The source of my troubles

I bought a AOS sandalwood in wooden bowl over a year ago.
I've tried and tried but had only mediocre results at best.
I had basically given up on soaps and just used Prorasso and that worked great.

The siren call of the soap still sang and hearing that Tabac lathered so easily I got one....
Great soap, easy to lather, smooth shave and I love the scent.

So.....I tried to figure out more hard soaps that would lather easy and along the way.....
I found out I have a reformulated AOS without tallow!!!!!
So it's not that I'm a totally incompetent latherer (or at least not entirely) it's that the new soap sucks.

I feel better going forward with new soaps (I'm thinking MWF)...
but I'm wondering how to deal with the AOS soap.
I have found on the web replacement pucks of the "old" formula,
I'm tempted to get one to replace my "new" puck but they're still not cheap.
Would you get one and put it in the wooden bowl or just move on
because AOS was an overpriced tourist trap from the beginning anyway?

Thanks,
Curt

I can't comment on AOS other than their creams which are quite good. If you want a hard soap that lathers like a champ, get some Valobra hard soap (puck). Your lathering woes will be over. Another good one is DR Harris. I've heard the old AOS soap is very, very good. There's just too many good soaps still made for me to buy NOS knowing that if I adore it, the supply will eventually run out.

Just found out that the old maker of AOS soaps has new line of soaps.
Valobra products sold at BullGoose Shaving Supplies.
http://bullgooseshaving.com/valobra-shaving-soap-in-bowl-patchouly/

Tallow based looks good I may have to try!

Thanks,
Curt

czbeme said:

it's that the new soap sucks for me.

Click to expand...

I fixed that for you.

There are some very respected and experienced members/shavers that really do know their soaps who would disagree with your statement before I fixed it.

Their opinion seemed to be that, for them, the new soaps actually lather more easily than the old tallow formula and that whether comparing to old or judging independently that it is a very good soap.

If I were you I'd move onto another soap that worked better for me but I would keep that AoS around because someday I suspect you'll have improved your technique and will be able to get good if not great performance out of it.

Also, if going by popular opinion, MWF will be harder to lather than the new AoS.

redrider_99 said:

I fixed that for you.

There are some very respected and experienced members/shavers that really do know their soaps who would disagree with your statement before I fixed it.

Their opinion seemed to be that, for them, the new soaps actually lather more easily than the old tallow formula and that whether comparing to old or judging independently that it is a very good soap.

If I were you I'd move onto another soap that worked better for me but I would keep that AoS around because someday I suspect you'll have improved your technique and will be able to get good if not great performance out of it.

Also, if going by popular opinion, MWF will be harder to lather than the new AoS.

Click to expand...

Excellent post, I'll second you keep the AOS off to the side for a month or two, then give it another whirl.

redrider_99 said:

I fixed that for you.

There are some very respected and experienced members/shavers that really do know their soaps who would disagree with your statement before I fixed it.

Their opinion seemed to be that, for them, the new soaps actually lather more easily than the old tallow formula and that whether comparing to old or judging independently that it is a very good soap.

If I were you I'd move onto another soap that worked better for me but I would keep that AoS around because someday I suspect you'll have improved your technique and will be able to get good if not great performance out of it.

Also, if going by popular opinion, MWF will be harder to lather than the new AoS.

Click to expand...

This.

mftoms59 said:

I'll second you keep the AOS off to the side for a month or two, then give it another whirl.

Click to expand...

That's what I'll probably do, but I have low expectations that this soap will ever work (for me).


If someone is a happy user of the reformulated AOS sandalwood hard soap I'd love to hear how you lather it?


BTW wonderful easy as pie (it's ∏ day 3/14/15) lather and shave with Tabac!

Thanks,
Curt

czbeme said:

That's what I'll probably do, but I have low expectations that this soap will ever work (for me).


If someone is a happy user of the reformulated AOS sandalwood hard soap I'd love to hear how you lather it?


BTW wonderful easy as pie (it's ∏ day 3/14/15) lather and shave with Tabac!

Thanks,
Curt

Click to expand...

Tabac is the perfect choice this year, hope it soon gets warmer for you guys.

You are in Chi town....

Go to Merz

http://merzapothecary.com/locations/

Actually redrider_99 you couldn't have been more wrong (For Me).
The YMMV principle allows that some users will be of the opinion that the reformulated soap is better.
(Sorry give me a second........ I just blew some milk out my nose.)

I now that have acquired both the old tallow and the reformulated soap and this is of course only (For Me)
I conducted multiple side by side tests that have shown (For Me):
The original tallow lathers like Tabac, and the reformulated lathers like jack (For Me).

Maybe you can give me the user names of those very respected and experienced members/shavers
who thinks the reformulated is great and they might trade me for another soap.
Anybody out there want to swap a slightly used D.R. Harris for this fine reformulated AOS sandalwood???

Oh yeah, on another of your wrong (For Me) recommendations:
I picked up MWF and don't find it difficult to lather at all, it's a monster. (For Me)
but I accept that others might say it sucks. YMMV

Thanks,
Curt

redrider_99 said:

I fixed that for you.

There are some very respected and experienced members/shavers that really do know their soaps who would disagree with your statement before I fixed it.

Their opinion seemed to be that, for them, the new soaps actually lather more easily than the old tallow formula and that whether comparing to old or judging independently that it is a very good soap.

If I were you I'd move onto another soap that worked better for me but I would keep that AoS around because someday I suspect you'll have improved your technique and will be able to get good if not great performance out of it.

Also, if going by popular opinion, MWF will be harder to lather than the new AoS.

Click to expand...

I finished off a puck of reformulated AOS sandalwood a while ago. I have 3 pucks of the AOS tallow waiting to be used come fall. I found the lather was pretty good from the reformulated version, but I wouldn't personally put it in the same league as DR Harris or Haslinger. I did find that I got good shaves from it. I mostly straight razor shave, so my lather preference is thin and slick. AOS reformulated soap met the standard but I have other soaps that I prefer.

Set it aside and try again in a year. I thought I read somewhere that AOS reformulated soaps are tough to lather with harder water. My water is soft so no issues here for me.

Jason,

Love to hear what your impression is when you start using the old tallow versions in the fall.
My little understanding (i could be wrong) is that straight shavers like different qualities than DE shavers???

I thought I read somewhere that AOS reformulated soaps are tough to lather with harder water.

Click to expand...

I often have heard the same about MWF but I have no issue. I've got Lake Michigan water.
For myself I struggled with the reformulated for over a year (maybe a bad puck?) but
the NOS tallow version just bursts with lather, maybe not Tabac but pretty damn impressive.
I really like their take on sandalwood.
I hope you like it.


Thanks,
Curt

jasonb8736 said:

my lather preference is thin and slick.

Click to expand...

Jason,

Maybe that's the whole point of contention:
some shavers want thin and slick and
others want thick and cushion.

Thanks,
Curt

czbeme said:

Jason,

Love to hear what your impression is when you start using the old tallow versions in the fall.
My little understanding (i could be wrong) is that straight shavers like different qualities than DE shavers???

I often have heard the same about MWF but I have no issue. I've got Lake Michigan water.
For myself I struggled with the reformulated for over a year (maybe a bad puck?) but
the NOS tallow version just bursts with lather, maybe not Tabac but pretty damn impressive.
I really like their take on sandalwood.
I hope you like it.


Thanks,
Curt

Click to expand...

czbeme said:

Jason,

Maybe that's the whole point of contention:
some shavers want thin and slick and
others want thick and cushion.

Thanks,
Curt

Click to expand...

I'm sure I'll be impressed with AOS tallow. I don't doubt that at all. I do like the lather a bit thicker when using a DE. I've been using mostly tallow soaps lately, including (I think) a vintage puck of Barbershop Old Fashioned Luxury soap. I'm not a tallow vs non-tallow champion...but lately it's been a lot of tallow. That said, I've had experience with some awesome non-tallow soaps as well.

I do make the observation that when a company "reformulates" their soap from a tallow to a non-tallow model, it tends to fail. I'm thinking GFT, T&H, etc. But when a company sets out to make a vegan, non-tallow soap, there are many more successes. Think LA Shaving Co, Soap Commander, etc.

And yes...AOS sandalwood is a favourite scent of mine. I have the EDT and buy the AS balm once in a while.

I scored some original AOS Sandalwood on EBay. Price was not bad. 2 pucks will last me quite a while.