New Soaps!

**RailroadMan** · 03-06-2012, 06:18 PM

While waiting on my first non-Williams soap to arrive in the mail (I had no idea where to get anything else but VDH), I drove by the Blue Ridge Soap Shed near my house. He hand makes many different scents, some tallow, some not, all goat's milk and shea butter. First shave tonight, and wow, compared to the Williams (I know), what a great shave. If anyone is interested, check out soapshed.com. Not everything he makes is on the site, and, if you prefer tallow, call. It's pretty cheap to try at $7 each.

Also, picked up a new VDH women's soap at WM. Wife is going to try it tonight. I'll post her feedback soon.

**Jacob Robertson** · 03-06-2012, 06:23 PM

Dude. One word. Razorock. Best bang for the buck I have tried.

**RailroadMan** · 03-06-2012, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by Jacob Robertson

Dude. One word. Razorock. Best bang for the buck I have tried.

Which kind?

**Jacob Robertson** · 03-06-2012, 06:46 PM

Ummm... Any? Lol, I love the XXX and Caprician lemon.

**Songwind** · 03-06-2012, 08:53 PM

Wow, some interesting scents! What did you get? Cinnamon Pear sounds amazing.

**insomniac** · 03-06-2012, 09:08 PM

Goats milk and shea butter? Sounds like he is using a kit to make soap.

**RailroadMan** · 03-07-2012, 02:32 AM

I ended up with what he calles Dragon Fire, a very nice, warm scent with tallow, and a sample of spiced plum. I don't think he uses a kit. It is a pretty big operation. I know he imports (and sells) shea butter, and has classes/demonstrations on making soap. Pretty neat stuff.

**michiganlover** · 03-07-2012, 03:40 AM

The first ingredient of these soaps is Olive Oil (I don't see the tallow based shaving soaps on the site), and experience has taught the board that soaps in which olive oil is a primary ingredient are almost always a total failure as a shaving soap. I would stay away from this one myself.

http://www.soapshed.com/Sandalwood-V...ving-Soap.html

Ingredients: Olive, Coconut, Palm and Castor Oils, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Sodium Hydroxide or Lye, Goat Milk, Mountain Spring Water, fragrances.

Edit: looking further at the site, he is using the exact same recipe for shaving soap, and for bath soap!! That's a really bad sign!! Run away, run away!!

**RailroadMan** · 03-07-2012, 06:52 AM

No, the tallow is not listed on the site, but there are a few. With nothing else to compare it to, I liked it a lot. We'll see when the Col. Conk arrives.

SWMBO really liked the VDH women's soap. Two-sided, one to shave, one to rinse and clean. Probably easier than a brush and mug in the shower, but she was using Ivory before.

**AFCBradyfan12** · 03-07-2012, 03:05 PM

Does he manually milk the goats himself? If so, can we see some pictures or videos of his soap-making process?

**insomniac** · 03-07-2012, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by RailroadMan

No, the tallow is not listed on the site, but there are a few. With nothing else to compare it to, I liked it a lot. We'll see when the Col. Conk arrives.

Williams and Col. Conk aren't exactly stellar soaps. Williams is... "finicky" and Col. Conk is just a standard glycerine shaving soap with a scent.

**RailroadMan** · 03-07-2012, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by insomniac

Williams and Col. Conk aren't exactly stellar soaps. Williams is... "finicky" and Col. Conk is just a standard glycerine shaving soap with a scent.

What, besides the Razorock, is a good, affordable soap?

**TOB9595** · 03-07-2012, 10:37 PM

Hey! You like the soap...You might want to stay with that for a few weeks and then try the RAZOROCK, which I am underwhelmed by, many folk like the RR..
MYSTIC WATERS is a soap that I am awaiting. They are fairly new to shaving. All good reviews on it.
It's tallow that she does herself...Tallowing???? perhaps is the word..
Look them up.
LIME seems to be the dominant flavor here at B&B. I'm awaiting LAVENDER....Their prices are low and you can buy large samples for cheap
Tom

**RailroadMan** · 03-08-2012, 07:52 PM

I'm going to try the BRSS, VDH, Williams, and Col. Conk for now because I have them, and I want to stay married. I will look back at this thread down the road and take some suggestions.

**Steadfast** · 03-07-2012, 05:56 PM

Speick, Arko, Palmolive, to name a few.

**RailroadMan** · 03-07-2012, 07:21 PM

Do I get those in the stick?

**insomniac** · 03-07-2012, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by RailroadMan

Do I get those in the stick?

Those are all sticks but are easy to grate (or "mill") into a puck.

**charles_r** · 03-07-2012, 08:03 PM

I just had a look at the site.. I have to admit their selection of scents is very IMPRESSIVE. Their prices are quite reasonable too considering they are all hand-made soaps. I have to agree with michiganlover tough that the ingredient list for the shaving soap... well.... you already know. I'm sure it can give a decent shave, but the lather won't last very long with Olive oil as the first ingredient.

To the original poster.. if you can tolerate the scent.. try Arko. It's the soap by which I judge other soaps now :)

**Laz** · 03-08-2012, 11:18 PM

Let us know if the lather holds up for 3 passes. Friends pick me up artisan shaving soaps and the lather is always great for the first pass, but fades away quickly (as for the reasons stated above). Maybe you'll get lucky with this one - good luck!

**RailroadMan** · 03-09-2012, 03:15 PM

I don't think I even know the right way to lather or what it should look like. I've been winging it. It kinda works. The local soap seems watery, though.