Barrister & Mann AMA, July 17th, 2016

Been wet shaving for about 3 years now,I have yet to try one of your soaps.I think it is time to give one a try,I gravitate towards bright citrus scents a s well as cologne type scents(nothing heavy powdered or floral)Given that info,which one of your soaps would be a must try for a first time customer to B&M?Also besides your own line,what other artisan's soaps do you enjoy from time to time?Thanks

Been wet shaving for about 3 years now,I have yet to try one of your soaps.I think it is time to give one a try,I gravitate towards bright citrus scents a s well as cologne type scents(nothing heavy powdered or floral)Given that info,which one of your soaps would be a must try for a first time customer to B&M?Also besides your own line,what other artisan's soaps do you enjoy from time to time?Thanks

I'd go with either Cologne Russe or Latha Limon. Moreso the former. I think it's right up your alley.

For artisans, I'm a big fan of PannaCream Nuávia Blu, Mickey Lee Soapworks, the new Catie's Bubbles luxury line, Al's shaving creams, and Bufflehead.

Hi Will, Mark here, long time poster first time AMA participant as you likely know I love what you're doing and respect how you're doing it. I have a 2 part question:

1. What do you think is really going on with the whole global bay oil shortage? and....

2. Do you think the situation will set back your plans to release your Bay Rum soap in glissant formula by years' end or even lead to (temporary) discontinuance of the Bay Rum soap entirely. (I hope not)
Thanks,
Mark

Hi Will, Mark here, long time poster first time AMA participant as you likely know I love what you're doing and respect how you're doing it.  I have a 2 part question:

1. What do you think is really going on with the whole global bay oil shortage?  and....

2. Do you think the situation will set back your plans to release your Bay Rum soap in glissant formula by years' end or even lead to (temporary) discontinuance of the Bay Rum soap entirely.  (I hope not)
Thanks,
Mark

Hi Mark!

1) The bay farmers have gone on strike due to poor working conditions and unfair trade practices. Until the matter is resolved, bay will remain an uncommon and valuable commodity.

2) I doubt it will be quite that extreme, but it may force us to scale back production for awhile. People usually don't want to hear that the cost of ingredients is rising rapidly; they usually care only about how it hurts their own wallets, which I suppose is understandable. So we'll probably just make less of it until the supply stabilizes. It may push back our release of a matching aftershave, though.

Hi Will,

Thanks for doing this AMA. Makes for very interesting reading.

Here are a few questions I have:

1. You mentioned Al's shaving creams above. That's an artisan I never hear about anymore, honestly a bit surprised to hear they're still around. A case of, as you mentioned, the oversaturation of the market requiring established companies to either constantly innovate or be forgotten, even if they have a good product? And which of his scents are your favorites?

2. Do you see Barrister & Mann ever producing a hard, triple milled shave soap? Or soap by another process that results in a very hard soap?

3. Where do you see yourself in 25 years? I know, that's a huge number, but what I'm getting at is, have you come to envision this as a lifelong career, or something you expect to do for a several years and then move on?

4. You mentioned being a perfectionist and working toward clearly defined goals. Can you tell us about a time when something unexpected happened in the development of a product that lead to a better or different result than you had been planning for?

5. Finally, Vetyver Santal: gone forever, or is it one of those that might come back around at some point?

Hi Will, Mark here, long time poster first time AMA participant as you likely know I love what you're doing and respect how you're doing it.  I have a 2 part question:

1. What do you think is really going on with the whole global bay oil shortage?  and....

2. Do you think the situation will set back your plans to release your Bay Rum soap in glissant formula by years' end or even lead to (temporary) discontinuance of the Bay Rum soap entirely.  (I hope not)
Thanks,
Mark

Hi Mark!

1) The bay farmers have gone on strike due to poor working conditions and unfair trade practices. Until the matter is resolved, bay will remain an uncommon and valuable commodity.

2) I doubt it will be quite that extreme, but it may force us to scale back production for awhile. People usually don't want to hear that the cost of ingredients is rising rapidly; they usually care only about how it hurts their own wallets, which I suppose is understandable. So we'll probably just make less of it until the supply stabilizes. It may push back our release of a matching aftershave, though.

Interesting, maybe we'll start seeing "fair trade" bay rum products next?

I'm happy to hear that Bay Rum won't be disappearing from your line up yet and I have secured sufficient supply of the original formula soap to ride out the labour issues I hope. Does the aftershave require more bay oil than the soap does?

Also, how is the development of the new Kyovu going? Can we expect to see it this year or next?
Thanks,
Mark

Chuck are you an HR professional?

Hi Will,

Thanks for doing this AMA. Makes for very interesting reading.

Here are a few questions I have:

1. You mentioned Al's shaving creams above. That's an artisan I never hear about anymore, honestly a bit surprised to hear they're still around. A case of, as you mentioned, the oversaturation of the market requiring established companies to either constantly innovate or be forgotten, even if they have a good product? And which of his scents are your favorites?

2. Do you see Barrister & Mann ever producing a hard, triple milled shave soap? Or soap by another process that results in a very hard soap?

3. Where do you see yourself in 25 years? I know, that's a huge number, but what I'm getting at is, have you come to envision this as a lifelong career, or something you expect to do for a several years and then move on?

4. You mentioned being a perfectionist and working toward clearly defined goals. Can you tell us about a time when something unexpected happened in the development of a product that lead to a better or different result than you had been planning for?

5. Finally, Vetyver Santal: gone forever, or is it one of those that might come back around at some point?

Hi Chuck!

1) Well, Al is a research chemist at Brandeis, so I imagine that it's very much a hobby for him, versus our doing it full time. He need not necessarily continue to innovate because the exposure for his company is not necessarily a make or break phenomenon. I love his Saigon scent.

2) No, mostly because that's more of a niche product than I'm looking to create. If I go for that kind of production, it will be for a brush-optional cream, not a soap.

3) Hopefully no longer in the grooming business. This is an extremely stressful way to make a living. Beyond that, I don't really know.

4) When I changed the superfat in Glissant from sweet almond oil to high oleic safflower oil, the difference proved to be far more dramatic than expected (in the best way possible). It so profoundly affected the soap that I consider that particular change to be the centerpiece of the formula.

5) Probably gone forever. We discontinued it once, brought it back, and were forced to discontinue it again. I can't justify going through that whole undertaking a third time.

Hi Will, Mark here, long time poster first time AMA participant as you likely know I love what you're doing and respect how you're doing it.  I have a 2 part question:

1. What do you think is really going on with the whole global bay oil shortage?  and....

2. Do you think the situation will set back your plans to release your Bay Rum soap in glissant formula by years' end or even lead to (temporary) discontinuance of the Bay Rum soap entirely.  (I hope not)
Thanks,
Mark

Hi Mark!

1) The bay farmers have gone on strike due to poor working conditions and unfair trade practices. Until the matter is resolved, bay will remain an uncommon and valuable commodity.

2) I doubt it will be quite that extreme, but it may force us to scale back production for awhile. People usually don't want to hear that the cost of ingredients is rising rapidly; they usually care only about how it hurts their own wallets, which I suppose is understandable. So we'll probably just make less of it until the supply stabilizes. It may push back our release of a matching aftershave, though.

Interesting, maybe we'll start seeing "fair trade" bay rum products next?

I'm happy to hear that Bay Rum won't be disappearing from your line up yet and I have secured sufficient supply of the original formula soap to ride out the labour issues I hope.  Does the aftershave require more bay oil than the soap does?

Also, how is the development of the new Kyovu going?  Can we expect to see it this year or next?
Thanks,
Mark

1) We might? That's not really my area, but I can check with the various buyers, if you'd like.

2) Not more of it as a percentage, but more overall because we sell so much aftershave. It would effectively triple our consumption of bay, which would not be sustainable at the moment.

3) Next year. Barrister's Reserve has proven to be even more complicated to bring to market than I thought and so is requiring a lot of time, money, and energy. However, we are going to be doing a full push for the launch and will be doing what my mother has christened a "whirlwind tour" of five cities in September: Seattle (we'll be at Seattle Shave Con), Chicago, Adrian, Toronto (my first time in Canada), and Boston. It's very exciting.

Hi Will, Mark here, long time poster first time AMA participant as you likely know I love what you're doing and respect how you're doing it.  I have a 2 part question:

1. What do you think is really going on with the whole global bay oil shortage?  and....

2. Do you think the situation will set back your plans to release your Bay Rum soap in glissant formula by years' end or even lead to (temporary) discontinuance of the Bay Rum soap entirely.  (I hope not)
Thanks,
Mark

Hi Mark!

1) The bay farmers have gone on strike due to poor working conditions and unfair trade practices. Until the matter is resolved, bay will remain an uncommon and valuable commodity.

2) I doubt it will be quite that extreme, but it may force us to scale back production for awhile. People usually don't want to hear that the cost of ingredients is rising rapidly; they usually care only about how it hurts their own wallets, which I suppose is understandable. So we'll probably just make less of it until the supply stabilizes. It may push back our release of a matching aftershave, though.

Ah, I thought this was resolved. That explains why I cant find any good bay rums recently @ anything resembling a 'normal price'.