Bay Rum Shaving Soap - Free Samples

I've gotten two shaves under my belt with it and here are my thoughts:

Scent: Pretty well matches the aftershave sample sent, although not as strong.

Lather: Was very easy to lather, best result I've gotten from a soap yet. It was VERY slick, and provided just the right amount of lubrication/cushion.

Shave: I used a Rapira Platinum Lux with my Muhle R89, and did three passes (WTG, XTG, ATG) and touch ups. I enjoyed it so much, I thought about perhaps starting over from the beginning. Cooler heads prevailed. I splashed on the CC Bay Rum aftershave and it felt fantastic.

Then I climbed into bed. My loving wife crinkled up her nose - turns out she didn't like the scent of the Bay Rum aftershave. The second shave, I let her smell me after just shaving. She liked the milder scent of the soap. Bummer, because I really liked how the aftershave felt. I tried the sandalwood sample sent, and it was close to the same comfort - and she liked the scent much better!

Is there a way to order up small samples (like what you sent us) in every one of your fragrances for aftershave? That way I could make the best decision about what to get full sized? After all, happy wife - happy life, right?

This is my third day with the new soap. I did the whole enchilada today, head shave and face shave. I did the right half with the old Razorock CC Bay Rum and the left half with the new in-house version. That matches the picture below:



First of all the quality of the shave was the same for both soaps. I am writing this a couple of hours later and both side are incredibly smooth, close, and there has been no irritation whatsoever. The face feel on boths sides is the same and both sides feel great.

The differences between the two are minimal - if you're a fan of the Razorock product, I'm pretty sure you're going to like the new one. The new one seems to be just a little bit more slick and the scent on the new product is just a bit more pronounced. However, the differences are well within the normal variations you would expect from an artisan soap maker. Your mileage may vary. Both have great cushion.

In short, if you are bemoaning the fact that the old RR Captains Choice was discontinued, you've got a good replacement available.

I've had three great shaves with the new soap. Once I've worked through the backlog generated by my Soap acquisition disorder, I'm buying some of this.

Thanks for the opportunity, Scott.

Today I finally got the chance to try the new soap. We are vacationing down in Orlando, so first shave was in a hotel, not bad at all.

First off the scent, I love it. It is a nice warm bay rum scent. Not too spicy, but nice and comforting. The scent off the soap is pretty much the same intensity as the lather.

Now onto the performance, it was a great shave. The lather built up nicely with not a whole lot of water needed. It also provided ample lather for a 3 pass shave. I do think I still need to dial in the lather as it wasn't quite as thick as I like, chalk that up to first time use.

The shave was nice, this soap is quite slick and my r89 glided right across my face. The cushion was only average, but that is probably due to the lather not quite as thick as I like, and should be fixable with better lather building.

The soap rinsed clean and left my face feeling nice. Add to it the aftershave, which definitely smells very similar to the soap. It is slightly different, but not by much. And the aftershave of course doesn't disappoint, it leaves a very soft face and a nice lingering scent.

I am looking forward to another shave with this combo and will report back after my next shave.

Thanks again to Scott and the crew for the opportunity to try this.

Edit : lather picture didn't attach, will try to post it with my next review

Day 3 Impressions:


Set up: 1950's Aristocrat/Rapira Platinum Lux, PS oil, and Parker BCPB (bowl lather in G20 scuttle using cold water)
Scent: Scent is good and holds up throughout shave, would like stronger scent
Lather: I used cold water to bowl lather in G20 scuttle, soap seemed to respond very differently to cold water.
Cushioning: Good
Aftershave: Once again the CC Bay Rum aftershave was excellent and left my face feeling great. The combo of the soap and AS scents lasted about 4 hrs.


Day 4 & Final Impressions:


Set up: 1950's Aristocrat/Rapira Platinum Lux(2), PS oil, and Parker BCPB (bowl lather in G20 scuttle using hot/warm water)
Scent: A-, The scent is nice and holds up throughout shave, I would like to see a stronger scent (I like Bay Rum and the stronger the better)
Lather: A-, I formed my best lathers in bowl/scuttle using hot/warm water. Soap seemed to have always have sufficient slickness
Cushioning: B+, I had some issues with cushioning. These issues may have self induced. Cushioning also seems to a hard attribute to nail down for me so take this rating with a grain of salt.
Aftershave: A+, I used the North aftershave sample today. Both the Bay Rum and the North aftershaves samples were simply sublime and left my face feeling and smelling great every day.

I will definitely be purchasing the Captain's Choice Bay Rum Soap and Aftershaves in the future.

Thank You Again for the Opportunity Cap'n,


jc

I have the AS and the Razorock soap. Can't wait to try the new version.

I had a chance to try my sample of the new Captains Bay Rum soap. I think it performs as well as any of my favorite soap considering how easy it is to whip up a super thick lather. Slickness and cushioning are all there, it reminds me of the quality of any RazoRock soap I've ever used. The scent is about spot on with the aftershave sample the Captain sent me, and I'll say this soap has nicest Bay Rum scent I've ever used, compared to Dominica, Pinaud and Colonel Conk scents. The post shave effect left my face feeling refreshed and fairly moisturized, but not quite like the face feel of some of the RazoRocks I've used, but very close. I live in the cold north, so I'll stick to my MWF as my almost daily choice. But, this Captains soap, for me, would be a perfect choice for warmer weather shaves.

I'd like to add the sample of Bay Rum splash was a perfect compliment to the soap. Bar none, the nicest BR scent I've sniffed so far. Thanks to the Captain for his very generous offering. Theres enough soap and splash for several shaves. Also, SWMBO quite likes the scent too.

Today was my second shave with the Captain's fine offering. I let my facial hair grow another day or two -- it's the weekend, and I had nowhere in particular to be -- so the soap could be tested under more rigorous conditions than my last test. I already commented on the scent previously, so I'll focus on the functionality of the soap in this post.

I should note at the outset that this is my first shaving soap. My first shave with this soap contained a whole boatload of newbie errors (failure to load properly, too much water, etcetc), but the shave was passable. This shave, I took a different tact. I carved out a chunk of the soap and put it into my lathering bowl, then proceeded to lather. Despite making a key error -- too much water because I didn't actually use up all of the soap I put into the bowl -- I still had pretty good lather. It was a little thin but definitely not runny, and it was certainly slick enough. Had I used the entire amount of soap in the bowl, I likely would've been rewarded with thick, luxurious lather. The lack of that kind of lather is the fault of my technique, not the soap.

As it was, I was impressed with the lather that came out of what I used up. The shave was irritation-free despite the lather being a little thinner than I usually use, and was of sufficient quantity and quality to do three full passes and a touch-up without concern.

I have two more "doses" of the sample left to use up, and I'm looking forward to the performance improving as my skill level with the soap improves. Overall, I'd say this was a favorable iteration of the test, and I'm looking forward to the next one!

As an aside, I used the included sample of sandalwood aftershave tonight. I usually dislike sandalwood because it comes off as soapy to my nose. This aftershave, however, seems deeper and more complex than the typical sandalwood scent I've experienced thus far. I may just become a fan of this aftershave. So far, I have a favorable impression of the scent, and the performance matches my experience with the Bay Rum and Lime varieties I already own.

Once again, Scott, thank you for the opportunity to join in the pre-release. I hope all of the feedback you're receiving is helping!

One final note. In the past I've used Mike's Natural Bay Rum and Queen Charlotte Cayman. I'm a big fan of both of these artisan soap makers because their lather is so good. The Captain's latest offering is on par with these two as far as the lather goes for cushion and slickness. For post shave face feel it is a very close second to the Mike's and QC - that is not a criticism, they are all stellar in this category. But the scent - oh, the scent - the Captain stands on top by a mile.

I'll still order Mike's and QC, but not the bay rum. That nod goes to the Captain.

My sample finally arrived. Something about the mail to South Florida! I'll give it a try tomorrow.. Looking forward to it!

My buddy on B&B was lucky enough to get a sample and while jealous I wanted to know how his shaves went. Low and behold, as he knew I am a big CC fan, he sent me what was left of his soap so I could try! So here we go.

Scoring is 1 being bad to 10 being very good.

Pre-scent:5
I was a little surprised at the lack of scent pre-lather. I could get a whiff of the bay rum scent but it was not as strong as I would imagined it to be. Now this could due to the small size and plastic container that don't really hold the scent in. It was a pleasant smell though and set the stage for what was to come.

Soap Load-ability:10
This was one of the easiest soaps to load on to my boar brush. Took very little effort to get a high quantity load. While I know it is softer then it would be as an end product it bods well that it was this easy.

Lather:7
The lather I made from this soap was very good. I have made better lather in the past but it again took little effort. I was surprised by the amount of water the the soap needed. It was quite thirsty. I bowl lathered the soap in my CC shaving bowl (what else would I use) and I had workable lather in about 30 sec. I ended up having it a bit too dry though when I added it to my face originally. Had to do a bit of face lathering to get it about right.

Lather Scent:9
The scent really came through once I started to make my lather. It was the perfect Bay Rum scent that if you have tried the Captain's AS, you know what you are getting. I really enjoyed it. The only reason for not being a 10 is that I wish it was stronger. That will not be everyone's cup of tea but for me, more scent would only make it better. It just seems to be the perfect blend to get the island feel. Very nice spice.

Shave:10
The Captain did a very good job with this soap! There was plenty of cushion (I have had more with my CRSW Select) but it got the job done. Where the soap really shines is the slickness. The blade just slide across my cheek. Made shaving a breeze. My technique is still improving but I felt confident during the shave that I had the right protection from my lather.

After Shave Feel:9
Once the shave was done and I washed off my face, I had the nice refreshed feeling that you look for. Like I shaved the days worries away. My face felt well taken cared for and was ready for take on another day. Just what I wanted.

After I was completed I splashed on some CC Bay Rum AS which was the perfect complement to the soap. I look forward to my next shave to give this a second go!

I've shaved with the Bay Rum twice, so thought I'd post some impressions.

I put a small amount into my Robert Becker scuttle, and both times effortlessly built a great lather. First with a Simpson Colonel 2XL, and second time with my Barbero Mistura.

Lather is very thick, and provides great cushion. It took about a normal amount of water to build. (i've got fairly soft water). It didn't dry on my face, provided good protection, and cushion.

Unlike most who've tried it and reported back, the smell is kinda so so for me. I'm not huge into bay rums, so maybe its that. Post shave feel was very good, and I finished up the first shave with the Bay Rum A/S. Scent obviously matches the soap, again I'm kinda meh about it. It didn't burn, and left my face feeling good. No menthol in it, which I do prefer.

Second shave I used the Lime A/s and do like it a bit more. Both are on the understated side for me. Some days I don't wear Edt, so like to use an A/S with some power and longevity. Other days I don't want a strong A/S to clash with my Edt, so then the Lime would be good.

Thanks again Captain for the opportunity to try these products!

First off, I'd also like to thank Scott for allowing me to test out his new soap and for sending along samples of CC Bay Rum and the CC Lime aftershaves.

I tried out the new soap sample this morning. I will note that I do like very strong scented soaps. I did not get an overwhelming scent out of the container. I compared it to my tub of RR for CC and felt that this new sample did not have as powerful a scent. It could, however, just be that the sample was a smaller amount. I took about a third of the sample and put it into my G20 scuttle and started to work up the lather with a fairly wet Simpson Berkeley. I needed to dip the tips of the bristles in water a number of times, but eventually got a really nice, thick lather. The scent got stronger, but still not as strong as I had expected. Although not as powerful as I was hoping for, the scent really did hit the right notes. I shaved with a Gillette Single Ring with a Gillette 7:00 Yellow. The lather provided a really amazing cushion and was very slick. The lather did seem to dissipate on my face a bit by the end of each pass, but I am a little bit of a slow shaver. Post-shave face feel was good, but not the best I've had. I finished up with a sample of the Captain's Bay Rum AS. This stuff is great! For me, the scent of this AS hits all the right notes, is nice and strong, and makes my skin feel great.

All in all, I really enjoyed this soap, especially when paired with the AS. I'll shave with it again tomorrow, but my initial impressions are that it gets really high marks for cushion and getting the right scent, but could use a bump up in the strength of the scent (again, I like real strong scents) and something extra for the post-shave feel.

Thanks again!

Second shave with the sample today. Face lathered with a Whipped Dog Silvertip. The scent seemed a little stronger as I was deeper into the sample, but I'd still prefer something even stronger. I didn't get as thick a lather as I got in my scuttle, but that is typical and I spent less time working on it today. I knew to use more water this time for the get go, so I had less issues with the lather drying on my face. The lather was still plenty slick. Finished off with some Captain's Choice Lime, which really hit the spot for a nice strong scent.

I've got another shave or two left with the sample, but my opinion is still that this is a very good soap, easy to lather, with nice cushion and a scent that smells really nice, but that could use an increase in the amount of scent and something extra for the post-shave feel.

Many thanks to each of you guys for your candid assessment of our bay rum shaving soap. We are working on it as we speak. Projected release date is going to be in April at this point so stay tuned.

To keep up to date here is a convenient link to our Facebook page. I just updated it today with some behind the scenes looks at our company. I try to mix it up over there with industry news, product information and contests with a chance to win free aftershave. Come to think of it, Valentine's Day is around the corner... Hmmm, maybe a contest brewing there. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Captains-Choice-Aftershaves/339320752762428

First off thanks to the Captain for letting me sample and review his new formula. I got it this past weekend, took it on the road with me and promptly forgot about it in the new gig craziness.


Hardware: Ever Ready 1914, Semogue 620, Gem carbon steel blade, and me.
Software: Captains soap sample, I suspect hard water, an included Lime aftershave, and witch hazel.

Scent: Very nice pimento and little else. No clove (a good thing for me). I'm having sinus issues but I loved the scent so the "little else" wasn't a knock. I am saving the rest for when my head clears and I can smell all of it.

Lather: Used a hotel room plastic knife to scoop some into my hand. Loaded my brush then face lathered . Lots of rich, creamy lather. I wet my brush with each pass so each subsequent one is thinner and slicker(?). It preformed wonderfully for my three passes and devlolved into the slick soup I like without washing away to uselessness on later passes.

Cushion: This has always confused me. Maybe its because I want a thin wet lather so I don't get "cushion", but the result were zero razor burn so it worked better than many soaps I've tried.

Aftershave: Little sting indicating everything else worked above and beyond. It has a nice punch of lime, like I get when cooking. The whole lime scent is in there, peel and all, not like some lime juice scents I've used before ( I'm looking at you Royal Lyme).

All in all, a very good soap that preformed very well for the two shaves I have used it for. A nice bay scent I will probably buy when I need a change in rotation. The lime aftershave is a no brainer for me. I will be buying it.

Also, in case no one has said it, you can now say it's road tested and works very well in hotel bathrooms!

Tonight was my fourth and final shave with the sample the good Captain provided. I finally began to get better lather, so my technique is improving! Overall, I have a favorable impression of the product. All four shaves, including the first one with the junk lather my awful technique produced, resulted in a nice, smooth, irritation-free shave. I noticed, also, that the feel of my skin after using this soap was quite nice. I liked the scent, too, so I think this is a winner.

As an aside, I think I may just purchase a bottle of the sandalwood aftershave after using my sample for the last 4 shaves. I think my issue with sandalwood is how the scent is used in creams, not in the scent itself.

Thank you, Scott, for allowing me to participate in this trial run! I learned a little about lathering soaps, had the opportunity to try two great products, and provide some feedback both for you and our fellow shavers!

Thanks to all of you volunteers who tried our new shaving soap. Your candid opinions are much appreciated!

It looks like we have a real winner with this bay rum shaving soap as all of you have attested to. We expect to tentatively have it available for sale in April. There is a lot of ground to cover before it is released including container design, label, etc.

I will add - and this is intentionally vague - that there will almost certainly be more chances to try samples of other new products that we have coming soon. (No, I can't give you any more hints than that, sorry.) So keep an eye right here on the Captain's Choice forum so you can have a chance to get a free sample and be a volunteer too. Last time the twenty, free samples of our bay rum shaving soap were gone in an hour, seriously. I don't know of any other way to be fair with the free samples other than this: If you have already been a volunteer with the bay rum shaving soap be willing to let others go with our next product sample. That helps spread the love, eh?

Got my second shave in last night. Got a better lather and as a result better cushion. Still very slick. Overall my opinion did not really change. This is a fine soap that I will order come April if it has not flown of the shelves so fast that the Captain is out of stock! Still wish the scent was stronger but that is a minor grip. Keep up the good work Captain! Look forward to your new products.

Ok now that I have used this more I'll repost my thoughts. I am down to one shave left and am gonna save the rest for now as I really enjoy the soap. I used it with badger, boar and a synthetic for today's shave and this soap is just great. It's easy to load and lather despite my hard water. It's creamy and slick and the scent to me is phenomenal. Post shave is great. I have followed with bay rum or cc lime and it's gonna b a long wait til April for me to purchase some. Again thank u to the captain for the opportunity to try this soap cause it def didn't disappoint and I WILL b purchasing. I look forward to other scents as well. Again I'll say well done.

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