Side-by-Side Test of 12 "Top Rated" Soaps: Western Bracketology

[ShaveTry]

WESTERN BRACKET QUARTER FINAL RD 1:
Bull and Bell Bay Rum vs. Lather and Wood Barbershop

Technique: Shave done at 530pm with over 40 hours beard growth, Merkur 34-C with fresh Astra Superior Platinum blade. For these quarter-finals we’ll be switching to the slightly more aggressive (for me) ASP blade. Both soaps lathered up with a boar brush in warmed scuttle. Each side allowed 4 face passes plus limited touch-up, and 2 neck passes. Approximately 2 strokes per pass, one with lather, the other(s) with residual slickness on skin.

Scent: (barely any factor as long as the scent isn’t repulsive and the shave is close and comfortable)
LWB: 4+/5. A very nice gentlemanly scent, I think of as a “modern barbershop”. It’s declicate enough and so nice it could be worn in a professional setting IMO.
BBBR: 2.5-3/5. Pleasant enough but not as “interesting” as the LWB.

Soap Texture and Lather: (Not a huge factor)
BBBR: 4+/5 Near textbook if you like “rich” lather. This is an interesting-textured soap in that it’s too softly cured to be brushed directly in the tin. Just scoop an almond-sized lump of it into your scuttle.
LWB: 3.5-4/5. Also whips right up, just not quite as rich as BBBR. It’s a much firmer-cured soap I lather in the tin with a moist brush and then “drip” into the scuttle.

Glide with lather (not a huge factor if shave is close and comfortable)
BBBR: 2.5/5 (i.e. at best average).
LWB: 3.5-5/5. This stuff has a slick glide and stays slick (see Residual slickness)

Residual Slickness:
BBBR: 1.5/5. Just not much at all. Shave off a swath of lather and you have basically dry skin underneath.
LWB: 4-4.5/5. This stuff you can almost “keep shaving”. It lays down a light film of slickness under the soap lather, if you like that style. The drawback, IMO is that sometimes that residue can get between the blade and beard and impede those final touch-up strokes.

Nicks: (Big factor always). Both of these soaps did incredible. For BBBR 1 facial and 1 neck micro-nick. Really protected the skin. Ditto LWB with 1 facial nick. And this is using the more aggressive Astra blade. 4-4.5 / 5 for each, near perfect.

Comfort: (Big factor always)
BBBR: 3.5/5. Quite good. Because it had the misfortune of going against LWB I noticed a very slight residual dry-burn that faded after 30 minutes or so. But absolutely this soap is average to above-average.
LWB: 4+/5. No burn, tingle or drying of any kind. Maybe closer to a certain 4.5/5.

Lingering irritation: (Big factor).
This faded for LWB after a short while and neither had any significant lingering dry-burn, tingling or numbness. Both passed the slap test immediately after and in the hours after the shave. BBBR 3.5-4/5. LWB 4+/5.

Closeness: (One of the biggest factors always).
At post shave it feels like a contiguous shave, hard to pick which is “closer”. If forced to choose would probably say BBBR, but not meaningfully closer.

Immediate post-shave impressions: BBBR has the decidedly richer lather if that’s a big deal to you. I preferred the LWB scent. LWB also had slicker glide and RS. BBBR had a slight bit of immediate dry-burn that quickly faded. Both soaps passed the slap test similarly. Somehow BBBR might have felt slightly closer at immediately post

9 hours out: Both sides have remained very comfortable. There’s no palpable stubble WTG on either side. Minor stubble palpable XTG and definitely a little ATG. I would like to say this or that side is closer at 9 hours, but it’s just too close.

Result: Both soaps move on to the semi-finals where they will face the Personna Med Prep blade.

[FONT=&quot]WESTERN BRACKET SEMI-FINALISTS TO THIS POINT:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
Bull and Bell Bay Rum
Lather and Wood Barbershop
[FONT=&quot]
The eventual winners in the Western Bracket will face-off against the Eastern Bracket finalists for drafting into my permanent line-up.[/FONT]

 

[ShaveTry]

WESTERN BRACKET QUARTER FINAL RD 2:

Cold River SW Bois Floraux vs. Mitchell Wool Fat

Note: An interesting contest between two tallow / lanolin based soaps.

Technique: Shave done at 12:30pm with over 40 hours beard growth, Merkur 34-C with fresh Astra Superior Platinum blade. For these quarter-finals we’ll be switching to the slightly more aggressive (for me) ASP blade. Both soaps lathered up with a boar brush in warmed scuttle. Each side allowed 4 face passes plus limited touch-up, and 2 neck passes. Approximately 2 strokes per pass, one with lather, the other(s) with residual slickness on skin.

Scent: (barely any factor as long as the scent isn’t repulsive and the shave is close and comfortable)
CRSWBF: 3-3.5/5. This scent is growing on me. Maybe it needed to aereate a bit from the tin. Still not sure how to describe it… definitely modernistic and there are some mild “floral” hints, but definitely refined and gentlemanly. It might be a bit loud in a professional setting however. At about 20 minutes out I do notice a bit of a gag reflex to one of these soap scents, and I think it’s CRSW? Not that the scent is intrinsically foul, just that It has an underlying “power” that might be a bit off-putting in a closed room.
MWF: 3.5/5. The scent of this is barely perceptible, just a solid “clean soap” fragrance that I really appreciate when I don’t want much of an aroma to the soap.

Soap Texture and Lather: (Not a huge factor)
CRSWBF: 4.5-5/5. Probably textbook for “heavy whipping cream” lather. The soap itself is densely flat-packed in it’s tin and the lather “evolves” rather than explodes given the consistency. If you like thick and rich, this is probably a benchmark soap for you.
MWF: 2.5/3. If CRSW is heavy whipping cream, this is closer to “peaky chiffon”. Very middle-of-the-road. The puck is very densely-poured cake, even more-so than CRSW.

Glide with lather (not a huge factor if shave is close and comfortable)
CRSWBF: 2.5-3/5. About average, nothing exceptional with the lather.
MWF: 2/5, plus or minus. Just did not quite reach “average” glide.

Residual Slickness: (not huge if shave is close and comfortable).
CRSWBF: Variable. From a 2-2.5 up to a 3.5 or so. Regardless, definitely more RS than MWF.
MWF: 1.5/5 or so. To the point of “dragging” or “speedbumps” in some areas.

Nicks: (Big factor always). Both of these soaps were excellent.
CRSWBF: 4+/5. Only one micro-nick above the lip.
MWF: 4+/5. Ditto, one very tiny micro-nick above the lip.

Comfort: (Big factor always)
CRSWBF: 4.5/5. Zero dryness, burning, tingling. No meaningful sensitivity to slap test.
MWF: 3/5. No overt burning or tingling, but relative to CRSW there’s some slight dryness and perhaps slightly more sensitive to slap test immediately post-shave.

Immediate post-shave impressions: CRSWBF is very comfortable, 1 nick, with MOL average residual slickness. MWF also has great nick elimination, but nothing else really stands out except the delicate scent vs. the possibly over-powering Bois Floraux bouquet. Also MWF feels just slightly on the dry side post-shave.

4 hours out: Since the shave, the MWF side has had some residual tenderness and mild stinging to the slap test. CRSWBF side has no irritation, even to a vigorous cheek rub. The CRSWBF side also feels slightly closer than MWF at this point, most noticeably along central lower jaw and cheek. Will continue to monitor.

8 hours out: The CRSWBF has felt consistently, if slightly, closer and the MWF side has had a persistent sensitivity.

10 hours out: Stubble very clearly appearing on the MWF side, and the CRSW side to a lesser extent.

Result: CRSWBF wins this matchup and moves on to the semi-finals.

[FONT=&amp]WESTERN BRACKET SEMI-FINALISTS TO THIS POINT:[/FONT]

Bull and Bell Bay Rum
Cold River Soap Works Bois Floraux
Lather and Wood Barbershop
[FONT=&amp]
The eventual winners in the Western Bracket will face-off against the Eastern Bracket finalists for drafting into my permanent line-up.[/FONT]

 

[ShaveTry]

WESTERN BRACKET QUARTER FINAL RD 3:
Body Shop Maca Root vs. Castle and Forbes Lavender

Technique: Shave done at 11:000m with over 36 hours beard growth, Merkur 34-C with fresh Astra Superior Platinum blade. For these quarter-finals we’ll be switching to the slightly more aggressive (for me) ASP blade. Both soaps lathered up with a boar brush in warmed scuttle. Each side allowed 4 face passes plus limited touch-up, and 2 neck passes. Approximately 2 strokes per pass, one with lather, the other(s) with residual slickness on skin.

Scent: (barely any factor as long as the scent isn’t repulsive and the shave is close and comfortable)
BSMR: 3.5-4/5. The term “deliciously strange” comes to mind. It’s not a classic cologne-type scent but I do find it appealing. It was also the more powerful of these 2 fragrances.
CFL: 3.5/5. Delicate and inoffensive. Very solidly average or above-average, nothing not to like.

Soap Texture and Lather: (Not a huge factor)
BSMR:

CFL: 4+/5. This was a very rich heavy whip-cream lather, just short of CRSW in richness for example. Also it applied to the skin very evenly.
BSMR: 3.5-4/5. Similar to CFL, perhaps ½ point less on the richness spectrum. Also applied evenly.

Glide with lather (not a huge factor if shave is close and comfortable)
BSMR: 3.5-4/5. Well above-average glide and slickness
CFL: 2-2.5/5. Average at best. Not quite to the point of dragging, but nothing very slippery here.

Residual Slickness: (not huge if shave is close and comfortable).
CFL: 2/5. Just not much slickness remaining after a swath of lather is shaved off.
BSMR: 3.5-4/5. The underlying skin remains much slicker than CFL.

Nicks: (Big factor always).
BSMR: 2-2.5/5. Just average. 2 bleeders above the lip, and a raw spot on my neck.
CFL: 4.5/5. 1 tiny micro-nick above the lip, that’s it. Really nice in this regard.

Comfort: (Big factor always)
CFL: 4-4.5/5. Almost benchmark, very comfortable without any burn, tingle, or dryness.
BSMR: Opinion here is uneven. OTOH, it is absolutely at least average, but relative to CFL not so much. Some minor lingering sensitivity, again relatively speaking. No overt tingling or numbness noted. Just slightly more drying than CFL. And this relationship persisted through the post-shave hours. How to score it, 3/5 seems about right.

Immediate post-shave impressions: BSMR seemed a bit closer than CFL, and had a more interesting scent. CFL was extremely comfortable with only 1 micro-nick compared to several nicks for BSMR.

8 hours out: The BSMR side has felt consistently slightly closer, and the CFL side distinctly more comfortable. My instinct at several post-checks was to pass BSMR for closeness, but there’s just enough lingering sensitivity there to make me appreciate the comfort of CFL. A real tough choice here.

Result: Both soaps will move on for another shot in the Semi-Finals.

[FONT=&amp]WESTERN BRACKET SEMI-FINALISTS TO THIS POINT:[/FONT]

Body Shop Maca Root
Bull and Bell Bay Rum
Castle and Forbes Lavender
Cold River Soap Works Bois Floraux
Lather and Wood Barbershop
[FONT=&amp]
The eventual winners in the Western Bracket will face-off against the Eastern Bracket finalists for drafting into my permanent line-up.[/FONT]

 

[ShaveTry]

WESTERN BRACKET QUARTER FINAL RD 4:
Stirling Executive Man vs. Van Der Hagen Glycerin

Technique: Shave done at 12 noon with over 40 hours beard growth,Merkur 34-C with fresh Astra Superior Platinum blade. For these quarter-finalswe’ll be switching to the slightly more aggressive (for me) ASP blade. Bothsoaps lathered up with a boar brush in warmed scuttle. Each side allowed 4 facepasses plus limited touch-up, and 2 neck passes. Approximately 2 strokes perpass, one with lather, the other(s) with residual slickness on skin.

Scent: (barely any factor as long as the scent isn’t repulsive and theshave is close and comfortable)
SEM: A solid 4+/5. Nothing feminine about this. A modern twist on aclassy, gentlemanly scent. Not overly loud, could wear in professionalenvironment.
VdHG: Neutral as this soap has next to no scent.

Soap Texture and Lather: (Not a huge factor)
SEM: 2.5/5: Very average and applies somewhat unevenly. Tried variouscombos of H2O and never got “creamy rich”, not that this is necessarily adrawback, just a characteristic.
VdHG: 3.5, maybe 4/5. Definitely richer than SEM. Applies more evenly.

Glide with lather (not a huge factor if shave is close and comfortable)
SEM: 2.0-2.5. Average at best.
VdHG: 3.0-3.5. Not the slipperiest soap, but definitely above-average.

Residual Slickness: (not huge if shave is close and comfortable).
SEM: 2.5/5. Average, nothing exceptionally slick or “speedbump dry”.
VdHG: 3.5: Very obviously above-average. Lays down a thin film of someslick residue for additional shave strokes

Nicks: (Big factor always).
SEM: 4/5. Really good, especially considering the Astra blade. 2micro-nicks above upper lip closed as fast as they appeared.
VdHG: 4/5. Ditto.

Comfort: (Big factor always)
SEM: 4+/5. Just very comfortable post shave. Zero tingling, burning,numbness. Could easily be a 4.5, frankly hard to imagine much more comfortable,and seems to leave my skin relatively moist, despite not a lot of RS during theshave.
VdHG: 3/5. Just average or slightly above. No distinct post-shave burn,but relative to SEM just not as comfortable. Feels isolated though…very mildlingering sensitivity, especially on upper cheek line, so could have beentechnique related in that area.

Immediate post-shaveimpressions: Although I try not to emphasize it in the early rounds, SEM hasinsanely nice non-overpowering professional scent. SEM comfortable in theextreme. VdHG not quite as comfortable although not absolutely uncomfortable.VdHG has nice glide and great RS without impeding razor closenss. Somehow VdHGfeels slightly closer in the first few hours post-shave.

3 hours out: SEMslightly closer on chin, VdHG seems closer on cheeks. About equal on neck.

8 hours out: This was aninteresting matchup. At the end of the day: 1) the 2 soaps were MOL similar incloseness; 2) neither seemed particularly close in this shave as palpable andvisible stubble had emerged on both sides by 7 hours post-shave; 3) there wasan undeniable lingering sensitivity on the VdHG side; not everywhere, butwidespread enough to be annoying. Looking back on the qualifying round contestbetween VdHG and Colonel Conk, lingering irritation was also noted for VdHG inthat round.

Result: Stirling Executive Man wins this contest, not so much oncloseness but on comfort.

WESTERN BRACKET SEMI-FINALISTS ARE NOW SET:

Body Shop Maca Root
Bull and Bell Bay Rum
Castle and Forbes Lavender
Cold River Soap Works Bois Floraux
Lather and Wood Barbershop
Stirling Executive Man

The eventual winners in the Western Bracket will face-off against the Eastern Bracketfinalists for drafting into my permanent line-up.

 

[ShaveTry]

WESTERN BRACKET SEMI FINAL RD 1:
Bull & Bell Bay Rum vs. Castle & Forbes Lavender

Technique: Shave done at 3pm with over 48 hours beard growth, Merkur 34-C with fresh Personna Med Prep blade. For these quarter-finals we’ll be switching to the PMP, the most aggressive (for me), of the Top 3 blades in my earlier test of Top-Rated blades. Both soaps lathered up with a boar brush in warmed scuttle. Each side allowed 4 face passes plus limited touch-up, and 2 neck passes. Approximately 2 strokes per pass, one with lather, the other(s) with residual slickness on skin.


Scent: (barely any factor as long as the scent isn’t repulsive and the shave is close and comfortable)
Both of these soaps are in the “mild” scent category: not heavily perfumed and certainly appropriate for all settings, including professional.
BBBR: 2.5-3/5. Nothing not to like, but generally average… and to many that’s the idea behind these understated fragrances. Very delicate masculine scent.
CFL: 3/5. Also very delicate, somehow I think I might like this a bit more of the two.

Soap Texture and Lather: (Not a huge factor)
BBBR: Solid 4-4.5/5. You can make this about as rich as you want. Both CFL and BBBR are soft soaps so you have to lather them in a mug or scuttle. This can be a textbook 4.5 or 5/5 if you work on it, I’m convinced, and the lather lays down very evenly.
CFL: About ditto, perhaps not quite as rich so we’ll go 4/5, solid.

Glide with lather (not a huge factor if shave is close and comfortable)
BBBR: 2.5/5. Just nothing exceptional here, it’s either average or slightly below, certainly not above average glide in any sense.
CFL: 2/5. This just doesn’t have much glide at all. Fairly much on the dry side.

Residual Slickness: (not huge if shave is close and comfortable).
BBBR: 2-2.5/5. At best average RS. About the same amt of RS as glide.
CFL: 1.5-2/5. Even less RS than glide.

Nicks: (Big factor always).
BBBR: 4.5-5/5. Just textbook. Not a single nick, even a micro. And that’s with 2 day’s beard and a relatively aggressive blade. Fantastic nick protection
CFL: 4.5-5/5. Ditto. Between these 2 soaps, not a single nick.

Comfort: (Big factor always)
CFL: 4.5/5. This is benchmark comfort. Zero tingle, burn, dryness, or other sensitivity. Totally passes slap test.
BBBR: 4/5. Also very comfortable, just not quite at the level of CFL.

Immediate post-shave impressions: These soaps are actually quite similar. Both are semi-soft with great lather, BBBR being close to a lather benchmark for me. Neither had an exceptional scent, although both were pleasant and are appropriate for a professional setting. Both were at best average for glide and residual slickness, BBBR being a bit stronger in those departments.

3 hours out: No lingering irritation on either side. Somehow the CFL side may feel slightly more comfortable, and the BBBR side slightly closer.

8 hours out: Both sides continue very comfortable, any difference in closeness is becoming more difficult to say with certainty.
11 hours out: Palpable stubble ATG on both sides, MOL similar closeness. No palpable stubble XTG or WTG either side.

Result: Selecting soaps for the finals is as much about the overall experience as about any one characteristic. And the key question then arises: would I want to shave with this again? Both of these soaps were extremely protective, with no lingering irritation, and similar closeness. Both would be useful in a shave den in the “mildly scented” category for an everyday fragrance. Result: both soaps move on to the Western Finals.

[FONT=&quot]WESTERN BRACKET FINALISTS TO THIS POINT:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
Bull and Bell Bay Rum
Castle and Forbes Lavender
[FONT=&quot]
The eventual winners in the Western Bracket will face-off against the Eastern Bracket finalists for drafting into my permanent line-up.[/FONT]

 

[snowman]

To me, it looks like you did not get a great lather with either MWF or schafmilch. Once you get the right ratio of soap to water these are the slickest soaps on the planet IMHO. The issue is that it takes a few lathers to figure out these soaps!

+1. I stopped reading after the MWF vs HS comparison. Having used both products the described lathers were far off the mark of what these soaps are capable. MWF and HS are among the slickest options available to shavers. The lathers used for both products were likely far too dry, which is a common mistake shavers make when they are inexperienced with both of these soaps. Most hard soaps having a learning curve, some longer than others, but they all require some experience to dial in.

 

[ShaveTry]

WESTERN BRACKET SEMI FINAL RD 2:
Body Shop Maca Root vs. Lather & Wood Barbershop

Technique: Shave done at 3pm with over 48 hours beard growth, Merkur 34-C with fresh Personna Med Prep blade. For these quarter-finals we switch to the most aggressive (for me), of the Top 3 blades in my earlier test of Top-Rated blades. Both soaps lathered up with a boar brush in warmed scuttle. Each side allowed 4 face passes plus limited touch-up, and 2 neck passes. Approximately 2 strokes per pass, one with lather, the other(s) with residual slickness on skin.

Scent: (barely any factor as long as the scent isn’t repulsive and the shave is close and comfortable)
BSMR: Interesting and different. Somehow it just doesn’t smell quite “natural”. Hard to put a value on it.
LWB: 3.5-4/5. If you like a mild barbershop-type scent. Very clean and masculine, appropriate in a professional environment. I don’t dislike BSMR scent particularly, LWB is just overall nicer IMO.

Soap Texture and Lather: (Not a huge factor)
BSMR: 3.5/5. Above-average richness and applies reasonably evenly.
LWB: 4+/5. Very rich. One drawback is the tin is a bit small so you must use this one with a scuttle IMO.

Glide with lather (not a huge factor if shave is close and comfortable)
BSMR: 3.5. Solid above-average glide with first shave stroke.
LWB: 4+/5. Just great glide, relatively more so than BSM which is also above-average.

Residual Slickness: (not huge if shave is close and comfortable).
BSMR: 3.5-4/5. Definitely above average residual slickness
LWB: 4+/5. Near-benchmark. You can just keep shaving with this. HOWEVER, the drawback is you may be tempted to over-shave.

Nicks: (Big factor always).
BSMR: 1/5. This was a fail. One puncture above upper lip, 2 micros on chin, one on lip plus 3-5 breaks on the neck. I can attribute this to the more aggressive PMP blade however there was also some bleeding in the quarter-finals with the Astra blade.
LWB: 1-1.5/5. Also multiple nicks. 1 micro on lip, 4 on chin, 3 on neck. Not quite as bloody overall as the BSMR perhaps. Again, prior bleeding with the Derby blade in the qualifying round is noted.

Comfort: (Big factor always)
BSMR: 3.5-4/5. This was the more comfortable of the two soaps. Zero dryness, tingling, burning, or general sensitivity.
LWB: 1.5-2/5. Just enough sensitivity and soreness to put it below average. Not sure I’d want this level of comfort in a shave day-in, day out.

Immediate post-shave impressions: The amount of bleeding by both soaps has me wondering to what extent the PMP blade is involved, but I’m really looking for “soaps for all seasons” that handle all 3 of my top-rated blades. The BSMR side is noted for relatively exceptional comfort as there’s some sensitivity on the LWB side. BOTH SOAPS are noted for their great glide and especially great residual slickness. Have to recognize that the more residual slickness, the greater the temptation to re-shave skin, giving rise to risk of irritation and nicks, IMO. That was likely the case with both these soaps today.

2 hours out: Closeness very similar. LWB might feel overall slightly closer but also more “raw”. LWB side definitely more sensitive.

4 hours out: Closeness about the same, maybe slightly favoring BSMR this time. LWB definitely has some lingering sensitivity and stings to slap test.

7 hours out: About the same trend as at 4 hours. Some palpable stubble ATG on both sides, and some patches of visible stubble beginning to emerge.

Result: This was a tough decision. At the end of the day both blades opened some bleeders and both had bleeding in one prior trial. LWB had two prior comfortable shaves but this one was frankly “sore”, perhaps attributable to the blade. BSMR was very comfortable this shave and had one prior shave with “slight lingering sensitivity”, not to the extent of soreness. Closeness is about equal. I could put both of these soaps through, but with the bleeding that just doesn’t seem like the right move. I absolutely love the lather, glide and residual slickness of LWB, and the scent is great. But it has bled twice and was unusually sore this time. In contrast BSMR was very comfortable. Result: Body Shop Maca Root moves on to the finals.

[FONT=&quot]WESTERN BRACKET FINALISTS TO THIS POINT:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
Body Shop Maca Root
Bull and Bell Bay Rum
Castle and Forbes Lavender
[FONT=&quot]
The eventual winners in the Western Bracket will face-off against the Eastern Bracket finalists for drafting into my permanent line-up.[/FONT]

 

[ShaveTry]

WESTERN BRACKET SEMI FINAL RD 3:
Cold River Soap Works Bois Floraux vs. Stirling Executive Man

Technique: Shave done at 11am with over 36 hours beard growth, Merkur 34-C with fresh Personna Med Prep blade. For these quarter-finals we switch to the most aggressive (for me), of the Top 3 blades in my earlier test of Top-Rated blades. Both soaps lathered up with a boar brush in warmed scuttle. Each side allowed 4 face passes plus limited touch-up, and 2 neck passes. Approximately 2 strokes per pass, one with lather, the other(s) with residual slickness on skin.

Scent: (barely any factor as long as the scent isn’t repulsive and the shave is close and comfortable)
SEM: 4+/5. This is a great macho scent. A bit loud for most professional enviornments. Wife loves it.
CRSWBF: Not a bad scent. Just not quite sure what it is or how to describe it. Clean, perhaps, so I’ll give it a neutral 2.5/5.

Soap Texture and Lather: (Not a huge factor)
SEM: 2/5 on the richness scale. It’s a hard soap that lathers on the thin and runny side. This doesn’t present a problem for me, in fact might be an advantage, we’ll see.
CRSWBF: 4.5+/5 for thick richness. Something like the picture on the arko stick… as close to heavy peaking whip cream as you’ll ever want to get. Applies very evenly. Also nice-sized tin allows lathering in the tin or dripping into a scuttle.

Glide with lather (not a huge factor if shave is close and comfortable)
SEM: 2-2.5/5. About average at best.
CRSW: 2.5/5. A solid average, slightly more glide than SEM

Residual Slickness: (not huge if shave is close and comfortable).
SEM: 3.5/5. The thin lather leaves a very thin but effective layer of slipperiness.
CRSW: 3.5/5. About the same as SEM. Both these soaps distinctly above average in RS.

Nicks: (Big factor always).
SEM: 2.5/5. 3 micro nicks on lip, 1 on chin, none on neck.
CRSW: 2.5/5. About the same as SEM. Few micro nicks that closed rapidly with no lingering bleed.

Comfort: (Big factor always)
SEM: 3.5-4/5. No irritation of any kind during the shave. Some mild transitory tingling. Does not leave skin with any noticeable dryness, although not particularly moisturizing either.
CRSW: Both these soaps are initially quite comfortable. SEM maybe ½ point more so. So we’ll go 3-3.5/5 for CRSW.

Immediate post-shave impressions: The lather quality of these two soaps was very different, CRSW being very rich, SEM being thinner and perhaps slicker. I’m a big fan of the SEM scent… it’s not particularly novel, just a solid classy gentleman’s scent; and strongly-scented so wouldn’t work in all settings. Neither had great glide, both quite solid residual slickness. Both were very comfortable post-shave with a few minimal disappearing nicks. Closeness seems about equal post-shave or perhaps slightly favoring SEM. And this is an example where “thin and runny” might give you a closer shave than “thick and rich”. Notable that CRSW was on the side rendered “sore” in the prior Semi-final shave.

2 hours out: Closeness roughly equal. Both sides acceptably comfortable. Neither side noticeably dry. No sting on slap test, or residual burn or numbness.

5 hours out: SEM side a bit closer on the cheeks, CRSW closer on sideburns, chin, upper lip and probably neck. Both sides remain very comfortable.

9 hours out: Both sides have been comfortable throughout. Overall SEM seems slightly closer on this contest.

Result: Can make this short… both sides delivered nice shave closeness with little to no discomfort and minimal nicks. I like that SEM lather is not overly thick in this situation… guessing you can thicken it up a bit but I’ve tried 3 times and continue to get this medium-body lather that I actually prefer in many cases. Two interesting scents, although I like SEM better and would probably gravitate towards another scent in the CRSW lineup, just my preference because some folks love Bois Floraux. I would look forward to shaving again with either of these. Result: Both move on to the finals.

[FONT=&quot]WESTERN BRACKET FINALISTS ARE NOW SET:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
Body Shop Maca Root
Bull and Bell Bay Rum
Castle and Forbes Lavender
Cold River Soap Works Bois Floraux
Stirling Executive Man
[FONT=&quot]
The eventual winners in the Western Bracket will face-off against the Eastern and Northern Bracket finalists for drafting into my permanent line-up.[/FONT]

 

[ShaveTry]

Western Bracket Finalist Random Single-Soap Test: Bull and Bell Bay Rum.

This was a quick shave using a multi-blade cartridge which I occasionally use when have to "shave and run".

Scent was great. A delicious bay rum / barbershop mild-to-moderate strength fragrance. Appropriate most settings.

Thick lather, in the 4/5 richness range.

Glide was well above average.

Residual Slickness: Excellent, 4+/5. Really laid down a thin protective residue that allowed additional close shave strokes.

Nicks: Solid 3.5-4. Couple here and there, closed immediately.

Comfort: No during or post-shave dryness, tingling, numbness, sensitivity, soreness, etc. A very solid 4/5.

2 hours out: Passes slap test, never any sensitivity, closeness very nice.

A great close, comfortable shave for Bull and Bell Bay Rum and I look forward to using it again in more tests of "Finalists".

 

[BSAGuy]

Amazing detail.

 

[ShaveTry]

Western Bracket Finalist Random Single-Soap Test: Bull and Bell Bay Rum.

This was a quick shave using a multi-blade cartridge which I occasionally use when have to "shave and run".

In full disclosure, while this test was very comfortable, it still left an annoying slight patch of palpable stubble on both the left and right-side lower-central cheek area.

One issue I want to test is whether the "richness" of these creamier soaps might actually get in the way of the blade(s) getting to the base of the whiskers. I put this to the test using a wider-blade vs. narrower-blade system at the following thread on the issue: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-AND-Fusion-5-vs-Mach-3?p=8448499#post8448499

 

[ShaveTry]

no DRH?

DRH is in the Northern Brackets. It made it past the qualifying round into the quarter-finals as of the date of this writing:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-rated-quot-shave-soaps-Northern-Bracketology

 

[Steve56]

What I find amazing is nicks of some kind every shave and a 'nick grading'. I use a self-honed straight, and a single nick is a truly rare thing, usually when I've been testing an aggressive hone. With my normal preferred edges, nicks just don't happen unless I'm really careless. I can't even remember the last one with my normal edge.

Cheers, Steve

 

[honeybadger79]

WESTERN BRACKET QUARTER FINAL RD 2:

Cold River SW Bois Floraux vs. Mitchell Wool Fat

Note: An interesting contest between two tallow / lanolin based soaps.

Technique: Shave done at 12:30pm with over 40 hours beard growth, Merkur 34-C with fresh Astra Superior Platinum blade. For these quarter-finals we’ll be switching to the slightly more aggressive (for me) ASP blade. Both soaps lathered up with a boar brush in warmed scuttle. Each side allowed 4 face passes plus limited touch-up, and 2 neck passes. Approximately 2 strokes per pass, one with lather, the other(s) with residual slickness on skin.

Scent: (barely any factor as long as the scent isn’t repulsive and the shave is close and comfortable)
CRSWBF: 3-3.5/5. This scent is growing on me. Maybe it needed to aereate a bit from the tin. Still not sure how to describe it… definitely modernistic and there are some mild “floral” hints, but definitely refined and gentlemanly. It might be a bit loud in a professional setting however. At about 20 minutes out I do notice a bit of a gag reflex to one of these soap scents, and I think it’s CRSW? Not that the scent is intrinsically foul, just that It has an underlying “power” that might be a bit off-putting in a closed room.
MWF: 3.5/5. The scent of this is barely perceptible, just a solid “clean soap” fragrance that I really appreciate when I don’t want much of an aroma to the soap.

Soap Texture and Lather: (Not a huge factor)
CRSWBF: 4.5-5/5. Probably textbook for “heavy whipping cream” lather. The soap itself is densely flat-packed in it’s tin and the lather “evolves” rather than explodes given the consistency. If you like thick and rich, this is probably a benchmark soap for you.
MWF: 2.5/3. If CRSW is heavy whipping cream, this is closer to “peaky chiffon”. Very middle-of-the-road. The puck is very densely-poured cake, even more-so than CRSW.

Glide with lather (not a huge factor if shave is close and comfortable)
CRSWBF: 2.5-3/5. About average, nothing exceptional with the lather.
MWF: 2/5, plus or minus. Just did not quite reach “average” glide.

Residual Slickness: (not huge if shave is close and comfortable).
CRSWBF: Variable. From a 2-2.5 up to a 3.5 or so. Regardless, definitely more RS than MWF.
MWF: 1.5/5 or so. To the point of “dragging” or “speedbumps” in some areas.

Nicks: (Big factor always). Both of these soaps were excellent.
CRSWBF: 4+/5. Only one micro-nick above the lip.
MWF: 4+/5. Ditto, one very tiny micro-nick above the lip.

Comfort: (Big factor always)
CRSWBF: 4.5/5. Zero dryness, burning, tingling. No meaningful sensitivity to slap test.
MWF: 3/5. No overt burning or tingling, but relative to CRSW there’s some slight dryness and perhaps slightly more sensitive to slap test immediately post-shave.

Immediate post-shave impressions: CRSWBF is very comfortable, 1 nick, with MOL average residual slickness. MWF also has great nick elimination, but nothing else really stands out except the delicate scent vs. the possibly over-powering Bois Floraux bouquet. Also MWF feels just slightly on the dry side post-shave.

4 hours out: Since the shave, the MWF side has had some residual tenderness and mild stinging to the slap test. CRSWBF side has no irritation, even to a vigorous cheek rub. The CRSWBF side also feels slightly closer than MWF at this point, most noticeably along central lower jaw and cheek. Will continue to monitor.

8 hours out: The CRSWBF has felt consistently, if slightly, closer and the MWF side has had a persistent sensitivity.

10 hours out: Stubble very clearly appearing on the MWF side, and the CRSW side to a lesser extent.

Result: CRSWBF wins this matchup and moves on to the semi-finals.

[FONT=&amp]WESTERN BRACKET SEMI-FINALISTS TO THIS POINT:[/FONT]

Bull and Bell Bay Rum
Cold River Soap Works Bois Floraux
Lather and Wood Barbershop
[FONT=&amp]
The eventual winners in the Western Bracket will face-off against the Eastern Bracket finalists for drafting into my permanent line-up.[/FONT]

i find that when I spend an extra 15 seconds or so lathering MWF AND while adding bit more water here and there while face lathering that the residual slickness is off the charts. Just sayin

 

[ShaveTry]

A somewhat uneven result for Stirling Executive Man in my M3 vs. F5 modern shaving system test of soap molecule size. While SEM did quite well with the F5, it came up somewhat short using the M3. Results here: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-AND-Fusion-5-vs-Mach-3?p=8470041#post8470041

 

[ShaveTry]

What I find amazing is nicks of some kind every shave and a 'nick grading'. I use a self-honed straight, and a single nick is a truly rare thing, usually when I've been testing an aggressive hone. With my normal preferred edges, nicks just don't happen unless I'm really careless. I can't even remember the last one with my normal edge.

Cheers, Steve

Great job Steve. It could also be a factor of our skin and beard differences. A doctor giving me an injection once told me I have "very thin skin". So I might be more nick-prone to begin with. OTOH I've always gotten nicks... can't reNemember any shaving rig where I didn't have a few. Nicks don't bother me nearly as much as "scratchiness"... i.e. dragging some cheap-A#* off-brand cartridge rig across my face... So for me, one or two micros is superior performance! No nicks at all is a 5/5.

 

[mlb549]

I really admire your determination to find the eventual winner. I do not have the same results that you find as I have most of the soaps you are using in this contest. This must be a YMMV contest.

 

[auk1124]

I don't really understand the point of this. Like someone else stated, OP seems to be getting WAY too many nicks, and I fail to see how a shave or two would be grounds for the "bracketology" comparisons going on here. I also fail to see how slapping one's self in the face has any bearing on the quality of a shave soap.

OP, you are clearly very enthusiastic and have a ton of good soaps. Why not just pick one and 3017 it? Throw a dart at a dart board or draw a name out of a hat. Use that product up. I am betting that you might form a different opinion on some of these soaps.

 

[ShaveTry]

Auk:

You probably missed my post that I do have very thin nick-prone skin. Perhaps you don't so you're fortunate. For persons with my skin type a couple micro nicks is nothing.

 

[ShaveTry]

I really admire your determination to find the eventual winner. I do not have the same results that you find as I have most of the soaps you are using in this contest. This must be a YMMV contest.

It absolutely is YMMV... my skin sensitivity is different, my nick-proneness is different, beard thickness different, beard growth patterns different, scent preferences different, and so forth. I would 100% expect someone else's results to be different, perhaps polar opposite.