Narrowing it down. Mike's vs. Catie's vs Barrister

I only have Mike's and B&M. But they are 2 of the best. So this is based off of those 2.

Fastest lather?
Definitely B&M on this one. Mikes can be hard to lather the 1st few times till you learn how to do it.

Best lather?
This is tough because they are both great, but i say if you can get it to lather well, that mikes wins this by the tiniest of margins.

Protection?
About the same

Slickness/it feels great?
Both the same.

Skincare, which makes your skin feel really great?
Both are equal. Both are among the very best.

Fragrances, which company makes em the best? Thats tough, i wouldnt say best as just different. Mikes makes more of the natural scents, like Hungarian Lavender and Lemon Eucalyptus i think. B&M has more of the old style cologne scents. B&M has more complex scents.

Value for your dollar? They are both about the same price so just get one of each.

Thundert65 said:

I only have Mike's and B&M. But they are 2 of the best. So this is based off of those 2.

Fastest lather?
Definitely B&M on this one. Mikes can be hard to lather the 1st few times till you learn how to do it.

Best lather?
This is tough because they are both great, but i say if you can get it to lather well, that mikes wins this by the tiniest of margins.

Protection?
About the same

Slickness/it feels great?
Both the same.

Skincare, which makes your skin feel really great?
Both are equal. Both are among the very best.

Fragrances, which company makes em the best? Thats tough, i wouldnt say best as just different. Mikes makes more of the natural scents, like Hungarian Lavender and Lemon Eucalyptus i think. B&M has more of the old style cologne scents. B&M has more complex scents.

Value for your dollar? They are both about the same price so just get one of each.

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B&M white label and the Latha line are different. They are both great but the white label is the premium and Latha is the value. Both lather just as well, but the big difference is the post shave feel as the white label hands down wins in rhis department.

I would say B&M as #1: it ties with Mike in all categories but beats if in slickness, in my opinion. Definitely give Mike's a try though, it's a great soap

egh128 said:

Barrister & Mann topples the other two easily in all aspects in my opinion.

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+3 (I think I'm #3 )

This is all so subjective, but IMHO B&M outperforms Mike's by quite a bit. B&M lathers faster and thicker, their lather lasts longer and is slicker, the post shave feel is better, and their scents are complex and elegant. Mike's scents seem simple and in-your-face overpowering (granted, I've only tried Mike's Bay Rum, and Orange, Cedarwood & Black Pepper). The only artisan soap that I've tried that rivals B&M is CRSW, and for all the same reasons.

There's no doubt that Mike's is cheaper than B&M (and CRSW, for that matter), but if you're looking for great value with performance, then go with Stirling, which performs as well or better than Mike's and is cheaper per ounce.

I've never tried Catie's Bubbles since I steer clear of non-tallow soaps and creams. The non-tallow creams I've tried (ie., TOBS) leave my skin feel wanting, so I've decided not to spend money on a soap unless its tallow based. Closed minded, perhaps, but there it is. If Catie's ever makes a tallow based soap I'll be first in line.

Haven't tried Catie's Bubbles. Barrister and Mann is my favorite soap. I find that it makes the best lather for me and has the best post shave feel of any soap I've used. The scents are always very interesting as well, Seville is one of my favorites. Mike's is close, but harder to lather for me. I think Mickey Lee's soaps are the closest to B&M that I have found, Dapper Dragon as well.

TropicalHotDogNight said:

Huge +1.

Another factor to consider: Is it worth penny-pinching on a low-cost item, when the quality of your shave depends on choosing good soap? I'll gladly spend a few more dollars on a soap, if it means a few months of great shaves, rather than a few months of mediocre shaves.

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i would definitely pay more for better quality. but if there's no difference between the $5/oz soap and the $3/oz soap, I'd go with the latter.

Performance wise: Mike's, B&M, Catie's

Scent wise: B&M, Mike's, Catie's

I would place Mike's and B&M pretty much neck and neck and both over CB. If forced into a corner between the first 2, I would pick Mike's for the post shave. B&M feels a bit more protective, however, so it depends on which attribute you prefer. For me, post shave is the real test for any soap. If my skin doesn't feel great all day long and starting shortly after the shave then the soap won't get used. Both Mike's and B&M excel here but Mike's leaves my skin feeling a little healthier.

I got Mike's in the mail. Check out my review on this forum on the 5 oz Lily of the Valley tin. In short, I really like it.

Inverted555 said:

I got Mike's in the mail. Check out my review on this forum on the 5 oz Lily of the Valley tin. In short, I really like it.

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Fantastic choice - very glad you like it - he makes stellar soaps

mistercindy said:

I've never tried Catie's Bubbles since I steer clear of non-tallow soaps and creams. The non-tallow creams I've tried (ie., TOBS) leave my skin feel wanting, so I've decided not to spend money on a soap unless its tallow based. Closed minded, perhaps, but there it is. If Catie's ever makes a tallow based soap I'll be first in line.

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I'm curious as to what creams you've tried the have tallow. I think I might have three that have tallow IIRC but can't remember which they are off hand. Tallow is extremely rare in creams but I'd like to try a few more that do.

Note, I don't count croaps like Cella as creams.

I think Mike's soap is perfect in terms of performance. I just don't like the scent and I don't think any of his other scents are interesting.

So if the other two can give me the same performance with a great scent, then I'd go with those.

Inverted555 said:

I think Mike's soap is perfect in terms of performance. I just don't like the scent and I don't think any of his other scents are interesting.

So if the other two can give me the same performance with a great scent, then I'd go with those.

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CB has a lot of great scents. B&M's scents tend to be more polarizing. I have yet to smell one that I don't like(love in most cases), but I'd still suggest going the sample route. Seville is a great one to start out with, B&M's take on a barbershop scent. It is more standard and less complex than most, and aside from being a personal favorite, is generally well thought of. I believe that all of B&M's soaps will be changed over to the glissant base soon, with Seville being one of the first of the white labels to go through the change. I may have used soaps that can perform as well as the glissant base, but have yet to encounter one that performs better.

dabrock said:

I'm curious as to what creams you've tried the have tallow. I think I might have three that have tallow IIRC but can't remember which they are off hand. Tallow is extremely rare in creams but I'd like to try a few more that do.

Note, I don't count croaps like Cella as creams.

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You're right. I can't think of one. I guess I should have said all creams, because I can't think of one that was tallow based.

mistercindy said:

You're right. I can't think of one. I guess I should have said all creams, because I can't think of one that was tallow based.

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Maybe someone else can think of a couple because I'm sure they do exist.

I guess I am in the minority here. I have never gotten a really great lather from Mike's or B&M. I get a pretty good lather from Catie's. It is not in my top tier but still good.

As for scent all three have good scents in their own way. I favor several from Catie's.

Post shave goes to Mike's.

Cost wise they may be similar on a per shave basis. Catie's costs the least per oz ($20 for 8 oz), but I use more of it.

I am beginning to appreciate the CB that I have, to the point that I have decided to get a new jar and used it earlier today. I'm not sure I'm liking CB's latest formula, and the new one gives me the impression that there is too little product in the tub. It feels weird.

This stuff is so subjective. I really enjoy all three very much. If forced to chose, Barrister & Mann continually stays in my top 5, Mikes in my top 10, and CB's in my top 15. Any soap making it into my top 15 is a repeat buy for me so there really isn't a whole lot of difference between my top 5 and top 15. Any soap in my top 15 will have excellent performance and a very enjoyable overall shaving experience. 6 of my top 10 are tallow and 4 are vegan. In fact, currently 3 of my top 5 are vegan including MdC, Nuavia, and Soap Commander in that order - but that's today. Tomorrow may look different.

Ranger33 said:

I agree. Bought a ATT razor off BST and the guy included a Barnagat Bay in the new CB's formula. Airy, bubbly, thin lather with no real density. Nice scent but with so many good performing soaps on the market, scent alone doesn't make the grade.

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I found it to be among the thickest soaps I've tried. Are you using a dry or wet brush? You might be adding to much water is my guess.

dabrock said:

I found it to be among the thickest soaps I've tried. Are you using a dry or wet brush? You might be adding to much water is my guess.

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Apparently, CB is converting their lines from their French and Italian lines to their "Luxury Shaving Soap" line. According to a post on their Facebook page, this is their new everyday line and there will be no more production in the French or Italian lines.

So your experience may be different than those who are trying the new line.