Top 25 Artisan Soap makers as of April 2016

Although I do use some luxury products prefer value when I can get it.   In some cases the luxury products provide good value and better performance, but in some cases they do not.  As an example, Xpec is not 5 times better than Mike's Natural Soaps for me.

I have no issue of you pointing out the top 25 of anything. Go for it. It might have little value to 99% of the population but so what? That's their problem.

The issue you mention of Xpec is clearly the law of diminishing returns, something that effects most of life. I have found, for example, that some soaps costing twice as much as a lesser performing soap (IMO), is, in fact, twice as good. But after that it starts to fall apart as the higher the cost the more tinier and incremental the value.

I find the simplest way to look at this is with cars, something about everyone on the planet understands. You can certainly get to your destination in a $20,000 car just fine, but it might be far more fun in a $40,000 car and great fun in a $100,000 car.  But is the $100,000 car give you 5 times the value? Of course not - The Law of Diminishing Returns.

I'm still waiting to know the garbage. To be frank, it doesn't do much good to tell us which ones are great - Please take this as positive feedback. It's pretty easy to figure that out. All you have to do is crowdsource the reviews of a couple of dozen reviews and you can figure out which ones might be reasonable to buy. Whats far more hard to is find out which ones are NOT great.

Just like Consumer Reports might tell the consumer which cars to avoid, there should be a means to find out the soaps to NOT buy. That would be valuable to some of us.

Sometimes its better to own one GREAT product than 5 junk products.

Good feedback, appreciate it. I did a video on misses about a week ago. I buy the vast majority of products and when I do, I'm trying to buy stuff I like. I'll take a flyer now and then, but most times I'm looking to buy scents and products that I feel I'm going to like. This is why most of the reviews are positive in nature.

Good constructive comments, appreciated.

Although I do use some luxury products prefer value when I can get it.   In some cases the luxury products provide good value and better performance, but in some cases they do not.  As an example, Xpec is not 5 times better than Mike's Natural Soaps for me.

I have no issue of you pointing out the top 25 of anything. Go for it. It might have little value to 99% of the population but so what? That's their problem.

The issue you mention of Xpec is clearly the law of diminishing returns, something that effects most of life. I have found, for example, that some soaps costing twice as much as a lesser performing soap (IMO), is, in fact, twice as good. But after that it starts to fall apart as the higher the cost the more tinier and incremental the value.

I find the simplest way to look at this is with cars, something about everyone on the planet understands. You can certainly get to your destination in a $20,000 car just fine, but it might be far more fun in a $40,000 car and great fun in a $100,000 car.  But is the $100,000 car give you 5 times the value? Of course not - The Law of Diminishing Returns.

I'm still waiting to know the garbage. To be frank, it doesn't do much good to tell us which ones are great - Please take this as positive feedback. It's pretty easy to figure that out. All you have to do is crowdsource the reviews of a couple of dozen reviews and you can figure out which ones might be reasonable to buy. Whats far more hard to is find out which ones are NOT great.

Just like Consumer Reports might tell the consumer which cars to avoid, there should be a means to find out the soaps to NOT buy. That would be valuable to some of us.

Sometimes its better to own one GREAT product than 5 junk products.

Good feedback, appreciate it. I did a video on misses about a week ago. I buy the vast majority of products and when I do, I'm trying to buy stuff I like. I'll take a flyer now and then, but most times I'm looking to buy scents and products that I feel I'm going to like. This is why most of the reviews are positive in nature.

Good constructive comments, appreciated.

This makes a lot of sense, considering you are buying these products. To be honest, I sort of assumed they were mostly comped also. What if we all sent you the soaps we try and then hate?


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Good feedback, appreciate it.  I did a video on misses about a week ago.  I buy the vast majority of products and when I do, I'm trying to buy stuff I like.  I'll take a flyer now and then, but most times I'm looking to buy scents and products that I feel I'm going to like.  This is why most of the reviews are positive in nature.  

Good constructive comments, appreciated.

Ahh ... that makes sense. Why would you buy something you knew you wouldn't like? duh. I guess I was under the impression you looked at so much stuff because it was just sort of what you did. But this makes perfect sense.

thanks

I have no issue of you pointing out the top 25 of anything. Go for it. It might have little value to 99% of the population but so what? That's their problem.

The issue you mention of Xpec is clearly the law of diminishing returns, something that effects most of life. I have found, for example, that some soaps costing twice as much as a lesser performing soap (IMO), is, in fact, twice as good. But after that it starts to fall apart as the higher the cost the more tinier and incremental the value.

I find the simplest way to look at this is with cars, something about everyone on the planet understands. You can certainly get to your destination in a $20,000 car just fine, but it might be far more fun in a $40,000 car and great fun in a $100,000 car.  But is the $100,000 car give you 5 times the value? Of course not - The Law of Diminishing Returns.

I'm still waiting to know the garbage. To be frank, it doesn't do much good to tell us which ones are great - Please take this as positive feedback. It's pretty easy to figure that out. All you have to do is crowdsource the reviews of a couple of dozen reviews and you can figure out which ones might be reasonable to buy. Whats far more hard to is find out which ones are NOT great.

Just like Consumer Reports might tell the consumer which cars to avoid, there should be a means to find out the soaps to NOT buy. That would be valuable to some of us.

Sometimes its better to own one GREAT product than 5 junk products.

Good feedback, appreciate it. I did a video on misses about a week ago. I buy the vast majority of products and when I do, I'm trying to buy stuff I like. I'll take a flyer now and then, but most times I'm looking to buy scents and products that I feel I'm going to like. This is why most of the reviews are positive in nature.

Good constructive comments, appreciated.

This makes a lot of sense, considering you are buying these products. To be honest, I sort of assumed they were mostly comped also. What if we all sent you the soaps we try and then hate?


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Mostly comped? No even close. I buy 9 of 10 and probably a higher percentage than that, truth be told. What I spend on software in a given month is right down absurd, but I enjoy it. When the den gets too massive, I purge.

Good feedback, appreciate it.  I did a video on misses about a week ago.  I buy the vast majority of products and when I do, I'm trying to buy stuff I like.  I'll take a flyer now and then, but most times I'm looking to buy scents and products that I feel I'm going to like.  This is why most of the reviews are positive in nature.  

Good constructive comments, appreciated.

Ahh ... that makes sense. Why would you buy something you knew you wouldn't like? duh. I guess I was under the impression you looked at so much stuff because it was just sort of what you did. But this makes perfect sense.

thanks

No, I buy what I think I'm going to like as there's no point in using something you don't care for. With so many options available, no one should use anything they don't care for. I've started saving my misses for a video that I do every now and then. I think my last misses video included an Italian Barber Soap, two Mike's soaps and something else I can't remember. I gave those away shortly after the video, unused. Also, they were not comped

I'm with Primo, PhilS, and the numerous others who have made comments to this effect:

TSE's opinion is his own. Period. I don't know how one can even attempt to dispute someone else's personal opinion. While it is fair to offer one's own opinion in response (as I did earlier in this thread), it shouldn't be phrased as an attempt to delegitimize alternate opinions. Blasting someone or intimating shady biases because you disagree with their format or opinion is bad form, not to mention asinine. Post #14 in particular is way out of line, and I think that most everyone knows it.

I for one appreciate TSE's honesty. He has mentioned in a previous video (I forget which) that many luxury products (for him) simply don't provide any significant advantage over many artisan products. That's a perfectly legitimate opinion to hold. My opinion is a bit different because my taste leans more towards the luxury products, but I appreciate TSE's honesty. I'd rather he offer his own unfiltered opinion than pretend to like a product that he actually does not enjoy, and from what I understand of his recent videos, he'll continue to do exactly what he has been doing all along. And that is why I will continue to follow his videos.

Not that it has been an issue with TSE (I see a few veiled accusations here that I don't take seriously), but I should add as an aside that I don't think there is anything untoward about receiving sample products for review. This is completely normal with most products and in most industries. The only guideline should be that the reviewer should disclose (either directly in the post or in the hosting blog/forum) that a product was provided for review. In my own experience, on occasions when I receive products for review from a vendor or manufacturer, I always let the provider company know in advance that I will give my honest opinion on the product. With this warning plus a public disclosure that the item was received for free, there is no ethical problem with receiving sample items for review.

I guess these artisans don't "support" him... Maybe he has not even tried these soaps. No surprise.

MT, LPL, SV and Nuavia are better than most of the American artisan soaps, some of them are just garbage with cheap scents.

Next video: How to support the American artisans

This mess is over the top. Why so accusatory? First of all, he made it crystal clear that it was his experience, and he had rules for how he judged the artisans. This is your second post in the thread, where you did not disagree like a gentleman, but instead you decided to take shots in a passive aggressive sarcastic tone. If YOU think that the artisans you mentioned are better, do your own top 25???? Or at least make a legit case for your artisan picks and handle it like a man, rather than whine about how the foreign artisans were left out? But the sarcasm and passive aggressive whining is ridiculous. Act like a gentleman and put your own top guys up there and explain why, rather than denigrating TSE's picks and acting like he has some type of bias or he is being partisan. I tell you, I'm shocked sometimes, how personally people take it when their favorite soap/razor/brush isn't mentioned in some top 10 or top 25 list, and they go OVER THE TOP to slam someone's opinions.

First of all, have you ever seen a TOP 25? This is absurd.
If you think that I don't act like a man or a gentleman, then what are you doing now? You think your behavior is better than mine? This is ridiculous, not my sarcastic, humorous post. What is your role here? Are you TSE's advocate? If his feels like I am not correct, let him respond and defend himself. Stop acting like a little girl that lost her favorite doll.

Also, he has admitted that artisans send him stuff once in a while. Guys, a wet shaver can't be objective with artisans that send him presents. End of story. Some weeks ago I watched a video and he started with sending thanks to gustavo that sent him the seygus to test it. And now you want me to believe that his review will be objective? Really? How many other artisans have sent him stuff like this, except those he bought with his own money? Most of the artisans became famous with the world of mouth marketing strategy and that's how they earn a large amount of their money. Videos on Youtube, forum ads, gifting soaps, razors and other stuff to reputable and well known members with the promise that they will make reviews after some tries. Youtubers like him know that and take the advantage most of the times. There is no accusation here gents, these are facts but not all of us can admit them. Come on, don't bullshit me.

Seriously, step away from the computer for a minute. Be rational...

An artisan sending him something to try is a personal choice. Get over it.

Choosing 25 soaps to.list is a personal choice. Get over it.

Product reviews are personal, subjective, and limited by experience. Get over it.

I will never understand why some people feel the urge to denigrate anyone they disagree with to the point of being obnoxious and rude. TSE took time to provide us with his opinion. It is our choice to watch it or not.

Formulate your own opiniins and move on. Stop chastising strangers for making videos to their own standards rather than yours. If you dont like his opinions, or methods, or manner of acquisition, get over it, move on, and move forward. Your anger and aggression is unnecessary and frankly, its very disheartening. Get over it and move on. TSE has done nithing to you, yet you make your attacks very personal and aggressive. Its unnecessary and unbecoming.

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I myself appreciate the videos.Thanks for making them,they help a lot when shopping for soaps and shave gear.

We need a subforum for anger management...

I am awed by TSE's presentation.
Thank you.

One question, if you please.
That represents an awsesome lot of testing.How many times a dy can you shave?

Jealous.
Mickey