I just recently found out that Col. Conk's Soap has changed drastically. Their 3.5 oz. Bay Rum with Glycerine has been my go-to for many years now and was excellent, had great lather, gave a great shave and was reasonably priced. I tend to buy in bulk (that's why I was not aware of the change) and when I ordered a bunch of new Conk pucks from WCS I was unpleasantly surprised to find the new version was pretty bad. It went back the very next day after trying it. It does not hold a candle to the old version and I have been on the hunt for a go-to replacement.
Proraso Green and Red are OK but not my favorites. I also tried Arko which has incredible lather, is cheap as hell but IMO lacked a bit of lubricity (no Glycerine in it). I've now used it two more times this week and it is slowly growing on me. As long as you keep the lather moist with a quick additional brush pass at the tail end of the shave, it gives a very close shave.
I also bought Van Der Hagen but have yet to try it. I did try the Sterling Bay Rum but the smell was something I disliked. I did just order 4 pucks from Mama Bear and if I recall it was pretty good when I tried it in the past. It's on the pricy side but if I really like it it might be worth the coin. The Old Glycerine Col. Conk's was a greay vaklue for the money and provoded a great smooth shave - why they had to mess with it is beyond me and I am not a happy Camper right now!
Proraso Green and Red are OK but not my favorites. I also tried Arko which has incredible lather, is cheap as hell but IMO lacked a bit of lubricity (no Glycerine in it). I've now used it two more times this week and it is slowly growing on me. As long as you keep the lather moist with a quick additional brush pass at the tail end of the shave, it gives a very close shave.
I also bought Van Der Hagen but have yet to try it. I did try the Sterling Bay Rum but the smell was something I disliked. I did just order 4 pucks from Mama Bear and if I recall it was pretty good when I tried it in the past. It's on the pricy side but if I really like it it might be worth the coin. The Old Glycerine Col. Conk's was a greay vaklue for the money and provoded a great smooth shave - why they had to mess with it is beyond me and I am not a happy Camper right now!