What do you want in a Shaving soap

Honestly, if you guys don’t have pretty hefty coin to put into this I wouldn’t urge you to do so. The worst part about business as a retailer is you can give people the most amazing price the most amazing hardware/software but ultimately it comes down to how familiar they are to you name. It can be catchy as hell but if you don’t pay to get it out there the right ways sales just go silent. You’ll need to send it out everywhere to you tubers do reviews. Man, let me tell you it’s a lot more work than getting a good consistent formula and a pretty face. It’s the same concept having a pretty daughter and locking her in the closet... lol no one will know she’s pretty if they can’t see her lol I’m just joking I’m not a physco?

That’s the old model. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I find no evidence that WhollyKaw, Grooming Department, T+S, Decloration Grooming, Eufros or any of the new artisans spent anything promoting their new brands. Social media and websites do this heavy lifting now...for free. Maybe a few hundred...at most...for postage...And some brands don’t even do that. After that....it’s all about the social media buzz. So...cost of entry is VERY minimal....Great time to be an entrepreneur!

Honestly, if you guys don’t have pretty hefty coin to put into this I wouldn’t urge you to do so. The worst part about business as a retailer is you can give people the most amazing price the most amazing hardware/software but ultimately it comes down to how familiar they are to you name. It can be catchy as hell but if you don’t pay to get it out there the right ways sales just go silent. You’ll need to send it out everywhere to you tubers do reviews. Man, let me tell you it’s a lot more work than getting a good consistent formula and a pretty face. It’s the same concept having a pretty daughter and locking her in the closet... lol no one will know she’s pretty if they can’t see her lol I’m just joking I’m not a physco?

That’s the old model. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I find no evidence that WhollyKaw, Grooming Department, T+S, Decloration Grooming, Eufros or any of the new artisans spent anything promoting their new brands. Social media and websites do this heavy lifting now...for free. Maybe a few hundred...at most...for postage...And some brands don’t even do that. After that....it’s all about the social media buzz. So...cost of entry is VERY minimal....Great time to be an entrepreneur!

Sounds like you’ve made up your mind! Go for it! But before you do take a look at your favorite soaps more closely and review the forums where they are all certified vendors on all of them... each one including this one has options ranging from 500/yr -1500/yr plus general marketing keyword marketing. If you don’t market your own brand why would a retailer bother with your products? We don’t like things not moving and just sitting there because of lack of awareness. I was recently speaking to another artisan where his products were being refused by vendors because his product casing was insufficient. I’m not trying to talk you out of it at all, I’m just trying to educate and prepare you for the ugly side of the wonderful world of wet shaving. It’s a great community you just got to find the right lure to catch the right fish.


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That’s the old model. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I find no evidence that WhollyKaw, Grooming Department, T+S, Decloration Grooming, Eufros or any of the new artisans spent anything promoting their new brands. Social media and websites do this heavy lifting now...for free. Maybe a few hundred...at most...for postage...And some brands don’t even do that. After that....it’s all about the social media buzz. So...cost of entry is VERY minimal....Great time to be an entrepreneur!

Yes, I agree. However, the social media bunch are as fickle as a teenage girl and are tilting at different "windmills" every few months. Sunday's star is Monday's scar. As an example a year ago everyone was trying to get Bufflehead soap and now it's rarely mentioned. Cold River was sought highly as well and now they seem to get little traction at all in the forums. In a year today's Big Names are certain to follow that path. My only business advice would be for any vendor now in the spotlight to never slack on production (ahem, Grooming Dept. & Talbot's) if not increase, i.e., when the sun is shining make hay as the wave won't last forever.

In a year today's Big Names are certain to follow that path.

I don't see Barrister and Mann, Declaration Grooming or even Stirling disappearing in a year. What makes you think that?

In a year today's Big Names are certain to follow that path.

I don't see Barrister and Mann, Declaration Grooming or even Stirling disappearing in a year. What makes you think that?

Perhaps I should have worded it better. I meant the newest artisans that seem to get all the "whiz bang" attention.

In a year today's Big Names are certain to follow that path.

I don't see Barrister and Mann, Declaration Grooming or even Stirling disappearing in a year. What makes you think that?

Perhaps I should have worded it better. I meant the newest artisans that seem to get all the "whiz bang" attention.

Noble Otter, Storybook Soapworks, Summer Break Soaps, Olympia West, et al? Yeah, I don't know. I can see Noble Otter hanging around for a while. They seem to have a well developed, professional looking brand to go along with a well received soap base and some good scents that people seem to enjoy. We shall see. Then you have an artisan like Grooming Dept that took the hobby by storm last year but haven't released anything in months now.

It doesn't matter even if NASA scientists designed the perfect soap as there would still be people pissing & moaning, e.g., "Don't like the smell", "Rough to me", etc., ad nauseam. I have come to the conclusion that many posters are simply chasing an illusion and simply like to whine.

I agree, they don't use a product long enough to learn how it works. I use a new to me soap, or cream for atleast a week so that I can get the soap to water ratio figured out.

Clayton

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Good thread and an interesting topic. I've been 'lurking' and here are my 2 cents worth. I am a straight razor user so first and foremost, a cream has to be slick. If it isn't, nothing else matters and it's a non-starter.

1. Very slick with very good residual slickness
2. No 'dialing in' other than the right amount for the brush, cream concentrations vary.
3. Rinses clean, and quickly from the brush and my face.
4. No goopy post shave feel
5. Scent needs to be one that I won't get tired of after a week, and be appropriate for a man's shaving soap. No to Yankee candle scents

Cheers, Steve

Thanks Shavemd, this gives those of us in the artisan community plenty of feedback!

Thanks Shavemd, this gives those of us in the artisan community plenty of feedback!

I just felt there were so many soaps out there and everyone raves about the new hard to get ones but no one ever talks about what we really want in a soap or cream