontrollably and break into a sweat and I feel nauseated. And the only way to feel better is to order a few new soaps and start the whole process of getting down to only three soaps again.
Yeah, I have the same trouble when I get it down near 20
 
As I have gotten older, my beard has turned white and gotten very coarse making it difficult to shave. At the same time, my skin has be come very sensitive. I have spent the past six years trying to find the razors, blades, brushes, soaps and techniques that will provide a near BBS shave with zero irritation. Thus, I have explored various cartridge razors, straight razors, double edge razors and single edge razors. I have tried a variety of different blades, honing and stropping methods. I have a a collection of badger, boar, horsehair, and synthetic brushes. I have evaluated a large number of creams, croaps and soaps. I have found that using the right shaving soap for my skin and producing a properly hydrated lather has a huge impact upon the quality of my shaves and the way my skin feels afterwards.

The first soap that provide what I was looking for in a shaving soap was Barrister and Mann Excelsior which was released in 2018. By that time, I had already evaluated over 100 soaps, none of which met all of my requirements. Since my first use of Excelsior, I have evaluated another 100 soaps. The first soap I evaluated which significantly improved on the performance of Excelsior was Declaration Grooming Milksteak which release at the end of 2019. However, since that time, I have added a number of superb soaps, from artisans like Ariana and Evans, Grooming Dept, House of Mammoth, Oaken Lab, Wholly Kaw, and Zingari Man. Although my collection now contains over 200 soaps, I still look for soaps that I have not tried that have a potential of being as good or better as those I consider to be the best.

Although many people like soaps similar to those I recommend, everyone is different. Depending upon your needs and preferences, the soaps I love might not work for you. However, if you do like one of the soaps I recommend, you are likely to like the others.
 
Just trying to find the soaps and creams which work best for me, everything that irritates me or leaves me with a greasy post shave feel has to go..
 
I would read something about a soap on B&B and decided to try it. I have cured myself of that habit...
Same here. I allowed myself to be convinced there's something significantly better (performance-wise) than my current very short list of go-to soaps on several occasions. Having been underwhelmed at every turn, I have since given up the chase.
 
I prefer a soap from an artisan who works in batches. This results in an inconsistent availability. When I get to the last puck, I watch for availability and order a 6 pack. That will get me through 2.5 - 3 years.
 
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I guess because as I discovered each new artisan maker, the description provoked an “oh my God, I simply must have THAT one” nearly every time. Then I stopped purchasing at around 8-10, but had this awful feeling I might be missing The One. At some point I discovered Maggard’s extraordinary samples offerings, and my palliative nurses curse all these “mini-platic hockey pucks” floating around the bathroom. But now I lay in bed with a box filled with these hockey pucks utterly happy and relaxed.
 
How would I know what I'll like best if I don't try them. And for the ones I really like I usually acquire a few backups.

I still have a little room before I hit the ceiling, after that I might need to make choices like more restraint on buying, putting up more shelves or buying a house with a bigger bathroom.

Nice P-40! My grandfather flew them in Scotland early in WWII after the UK had received them with other Lend Lease material. Loved how it flew and was really bummed when they were replaced with Hurricanes later in the war.
 
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