What soap/cream did you use today?

Ever wonder what happens when you decide to switch up almost everything when making a lather?  Maybe use a soap base that you're not used to, perhaps load differently, use a badger rather than a synthetic, pull out a lather bowl rather than face-lather????  Huh, ever wonder?  Well, I did and look what happened....



A less than savory and very "airy" lather.  Thankfully, I was only planning for a quick WTG/XTG shave because I need to shave again in the morning.  On the bright side, despite the looks of this lather, the slickness was great and the scent, a maniacally cade-infused delight, was just what I needed this afternoon.

Haslinger Coconut, old formula (tallow)

No. 88 t. (Czech & Speake) rose, plumeria, vetiver, sandalwood

Recently I entertained the thought of singling out the thirty best soaps on my shelf, but it was a vain attempt. After nearly six years of wet shaving I’ve found that nearly all my soaps perform about the same provided I load them generously and then water them well. In fact, of the 270 soaps I’ve sampled, only three or four failed to give me a satisfactory shave. What do we conclude? Maybe making good shaving soap isn’t that difficult. What’s hard, though, is making good shaving soap smell good. There’s no question that Valobra, who made Czech & Speake’s soaps in the past, created a soap that performs excellently. Its rich lather gives a very comfortable shave. But No. 88 has an off-putting claylike note that its robust fragrance doesn’t entirely mask. So give this soap full marks for performance, but for me the scent is second tier.
   

No. 88 t. (Czech & Speake) rose, plumeria, vetiver, sandalwood

Recently I entertained the thought of singling out the thirty best soaps on my shelf, but it was a vain attempt. After nearly six years of wet shaving I’ve found that nearly all my soaps perform about the same provided I load them generously and then water them well. In fact, of the 270 soaps I’ve sampled, only three or four failed to give me a satisfactory shave. What do we conclude? Maybe making good shaving soap isn’t that difficult. What’s hard, though, is making good shaving soap smell good. There’s no question that Valobra, who made Czech & Speake’s soaps in the past, created a soap that performs excellently. Its rich lather gives a very comfortable shave. But No. 88 has an off-putting claylike note that its robust fragrance doesn’t entirely mask. So give this soap full marks for performance, but for me the scent is second tier.
   

Perhaps it’s the farmer in me but for the love of Pete I don’t get the off putting clay scent in Valobra that everyone else on the planet seems to pick up.  Maybe I’m like the rotorooter man who can eat his lunch on the truck.

Gillette Pure shave cream

Cedar & Pinewood

Razorock Don Donato

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Sure it's old school.  Yes there are newer brands with more exciting ingredients.  Nope, nobody talks about it anymore.  But wow does this stuff perform.  Maurer & Wirtz Tabac is as manly as they come.  And when I say manly, I'm not talking about testosterone fueled offerings like Stirlings Texas on Fire or Chiselled Face's Gear Head although both of these are interesting and fun.  Tabac hearkens back to a time where androgyny was frowned on and men wore hats and held the door for their women.  This is one of my favorite aromatic fougeres and I don't visit it nearly often enough because performance-wise it'll stand with anyone's and scent-wise it beats most by a wide margin.  I understand the "not for everyone" vibe because some of you just can't handle that much hair on your chest!  (Come on man.  I tease.). My name is Matt and I am a Tabac junkie.