Stirling Soap AMA, March 18th, 2017

I think you've tested a shampoo bar in the past and/or still doing so. How is that coming along or has that been squashed? I shaved with executive man followed with the matching splash this morning and it was great.

Mandy is chomping at the bit to get started on them again. They were just on hold until we had more space. Nowhere to put them. The expansion is almost done though.... or at least it better be.

what's different in the shampoo bars versus the bath bars? I typically just use my bar of soaps (all artisan) to wash my head too.

The shampoo bars will have different base oils. Much less coconut oil, as coconut oil is drying and will make your hair feel stringy. It will have things like panthenol and silk protein added to help repair and condition the hair. It also has no tallow.

Dont worry about the shipping being slow for this order. My last order came in 3 days so yall are doing more than great in that department for me. Thats crazy about the forum incident. It seems like most of the forums I visit now have mostly nothing but great things to say about y'all. All of the mail calls on wicked edge tend to push the newcomers towards yall also so thats nice. I cant wait for the shampoo bars because I have an itchy scalp in the winter, and I have a feeling some artisan shampoo bars would help. Well keep up the hard work, take time for yourself and your family, and thanks for being so interactive with the community! The wet shaving community is awesome!

Edited to Add: Also, my wife and I agree if you can get Baker St in cologne form you can take all our money. I know it isnt technically your scent, but youve done an amazing job with it.

Thank you! I agree. The wetshaving community is unique and great for the overwhelming majority of the time.

Wicked Edge on reddit has been very kind to us, and I do my best to help out over there, as there are many younger shavers and guys who are new to wetshaving and can use the help refining technique. One thing I'll never understand in any field, not just wetshaving, is a tendency of some to look down on the newbies rather than give them guidance. I don't want wetshaving to be a niche or exclusive club. I want it to be the norm, and I try to be as friendly and accommodating to newcomers as I can, even if I sometimes want to roll my eyes at some things.

Also, I would love to make a Baker Street Cologne. When we do finally have the time to finish the colognes, Baker Street is on the short list. There will only be a select few of our scents that get the cologne treatment.

Damn I even had this on my calendar!

I don't know if it is just a placebo effect or not, but the honey/oatmeal bath soap seems like it helps my psoriasis (I know you aren't allowed to make medical claims with strict testing from the FDA). I just ordered the piacenza soap and AS. I wish I would have ordered it earlier. Executive Man soap/AS/Bath soap are still my favorite though. Is Executive Mn still your best seller?

Executive Man is still our best seller. Baker Street made a brief push for the top spot, but the CEO slapped it down. Executive Man just has such broad appeal. It's light, but noticeable, and not overbearing in any sense.

Yes, the Oatmeal Shea Butter is awesome. It's scrubby, and we have numerous customers who buy it for eczema and psoriasis. No medical claims though. Their experiences may or may not coincide with other customers' experiences, and it's all anecdotal anyway.

I'll be making soap for most of the day, but I'll be checking in all morning and afternoon, so if anyone has any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Hi Rod,

Have used and enjoyed your products for over 2.5 years now. Really enjoying your 24mm finest badger it's my first badger brush and it's been a positive experience.

Regarding the shampoo bars. I've always wanted to try them and I have read that due to the PH difference that you should do a final rinse with a vinegar rinse is that a necessary step?

What would you say are a couple of your aftershaves scents that last the longest that aren't cologne scent based.

Thank you.

I'd been waiting for your AMA and had to miss it as I worked all day yesterday. I just wanted to commend you guys for what you do for the wet shaving community! My wife and a good friend have their own company making soaps, lotions and face care products ( makeup remover, toners, etc.) and it's inspiring to see that it can be done from the ground up the right way.? Here's to continued success and God bless!

Hi Rod,

Have used and enjoyed your products for over 2.5 years now. Really enjoying your 24mm finest badger it's my first badger brush and it's been a positive experience.

Regarding the shampoo bars. I've always wanted to try them and I have read that due to the PH difference that you should do a final rinse with a vinegar rinse is that a necessary step?

What would you say are a couple of your aftershaves scents that last the longest that aren't cologne scent based.

Thank you.

Glad to hear you're enjoying the badger! The vinegar rinse is not necessary, but it does help to remove any leftover residue. One of the characteristics that we are trying to work into the formula is leaving behind as little residue as possible.

As for the staying power of the aftershaves, that's honestly going to be hard to say. Different scents work with an individual's body chemistry in ways that don't always coincide with another individual's experience. I do know that Citrus essential oils will be your shortest-lived scents. That said, none of the aftershaves are colognes. Some of them will last longer than others, but they aren't intended to be an all-day experience, even if for some customers they work just that way.

I'd been waiting for your AMA and had to miss it as I worked all day yesterday. I just wanted to commend you guys for what you do for the wet shaving community! My wife and a good friend have their own company making soaps, lotions and face care products ( makeup remover, toners, etc.) and it's inspiring to see that it can be done from the ground up the right way.? Here's to continued success and God bless!

Thank you very much. I really do appreciate it. We do try our best to do things the right way and do right by our customers. God Bless you and yours as well, and have a wonderful week.

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As for wanting to quit, all the time. Not as much anymore, but there was a time that it took much perseverance on the part of Mandy and myself. There was the incident with another unnamed forum where we were accused of shilling back in 2013, and shortly thereafter a very public (and false) accusation that we were stealing scent ideas. We watched our revenues drop by half and we worried that they would never recover. For two years of tax returns after I got out of the Army and Mandy lost her job we were under the federal poverty line. Luckily we didn't have much debt at the time and were able to get by without sacrificing much in terms of quality of life other than not going out much and drinking cheap beer.  But yes, I've wanted to quit many times. Most recently back in November when I had a cardiac incident. As I was getting my chest shaved for the EKG, I was laying there thinking that the stress of trying to build up your own business is not worth it and I should just go find a normal 9 to 5 job.

I didn't and I won't though, until wetshaving no longer pays the bills. I love doing this most days. However, in the interest of my heart and my health, I try to step back from work more often. Even though I work 9 out of 10 weekends, I rarely answer the phone on weekends. I don't after 430 PM on weekdays either. I don't fret when people get mad that I didn't have them their package as fast as Amazon Prime. I try not to get upset or take it personal when someone doesn't like my products and lets me know via less than cordial methods. It's just a part of it. I don't know that there are too many business models like wetshaving. If you think of the access that customers get to people get to me or to Will at Barrister and Mann, or Shawn at Chatty Lux or any number of well-known artisans, I don't think you'd find an analog in many other fields.

Edit: Also, thanks for Carpenter!  Another of my favorite Cardinals. I've got a signed jersey hanging in the workshop.
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Rod, While I'm not sure if this will help with stress, but a new book I'm reading called The End of Heart Disease by Dr Furhman has some eye opening information regarding diet and heart disease. When you have that very rare free moment, take a look at the book.
Thanks again for your great customer service and I look forward to meeting you at the St Louis meet-up in June.
Mike Hoffman

Thanks,  Mike Hoffman looking it up now!