2nd round Soap Pass-Around

Just caught up from a couple pages back.
great reviews, Brian!

what if each one of us took
inventory when we received
the box and send the list via
PM to Jason? No room for error
there. Just a thought. I was
planning on doing this anyway.

That'll work, or maybe better a log in the box as well where you do a quick inventory when you get it and have to sign for each of your takes then add your additions to the list. You check the list to make sure everything makes it back into the box as well.

The problem with just the email to Jason it puts it entirely on him to babysit this and I know that he's busy. It would be nice if we could police each other instead of putting the entire burden on him.

If there's a list in the box, and the mandate that it be updated it will cause everyone to be accountable and if something is missing it will be easy to figure out who had it last.

I made a list on my computer of the soaps in the box when I first went through the box. I can print that list out and include it when I send the box on its way.

I've been contacted by the artisan of #500; that person is priority mailing me a larger tub so that I can transfer the soap out of the small tub it currently occupies. My time with the box should be drawing to a close. My wife, kid, and I have a busy weekend planned (some short-distance travel), so I was planning on sending the box on its way tomorrow, as I don't think I'll have any time to spend with the box on Fri. or Sat., and maybe not on Sun., either. I'll send a PM to the next in line re: address. That said, I don't know if the new tub for #500 will arrive today or before my personal logistical deadline tomorrow. I'll keep the fine folks here apprised of the situation, and will endeavour to keep the reviews rolling out for as long as the box is in my possession. Thank you for your understanding and patience, folks. And Thank You to everyone who has posted the kind words re: my reviews, and also the folks who are chiming-in with their own thoughts about the soaps in the box.

Now, back to the reviews!

I was very happy to see a soap by each of these artisans in the box, as I’ve never had the chance to try a soap from either. I gave each of these a try last night:
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#251:

SCENT: Vick’s, with a hint of the named citrus. Scent strength is medium-light from tub and during lather; scent strength is light to medium-light after rinsing. This scent is not my cuppa, but somebody else might appreciate it more than I.

APPEARANCE: translucent hard puck; comes in a large plastic tub

LATHER: moderately easy to lather --- by that I mean it was easy to lather, but it required more time/work than many other soaps do; the lather was strikingly white, and rather thick; low scheen; moderately thirsty; this is a “cold” soap --- I only have experience with Proraso Green and QCS Vostok, as far as cold soaps go, and this one is in between those two; this was slick enough with the cushion I prefer, but overall this soap struck me as average; easy rinse; very drying after the rinse. The pics below show a lather that’s too dry. When I applied the lather to my face it was really obvious I hadn’t added enough water yet. I added a bit more water and the slickness improved, but then I was left with less cushion than I prefer. Even though this one is a Pass for me, I’m very glad to have had the opportunity to try a soap from this artisan.






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#41:

SCENT: this is a woodsy/spicy scent --- some noticeable cinnamon and nutmeg, but this a complex scent and there’s lots more to it than just that; scent strength off the puck and during the lather is of medium strength; when lathered, notes of cigarette house and wet cement emerge.

APPEARANCE: hard puck; refill puck.

LATHER: this one is a tallow offering; I thought it was easy to get this one to lather (again, as with nearly all soaps I’ve been trying, I did moisten the scrapings that I pressed into my bowl before I started lathering), but it did require a significant amount of work to get that lather to the best it can be. Low sheen, Cool Whip type of lather; lather was stable enough to shave with, but it wasn’t completely stable, either. Below average cushion and average to slightly above average slickness; medium post-rinse feel (it did rinse off fairly easily). You know, the scent on this one appealed to me in a really weird way --- I found myself almost simultaneously liking and not liking it, but, at the end of the day, I don’t think the lather was good enough to merit the work I had to put in to get it, so this one’s a Pass for me. This soap might perform better if the puck was soaked and pressed into a tub, which would allow for an easy heavy brush load, which this soap probably requires.

#343:

There is two pucks from this artisan in the box --- I lathered the one that had the scent I found more preferable.

SCENT: I really enjoyed the scent on this --- woodsy, with strong anise and fennel notes; hint of lime (which I normally don't like, but it works here) --- really, it's the fennel that hooked me. The scent strength was medium-light off the puck, during lather, and also after rinsing.

APPEARANCE: clear, hard puck; refill puck.

LATHER: very difficult to lather, but I eventually got it there; poor cushion; average slickness; stable-enough lather, maybe (depends on how fast you shave, I suppose); very drying post-shave; I noticed that this left lots of film in my sink. I think I may have been slightly allergic to something in this soap, as I felt a bit of a spiky tickle around my nose and mouth when I painted this on my face. I enjoyed the scent of this one, but the performance just wasn't there for me. I did get a fun-to-look-at pic, though ... (sorry for no palm pic. on this one --- it was late, and I just didn't feel like hassling with it) ... it's too bad my picture taking skills are practically non-existent.

#249:

SCENT: very light out of the tub -- just a faint whiff of the stated aroma; when lathered, the scent did get a little stronger, but I still wouldn't consider it any stronger than medium-light; seems "correct" for the stated scent, to me.

APPEARANCE: this is a soft soap; plastic tub

LATHER: I couldn't quite get the cushion/slickness combo I wanted, and the lather wasn't completely stable, either --- honestly, I wonder if I might have messed-up the lather, and I there was more user error going on than there was product error. Lather had medium sheen. This is a veggie soap, and it's from a line I've been very curious to try. This one's a pass for me, but if I liked the scent more I'd take it with the assumption that I could quickly figure out how to get a better lather out of it.

Next up is the vintage soap, #76. I consider it a real treat to have had the opportunity to try this one out --- I could resist the allure of shaving with this soap, so that’s exactly what I did a few nights ago. I took some shavings and soaked them over night --- I worked the soaked shavings into a paste with me thumbs, as I pressed them against the bottom of my lather bowl.

SCENT: the scent is long gone from this soap --- all that remains is a faint cardboard smell.

APPEARANCE: this is a hard puck

LATHER: this lathered relatively easy, but {see above}. The lather seemed to be very slick and also have good cushion when I painted it on my palm. I proceeded to lather my face and start with the shave. Honestly, the lather I produced had below average slickness and below average cushion. Ultimately, I did get a good shave, but I probably should have made this one of the rare occasions when I reach for my Red Tip over my heavy open comb. This was a very fun experience --- Thank You to whoever put this one in.

Hi everyone,
I still haven't heard from pyro re: his address. I just sent him another PM. Perhaps if I don't hear from him in a few hours then we can, for the time being, skip over him. If I don't get the box on its way tomorrow then it will be stuck in my possession for another week, as I have holiday travel planned for Tuesday and beyond.

I'll get some more reviews posted later today, and will get a pic of my picks posted today or tomorrow.

Brian G r a f s t r o m said:

Hi everyone,
I still haven't heard from pyro re: his address. I just sent him another PM. Perhaps if I don't hear from him in a few hours then we can, for the time being, skip over him. If I don't get the box on its way tomorrow then it will be stuck in my possession for another week, as I have holiday travel planned for Tuesday and beyond.

I'll get some more reviews posted later today, and will get a pic of my picks posted today or tomorrow.

Click to expand...

Sounds fair to me

I've heard back from mrlandpirate with his mailing address. So, one way or another, the box is moving-on tomorrow!

One step closer! I need to get my adds in my possession! It is almost my turn with the box of goodness!

#321:

This is a hard puck, and the scent is that of a specific cologne ... coincidentally, it is the same cologne my father used to favor. Off the puck the scent strength is strong; when lathered, it's medium-strong. I couldn't get this one to perform, unfortunately ... I got the disappearing lather act.

#287:

SCENT: medium-strong to strong; smells awesome --- complex; hints of brown butter, watermelon bubblegum, and the named herb. I *love* the way this one smells. Medium-strong scent when lathered, and almost completely gone after rinsing.

APPEARANCE: hard puck

LATHER: lather was stable, but below average slickness and cushion. Bummed I couldn't get this one to work b/c I love how it smells.

Hi everyone,

Well, I'm both happy and sad to say the box is on the move again! It feels a bit weird not having it around anymore. It's on its way to mrlandpirate, as pyro is no longer able to participate in this passaround at this time. I insured the box for $200, and its expected delivery date is 12/26/14.



Thank you to everyone who participated in this passaround, and a BIG Thank You to demaskee for organizing. Participating in this passaround has given me the opportunity to try lots of soaps I prevsiously hadn't, including many that weren't even on my radar (in fact, one of my picks is from a maker I hadn't heard of until the box made its way to my doorstep).

I'll get a pic of my picks posted a bit later, as well as a quick little blurb about my contributions to the box --- I'd do it now, but I have lots of balls in the air today! --- I just wanted to get this post out there ASAP to give y'all an update.

Best,
Brian

Without further ado, here's my picks:


I also took a sample of each the following: PPF - Amber (I'm guessing I'm going to prefer this over Black Tea), LASS - Topanga Fougere, and RR/Synergy lime-menthol pre-shave (I've never used a pre-shave product, so this will be interesting).

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Also of note:

1. The artisan who makes soap #500 mailed me a wide-mouth plastic tub to transfer #500 into; this I did. Additionally (and perhaps more importantly), it should be noted that this artisan also donated an additional soap of theirs to the box. That soap is marked as soap #504. I did not apply the value of this soap towards the value of my additions. It should also be noted that this artisan kindly gave me some soap as a Thank You for doing this small task --- I used this Thank You gift to give this artisan's soap another try. I loaded heavily this time, and was rewarded with a lather much better than what I got when I tried soap #500. The lather I built this time still didn't have much cushion (but it had enough), but it was plenty slick and had an incredible yogurty consistency. The scent of #504 is killer, and I suspect it will be a soap that somebody will be quite happy to make one of their Takes; I know I'm going to enjoy using my Thank You soap as a regular part of my rotation. Thank you, {xxxxxx}, for your donation to this passaround box!

2. A few weeks ago I placed an order for myself with Catie's Bubbles. At that time, I spoke to Chris Cullen, the owner/soapmaker of Catie's Bubbles, about this Passaround Box and asked him if he'd be willing to include some samples with my order for the express purpose of me putting them in the box. Chris kindly obliged with three very generous samples of his soap. These samples are so large that I would have divided each of them in half if I had three small sample containers to use therefore; alas, I did not, so three folks are going to get a very nice little treat from Catie's Bubbles. At my suggestion, Chris also included some of his business cards, and I have placed these in the box, as well. If you take one of these samples, please enjoy it, and please also find the time to write and post a review of your experience with the soap. Thank you, Chris, for your donations to this passaround box!

3. My contributions to the box:
#505 - I love this maker, and this scent is to die for (and may be the most popular scent from this producer).
#506 - This maker is new to me (I've only tried a sample), but you can color me very impressed. This soap lathers easily, and has a nice big sweet spot. This particular scent is quite "manly," and I'm confident somebody will be thrilled to add it to their den.

Thanks again, everybody, for making this a fun and informative experience.

Best,
Brian

nice picks and nice reviews as always.

I really enjoy the scent of that black tea. Unfortunately, or caused my face irritation. Enjoy!

Thank you, Chris. That's too bad about the irritation with Black Tea ... do you have any other scents from PPF?

No. But I know David LOVES their coconut.

Nice picks. Enjoy!

It's on it's way to me! Woo Hoo! Can't wait, it's just like Christmas, Oh ya It IS Christmas !