Barrister and Mann

My 10¢.  Will do your thing.  Gotta let an artist breath a little.  Thats where those new amazing creations come from.

I agree to a certain degree. The issue ties into the fact that it is a business, and a business cannot survive without customers.
Obviously, Will has done very well with his business. Barrister and Mann is on just about every in-the-know wet shaver's top soap choices. His items sell out extremely quickly, and his soaps and aftershaves have pretty much hit cult status, so much so that they disappear in mere minutes when people sell them off second-hand. Of course, people often pay double, triple, or more for used soaps.

Today, I own a large majority of barrister and mann soaps and aftershaves, yet my main hesitation prior to getting into them (and still a problematic source for me moving forward), is the limitedness of his products. I mean, if you buy Hallows and fall in love with it...you may never be able to find it again...EVER! Many soap makers sell their items year-round, making it easier for people to collect, acquire, get backups, or gift to friends. This just isn't the case with b&m. Many of his items become "unobtainable" in a matter of weeks, at best.

Offering certain selections every season has helped, but there are still quite a few that will never be made again. It does add to the exclusivity of the product, but also to the frustration on the consumer.

He seems to be making headway by offering some year-round items and mixing in seasonals, but there needs to be more options if there is a demand... and people have spoken with their dollars...there IS a HUGE demand. Of course, another option may be to do a limited run that is only made for pre-orders. For example: a description of a soap and aftershave us given along with a price and release date, but with the knowledge that ONLY pre-orders for the products will be filled. So, if 300 people pre-order, then 300 soaps will be made. It keeps the exclusivity in tact, everyone that wants it will have the chance to get it, and Will makes money without having soap tubs just sitting around. If they are popular enough, they can be released the following year too. It sounds like a win-win to me.

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having talked to Will personally about this before...some of his customers can be downright vile towards him with some of his soap releases. I can totally see why Will would hesitate to bring something back that was so controversial because he just doesn't want to deal with ignorant people.

I'm not sure why someone couldn't just sell the soap if it's not for them rather than bashing an artisan who never forced them to buy anything from their company to begin with. for me, personally, I cannot stand the smell of oud...I don't bash people who like it and/or use it...I just moved on from it!

The only scent that I could never overcome was night music. I know there are people out there that love it, and by the ingredient list I thought I would too, but after trying it 3 times... I just couldn't force myself to like it.

On the flip side, I know a lot of people that don't care for Roam or fireside, but I really enjoy both (in fact, I have been having an extremely hard time in procuring a tub of fireside because no one seems to want to sell/trade one).

One if the very best things about b & m are the truly unique scents. It doesn't always pan out for everyone though.

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I agree to a certain degree. The issue ties into the fact that it is a business, and a business cannot survive without customers.
Obviously, Will has done very well with his business. Barrister and Mann is on just about every in-the-know wet shaver's top soap choices. His items sell out extremely quickly, and his soaps and aftershaves have pretty much hit cult status, so much so that they disappear in mere minutes when people sell them off second-hand. Of course, people often pay double, triple, or more for used soaps.

Today, I own a large majority of barrister and mann soaps and aftershaves, yet my main hesitation prior to getting into them (and still a problematic source for me moving forward), is the limitedness of his products. I mean, if you buy Hallows and fall in love with it...you may never be able to find it again...EVER! Many soap makers sell their items year-round, making it easier for people to collect, acquire, get backups, or gift to friends. This just isn't the case with b&m. Many of his items become "unobtainable" in a matter of weeks, at best.

Offering certain selections every season has helped, but there are still quite a few that will never be made again. It does add to the exclusivity of the product, but also to the frustration on the consumer.

He seems to be making headway by offering some year-round items and mixing in seasonals, but there needs to be more options if there is a demand... and people have spoken with their dollars...there IS a HUGE demand. Of course, another option may be to do a limited run that is only made for pre-orders. For example: a description of a soap and aftershave us given along with a price and release date, but with the knowledge that ONLY pre-orders for the products will be filled. So, if 300 people pre-order, then 300 soaps will be made. It keeps the exclusivity in tact, everyone that wants it will have the chance to get it, and Will makes money without having soap tubs just sitting around. If they are popular enough, they can be released the following year too. It sounds like a win-win to me.

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having talked to Will personally about this before...some of his customers can be downright vile towards him with some of his soap releases.  I can totally see why Will would hesitate to bring something back that was so controversial because he just doesn't want to deal with ignorant people.

I'm not sure why someone couldn't just sell the soap if it's not for them rather than bashing an artisan who never forced them to buy anything from their company to begin with.  for me, personally, I cannot stand the smell of oud...I don't bash people who like it and/or use it...I just moved on from it!

The only scent that I could never overcome was night music. I know there are people out there that love it, and by the ingredient list I thought I would too, but after trying it 3 times... I just couldn't force myself to like it.

On the flip side, I know a lot of people that don't care for Roam or fireside, but I really enjoy both (in fact, I have been having an extremely hard time in procuring a tub of fireside because no one seems to want to sell/trade one).

One if the very best things about b & m are the truly unique scents. It doesn't always pan out for everyone though.

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I'm not a fan on Roam myself, but there are tons of people out there who are and I don't think anyone would have any problem, whatsoever, reselling B&M soaps if it wasn't their cup of tea.

...The only scent that I could never overcome was night music. I know there are people out there that love it, and by the ingredient list I thought I would too, but after trying it 3 times... I just couldn't force myself to like it.

I'm one of those who loved it immediately. I hated Leviathan for about 8 hours, then my nose got turned onto it, and now I can't get enough of it. I hated DFS from the get-go, and never acquired a liking to it.

...On the flip side, I know a lot of people that don't care for Roam or fireside, but I really enjoy both (in fact, I have been having an extremely hard time in procuring a tub of fireside because no one seems to want to sell/trade one).

I'm one of those holding onto my Fireside. Sadly, it's nearing an end. I stocked up on Roam and will never part with it.

...One if the very best things about b & m are the truly unique scents. It doesn't always pan out for everyone though...

The polarity is inevitable when risk is taken. Even the ones I may not personally enjoy, I can appreciate the history and love of the craft behind it, thanks to Will's thoughtful insights.

...another option may be to do a limited run that is only made for pre-orders. For example: a description of a soap and aftershave us given along with a price and release date, but with the knowledge that ONLY pre-orders for the products will be filled. So, if 300 people pre-order, then 300 soaps will be made. It keeps the exclusivity in tact, everyone that wants it will have the chance to get it, and Will makes money without having soap tubs just sitting around. If they are popular enough, they can be released the following year too. It sounds like a win-win to me...

Forgive me if I'm missing something, but is this not what they're already doing?  Through growth, trial, and error, I believe B&M has moved beyond "limited editions" which is what seems to have given you pause.  Your suggested solution is pretty much what they're doing, no?  It seems like the high-demand seasonals, i.e. Hallows, had a pre-order period during which you could order as much product as you wanted, along with selling set amounts to third party vendors for resale.  

While I don't think Will has outright said it, I get a sense the demand wasn't the problem.  I also don't think there was a problem keeping up with the pre-orders.  I may be pulling this outta my a$$, but I thought I remembered some of the specific EO being volatile or difficult in some aspect as to make Hallows in particular a nuisance and dare I say more trouble than it's worth for Will.

My comments are not intended to be inflammatory to you, tommy3am. I just may have misunderstood what you were saying.

Also, I do not intend my comments to suggest that I would be happy to see Hallows go.  It would be unfortunate, for sure.  That said, as long as LGC makes a comeback, I'll be satisfied as it can almost scratch that Hallows itch (plus, I have enough Hallows to last at least a couple years.)

I believe it's been discussed that vetiver is difficult to get/expensive.

...another option may be to do a limited run that is only made for pre-orders. For example: a description of a soap and aftershave us given along with a price and release date, but with the knowledge that ONLY pre-orders for the products will be filled. So, if 300 people pre-order, then 300 soaps will be made. It keeps the exclusivity in tact, everyone that wants it will have the chance to get it, and Will makes money without having soap tubs just sitting around. If they are popular enough, they can be released the following year too. It sounds like a win-win to me...

Forgive me if I'm missing something, but is this not what they're already doing?  Through growth, trial, and error, I believe B&M has moved beyond "limited editions" which is what seems to have given you pause.  Your suggested solution is pretty much what they're doing, no?  It seems like the high-demand seasonals, i.e. Hallows, had a pre-order period during which you could order as much product as you wanted, along with selling set amounts to third party vendors for resale.  

While I don't think Will has outright said it, I get a sense the demand wasn't the problem.  I also don't think there was a problem keeping up with the pre-orders.  I may be pulling this outta my a$$, but I thought I remembered some of the specific EO being volatile or difficult in some aspect as to make Hallows in particular a nuisance and dare I say more trouble than it's worth for Will.

My comments are not intended to be inflammatory to you, tommy3am. I just may have misunderstood what you were saying.

Also, I do not intend my comments to suggest that I would be happy to see Hallows go.  It would be unfortunate, for sure.  That said, as long as LGC makes a comeback, I'll be satisfied as it can almost scratch that Hallows itch (plus, I have enough Hallows to last at least a couple years.)

I believe it's been discussed that vetiver is difficult to get/expensive.

Cocoa absolute supplier was an issue.

While I don't think Will has outright said it, I get a sense the demand wasn't the problem.  I also don't think there was a problem keeping up with the pre-orders.  I may be pulling this outta my a$$, but I thought I remembered some of the specific EO being volatile or difficult in some aspect as to make Hallows in particular a nuisance and dare I say more trouble than it's worth for Will.

That was my understanding too...

I hope we don't seem like peer pressure over here to Will. Lol.

I can't believe people whine this much about soap. I guess these are the perils of being active on social media forums. Will is gracious enough to come on here and answer any questions we might have, interact with us and contribute to the forum in other ways and what he gets in return is mostly a bunch of belly aching and complaining about how he chooses to sell his soaps. I guess we're lucky he doesn't just crawl into a cave somewhere and operate his business like Mike's although that's what I would want to do at this point, if I were him.

Yep, that perfectly sums up my opinion as well.

My 10¢.  Will do your thing.  Gotta let an artist breath a little.  Thats where those new amazing creations come from.

I agree to a certain degree. The issue ties into the fact that it is a business, and a business cannot survive without customers.
Obviously, Will has done very well with his business. Barrister and Mann is on just about every in-the-know wet shaver's top soap choices. His items sell out extremely quickly, and his soaps and aftershaves have pretty much hit cult status, so much so that they disappear in mere minutes when people sell them off second-hand. Of course, people often pay double, triple, or more for used soaps.

Today, I own a large majority of barrister and mann soaps and aftershaves, yet my main hesitation prior to getting into them (and still a problematic source for me moving forward), is the limitedness of his products. I mean, if you buy Hallows and fall in love with it...you may never be able to find it again...EVER! Many soap makers sell their items year-round, making it easier for people to collect, acquire, get backups, or gift to friends. This just isn't the case with b&m. Many of his items become "unobtainable" in a matter of weeks, at best.

Offering certain selections every season has helped, but there are still quite a few that will never be made again. It does add to the exclusivity of the product, but also to the frustration on the consumer.

He seems to be making headway by offering some year-round items and mixing in seasonals, but there needs to be more options if there is a demand... and people have spoken with their dollars...there IS a HUGE demand. Of course, another option may be to do a limited run that is only made for pre-orders. For example: a description of a soap and aftershave us given along with a price and release date, but with the knowledge that ONLY pre-orders for the products will be filled. So, if 300 people pre-order, then 300 soaps will be made. It keeps the exclusivity in tact, everyone that wants it will have the chance to get it, and Will makes money without having soap tubs just sitting around. If they are popular enough, they can be released the following year too. It sounds like a win-win to me.

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Sounds good. Im just saying he's come up with some very great scents on his own out of personal inspiration and I like and respect that.

Seems to be an endless discussion here on the boards about artisans business practices- imho its his business and he can do with it as he pleases.

Also I think B&M has done a great job at opening up seasonals and limiteds to as many people as possible. Pre-ordering has lessened the customer bemoaning and also reduced risk on his end I imagine.

Last, some things come and go and are to be enjoyed while we have them. It would be nice to have them forever but that's life. I like wine. It's bittersweet enjoying a great bottle- at some point that vintage will be gone forever.

My 10¢.  Will do your thing.  Gotta let an artist breath a little.  Thats where those new amazing creations come from.

I agree to a certain degree. The issue ties into the fact that it is a business, and a business cannot survive without customers.
Obviously, Will has done very well with his business. Barrister and Mann is on just about every in-the-know wet shaver's top soap choices. His items sell out extremely quickly, and his soaps and aftershaves have pretty much hit cult status, so much so that they disappear in mere minutes when people sell them off second-hand. Of course, people often pay double, triple, or more for used soaps.

Today, I own a large majority of barrister and mann soaps and aftershaves, yet my main hesitation prior to getting into them (and still a problematic source for me moving forward), is the limitedness of his products. I mean, if you buy Hallows and fall in love with it...you may never be able to find it again...EVER! Many soap makers sell their items year-round, making it easier for people to collect, acquire, get backups, or gift to friends. This just isn't the case with b&m. Many of his items become "unobtainable" in a matter of weeks, at best.

Offering certain selections every season has helped, but there are still quite a few that will never be made again. It does add to the exclusivity of the product, but also to the frustration on the consumer.

He seems to be making headway by offering some year-round items and mixing in seasonals, but there needs to be more options if there is a demand... and people have spoken with their dollars...there IS a HUGE demand. Of course, another option may be to do a limited run that is only made for pre-orders. For example: a description of a soap and aftershave us given along with a price and release date, but with the knowledge that ONLY pre-orders for the products will be filled. So, if 300 people pre-order, then 300 soaps will be made. It keeps the exclusivity in tact, everyone that wants it will have the chance to get it, and Will makes money without having soap tubs just sitting around. If they are popular enough, they can be released the following year too. It sounds like a win-win to me.

Sent from my Z981 using Tapatalk

having talked to Will personally about this before...some of his customers can be downright vile towards him with some of his soap releases.  I can totally see why Will would hesitate to bring something back that was so controversial because he just doesn't want to deal with ignorant people.

I'm not sure why someone couldn't just sell the soap if it's not for them rather than bashing an artisan who never forced them to buy anything from their company to begin with.  for me, personally, I cannot stand the smell of oud...I don't bash people who like it and/or use it...I just moved on from it!

HWAT?! You can't stand the awesomesauce scent of Oud?!?! Well let me tell you something, Andrew.











That's perfectly fine.   Lol


Every nose is different. I for one can't stand most aquatics, but this is one of the most popular cologne genre's out there.


With all the stuff I've been reading on Social Media, this is perhaps why I didn't jive well with it. The vilest, meanest and most disgusting vitriol that used to be, no one in their right mind would say is becoming acceptable.

I have FB and twitter for my needs like WolfWhisker announcements and such, but I don't enjoy the platform, it also confuses me.. lol.

I agree to a certain degree. The issue ties into the fact that it is a business, and a business cannot survive without customers.
Obviously, Will has done very well with his business. Barrister and Mann is on just about every in-the-know wet shaver's top soap choices. His items sell out extremely quickly, and his soaps and aftershaves have pretty much hit cult status, so much so that they disappear in mere minutes when people sell them off second-hand. Of course, people often pay double, triple, or more for used soaps.

Today, I own a large majority of barrister and mann soaps and aftershaves, yet my main hesitation prior to getting into them (and still a problematic source for me moving forward), is the limitedness of his products. I mean, if you buy Hallows and fall in love with it...you may never be able to find it again...EVER! Many soap makers sell their items year-round, making it easier for people to collect, acquire, get backups, or gift to friends. This just isn't the case with b&m. Many of his items become "unobtainable" in a matter of weeks, at best.

Offering certain selections every season has helped, but there are still quite a few that will never be made again. It does add to the exclusivity of the product, but also to the frustration on the consumer.

He seems to be making headway by offering some year-round items and mixing in seasonals, but there needs to be more options if there is a demand... and people have spoken with their dollars...there IS a HUGE demand. Of course, another option may be to do a limited run that is only made for pre-orders. For example: a description of a soap and aftershave us given along with a price and release date, but with the knowledge that ONLY pre-orders for the products will be filled. So, if 300 people pre-order, then 300 soaps will be made. It keeps the exclusivity in tact, everyone that wants it will have the chance to get it, and Will makes money without having soap tubs just sitting around. If they are popular enough, they can be released the following year too. It sounds like a win-win to me.

Sent from my Z981 using Tapatalk

having talked to Will personally about this before...some of his customers can be downright vile towards him with some of his soap releases.  I can totally see why Will would hesitate to bring something back that was so controversial because he just doesn't want to deal with ignorant people.

I'm not sure why someone couldn't just sell the soap if it's not for them rather than bashing an artisan who never forced them to buy anything from their company to begin with.  for me, personally, I cannot stand the smell of oud...I don't bash people who like it and/or use it...I just moved on from it!

HWAT?! You can't stand the awesomesauce scent of Oud?!?! Well let me tell you something, Andrew.











That's perfectly fine.   Lol


Every nose is different. I for one can't stand most aquatics, but this is one of the most popular cologne genre's out there.


With all the stuff I've been reading on Social Media, this is perhaps why I didn't jive well with it. The vilest, meanest and most disgusting vitriol that used to be, no one in their right mind would say is becoming acceptable.

I have FB and twitter for my needs like WolfWhisker announcements and such, but I don't enjoy the platform, it also confuses me.. lol.

I'm with you. Can't stand aquatics, but love me some oud!