(10-12-2015, 01:30 AM)wyze0ne Wrote: You make it sound like this is a huge problem with artisan soaps. This hasn't been my experience at all. In fact the only soap that has ever done that to me was Williams. That's about as far away from "artisan" as you can get though.
I make it sound like a huge problem because it is, and I have tried many artisan soaps (about 14 or 15). Six or seven years ago, that was not case. There were not nearly as many artisans back then as there are today, however. It still isn't for the soaps widely praised on the wetshaving forums. Those are only a fraction of the total number of shaving soaps available. Soaps not mentioned on the forums very frequently had the vanishing lather issue. One reason for this disparity is that shaving soap vendors noted on the forums readily accept feedback. If a soap formulation falls short any way, the typical response is to tweak the formula, and it shows in the results. Giving feedback, even very politely, to non-forum soap artisans was met excuses and/or resentment. the results are clear:
Soaps praised on the forums: 100 percent have good lather longevity
Soaps not exalted or not mentioned on the forums: 0 percent have good lather longevity
I would have expected a difference, but zero percent vs. 100 percent?! That is a rather stark contrast. Perhaps I just got unlucky with some of the soaps I chose or was gifted. BTW - I finished a recent-vintage puck of Williams a couple of months ago. It wasn't the absolute best soap I ever used, but did the job well enough.