Deer herds vs soap makers

I think I'm at the point now where very few new brands tempt me. I'm also favoring soaps without animal products, meaning if I'm going to try a new brand, it has to be vegetable-based. I'm also fortunate because I live in New York City and can hop over to Pasteur and take a sniff of the latest hits. I can't tell you how often the intrigue about a soap was obliterated by actually sniffing the puck and thinking, "Yuck." And the opposite has happened. In any event, I am focusing on supporting the artisans that I really like, and sticking with the established brands that I really enjoy as well. So my wallet is fairly safe for now.

You're lucky to have the ability to walk into a brick and mortar and sniff the tub of soap - I've said in previous posts that if I'd had the ability to sniff before buying my soap collection would probably be half the size that it is. Online shopping is a two edged sword.

I'm using a cream now that I've had for ages, and it's a wonderful performer. It consistently produces great lather, even face lathering with a boar brush. It's been a few months and so far I'm pretty happy with it. It easily stands up to the last cream I used, Coates Almond. There is one annoying thing about it - the pump can sometimes get stuck with hardened cream but it's easy to clean out.

It's Kiss My Face. Unscented. I've had it since I started wetshaving.

I think we long ago reached the point where most of products that we discuss have more than adequate performance and it is more about scent, packaging, or the story (making it sound like the soap has been made since your great-grandfather's time because of the old-timey name, some magic ingredient like reindeer tallow, etc.) Probably the latter.

That being said it's nice to have selection but I'm glad I'm not in the business right now, it seems like it wouldn't take much (like people not mentioning your company) for business to dry up. The next recession is going to hit hard since many of us have enough product to last through the zombie apocalypse and it's a very easy thing to cut back on.

Ha! Great post insomniac. My wife just told me she was back to using Kiss My Face. I had forgotten all about it. Reindeer tallow might be a popular mix!

It's interesting, I have been using Kiss My Face olive oil soap for some time. It is a great soap and the only soap my wife and use in the shower. It has no chemicals and only three ingredients olives, sea salt and water. An 8oz bar (which is the size of a brick) only costs $3.99 and is much better for your skin than soaps with chemicals and fragrances in them.

Interesting post and discussion for sure.

I think that there are plenty of opportunities for soap makes even yet. I agree with Celestino's comment that very few of the new soaps equal the performance of old standbys, like ABC hard soap or croap, Valobra, MdC, AdP, Floris creams, and so on. I suspect there's a limit to how well a soap base can perform and we're there - and have been for some time.

So if you can't make a better base than existing ones, that changes the landscape or 'browse' to use the OP's term. Now if I want to compete, I'm going to have to do it with additives and fragrances. Additives to change/improve the in-shave or post shave feel, and scents to well, have something new.

I'd like to see artisans producing some of the good classic soaps that aren't made or sold anymore, yet they seem to hesitate to do that with one exception that I can think of. Soaps like the old ABC bulk coconut and almond oil soap - I mentioned this to Michelle once and she said that I was not the first to mention it. Cella is in the same vein but the bulk Cella does not contain almond oil I believe, and it isn't the same quality of croap that ABC is. Where's the artisan replacement for I Coloniali Mango Oil? Currently we do have a nice fougere soap to replace Pen's English Fern, and that's the Royal Fougere made for Bullgoose by WSP. It's closer to Wild Fern by my nose, but the product is a good replacement for the old tallow EF.

Cheers, Steve

Interesting post and discussion for sure.

I think that there are plenty of opportunities for soap makes even yet. I agree with Celestino's comment that very few of the new soaps equal the performance of old standbys, like ABC hard soap or croap, Valobra, MdC, AdP, Floris creams, and so on. I suspect there's a limit to how well a soap base can perform and we're there - and have been for some time.

So if you can't make a better base than existing ones, that changes the landscape or 'browse' to use the OP's term. Now if I want to compete, I'm going to have to do it with additives and fragrances. Additives to change/improve the in-shave or post shave feel, and scents to well, have something new.

I'd like to see artisans producing some of the good classic soaps that aren't made or sold anymore, yet they seem to hesitate to do that with one exception that I can think of. Soaps like the old ABC bulk coconut and almond oil soap - I mentioned this to Michelle once and she said that I was not the first to mention it. Cella is in the same vein but the bulk Cella does not contain almond oil I believe, and it isn't the same quality of croap that ABC is. Where's the artisan replacement for I Coloniali Mango Oil? Currently we do have a nice fougere soap to replace Pen's English Fern, and that's the Royal Fougere made for Bullgoose by WSP. It's closer to Wild Fern by my nose, but the product is a good replacement for the old tallow EF.

Cheers, Steve

First os all let start this reply by saying soaps and creams are in fact subjective.  What I like you may not and visa versa.  Next, I disagree with some of your statements.  You write “I agree with Celestino's comment that very few of the new soaps equal the performance of old standbys…”.  Have you not considered Barrister & Mann?  Memory serves me right they started business March 18, 2013.  Four years is not considered an old stand by.  In addition, Will is constantly coming out with great new soaps and discontinuing others, which I actually like.  I am assuming when you write ABC you are referring to Antica Barbieria Colla.  Yes a great soap I have in my rotation however, the price of $79 may be restrictive to some.

I do not believe that the new arrivals are not as good as the “old standbys”.  I am not going to name soaps other than B & M for there are too many.  Yes some are not that good however there many that are.  “Additives and fragrances” are actually in all soaps and the addition or subtraction is what makes a soap good or bad.

The 2.2 pound Cella does contain almond oil.  See photo below.  Many of the Italian soaps do contain almond oil such as Antica Barbieria Colla.  Almond is very big with Italians; another product is marzipan.

And lastly there may be a legal reason why artisans are not duplicating discounted soap, copyright, patents and trademarks.  An artisan soap maker may have applied for these protections for their formula, including ingredients, name and packaging.  The manufactures of I COLONIALI may have protection because the company is actually still in business they are just not making the soap.  Another example is Queen Charlotte Soaps.  They made 9 soaps I own 5 of them and they are great.  They made soaps for six years and because of other commitments decided that making soap took too much of their time.  But they still own their formulas and name.

Good points Tidepool, many things are indeed subjective. However, my Cella lists no almond oil. It probably does contain it because it turns brown pretty quickly and almond oil has a short half life.

Cheers, Steve

wow, same bar code and everything. I would like to know when the change was made and why. I hope you guys start a new thread with these same pics in the soap section so we can hash it out there, so as not to derail liprippers thread. Interesting find though, inquiring minds want to know.

This is an excellent analogy and I agree 100%. The field is very crowded and the vast majority are soaps I group into 'the pack', they get the job done, aren't bad but certainly could be improved.

I am always on the hunt for good soap. I have my favorites, some of my favorites have been replaced and what once represented a large part of my den have dwindled because I've found better. I will say I very, very rarely blind buy a new soap, no samples, no purchase unless some friends are kind enough to send me a sample.

The main ceiteria I look for in a (new) soap is post shave feel. Cushion and glide go hand in hand behind that. The only way a new soap makes it into my den is surpassing what I have in post shave feel which at this point is a very difficult task. I am around the 35 soap mark and am happy there. I have roughly 10 summer scents, 10 winter and 10 year round scents. I like the variety. Those 35 soaps are from 6 artisans/makers that have made a product that sets them apart from the pack. No doubt more from the pack will be dying off

As far as the 'old brands' and them not being unsurpassable, I've found new artisans that surpass all of them

wow, same bar code and everything. I would like to know when the change was made and why. I hope you guys start a new thread with these same pics in the soap section so we can hash it out there, so as not to derail liprippers thread. Interesting find though, inquiring minds want to know.

I've been chatting with Tidepool and I believe that the difference in labeling is just that, labeling only. My Cella certainly behaves like it does have almond oil in it as it will turn brownish a a few months if not refrigerated. Almond oil has a short 'half life' and ABC will turn a bit too if not in regular use amd unrefrigerated but not as badly.

My Cella is about 4-5 years old and some time in the past couple of years the European labeling requirements changed. These changed requirements resulted in some soap ingredient labels listings changing, changing order, and sparking an immense number of internet 're-formulation' rumors when most likely nothing was reformulated except the label!

Cheers, Steve