Martin De Candre Letdown

I do get bad results with the Original, but none of the others.
I think most people's issues arise from doing the "loading with just 5-10 swirls creates a great lather"... Every time I've done that, I get terrible results.

LOAD IT LIKE EVERY OTHER SOAP and add water a couple times during loading and lathering, and I can't imagine issues.
Excellent, comfortable, brainless shave and the oils leave a conditioned feel after...particularly the Fougere.

As well, loading from a sample, particularly of a hard soap, is usually not indicative of what happens when loading from the full size.

As a soap maker an a fan of the brand for a few reasons I’ll say I agree on one thing, it’s obvious if you look at the ingredient list that there are really very little skin beneficial ingredients added to their soap formula other than the butters and oils that so many other soaps have. I have several discussions with other soap maker friends of mine who also have much respect for the brand. In one of my conversations with a very wel known soap maker an one that gets a lot of praise on all shaving forums and FB groups etc. He said it perfectly. He said “ even though a very simple soap formula looking at the label, a whole lot of soap makers have tried to duplicate MDC including myself and no one has been able to do that! “ For one thing they cure their soap for at least 3 months that I know of and it may be longer and that right there makes any soap better and because of that it separates it from the other very simple formula shave soaps out there.

From a performance standpoint I’ve used all of their soaps for years now and I enjoy the simple non synthetic smelling scents they offer even though my nose tells me they are not 100% natural essential oils but I believe their a combo of both. I find if it’s lathered properly it provides a good ( while shaving ) experience, at least for me It does. I do find it somewhat drying compared to some other artisan shave soaps and especially during the dry winter months when I get a dry skin feeling after using it but it’s nothing that a good skin beneficial post shave product can’t take care of. I’ve never had one light up my skin which is a bonus for me. I’ll also say that people have different skin types so a soap like MDC can work for one person and not the next which is basically true of any brand In my opinon.

Now from a price standpoint, the soap is in a 7 oz jar of the highest quality plastic and very expensive compared to any other plastic jar out there. I know very well as I use the exact same jar and the only reason I have that jar is because of the generosity of MDC who shared their supplier in France with me. Their a very friendly family who I have a lot of respect and admiration for. I can also tell you that their cost to ship those heavy filled jars to the US is also very expensive and adds to the end retail cost.

An yes the price per use is low and that can’t be denied as the maths been done many, many times in the 20 plus years I’ve been in the hobby. I have 100’s of soaps in my den soon to be very thinned out and I can say that MDC will be one that’s not going anywhere. I’ve never seen any deceptive marking coming from them which is something I like . You know exactly what your going to get as their also very consistent which I’m sure they’ve perfected throughout the many years they’ve been in business.

BTW their Fougere is still my personal favorite.

Just my 2 cents on the subject.

Great shaves all.

FWIW, I used the Fougere and I pressed a good size sample into the bottom of a bowl. I used a YaQi Cashmere synth brush and I hydrated it twice during bowl/face lathering so the lather was a perfect "yogurty" slurry. I did this very carefully as non-tallow soaps are notorious for hydrophobia. My complaint is that I got sub-par slickness/glide as compared to what I normally get with other soaps. Dryness, or even PSF for that matter, are meaningless to me as I use high quality facial washes and skin toners post shave.

Understood. Not everything is for everyone. Fwiw, I didn't think Stirling is very good soap base and know I'm in the extreme minority on that. Same with SV.

I never bought MdC for its "outstanding" quality. To me, it was pretty simple: tons of shaves in scents I can't get from anywhere else for the money. There are a ton of other soaps I prefer if I'm chasing "top quality".

At some point and with enough experience however, you can squeeze a good lather out of just about anything that isn't exceptionally hot garbage.
So I look at it like this: "I can get a ton of shaves with good enough lather, and I can't find these exact scents from any other soap maker." And that's good enough for me.

I should say (as I've noted before), MDC has the most "I don't know why I use anything else" comments out of anything else I've seen.

I do get bad results with the Original, but none of the others.
I think most people's issues arise from doing the "loading with just 5-10 swirls creates a great lather"... Every time I've done that, I get terrible results.

LOAD IT LIKE EVERY OTHER SOAP and add water a couple times during loading and lathering, and I can't imagine issues.
Excellent, comfortable, brainless shave and the oils leave a conditioned feel after...particularly the Fougere.

As well, loading from a sample, particularly of a hard soap, is usually not indicative of what happens when loading from the full size.

I never ever understand the 5-10 swirls.  I see some of the lathers people post at these shave sites.  That’s not lather, that’s foam.  Foam isn’t lather.  I also hear, I know how to make lather…. Ok, SHOW ME

Samples…..I’m a scooper with my soaps, I use a bowl. A dime size sample isn’t going to cut it……Healthy quarter size scoops GENERALLY are encouraged.  Loading from any full size vessel will give you a world class experience

MdC Vetyver is my fav in their lineup followed by Fougere.  I’m a pass on the original, always have been.  I’ve been fortunate to have visited MdC 3 times in the last 10 years

****SIDE NOTE**** We stay next door at Domaine deMestre (always book room Les Cimes)  

It’s true, the #1 FAIL of MdC is not hydrating this soap properly.  I could go on about the materials used in what I also thought was a trash overpriced soap that sucked in performance, but I won’t.  MdC is one of the LAST finest hand crafted European soaps in existence

Where’s Frank Dragonsbeard  from Ethos? This thread needs his response. I usually try things on my own and form my own opinions however I’m positive Frank can give some insight as to why folks are feeling DRY after/during MdC usage.  I’ve experienced the same thing with MdC and Frank helped me correct this Circa 2018. Yes, there’s a reason but he can break it down better than I can

To the author of this thread… if you want a real sample of MdC, you know, to make sure it really doesn’t work for you, I’d be more than happy to send you one.  All I ask in return are some images of your lather

FWIW, I used the Fougere and I pressed a good size sample into the bottom of a bowl. I used a YaQi Cashmere synth brush and I hydrated it twice during bowl/face lathering so the lather was a perfect "yogurty" slurry. I did this very carefully as non-tallow soaps are notorious for hydrophobia. My complaint is that I got sub-par slickness/glide as compared to what I normally get with other soaps. Dryness, or even PSF for that matter, are meaningless to me as I use high quality facial washes and skin toners post shave.

Ahhhh, I see where you fumbled Sir:  The Soul-less Yaqi synthetic knot, sorry for your loss

Messin with you BPman.  I would concur if you said the original, however the FOUGÈRE and Vetyver are fantastic for me, solid glide in every way.  Stop using salt water at your beach house?

I have a healthy sample shaved off of a tub and I can readily assure you that I used a large amount for the sample shave. You are merely guessing that I didn't as your ox got gored.

I will reiterate my main line of reasoning here for those who seem to not understand me:  the lather has little slickness compared to other, i.e., better IMO, soaps.

SLICKNESSS. Verstand? Entiendes?

I agree 100% BPman. Never got the hype on MdC. You mention Stirling which is 1000x better. You could buy 5 tubs of differents scents and they would outlast one jar of MdC for the same price.

Would Island Man be one of the 5 on your list?