Did mike raise his prices recently?
Mike's hand made soaps from Brooklyn.
- Thread starter cryhavoc
- Start date
+1. That's my favorite from his line of shaving soaps.
Not that I've noticed.
I've been using Mike's natural soap for a few weeks now and it's really great. However it started out better then it has been. I started out lathering this with very little water and I loved the cushion and protective feel of this soap. I tried various mixes of more and less water more loading, less loading etc and found I just couldn't kill this soap. It is always good. However after reading a lot of posts concerning Mike's and lathering it seems the concensus is that this soap wants a lot of water. It's a thirsty soap. So I started adding a bit more water. A little at a time.
I did get more lather almost immediately. Nice lather and a good bowl full. It wasn't thin and didn't drip or drop but it wasn't thick either. it looked thick and it went on my face nicely, but it just wasn't the same. It sure looked good. However, it lost that "feel" I was getting. The cushion. Today I went back to square one. I squeezed out my soaked brush and then gave it a few shakes. I dumped only a little of my soap pre-soak water in my bowl and the rest in the sink. Maybe half a tsp or no more than a tsp went in my bowl. Then I started mixing and added no more water for a while. After a minute I added two small drops off my finger tip. Not fingers...."finger." I did this one more time later in the latheing and when I finished and applied this to my face I felt it immediately. That luxuious feel. I can feel it as soon as it hits my face. And after the first stroke I know. It feels like a nice cushion on my face and as if my skin is being protected from harm (nics).
So....YMMV....but for me Mike's wants less water!
I did get more lather almost immediately. Nice lather and a good bowl full. It wasn't thin and didn't drip or drop but it wasn't thick either. it looked thick and it went on my face nicely, but it just wasn't the same. It sure looked good. However, it lost that "feel" I was getting. The cushion. Today I went back to square one. I squeezed out my soaked brush and then gave it a few shakes. I dumped only a little of my soap pre-soak water in my bowl and the rest in the sink. Maybe half a tsp or no more than a tsp went in my bowl. Then I started mixing and added no more water for a while. After a minute I added two small drops off my finger tip. Not fingers...."finger." I did this one more time later in the latheing and when I finished and applied this to my face I felt it immediately. That luxuious feel. I can feel it as soon as it hits my face. And after the first stroke I know. It feels like a nice cushion on my face and as if my skin is being protected from harm (nics).
So....YMMV....but for me Mike's wants less water!
I like how you troubleshot how Mike's had changed for you.
We all have products that we fall in love with, that somehow don't seem to measure up over time. My theory is that when we start out with a new product we're very careful about it's use. Over time perhaps we start taking it for granted.
For me the key to Mike's is to add water gradually, in small increments. Without thinking about it, I think I have a similar lather process lathering Mike's, but with one more incremental addition of water.
We all have products that we fall in love with, that somehow don't seem to measure up over time. My theory is that when we start out with a new product we're very careful about it's use. Over time perhaps we start taking it for granted.
For me the key to Mike's is to add water gradually, in small increments. Without thinking about it, I think I have a similar lather process lathering Mike's, but with one more incremental addition of water.
I too add water sparingly and incrementally and the results are outstanding.
+1 on adding water gradually and in small increments to Mike's, and I load Mike's for 60+ seconds. I use a merely damp brush (squeezed & shaken) and load for 60+ seconds, occasionally wetting/shaking out the brush tips until the brush has picked up a thick paste. While face lathering I occasionally either wet/shake out the brush tips or add a couple of drops of water to the breach. Great results. (btw, this is also what works for me with MWF and Pre de Provence--my most challenging soaps to lather--though I need to load each of them for 2 minutes).
Mike's is fantastic soap and use it the way it works for you!
I generally load for about 90 seconds. Fairly dry brush. and small increments gradually. That is how I started out with this soap figuring I'd start dry and work wetter as I went on shave to shave.
Although I was still getting good lather as I added more water, I think I to prefer a thicker drier lather. I'll go back to what I was doing at the start.
I read a post here (can't find it at the moment) that recommended dumping a significant amount of water (2-3 tablespoons) on top of the Mike's puck mashed into a bowl, then lather directly on the soap until the lather thickens up. Kind of the opposite of the usual "fixed amount of product, variable water". Here you start with a fixed amount of water, on top of basically an infinite amount of product.
Using this method, I have had my best shaves to date. The lather is as thick as you want to make it and super slick. You can experiment with the "fixed" amount of water to start with, depending on water hardness, your particular brush, etc., but once you hit the magic amount of water, you're all set. Lather comes out the same every time. Works great for me.
Using this method, I have had my best shaves to date. The lather is as thick as you want to make it and super slick. You can experiment with the "fixed" amount of water to start with, depending on water hardness, your particular brush, etc., but once you hit the magic amount of water, you're all set. Lather comes out the same every time. Works great for me.
Yeah - Mike makes a great soap. My only complaint is that I placed an order on May 2nd, and as of today (May 21st), it still hasn't shipped. That's coming up on 3 weeks. I ordered 5 tins of soap and 2 shampoo bars... the wait is probably worth it, I guess, but Mike needs to hire some help if he is this busy.
No help!!! I'd rather wait. Once you start getting help what follows is cutting corners and before you know it going commercial. Then we're all screwed!
I had to wait this long for my Mike's order which arrived 2 days ago. I wish I had ordered 5 tins ( I only ordered 2)- really super product. I will definitely be ordering more scents. I will not deny that I was annoyed at the length of time it took to arrive though.
Fwiw, Mike just got married and is finishing his grad degree, hence the wait. Well worth it though!!
- Thread starter
- #795
Cut him some slack, he just got married and now has a honey do list to work on! Shoot him an email, he is usually very prompt with replies.
I know he got married - that's why I prob won't shoot him an email. I've been patiently waiting for 3 weeks for him to ship my soaps... if that's not cutting him some slack, then what is? 
They should ship soon, I would think...
They should ship soon, I would think...I know he got married - that's why I prob won't shoot him an email. I've been patiently waiting for 3 weeks for him to ship my soaps... if that's not cutting him some slack, then what is?
Scroll to the bottom of his Welcome page to see which orders are currently being processed.
Yep - he's currently processing orders placed on May 1st thru May 7th. That includes my order - my order placed 3 weeks ago. I'm really not complaining - his soaps are top-notch, and I have plenty of Harris pucks to keep me clean shaven between now and then (Also, I knew full well that I'd have to wait a decent while before I received my order), it's just that as a small business owner myself, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed at the slow service.
Just to be clear so as I don't receive wrath... I truly believe his product is worth waiting for. His soaps are top-shelf quality and the scents are excellent _ I just feel that he should step up his game a bit and hire some help in the shipping dep't.
Just to be clear so as I don't receive wrath... I truly believe his product is worth waiting for. His soaps are top-shelf quality and the scents are excellent _ I just feel that he should step up his game a bit and hire some help in the shipping dep't.
Mike does make some wonderful soap, but with the completion of his Doctoral degree the question will be how long does he continue making the great shave soaps that he does. He started this to help supplement his income while attending school. I wonder if he might not need to supplement his income if he is no longer in school and has some good professional opportunities with the completion of his degree. The chance that he goes full time as an Artisan Soap maker is also a possibility, but would also imagine that it would be very difficult to remain a one man operation if that is the path he chooses.
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