Which is most important?

Slickness and protection. I don't particularly like Arko's scent but it more than makes up for it in performance, hence it will always have a place in my den.

Scent is great but it's not really my main priority when deciding which soaps to buy. I even care more about the post shave feel than scent.

With so many good brands out there, scent might be the only thing that will differentiate them, and that's when scents matter to me. A good scent among tested and safe blind buy brands of soaps.

Protection and slickness are my primary criteria. Scent is not as important because I like to use different AS. Scent is only important to me while shaving, nothing like a nice aroma while cutting the whiskers away.

I find that a good soap has to meet all of the criteria for me: slickness, cushion, thick and creamy lather, post-shave and, of course, scent! I could never use an unscented soap, now, since I am incredibly spoiled with so many wonderful scented soaps.

I don't mind if the soap is lacking a little slickness but it has to have a good post shave. However I do think the performance is all linked so for instance a soap is unlikely to have a good post shave unless all the other aspects of performance are good.

I don't have any soaps in my den that don't hit every catagory at a high level.....I am a shaving snob!

Before I shave, I am looking at what I can hope for at the end of the shave. If my face is broken out, then I choose a soap based on what may help clear up my complexion or if my skin if flakey and dry, then I go for some more moisturizing formulas.

But if I had to put an order to all of it....

1 post shave face feel
2 slickness
3 ease of lathering
4 protection
5 scent

Slickness and glide are tops for me. Since switching from safety razors to straights, nothing is as important as these 2 factors, except a well-honed and stropped edge.

The next most important thing for me is the lathers ability to hold and use water. Watervequates to slickness, so if a soap is pickt about its water content, and falls apart before it builds that optimal glide, its useless to me.

Scent would be next. Ive started to appreciate scents and frgrances more. When I first started using DEs, my nose was very immature and I couldnt discern scents as well. As my nose developes, my appreciation increases, and scent becomes more important.

Cushion and protection are moot for me at this point. Safety razors, I appreciated a decent layer of cushiony foam to protect my skin just a little bit. With straights, I have WAY more control over the angle of the edge, and I can adjust depending on what feedback I am getting. As long as I have good glide, cushion is moot.

Post shave is nice. I like a decently moisturized scalp after shaving. Its not a deal breaker, per se, but with so many quality soaps providing goid post shave alongside wonderful in shave performance, there really is no reason to "settle for less". Too many choices with good performance in all areas for good prices to settle for less...

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Latherability>cushion>slickness>post-shave feel.

My criteria for trying a soap is:
1] Ingredient list - tallow only.
2] The comments of my beard-bearing brothers.

...with so many quality soaps providing good post shave alongside wonderful in shave performance, there really is no reason to "settle for less". Too many choices with good performance in all areas for good prices to settle for less...

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^This. I've found that with most soap brands that I want to use, they excel in most if not all areas. In this regard, scent becomes more important because if I already know a soap is going to perform well, what's the point of shaving with something you don't like the scent of?

1. Slickness/Cushion (If there really is such a thing as cushion)
2. Lather
3. Scent

My list is pretty similar. Got to be slickness, cushion, scent, post shave, lathering. While scent isn't too important, it is actually a major part of the "enjoyment" factor for me, so it at least needs to be somewhat pleasant.