Oleo Duck Fat - share your experience

If you had a chance to try the new Oleo soaps with duck fat, please share your experience here!

I had purchased a Vegan tub of Oleo soap (I very rarely buy Vegan unless the reviews are excellent) from Timeless, my opinion was it was OK, I wouldn't buy again. A short time later I watch a Youtube review of Oleo Pucker a Tallow that went on to state that this was a very good soap. So I went on to the Oleo site to purchase a tub, sold out. I contacted the owner and asked when the soap would be available. The owner Vida got back to me and offered to send me a tub to try out and asked for my address. I thanked her and received the tub a few days later.

Again I had issues with the soap with an aggressive razor, is was good but not great, I was underwhelmed with the cushion, glide, slickness and moisturizing which I relaid back to Vida (now this is just my opinion). So a few weeks ago when I saw that Oleo was coming out with a Duck Tallow version I said what the heck, be stupid buy it.

I received a tub of Rougere and over the next few days I lathered up and each day used a different razor Tartara OC, CG L3 SB and OC, this was a very good soap, on one of the shaves I used both the Beef Tallow Pucker and the new Duck Fat. The Beef was just how I remembered it, some what lacking in performance, but the Duck, this new soap is a simi hard croap like the others that I have of Oleo and was easy to lather (I have hard water). The most important aspect of shaving soaps are thier shaving qualities, the Duck Fat provides a very good cushion, glide, slickness and moisturizing, the scent is light and pleasant. So now I'm feeling pretty smart.

This is an email I sent Vida the other day

I have used in the past your Vegan and Tallow (Pucker you sent a courtesy tub to me a while back) and I had some reservations about both the Vegan and Beef Tallow. I just purchased and received Rougere (with Duck Fat) and have now used it twice along with Pucker to compare, your new Duck Fat soap is very good. I would like to know besides adding DF did you alter the formula for this soap?

Oleo's response

Besides using duck Fat I replaced the Coconut Oil with Palm Kernel Oil. Aside from that there were some other minor adjustments. I’m quite pleased to hear you’re enjoying the new formula.

Vida

In this review I'm only discussing the new Duck Fat soap, not the Vegan or the Beef Tallow (you will have to contact Vida to inquire about which soaps have her new formula). What I've stated is subjective, there are those that will say it's as good as L and L, Tallow and Steel, etc, others will say that it's a step below. My conclusion is this soap will not disappoint in-fact many will even extol its virtues.

Just had my first shave with the Unscented Oleo duck fat soap. I second everything said above and personally enjoyed using this soap tremendously. I have the other two in line and after a few shaves will report in greater detail on their shaving and post shave properties. After the first shave my skin felt similarly to what it feels like after shaving with the unscented MDC, but with a much lesser drying sensation. I actually skipped using AS completely.

Top of the Chain has a couple of Oleo duck tallow soaps in stock right now. I concur with the opinion of the beef tallow soap above - I have El Cabellero and it smells great but performance is just a tad lacking.

I just checked, Top of the Chain has Rougere duck tallow and had Shilo but its now sold out

I am very impressed with this soap base. IMHO it is as good as any of the big boys (Eufros Tallow, WK DM, GD, T+S, B&M, etc). It is easy to load. Good cushion. Excellent primary and secondary slickness. Nice post shave. I like the scent of both Rougere and Shiloh. Slight advantage to Shiloh. Give it a try.

I used Oleo Rougere duck tallow soap this morning and I too am impressed. Its as slick and lathers as well as ANY of the duck tallow soaps currently out there. Just excellent. I started with the Rockwell 6s on#3 with a Polsilver Super Iridium blade. I used #3 because I thought that yesterday's shave (first on the blade) had caused mild irritation but after the first pass I switched to plate #4 because I could barely feel the blade the lather was so slick and I finished 2 more comfortable passes with #4.

If I were to make some comments I'd say that the scent of Rougere, while nice enough, is pleasantly nondescript leading one to believe it was blended to not offend anyone. Thats fine but in my limited experience with Oleo (I have El Cabelero and Shilo) I find it difficult to detect anything listed in the scent profile in the actual soap. Don't get me wrong, they do still smell very nice, just not of what you might think they would from the scent profile. Shilo )also duck tallow) is on deck for tomorrow and it smells quite a bit brighter in the tub than Rougere. I'm looking forward to it.

Another comment would be that it would be nice if the containers were the standard 4" instead of 3.5". They lather well but you need to use a smaller brush or you'll be losing lather over the sides.

My advice? Get this soap.

I used Oleo Rougere duck tallow soap this morning and I too am impressed.  Its as slick and lathers as well as ANY of the duck tallow soaps currently out there.  Just excellent.  I started with the Rockwell 6s on#3 with a Polsilver Super Iridium blade. I used #3 because I thought that yesterday's shave (first on the blade) had caused mild irritation but after the first pass I switched to plate #4 because I could barely feel the blade the lather was so slick and I finished 2 more comfortable passes with #4.  

If I were to make some comments I'd say that the scent of Rougere, while nice enough, is pleasantly nondescript leading one to believe it was blended to not offend anyone.  Thats fine but in my limited experience with Oleo (I have El Cabelero and Shilo) I find it difficult to detect anything listed in the scent profile in the actual soap.  Don't get me wrong, they do still smell very nice, just not of what you might think they would from the scent profile.  Shilo )also duck tallow) is on deck for tomorrow and it smells quite a bit brighter in the tub than Rougere. I'm looking forward to it.

Another comment would be that it would be nice if the containers were the standard 4" instead of 3.5".  They lather well but you need to use a smaller brush or you'll be losing lather over the sides.

My advice? Get this soap.

Thanks for the write up Marko, as someone who's been looking at purchasing Oleo it was nice to get the info on the scents and container size.

I used Shilo this morning and it was every bit as wonderful a soap as Rougere, just a great soap leading to a great shave. The scent of Shilo is a brighter citrus off the puck and once lathered is strongly lemon drop to me. Every comment I made about Rougere applies to Shilo except that I am able to identify one scent from the profile - citrus or more accurately lemon. Here is the artisan's scent profile - sounds great right? I did expect more than lemon drop but the soap is still excellent and worth getting.

A scent inspired by Acqua Di Parma Colonia in our Canard (Duck Tallow) Base

Scent Notes: Sicilian citrus, Lavender, Rosemary, Verbena, Damask Rose, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Patchouli

and this is the scent profile for Rougere, I love rose scented soaps but I detect none of this just a pleasant scent again great soap.

A Rose Fougére in our the Canard – Duck Tallow Base

Scent notes: Rose, Geranium, Oud, Lavender, Patchouli, Oakmoss, Coumarin, Tonka, Vetiver

Thanks to all who have shared their impressions so far. My shopping list and wallet do not thank you, however…

I usually prefer scented soaps, but this time Oleo's unscented duck fat soap is SOMETHING SPECIAL...