MAY... May explode.
Unscented Stirling v. Canada shootout
- Thread starter mozartman
- Start date
Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
Just get MdC unscented. For all accounts it's about 95% the same. In the U.S. at one time there was an MdC knockoff that was called Sampsons All Natural. Very good soap it was. As I understand the gent making it got busy with other things. I'm thinking Canada is to MdC as Sampson's was. Same ingredients and process and very close to the same soapA real shame for people like me who live in Europe
As a lover of perfume-free soaps, I discovered Canada shaving Soap, too bad the shipping cost me too much, I was curious to try it
Send me a soap sir!
I'm joking, obviously
I currently use MDC nature in my soap rotation
Arrived, I'll try them soon 
I really want to try that beeswax but I don't really need more soap.
Me neither...so I bought a tub of Cella Bio.
On topic: Will PIF chunks of Beeswax, Sheep, or Canada to 2-3 people in Conti USA who have better self-control but still want to complete their own 3+ way comparison of Canada Shave Soap, Stirling Beeswax, Stirling Sheep, or Stirling Naked & Smooth (Beef). Canada might need a jackhammer. Could include 1oz Varen for anyone wanting to live on the wild side. It's too much for me!
pm with address. Maybe I don't have enough posts?
I've mostly shelved CSS for now. It is quick to lather, and slick, but I got busy and reverted to known soaps instead of dialing it in. Then the weather became cold & dry where the Stirling post shave helps. Still really enjoy Sheep, but Beeswax somehow keeps popping back onto the counter. I'm going to start alternating days between these two in order to force a personal showdown. Just wish the human could be more consistent.
Interested to hear what Dundee thinks with MdC for comparison.
Stirling does sell 1oz samples for $4.10 that most people yield 30+ shaves out of them...
That's probably the way to go. I can just toss it in with another bottle of Baker Street AS.
I'll try it soon, I have MDC in mind
Did you want an opinion on MCD vs Stirling Beeswax?
Yes, in the USA there is the possibility of samples and it is the best thing
My favorite Stirling is Unscented with Beeswax but Canada would be my preference. I consider it an excellent soap.
In addition to giving a generous amount of trials, they are a way of "Saving Money" for less frequently-used flavors. Price per ounce is higher but still reasonable. In the USA of course.
It would be interesting to hear what you think about MDC vs either Stirling, as well as Stirling Beeswax vs Sheep.
I have not used MDC, but a few BBers say it generally performs similar to Canada Shaving Soap, with CSS arguably being a little slower to lather and slightly more moisterizing post-shave.
Still not sure which unscented soap I'd buy if my hoard disappeared tomorrow.
I agree, unfortunately in Europe I can't buy "Stirling example" samples but if you have the chance do well and
I will try both Sheep and UWB and then MDC
Stirling Sheep
We all know Stirling soaps, including this base with Mutton tallow like other Stirling products
The performance of this base is excellent, I don't understand why Stirling doesn't produce more products with this base
For me, this is not an "unscented" soap, the smell of lanolin is nice and may be bothersome to some people
So if you are looking for Unscented,no Sheep soap from Stirling
I don't mind the smell of this soap, but since it's not available in Europe I prefer Electric Sheep also as a perfume
We all know Stirling soaps, including this base with Mutton tallow like other Stirling products
The performance of this base is excellent, I don't understand why Stirling doesn't produce more products with this base
For me, this is not an "unscented" soap, the smell of lanolin is nice and may be bothersome to some people
So if you are looking for Unscented,no Sheep soap from Stirling
I don't mind the smell of this soap, but since it's not available in Europe I prefer Electric Sheep also as a perfume
Digression Resumed: I have now used Cella Extra Extra Bio twice and really really like most aspects so far!
It is incredibly slick and stays that way. It is non-irritating & stable during a leisurely shave, and the post shave feel is balanced. I feel the overall performance package is better than the Stirlings & CSS that are being discussed here. It really hurts to admit this.
The bad? 1) Scent, for me. Reviews downplay it, and it IS a reasonable mainstream smell that distinguishes itself from Original Cella, Proraso, Palmolive, etc, but it's "calogney"... a toned-down Creed or Stirling Executive Man, or something along those lines. It's tolerable. Someone mentioned melons, but it sure doesn't smell like the kind in my garden!, or cucumbers, or avacados, or anything like that. I'd Pass on Cella Bio if this is a deal breaker, otherwise the technical performance is very much worth a cheap trial.
The scent also persists post-shave despite not being terribly strong to begin with, so it is not something that could be ignored for a few minutes. Perhaps I'm just not Italian enough to enjoy such things, but future use might become limited to days with a sore face or when the shave really matters and the odor does not. Will see if it airs out in the meantime...probably not.
2) Price: Useage cost is higher than most true soaps. This stuff is a hard cream, and even accounting for that it it still seems to require a significant amount for a full face lather. I was too heavy handed with a boar brush the first time, but got it right on the second. It is NOT difficult to lather or fussy about water, but does require a heavy load which is easy due to the softness. Again, I am only estimating this off two uses, but the tub is probably going to be empty after similar (or fewer) uses than a tube of Proraso cream at same weight and price. The Cella performance is superior though, so I still wouldn't hesitate to daily drive it if the scent was more my jam. If everyone would kindly write to Cella asking for unscented 1 gallon pails...
It depends what you're looking for in a fragrance-free soap? Are you looking for performance? are you looking for low cost?
Cella Bio has an excellent yield and I know Cella products well being Italian, the ingredients of Cella bio are excellent for its cost and it has an excellent soap yield
Unfortunately I don't think Cella will ever produce the 1kg container of the Bio version, the normal 1KG container for the red version is mainly produced for barbers.
Not to discredit Cella "they are products I use" but if I have to use just one perfume-free soap I prefer to spend a little more and have a superior yield "for me" superior yield intense in shaving and post-shaving
I get consistently awesome results from the Unscented w/ Beeswax. Always that thick, Greek yogurt consistency I like. Sheep is much the same, but I developed a lanolin sensitivity and that's the only reason I don't use that, but also awesome.
Glad you liked the Cella Extra Extra Bio. I agree on the scent. It sort of goes against the all-natural ingredients theme of the soap. I think the problem is a lot of people won't buy unscented soaps, so for a big volume seller like Cella they won't offer it. I'd rather have just a plain Aloe Vera kind of scent.
On price, this soap can be bought from European vendors for a lot less. Shipping is higher, so you have to buy a certain minimum total amount to qualify for free (or reduced cost) shipping. I caught a sale and I think it was less than $4 per 150g jar.
The usage is higher due to high water content, I think (Aqua is the first listed ingredient). So, it is almost a cream. I'm going to start the experiment of air-drying my spare jar of soap on a covered wooden shelf and see what happens after a few months.
