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Soap Sample Pass Around!!!

We're approaching lift-off folks! My beautiful wife and I have spend the last two evenings organizing and just added in 20+ more samples. The box is packed up and just waiting for empty sample containers tomorrow. Should be off the the dangerous one by the weekend if not before. Here is the current list of sign ups and soaps! Still room to sign-up.

**Soap Sample Road Show Sign-ups Copy from here down and paste**
1. dangerousdon
2. maryland998
3. Jaro1069
4. Dave in KY
5. Jellodancer
6. elmerPHuD
7.
8.
9.
10.

Ariana & Evans - A Cold Day in Hell 2
Ariana & Evans - Cafe au Lait
Ariana & Evans - Choco Cubano
Ariana & Evans - St Barts
Ariana & Evans - Uno
Ariana & Evans - Vacanza Romana
Ballenclaugh - Honey & Tobacco
Ballenclaugh - Hot Barrel Rose
Barrister & Mann - Classic Reserve
Barrister & Mann - Sinforia
Barrister & Mann - Spice Reserve
Beehive - Crisp Alpine Stream
Beer Brewing Soap Company - La Habana
Captain's Choice - 45th Parallel
Captain's Choice - Lime
Captain's Choice - North
Captain's Choice - Venture
Cattie's Bubbles - 322
CBL - Harvest Oud
CBL - Iron Throne
CBL - Lemon
CBL - Madagascar Spice
Central Texas Soaps - Mr Pepper
Chiseled Face - Easy Street
Chiseled Face - Ghost Town Barber
Chiseled Face - Pine Tar
Chiseled Face - Sherlock
Chiseled Face - Summer Storm
Cold River Soap Works - Madman's Bouquet
Cooper & French - Black Tie
Country Club - Root Beer
Country Club - Dark Forest
Declaration Grooming - Bon Vivant
Declaration Grooming - Icarus Vide Poche
Declaration Grooming - Trismegistus
Dendi - Orange Mint
Dr. Jon's - Arctic Hydra
Dr. Jon's - Big Green Monster
Dr. Jon's - Flowers in the Attic
Ellegant Rose - Woodland Spice
Eufros - Park Avenue
Eurfros - Rosa Musk
First Canadian - Kink
Grooming Dept - Conca d'Oro (2017 version)
Honey Bee Sue - Lemon
Jeeves - Mountain Rain
Jerry Stark
L&L Grooming - Harmony
L&L Grooming - Original
La Toja - cream
La Toja - shave stick
Lather Bros - Take Out Night
Lisa's Natural Herbal Creations - Doc Holiday
Lisa's Natural Herbal Creations - Sandalwood Patchouli
Lisa's Natural Herbal Creations - Somali Rose Premium
Maca Root
Mason Boutique - Maya
MER Shaving - Duck Sauce
Midnight & Two - Provence
Mystic Waters - Adirondack Jack
Mystic Waters - Coconut Sandalwood
Mystic Waters - Irish Traveler
Mystic Waters - Raspberry Lemon
Mystic Waters - Sandalwood/Rose
Noble Otter - Lonestar
Oleo Soapworks - humanitas
Oleo Soapworks - New City
Oleo Soapworks - Rush Street
Oz Shaving Co - Foxville
Oz Shaving Co - Polychrome
Oz Shaving Co - Tornadic
Oz Shaving Co - Wicked
Oz Shaving Co - Winter
Paladin - Natchez Trace
Paladin - Silk Road
Paladin - Tobacco Road
Phoenix and Beau - Albion
Prairie Creations - Gentleman’s Pipe
Proraso - White Sensitive
Razor Master - Pine Tar
RazoRock - The Dead Sea
Reef Point - Dragon Blood
Sapone Di Paolo - Agrume
Sapone Di Paolo - Arancione
Sapone Di Paolo - Basco
Sapone Di Paolo - Cremoso
Shannon's - Lady Luck
Shannon's - Pineapple Banana
Shave Revolution - B. Street Connoisseur
Siliski - Cirtus
Siliski - Frankincense & Myrrh
Siliski - Toasted Almond
SMG - Passion
Smitten Soapery - Big Daddy
Soap Smooth - Pumpkin
Stirling - Dunshire
Stirling - Margaritas in the Arctic
Stirling - Sandpiper
Stirling - Sharp Dressed Man
Stone Cottage - Bali Isle
Stone Cottage - Sensual Sandalwood
Strop Shoppe - Baker Street
Strop Shoppe - Black Tie
Strop Shoppe - London Morning
Strop Shoppe - Rosemary Mint
Strop Shoppe - Via Dell'Ambra
Sudsy Soapery - Lavendar & Peppermint
Sudsy Soapery - Sandalwood Citrus & Tumeric
Sudsy Soapery - Uplift
Tallow & Steel - Boreal
Tallow & Steel - Kyoto
Tallow & Steel - Madagascar
Tallow & Steel - Maya
Taylor of Old Bond Street - Jermyn Street
Taylor of Old Bond Street - Lavender
The Soap Exchange - Fresh
Through the Fire Fine Craft Sue Moore - Currants & Roses
Truefitt & Hill - West Indian Limes
Victory Shaving Co - Rosie
Viking - Longship
Vitos Sapone Per Barba - Extra Super
WCS - Midnight Oasis
Wet the Face - Zu Zu's Petals
Wheat State Soaps - Creekside
Wholly Kaw - Agrumi in Estate
Wholly Kaw - Cuero Oscuro
Wholly Kaw - Fougere Bouguet
Wholly Kaw - King of Oud
Wholly Kaw - Tempest
Wickhams - Frankincense
Wild West - Peace Pipe
WSP - Rustic Black Amber Vanille
 
Looking forward to trying them all! You guys settle in...it's going to be a while before you get it! 🤪
 
Cross your finger and hold on to your whatevers! Box is packed up and in the car. I actually got all the way to work and forgot it sitting at the house right by the door. So back I went because why? I love the dangerous one! Even have a reminder on my calendar to get up and take it to the post office this morning. Away we go!

**Soap Sample Road Show Sign-ups Copy from here down and paste**
1. dangerousdon - in route
2. maryland998
3. Jaro1069
4. Dave in KY
5. Jellodancer
6. elmerPHuD
7.
8.
9.
10.
 
Well I wasn't expecting this already but here it is. Thanks Mr. @NurseDave for getting this going and in the mail and to me! A special thanks to @MrsNurseDave for participating in the hard stuff and packing the box up as well as other tasks to help us along!

I know Dave posted a list of what was in the box...but there is much more in here than I expected! If you are just reading this thread and not on the list to try some soap...you need to. Believe me, there is something in here for everyone!

Dave has graciously provided everything we need...gelato spoons for scooping...extra empty sample containers for soaps we want to add...extra baggies to put samples in...it's all here. And of course the soap...lots and lots of soap! This is just excellent!

I'm going to go through these tonight and tomorrow morning and pick some that I like and want to try. I am going to get in as many shaves as I possibly can and post my thoughts (and maybe some pics...I won't promise anything...but maybe a video also).

Thanks again Dave and a Big Thanks to Mrs. Dave as I think most of us wait for the day that our wives or loved one will stop giving us that look and join in on the fun with us! 🤪
 
Okay...so went through the box quickly. There is a lot in there and a lot to take in. I picked out four soaps so far to try for this week. I'll be going back to see what other soaps I want to check out. But for now...these are the ones that I decided to go with:

Jerry Stark Hand Made Soap
Central Texas Soaps - Mr. Pepper
Oleo & Company - Rush Street
Siliski Soaps - Toasted Almond

First impressions on the soap scents...

Jerry Stark Hand Made Soap - It's kind of an almond type scent with that familiar "cherry" like profile that many almond scents give off. Or at least this is what my nose is picking up.

Central Texas Soaps - Mr. Pepper - Yup...this smells pretty much like you would expect. It smells like Dr. Pepper. It's very cherry forward with a good bit of sweetness to it. Stick your nose into the soap and you can actually smell a bit of effervescence in it! I'm excited to try this one.

Oleo % Company - Rush Street - Florals, Citrus, and Spice. That is what I get from this soap right off the bat. This scent is right up my alley!

Siliski Soaps - Toasted Almond - Sweet and a little nutty. To be honest, I think this smells more like amaretto than it does toasted almond. It's a nice pleasant scent, just not what I would think when I hear "toasted almond."


Well, I didn't intend on picking three soaps with similar scent profiles, but I wanted to try these brands and I guess my nose gravitated towards these scents (for today). Anyway...I will try to get these shaves in as soon as I can. Might get one in today!

1579445689198.png
 
Dave in KY said:
Solid choices even if similar scent wheelhouse
Click to expand...
Yeah...I'm actually more interested in the soap base than anything else. If I like the soap...I am sure these makers have a scent I would prefer. These just struck my fancy with what is available.
 
First review of a sample in the books. It's long...that is why I put t he good stuff up front first for those that don't want to read the entire thing.

Razor: Merkur Progress
Blade: Gillette 7 O'clock Super Stainless (Green) (3rd Shave)
Soap/Cream: Jerry Stark Handmade Shaving Soap
Brush: Stirling Synthetic
The Penultimate Aftershave: Humphrey's Lavender Witch Hazel
The Ultimate Aftershave: A&E Shave Serum No.3

Good Stuff Up Front:
  • Scent - The scent is usually not much of a factor for me...but I do like something there. This soap smells great out of the container...but really light during the shave.
  • Lather-ability - While I used a fair amount of water, and some may even call it thirsty, I thought the soap was pretty easy to lather.
  • Slickness - One of the slickest soaps I have ever tried.
  • Cushion/Protection/Glide - Outstanding in all three. I felt like this soap was made for a straight razor user.
  • Residual Slickness - Not bad, but could be better.
  • Post Shave Feel - The soap wasn't drying, but I didn't feel like it added a lot either. I reached for a shave serum to add some extra hydration.
  • Final Grade - Tier 1, Box 4
The Soap Sample Pass Around Box came my way the other day and I wanted to dig right in. So I went ahead and had a nice relaxing shave last night. I decided to go with the Jerry Stark Hand Made Shave Soap. Jerry Stark is the legendary straight razor maker and I guess a couple of years ago he started to make his own soap. To the best of my knowledge, I think he only makes two different soaps...a tallow version and a vegan version. While sample doesn't say...I am pretty sure this is the tallow version.

I had to look pretty hard for anything about this soap. Mr. Stark's website isn't really all that put together. But looking on Reddit, I was able to find a review that included the ingredients to this soap: distilled water, stearic acid, potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, castor oil, beef tallow, lard, glycerin, sodium lactate, lanolin, babassu oil, avocado oil, kokum butter, cocoa butter, palm oil, shea butter and coconut oil.

Jerry Stark's website says that the scent is a Redwood Ember scent. I have to admit, I have no idea what a redwood ember smells like. It turns out that a quick internet search of the term "redwood ember" reveals a fragrance oil by Bulk Apothecary. They describe this fragrance oil as "A spicy blend of cinnamon and clove that has a beautiful floral bouquet and woody undertone."

So all that being said, a deep dive of my nose into the soap and I do detect a slight woody note or maybe something earthy. But most of what I get is that subtle cherry note you have with almond scents. I definitely don't get cinnamon, or clove. I definitely don't get any kind of floral not at all. All I get is almond/cherry. It is a pleasant scent and the scent out of the container is what drew me to it.

Out of the container the scent is light but discernible. Unfortunately, this is the strongest the soaps scent will be. Because once you start lathering, the scent almost goes away completely.

I am not sure if this soap requires a lot of water or if I just felt the need to give it a lot of water. But the soap drank a good bit. It was fairly easy to work and I didn't need to unduly work the brush and the bowl. I placed the scoops of soap in my lather bowl, pressed it into the bottom. I did bloom the soap a bit...but not long. I rinsed my face with a bit of the bloom water before I completely emptied it. Then I loaded my brush for a good 20 seconds or so. Directly applied the soap to my face and worked up a nice lather. Yup...I am a face lather-er.

When this lather is optimal...man is it super slick! And in all seriousness...it might be the slickest soap I have ever tried. Imagine...a guy known for making straights makes a really slick soap. And it wasn't just slick, this soap provides some of the best protection and cushion of any soap I have tried. It's pretty darn good. On the first and second passes, the soap had that sticky shiny quality to it when you work it between your fingers. I really had high hopes for how this soap was performing.

Then I hit the third pass. Okay, it isn't like the soap stopped performing. It just was a step down from the previous two passes. I have to mention, that after each pass when I shave, I wet my face and leave the water dripping from my skin. It's something that I do that has worked for me and usually by the third pass, the lather performs its best. Yeah, not this time. It still performed well, just not as good as the other passes. If I had to guess, I might have over hydrated in the beginning. Or I may not have needed to wet my face after each pass.

I finished my shave without a nick or weeper. The shave for the most part was effortless. I tested the residual slickness with a couple of touch-ups. Residual Slickness was good...but I wouldn't say great. I have definitely experienced much worse in other soaps. The post shave feel...well...I wasn't all that impressed. The soap didn't leave my face dry, but from the ingredient list...I was expecting better. I definitely felt the need to add something to my skin for additional skin feeding...so I reached for my A&E Shave Serum.

All in all, I ended up with a DFS+. I can definitely see why those who use straight razors would like this soap. It offers maximum slickness and protection right off the bat, and I know many people prize these qualities above all else. For me, these are important qualities, but I like a total package. While this soap is excellent during the shave...I wish it had a bit more at the end of it also.

Okay, I am going to continue to use Chad @Cvargo 's scale for soaps. If I was a straight razor shaver...this soap would likely score higher for me. But I am not. And while things like slickness and protection are important, I weigh my soaps heavily with post shave feel. And unfortunately I feel like the post shave feel with this soap lacked considerably. Not bad...but not enough either. That's why I am giving this a final grade of:

Tier 1, Box 4

I wanted to give this soap a Tier 2, Box 5 grade, but an examination of the individual components didn't let me. I think another person may give this soap a higher grade. But this is where I am at.


TSC Soap Chart.jpg
 
MilkCrate said:
So ... how does this soap scale work?
Click to expand...
Completely subjective! At the top of the scale would be soaps I consider the absolute best. From there....I work down. A Tier 1, Box 1 would be a soap that I would consider Elite if it wasn't for one small thing. And then it works down from there. Typically my tier one soaps are going to be extremely good soaps and are soaps that make up most of my den. Tier two soaps I like for whatever reason, but lack a major characteristic. Tier three soaps are soaps I don't care for very much.

Chad @Cvargo came up with it and I like how it works. He might define the tiers in a different way. But that is the gist of it...at least for me. I hope this helps.
 
dangerousdon said:
Completely subjective! At the top of the scale would be soaps I consider the absolute best. From there....I work down. A Tier 1, Box 1 would be a soap that I would consider Elite if it wasn't for one small thing. And then it works down from there. Typically my tier one soaps are going to be extremely good soaps and are soaps that make up most of my den. Tier two soaps I like for whatever reason, but lack a major characteristic. Tier three soaps are soaps I don't care for very much.

Chad @Cvargo came up with it and I like how it works. He might define the tiers in a different way. But that is the gist of it...at least for me. I hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Thanks Don!
 
Don you hit the nail on the head. Everyone can interpret it a little bit differently but it does create a good visual
 
Razor: Merkur Progress
Blade: Gillette 7 O'clock Super Stainless (Green) (4th Shave)
Soap/Cream: Oleo & Company - Rush Street
Brush: Stirling Synthetic
The Penultimate Aftershave: Humphrey's Lavender Witch Hazel
The Ultimate Aftershave: Fine Accouterments - Fresh Vetiver

Good Stuff Up Front:
  • Scent - Good stuff really, and if the scent lasted through the shave, I would likely buy the soap just for the scent. Out of the tub is warm spice forward, florals next, and a bit of citrus at the end.
  • Lather-ability - One of the easiest lathering soaps.
  • Slickness - Not nearly as slick as I would like.
  • Cushion/Protection/Glide - A little lacking here also.
  • Residual Slickness - Good but not great.
  • Post Shave Feel - Wishing it was a lot better.
  • Final Grade - Tier 2, Box 5
Second sample out of the Pass-Around Box, and today I went with Oleo & Company Rush Street. I gravitated to this soap for mainly two reasons. First, this is a soap maker that I have wanted to try for a while now. They seem to have been on the scene for several years and I know several other companies have either had Oleo make a soap or two for them, or have done collaborations with them. The second reason is the scent...I was heavily drawn to this soap because of the scent.

If anyone has read my journals, you would know that I am a big fan of the Vide Poche collaboration between Chatillon Lux and Declaration Grooming. I absolutely LOVE that scent. This soap is in that same wheelhouse...well sort of. I guess I will explain. Sticking my nose in the container I come out with warm spice up front. But then I get nice floral scents. And at the very back of it all I get some light citrus. I love this combination of scents for some reason. Vide Poche is floral front as apposed to warm spice...but it's a similar combination. I really wasn't too far off...as Oleo describes their scent notes as: Grapefruit, Coriander, Cedar, Ginger, Labdanum, Patchouli, Vetiver and Tobacco.

Lathering this soap was super easy. I didn't require a ton of water and it didn't require a ton of work. Same as yesterday, I pressed some soap into the bottom of my shave bowl and after a short bloom, took my Stirling Synthetic shave brush to about a 20 second load. Then I began to face lather. It didn't take long to build a very nice thick lather. I added more water to try to get it as slick as I could, and the lather took in the water, but just stayed the same consistency.


1579612796093.png



So the slickness...this is where the soap started to lose me. I don't know what I was expecting as far as slickness goes. Maybe I was expecting a lot after the Jerry Stark shave. But to be honest...I thought the slickness in this soap was lacking. And such, I didn't find that cushion and protection in this soap was all that impressive either. I guess I might be a little unfair to this soap. It's not like it was bad or anything...it just wasn't great. Maybe I am having an off day.

Usually with soaps, as I layer more soap on my face for an additional pass, the soap gets thinner and thinner. After three passes (wetting my face between each pass), the soap really stayed the same consistency as when I first lathered! This tells me that this soap does require a lot of water and/or a lot of work. Or maybe it just is a really stable and thick lather. Not really sure. All I know is that the lather acted like it was in the "finished" range when I began to shave.

Going back to the scent for a second. The scent of the soap didn't really intensify or weaken during the lather and shave. But it seemed to me that the florals and fruit went away and the warm spice became more peppery. Not really bad...but just wasn't what I was expecting.

The residual slickness of this soap is good...not great, and as such...the post shave feel is above average, but no where near elite. I finished off my shave with a couple glugs of Fine Fresh Vetiver...so you know I will smell great today!

To be honest...I am a little disappointed in this soap. Again, maybe it isn't fair...because I still think this is a pretty good soap. But today, it just didn't measure up to my expectations. I'm giving this soap a:

Tier 2, Box 5

I really wanted to like this soap more. Maybe if I use it a bit more I might like it more. And if I was given a tub of Oleo, I likely wouldn't give it away.


TSC Soap Chart.jpg
 
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