I started traditional wet shaving in 2008. I went completely crazy with SAD, and bought up pretty much every soap and cream that was available back then. Then the voice of reason (also known as "my wife") spoke up. I settled on one product: Tabac shave stick, and I used it exclusively for just over ten years.
I figure ten years was enough, so I'm back to buying soaps like crazy again. It's been great to see how the wet shaving market has grown, especially when it comes to soap making artisans. But of the few brands that I've tried, I've only felt that one was truly something special.
And that brand is Wholly Kaw.
It started with samples of "Jamestown Gentleman" and "King of Oud". Then I ended up purchasing a full tub of "Pasha's Pride".
Let's start with the scents. I had the exact same reaction the first time I sniffed each one of them. That being, "wow, I *really* don't like that at all!" Yet over time, I've gotten to the point that I simply love every one of them. I've never had scents grow on me like that; even after ten years, I can just barely stand the smell of Tabac. Yet there is just something about WK's scents that become more and more enticing every time you give one a whiff. The initial nasal drama of King of Oud almost kept me from trying it entirely.
If you should happen to pick up a sample of WK, don't let the first sniff be your determining factor. Give it time. Let it grow on you. Use it for a few shaves. Then make your decision. You might very well find that something you initially hated rapidly becomes one of your favorite scents. Keep in mind that WK soaps are very highly scented. They do also offer one unscented soap if you just can't seem to find a scent that you like.
Let's move on to performance. I break down performance into two categories: 1. Lather experience 2. Lubrication
One of the most relaxing parts of wet shaving for me is the lather. The feel of the brush and that luxuriously thick lather is just... wonderful. Yet the whole lather experience can be completely ruined if that lather doesn't give you the lubrication needed to give you a great shaving experience. And unfortunately, just because a soap produces wonderfully feeling lather doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be particularly good at lubricating.
WK's lather (in both of the bases I've tried) is nothing short of spectacular. It has this unique feel to it that I've never felt in a cream or a soap before. It's *thick* and it's soft, and it's just a-mazing.
I shave with straight razors more often than I *don't* shave with straight razors. Most straight razor shavers will agree that most soaps need to be hydrated well beyond the point of being photographic in order to produce the best lubrication. Well beyond.
This is where WK's lather really, really shines. If you're shaving with a straight, you don't have to deprive yourself of that thick, luxurious lather as you would normally have to do in order to get max lubrication.
Yes, WK's lather does get more slippery the more you hydrate it, but it hits max lubrication before the lather starts to break down.
Work yourself up a nice glossy yogurt, pull out the straight, and get to work. No need to over-wet this stuff; you'll get all the lubrication you need for one of the best straight shaves you've ever had.
Lubrication was the one reason I stuck to Tabac for so long. If you over hydrate it to the point that the lather starts to break down, it becomes one of (if not *the*) most slippery soaps out there. Until now, that is. There's a new King in slippery, and it's Wholly Kaw.
Even drier WK lathers will give you more lubrication than you need, at least for DE shaving.
Prior to using WK, I just couldn't imagine that you could really get a product that would be far, far superior than the majority of the good soaps out there. But WK is one of those products that resulted in an epiphany moment of, "Wow... this is the best soap I have ever used." At least it did for me, but then again, I haven't tried many of the truly high end artisan soaps out there... yet. This was my first toe-dip in these waters.
I became accustomed to the rather dry post shave feel of Tabac over ten years. I don't use any post shave products, so I just accepted the dry face. The post shave face feel of WK was another one of those "wow" moments for me. No dryness, no irritation. Wonderful.
For those guys that are out there wondering what high-end artisan soap they should try, pick yourself up a few WK samples. The chances are very good that you won't be disappointed.
I figure ten years was enough, so I'm back to buying soaps like crazy again. It's been great to see how the wet shaving market has grown, especially when it comes to soap making artisans. But of the few brands that I've tried, I've only felt that one was truly something special.
And that brand is Wholly Kaw.
It started with samples of "Jamestown Gentleman" and "King of Oud". Then I ended up purchasing a full tub of "Pasha's Pride".
Let's start with the scents. I had the exact same reaction the first time I sniffed each one of them. That being, "wow, I *really* don't like that at all!" Yet over time, I've gotten to the point that I simply love every one of them. I've never had scents grow on me like that; even after ten years, I can just barely stand the smell of Tabac. Yet there is just something about WK's scents that become more and more enticing every time you give one a whiff. The initial nasal drama of King of Oud almost kept me from trying it entirely.
If you should happen to pick up a sample of WK, don't let the first sniff be your determining factor. Give it time. Let it grow on you. Use it for a few shaves. Then make your decision. You might very well find that something you initially hated rapidly becomes one of your favorite scents. Keep in mind that WK soaps are very highly scented. They do also offer one unscented soap if you just can't seem to find a scent that you like.
Let's move on to performance. I break down performance into two categories: 1. Lather experience 2. Lubrication
One of the most relaxing parts of wet shaving for me is the lather. The feel of the brush and that luxuriously thick lather is just... wonderful. Yet the whole lather experience can be completely ruined if that lather doesn't give you the lubrication needed to give you a great shaving experience. And unfortunately, just because a soap produces wonderfully feeling lather doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be particularly good at lubricating.
WK's lather (in both of the bases I've tried) is nothing short of spectacular. It has this unique feel to it that I've never felt in a cream or a soap before. It's *thick* and it's soft, and it's just a-mazing.
I shave with straight razors more often than I *don't* shave with straight razors. Most straight razor shavers will agree that most soaps need to be hydrated well beyond the point of being photographic in order to produce the best lubrication. Well beyond.
This is where WK's lather really, really shines. If you're shaving with a straight, you don't have to deprive yourself of that thick, luxurious lather as you would normally have to do in order to get max lubrication.
Yes, WK's lather does get more slippery the more you hydrate it, but it hits max lubrication before the lather starts to break down.
Work yourself up a nice glossy yogurt, pull out the straight, and get to work. No need to over-wet this stuff; you'll get all the lubrication you need for one of the best straight shaves you've ever had.
Lubrication was the one reason I stuck to Tabac for so long. If you over hydrate it to the point that the lather starts to break down, it becomes one of (if not *the*) most slippery soaps out there. Until now, that is. There's a new King in slippery, and it's Wholly Kaw.
Even drier WK lathers will give you more lubrication than you need, at least for DE shaving.
Prior to using WK, I just couldn't imagine that you could really get a product that would be far, far superior than the majority of the good soaps out there. But WK is one of those products that resulted in an epiphany moment of, "Wow... this is the best soap I have ever used." At least it did for me, but then again, I haven't tried many of the truly high end artisan soaps out there... yet. This was my first toe-dip in these waters.
I became accustomed to the rather dry post shave feel of Tabac over ten years. I don't use any post shave products, so I just accepted the dry face. The post shave face feel of WK was another one of those "wow" moments for me. No dryness, no irritation. Wonderful.
For those guys that are out there wondering what high-end artisan soap they should try, pick yourself up a few WK samples. The chances are very good that you won't be disappointed.
