Martin de Candre

[AJS]

I am considering my first soap purchase, and I was thinking about buying Martin de Candre Lavender and Mint shave soap. Has anyone here tried this product, what were your impressions?
Regards,
AJS

[ouch]

For your first soap purchase, could you possibly pick out a more obscure product?

[rtaylor61]

Is THIS the soap you are referring to? Looks nice, but EXPENSIVE! If anyone has tried it, it will probably be Ron or Chris Fisher (fisherc).

Randy

[joel]

It's ok. Smells wonderful - but there are better options. Although it may seem expensive - it is a 6oz cake of soap - so it is about 2X the size of a cake of DR Harris.

[Austin]

I thought it was a decent soap but overpriced. Try DR Harris soaps instead.

[roughrider]

Why not pick a tried and true soap like the Truefitt & Hill soap or QED Lime or Sandalwood?

[rtaylor61]

Why not pick a tried and true soap like the Truefitt & Hill soap or QED Lime or Sandalwood?

The T&H soap is great. Also, Crabtree & Evelyn's Almond soap is great. Lot's of products out there.

Randy

[AJS]

For your first soap purchase, could you possibly pick out a more obscure product?

Give me a little while and I will see what I can come up with!
Seriously, I have always gravitated towards the esoteric and the obscure, and I guess this soap fits in with that. Also, giving the glowing reviews that French soaps in general seem to receive, I am definitely leaning towards this, L'Occitane CADE or the Lothantique Pere et Fils for my first purchase.
With regard to the English soaps, I was looking at the T+H soap as a definite purchase somewhere down the line.
Warm regards,
AJS

[Kyle]

Give me a little while and I will see what I can come up with!
Seriously, I have always gravitated towards the esoteric and the obscure, and I guess this soap fits in with that. Also, giving the glowing reviews that French soaps in general seem to receive, I am definitely leaning towards this, L'Occitane CADE or the Lothantique Pere et Fils for my first purchase.
With regard to the English soaps, I was looking at the T+H soap as a definite purchase somewhere down the line.
Warm regards,
AJS

Don't get me wrong, I like individuality as much as the next guy, but there is a reason that all of the aforementioned products are popular. They Work.

The problem with trying something obscure/non-standard before sampling some of the tried and true soaps is that if you get a terrible shave, how will you know if it is the fault of the product or the fault of your technique, etc. You will have no measuring stick for comparison.

I had the same inclination when I first started wet shaving. I went out and purchased an obscure soap and had such a horrendous experience that I almost quit wet shaving all together.

My suggestion for the first soap purchase would be, go with the L'Occitane or another brand that several members have used so that if things don't go well for you, you at least have a point of reference.

[roughrider]

Most guys here are steering you in the direction of popular soaps because if you have a problem later on with anything; we can help you without worrying about your soap being a factor.

[AJS]

Thanks for the help everybody, it is appreciated. Following your advice, I have decided to opt for the L'Occitane soap to start out with; I'll update you on my progress and I am sure I will need some help with it (you have been warned!)
Warm regards,
AJS

[ouch]

Good first choice. If you want esoteric, get it in the nifty metal container.

[slcsteve]

I use Martin De Candre in a rotation of sorts and I find it to be of the highest quality. If you purchase it you certainly won't be disappointed in the quality. Some others that I use and also on the pricy side are Acqua Di Parma and Creed Green Irish Tweed. All are superb. That said, I have very few shaving creams or soaps that I personally dislike and you can spend your money on less costly soaps that will work just as well. One that I really found to be high in cost, albeit excellent is Boellis. You can spend $35 for Boellis or purchase Valobra for $10 and find very little, if any, difference in quality. L'Occitane is fine but not what I'd deem special. It's your money so buy what you like.

[AJS]

You mention Acqua di Parma, I was thinking about adding that to my rapidly expanding (read that as out of control) collection of shave creams. Would you mind posting some feedback on this particular cream?
Warm regards,
AJS

[slcsteve]

AJS

I'll tell you what. I'm presently away from home right now but if you pm your address i'll send you a small sample that I have when I return home and you can judge for yourself. As far a latherability (perhaps a word) i'd rate it high but seems to favor a stiffer brush. Very similar in texture to Martin De Candre and very nice stuff. Not really any better than the better English soaps (D R Harris etc.) just a bit different.

BTW: the Acqua de Parma is $54 a tub and Creed is $55 a wooden tub.

[Tye]

Just remember this too....If you get something and don't like it it'll be much easier to seel to one of us if we've used it before or know what it is. Gotta cover all the bases.

-Tye

[Evbo]

Nothing like pulling an old thread out of mothballs.

I just purchased this soap. Used it this morning for the first time.

I bought it in the beechwood bowl. When I unwrapped it last night, my first thought was it looked like one of those decorative candles you see in a fancy knick-knack store. There's no top to the bowl; the soap literally rises up & above the rim. It looks like frozen lather, or bumpy ice cream. I expected to see a wick sticking out of the middle.

Scent-wise, the description is lavender & mint. I'm not sure that's what it smells like to me but whatever. It sure smells good -- fresh, gentle, soapy & clean. Shave-wise, this stuff's amazing. It produced a thick, unctuous lather that lasted through my 3-pass-plus-touchups shave with plenty left over for more. I used a 5 day-old Feather in a Slant and only got one little weeper at a very sensitive point on my neck. Otherwise, the shave was smooth, comfortable & BBS. I didn't want it to end.

It's expensive but to Joel's point above, you get 6 oz. of soap -- almost double the size of most pucks. I'll have this thing forever. Highly recommended, gents!

[joshmpdx]

Great post to a great thread resurection!

Thanks for the summery, i think you just sold me!

[Cuttingboard]

Nothing like pulling an old thread out of mothballs.

I just purchased this soap. Used it this morning for the first time.

I bought it in the beechwood bowl. When I unwrapped it last night, my first thought was it looked like one of those decorative candles you see in a fancy knick-knack store. There's no top to the bowl; the soap literally rises up & above the rim. It looks like frozen lather, or bumpy ice cream. I expected to see a wick sticking out of the middle.

Scent-wise, the description is lavender & mint. I'm not sure that's what it smells like to me but whatever. It sure smells good -- fresh, gentle, soapy & clean. Shave-wise, this stuff's amazing. It produced a thick, unctuous lather that lasted through my 3-pass-plus-touchups shave with plenty left over for more. I used a 5 day-old Feather in a Slant and only got one little weeper at a very sensitive point on my neck. Otherwise, the shave was smooth, comfortable & BBS. I didn't want it to end.

It's expensive but to Joel's point above, you get 6 oz. of soap -- almost double the size of most pucks. I'll have this thing forever. Highly recommended, gents!

Is there a place in the US that carries the large bowl? I can only find the small tin.

[DSB]

Nothing like pulling an old thread out of mothballs.

I just purchased this soap. Used it this morning for the first time.

I bought it in the beechwood bowl. When I unwrapped it last night, my first thought was it looked like one of those decorative candles you see in a fancy knick-knack store. There's no top to the bowl; the soap literally rises up & above the rim. It looks like frozen lather, or bumpy ice cream. I expected to see a wick sticking out of the middle.

Scent-wise, the description is lavender & mint. I'm not sure that's what it smells like to me but whatever. It sure smells good -- fresh, gentle, soapy & clean. Shave-wise, this stuff's amazing. It produced a thick, unctuous lather that lasted through my 3-pass-plus-touchups shave with plenty left over for more. I used a 5 day-old Feather in a Slant and only got one little weeper at a very sensitive point on my neck. Otherwise, the shave was smooth, comfortable & BBS. I didn't want it to end.

It's expensive but to Joel's point above, you get 6 oz. of soap -- almost double the size of most pucks. I'll have this thing forever. Highly recommended, gents!

After looking at the photo, I'm guessing it's very messy to lather -- at least until you get the soap below the top lip of the bowl. Do you wind up wasting a lot of soap at the beginning? Have you had any problems with the soap drying up, since there is not a lid to the bowl?