I used a Turtle Ship soap a while back and it didn't work out that well for me. But I don't believe I built a good enough lather. I might need to try it out again.
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SHAVEWIZARD'S THOUGHTS
- Thread starter Shavewizard420
- Start date
Thanks brother!
Man Don i'm suprised Turtleship would give you trouble, it is a bit similar to Phoenix & Beau in that it really likes water more than most soaps. Their scents catcha little flak from some people, but this is the first i've heard of lather issues.
Like you said sometimes it can be a isolated incodent perhaps. I have had bad lathers from some top tier soaps, could be many factors as each shave is different.
2-3
Prep: Musgo Real Oakmoss
Razor: Razorock DE1
Blade: Gillette Black
Brush: Maggard Blue & White Synthetic
Soap: Viking- Ironside
Post: Ogallala Bay Rum Lime & Peppercorn A/S
Am a bit surprised it took this long to get to Viking Soaps again, i think i used it a while back but can't remember. Anyways, top notch products and excellent value at $11.50 for a 5.5Oz tub. Plastic tub is similar to Catties Bubbles or Shaver Heaven and the thick label graffic is of supurb quality like those from Tallow & Steel.
Ingredients (from website): Tallow, Stearic Acid, Water, Potassium Hydroxide, Coconut Oil, Aloe Vera Juice, Glycerin, Castor Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lactate, Mango Butter, Apricot Kernel Oil, Shea Butter, Fragrance, Lanolin.
Performance is very good and lather can handle lots of water. Has all the qualities one would want from a shave soap, slickness is great without being so slick you drop your razor. Shave went well but did get a little redness on neck which could be from chasing the BBS like a fool hahaha, guess i had it coming. Finished off with some Ogallala Lime & Peppercorn aftershave, smells nice and scent lasted a few hours.
Hope everyone is doing well and getting the best shaves possible!
Prep: Musgo Real Oakmoss
Razor: Razorock DE1
Blade: Gillette Black
Brush: Maggard Blue & White Synthetic
Soap: Viking- Ironside
Post: Ogallala Bay Rum Lime & Peppercorn A/S
Am a bit surprised it took this long to get to Viking Soaps again, i think i used it a while back but can't remember. Anyways, top notch products and excellent value at $11.50 for a 5.5Oz tub. Plastic tub is similar to Catties Bubbles or Shaver Heaven and the thick label graffic is of supurb quality like those from Tallow & Steel.
Ingredients (from website): Tallow, Stearic Acid, Water, Potassium Hydroxide, Coconut Oil, Aloe Vera Juice, Glycerin, Castor Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lactate, Mango Butter, Apricot Kernel Oil, Shea Butter, Fragrance, Lanolin.
Performance is very good and lather can handle lots of water. Has all the qualities one would want from a shave soap, slickness is great without being so slick you drop your razor. Shave went well but did get a little redness on neck which could be from chasing the BBS like a fool hahaha, guess i had it coming. Finished off with some Ogallala Lime & Peppercorn aftershave, smells nice and scent lasted a few hours.
Hope everyone is doing well and getting the best shaves possible!
2-4. 3 SOAP CHALLENGE
PREP: NONE
RAZOR: WILKINSON SWORD CLASSIC
BLADE: GILLETTE BLACK
BRUSH: MAGGARD 24MM SYNTHETIC
LATHER: WTF AUTUMN, OGALLALA SAGE & CEDAR, QED MOCHA JAVA
POST: PRORASO WOODS & SPICES BALM
decided to take Steve up on the 3 soap challenge and mix 3 different soapd together and see how things go.
Tried to pick 3 soaps that would go well together to avoid the scent being too weird. WTF Autumn has a Apple Fall type scent, QED Mocha Java is Chocolate & Coffee, and Ogallala is Bay rum Sage & Cedar. This combination sounded good in theory, but came out very strange. The Autumn took over the scent and the Chocolate from Mocha Java did not go well with the Fall Apple scent. It did get a little better once lathered, but unfornuately this was far from being a new masterpiece (sorry Steve... i tried) sometimes the scents work well with eachother sometimes they dont. Never know till you try.
As for performance, i dont really care much for Ogallla soaps on their own, but their scents are very nice (despite not being a big Bay Rum fan). This was a great way to get the benefit of the scent and boost performance at the same time, kind of like Uber lather. The ugly concoction did make a teriffic lather, and usually when multiple soaps are used at once they boost the qualities of eahother rather than hinder them.
Managed to get a awesome shave that really went well despite a little redness from yesterday. Slickness was crazy and face felt wonderful afterwards. only used the balm for fragrance as this Woods & Spice balm has excellent longevity especially for a balm, smells interesting and is one of my favorite during the colder months.
Hope y'all are in good health and had a safe weekend!
PREP: NONE
RAZOR: WILKINSON SWORD CLASSIC
BLADE: GILLETTE BLACK
BRUSH: MAGGARD 24MM SYNTHETIC
LATHER: WTF AUTUMN, OGALLALA SAGE & CEDAR, QED MOCHA JAVA
POST: PRORASO WOODS & SPICES BALM
decided to take Steve up on the 3 soap challenge and mix 3 different soapd together and see how things go.
Tried to pick 3 soaps that would go well together to avoid the scent being too weird. WTF Autumn has a Apple Fall type scent, QED Mocha Java is Chocolate & Coffee, and Ogallala is Bay rum Sage & Cedar. This combination sounded good in theory, but came out very strange. The Autumn took over the scent and the Chocolate from Mocha Java did not go well with the Fall Apple scent. It did get a little better once lathered, but unfornuately this was far from being a new masterpiece (sorry Steve... i tried) sometimes the scents work well with eachother sometimes they dont. Never know till you try.
As for performance, i dont really care much for Ogallla soaps on their own, but their scents are very nice (despite not being a big Bay Rum fan). This was a great way to get the benefit of the scent and boost performance at the same time, kind of like Uber lather. The ugly concoction did make a teriffic lather, and usually when multiple soaps are used at once they boost the qualities of eahother rather than hinder them.
Managed to get a awesome shave that really went well despite a little redness from yesterday. Slickness was crazy and face felt wonderful afterwards. only used the balm for fragrance as this Woods & Spice balm has excellent longevity especially for a balm, smells interesting and is one of my favorite during the colder months.
Hope y'all are in good health and had a safe weekend!
SteveChuckFrank
Close Enough*
Valiant effort on the 3 soaps 2 bowl challenge Brad! Sounded like you picked scents that would really compliment each other. Strange how sometimes you end up with a scent that is weird instead.
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
Nice reads Brad
I can definitely see where you were going with the soaps...but reading what you used I thought there was potential for disaster there. Looks like I was right. I'm with you about Ogallala soaps. On their own...not very good. But they do have some nice scents and you are hard pressed to find a better value. Word of caution though on their aftershaves...shake the bottle before use. Or else you will get a handful of oils!
Dang! I thought West Coast Shaving might have secured a stash when QCS closed its doors. Bummer.
Thanks Steve! It was interesting to do something a bit different, the shave was great but the scent was a bit weird, some awesome combos can be found this way.
Mods please correct if this is against the rules.
There is a thread over on DFS where a guy had a box of a QCS cutom tobacco scent. He planned on selling them but last i checked he never got back with us. May be worth a shot and aside from the BST may be a vital source.
Hahahaha i remember looking into a Ogallala bottle when i first started and seeing all that sediment, many natural products tend to seperate without emulsifiers and things like that, but it is VERY important especially with Bay Rum's so they dont burn your skin with concentrated oils.
Oi! Thanks Dave!
2-6
Prep: pre shave soap mix
Razor: Fat Handle Tech
Blade: Gillette Black
Brush: Yaqi Synthetic 26mm
Soap: Tallow & Steel- Himalaya
Post: T&S Himalaya A/S
Excellent shave with T&S. An all around quality product, scents can be subjective but i really like their creativity.
Himalaya has a unique scent that is difficult to describe, its warm but not spicy, almost like a Amber scent. Very complex and (like most T&S scents) one of a kind.
Performance is just excellent, right along with other top tier artisans IMO. Lather has a wide tollerance for water, so you can adjust consistancy easily and no fear of lather breakdown. Provided a great shave and skin feels wonderful afterwards especially with the matching aftershave. Longevity on the A/S is quite decent and right on the border of A/S and Cologne, can still be detected a few hours later.
Prep: pre shave soap mix
Razor: Fat Handle Tech
Blade: Gillette Black
Brush: Yaqi Synthetic 26mm
Soap: Tallow & Steel- Himalaya
Post: T&S Himalaya A/S
Excellent shave with T&S. An all around quality product, scents can be subjective but i really like their creativity.
Himalaya has a unique scent that is difficult to describe, its warm but not spicy, almost like a Amber scent. Very complex and (like most T&S scents) one of a kind.
Performance is just excellent, right along with other top tier artisans IMO. Lather has a wide tollerance for water, so you can adjust consistancy easily and no fear of lather breakdown. Provided a great shave and skin feels wonderful afterwards especially with the matching aftershave. Longevity on the A/S is quite decent and right on the border of A/S and Cologne, can still be detected a few hours later.
2-7
Prep: Occams Crushed Lime pre shave soap
Razor: Gold Schick Injector
Blade: Ted Pella
Brush: Maggard 28mm synthetic
Soap: Tiki- Lime
Post: Stephans- Island Lime A/S (Mentholated)
This was a strange shave to say the least. This is the only soap i have seen that completely petrified and turned into powder, and have found that i do not like Shaving Powder at all lol. Little bits were all over the place and made it difficult to whip up, had a grainy sand like texture. Ended up putting some water on the soap to get it to absorb some liquid (Blooming??? I know....right) but it was the only way to fix the problem.
Scent is a bitter Lime that is about a 8/10. Not usually a big fan of straight up Lime, but this one is well done and refreshing. Paired well with the Island Lime which smells very similar to the old Avon version.
The shave really went well despite the strangness. the Vegan Tiki formula is among my favorite soap bases for a reason, this stuff refused to quit. Provided a ton of slickness and protection and resulted in a near BBS. Not a huge fan of Injector razors but this went well.
Prep: Occams Crushed Lime pre shave soap
Razor: Gold Schick Injector
Blade: Ted Pella
Brush: Maggard 28mm synthetic
Soap: Tiki- Lime
Post: Stephans- Island Lime A/S (Mentholated)
This was a strange shave to say the least. This is the only soap i have seen that completely petrified and turned into powder, and have found that i do not like Shaving Powder at all lol. Little bits were all over the place and made it difficult to whip up, had a grainy sand like texture. Ended up putting some water on the soap to get it to absorb some liquid (Blooming??? I know....right) but it was the only way to fix the problem.
Scent is a bitter Lime that is about a 8/10. Not usually a big fan of straight up Lime, but this one is well done and refreshing. Paired well with the Island Lime which smells very similar to the old Avon version.
The shave really went well despite the strangness. the Vegan Tiki formula is among my favorite soap bases for a reason, this stuff refused to quit. Provided a ton of slickness and protection and resulted in a near BBS. Not a huge fan of Injector razors but this went well.
2-8
Prep: pre shave soap mix
Razor: Wilkinson Sword Classic
Blade: Gilletre Black
Brush: Razorock BC Plissoft
Soap: Wild West- James & Artemus
Post: Lisa's Nautral- Somali Rose Balm
Fairly uneventful average shave this morning. No nicks or irritation but nothing to write home about.
Wild West is a cool artisan, they offer unique scent profiles and soaps come in a 2oz Dip Tobacco type of tin. I like the 2oz size as it seems more practical and allows for a bit more variety.
Scent of James & Artemus is very different and unique for sure. It has Rose in it but is not a floral, the Bourbon is perhaps the star of the show with the Vanilla and Steam Punk (lol) adding to the scent profile. I really like this one as well as other Wild West scents that include Rose (Witchita, Rose Dunn) as Russell uses a great Rose IMO but so far have only experienced it when blended with other notes. Could picture this scent being too polorizing for some people, but its great IMO and paired well with the Lisa's Somaili Rose as they are both a bit "different".
Performance of Wild West is decent. Its not my favorite soap base, but no slouch either. All in all, Wild West is one i would recommend trying as there is something for everyone plus some unique options. Lather seems to work best when it is not flooded with water, i added plenty to provide slickness but wihtout creating a watery mess. Shave went well with no issues and the balm felt soothing afterwards. Really like Lisa's Natural but the pumper on the balm shoots out at lightning speed, causing ricochet fragments to spray everywhere. Its a wonderful product but it still startles me everytime even though i know its coming lol.
Hope y'all are doing well and getting the best shaves possible!
Prep: pre shave soap mix
Razor: Wilkinson Sword Classic
Blade: Gilletre Black
Brush: Razorock BC Plissoft
Soap: Wild West- James & Artemus
Post: Lisa's Nautral- Somali Rose Balm
Fairly uneventful average shave this morning. No nicks or irritation but nothing to write home about.
Wild West is a cool artisan, they offer unique scent profiles and soaps come in a 2oz Dip Tobacco type of tin. I like the 2oz size as it seems more practical and allows for a bit more variety.
Scent of James & Artemus is very different and unique for sure. It has Rose in it but is not a floral, the Bourbon is perhaps the star of the show with the Vanilla and Steam Punk (lol) adding to the scent profile. I really like this one as well as other Wild West scents that include Rose (Witchita, Rose Dunn) as Russell uses a great Rose IMO but so far have only experienced it when blended with other notes. Could picture this scent being too polorizing for some people, but its great IMO and paired well with the Lisa's Somaili Rose as they are both a bit "different".
Performance of Wild West is decent. Its not my favorite soap base, but no slouch either. All in all, Wild West is one i would recommend trying as there is something for everyone plus some unique options. Lather seems to work best when it is not flooded with water, i added plenty to provide slickness but wihtout creating a watery mess. Shave went well with no issues and the balm felt soothing afterwards. Really like Lisa's Natural but the pumper on the balm shoots out at lightning speed, causing ricochet fragments to spray everywhere. Its a wonderful product but it still startles me everytime even though i know its coming lol.
Hope y'all are doing well and getting the best shaves possible!
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
As always a nice variety and thoughts, thanks
Wow! A ton going on these last few days in the shave world. I love the performance of Tallow & Steel's soaps. And while a lot of people are on the fence (or just plain don't like it) I have enjoyed just about every scent I have whiffed from them. I respect the fact that they want to push the limits in the scent department. I do think though that a lot of people are missing out though because the scents are too polarizing. If T&S made just one or two scents that were a little more main stream...I think they would garner a few more sales. But then again...maybe this is their plan. Nice shaves!
Well said Don! T&S scents can be a bit too much for some people, plus they only use Essential Oils so the complexity is quite impressive.
Their first formula had some scents that were a bit more common (Classic, Grog) while offering a little uniquness (Dark, Rainforest, Shiva's Cognac, Rootbeer Saloon, Etc.)
Coming up with a unique scent profile with EO's is a challange and i give them credit for thinking outside the box. Sometimes reoccuring fragrance blends pop up from various artisans but they smell exactly the same because they buy it from the same manufacturer, whereas it takes some real creativity to mix oils without making a "scented mess".
Thanks Dave. Hope all is well with you and the family!