Side-by-side tests of 10 "top rated" shave soaps: Northern Bracketology

My quest to find the best shaving soaps for my beard andshaving style continues. The Eastern and Western finalists have now beenselected and can be found at the threads below.

In this Northern Bracket competition I will test thefollowing shaving soaps “side by side”:

Dapper Dragon Signature
D.R. Harris Lavender
I Coloniali
Mama Bears Olde Barbershop
Mike’s Natural Barbershop
Mystic Water Sweet Briar
Proraso Green
Reef Point Fougere Santal
Strop Shoppe Barbershoppe
Sudsy Soapery Lemon & Peppermint

The finalists of this Northern Bracket Bracket will face thefinalists of the Western Bracket here: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...uot-Top-Rated-quot-Soaps-Western-Bracketology

…. And the finalists of the Eastern Bracket here: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...de-tests-of-quot-Top-Rated-quot-Shaving-Soaps

NORTHERN BRACKET QUALIFYING ROUND 1:
Dapper Dragon Signature vs. D.R. Harris Lavender

Technique: Shave done at 6pm with over 36 hours beard growth, Merkur34-C with fresh Derby blade. Both soaps lathered up with a boar brush in warmedscuttle. Each side allowed 4 face passes plus limited touch-up, and 2 neckpasses. Approximately 2 strokes per pass, one with lather, the other(s) withresidual slickness on skin.

Scent: (barely any factor as long as the scent isn’t repulsive and theshave is close and comfortable)
DRHL: 2.5/5. Definitely in the “mild” scented category. Delicate,nothing not to like. OTOH nothing to rave about. Fragrance is not too loud andcan be worn in professional settings.
DDS: 2.5-3/5. Nothing not to like. Mild to moderate strength category.Can be worn in most settings. A bit difficult to describe this scent.

Lather: (Not a huge factor)
Both soaps lather up very easily, readily dissolving in a scuttle.
DRHL: 4+/5. Very rich if you like that style. Just slightly less richperhaps than a Cold River Soap Works product.
DDS: 2.5-3/5. Average or slightly above. Say ½ point richer thanStirling? Applies reasonably evenly.

Glide with lather (not a huge factor if shave is close and comfortable)
DRHL: 2.5-3/5. Slightly greater glide than DDS.
DDS: 2.5/5. Solidly average glide. No “tugging” but no great slideeither. Leaves little slippery residue.

Residual Slickness:
DRHL: 2.5-3/5. Average or just above average. Again, slightly moreresidual slickness than DDS.
DDS: 2.5/5. Minor slick residue left after shaving a swath of thissoap.

Nicks: (Big factor always)
DRHL: 3/5. Two micro-nicks on upper lip. Closed quickly withoutlingering visibility
DDS: 4+/5. One micro, that’s it. Excellent nick protection

Comfort: (Big factor always)
Both of these soaps break into the 4’s for comfort.
DRHL: Post-shave this soap seems very similar to DDS in comfort.Neither side had noticeable burn, tingle, or numbness. Both pass the slap test.The DRH side is perhaps slightly drier-feeling than DDS.
DDS: Not noticeable dryness, numbness. Slight tingle at one pt in theshave which disappeared. Otherwise very comfortable overall.

Lingering irritation: (Big factor).
DRHL: 4+/5. See Post-shave hour-by-hour notes below
DDS: 4+/5. Ditto.

Closeness: (One of thebiggest factors always).
At post shave they feel about equal. See hour-by-hour reports below.

Immediate post-shave impressions: Neither scent is a world-beater, butthat’s not a major issue at this point in the competition. Rich lather for DRHLvs. a thinner lather for DDS. Both similar glide and RS, perhaps ½ pt higherfor DRHL. Not necessarily a plus as glide and RS can yield more nicks and lesscloseness as all tests have shown me. Both great nick protection, especiallyDDS. Great comfort for both.

2 hours out: About equal comfort with no sensitivity or noticeabledryness either side. About equal closeness except the sideburn line on DDS sidenot as close.

3.5 hours out: Ditto above. Both sides equal comfort.

4.5 hours: DRH lavender feels somewhat closer especially in centralcheek area

7.5 hours: DRHL very slightly closer overall. Stubble palpable for bothsoaps ATG but not WTG or XTG. Some very minor visible stubble emerging bothsides.

8.5 hours: Visibly, beard still spears overall well-shaven slthoughslight stubble here and there visible. The outer-limits of a very well-shavedlook for these soaps with this blade is probably in the +/- 10 hour range.

Result: Might call DRHL slightly closer in this contest, DDS slightlymore nick-protective and comfortable. Would I want to shave with either ofthese again? Yes, both will move on to the quarter-finals.

NORTHERN BRACKET QUARTER-FINALISTS TO THISPOINT:

Dapper Dragon Signature
DR Harris Lavender

The eventual winners in the NorthernBracket will face-off against the finalists of the Eastern and Western Bracketsfor drafting into my permanent line-up.

Amazing detail.

Where is the Southern bracket?

NORTHERN BRACKET QUALIFYING ROUND 1:
Mystic Waters Poggio dei Pini vs Reef Point Fougere Santal

Technique: Shave done at 10am with over 36 hours beard growth, Merkur34-C with fresh Derby blade. Both soaps lathered up with a boar brush in warmed scuttle. Each side allowed 4 face passes plus limited touch-up, and 2 neck passes. Approximately 2 strokes per pass, one with lather, the other(s) with residual slickness on skin.

Scent: (barely any factor as long as the scent isn’t repulsive and the shave is close and comfortable)
MYPP: 4.5+/5. Stupendous scent. Masculine and classy. Though it’s atleast moderate strength it can still be worn in professional environment due tothe class factor (IMHO). I know that doesn’t really describe the fragrance,maybe light pine needles meets a low-spice barbershop? Very clean also.
RPFS: 3+/5. I love the scent of the puck. Reminds me very closely of WSP Mahogany which is one of my very favorites in the heavy-scent category. Curiously the lather itself is more subdued and delicately scented. Nothing notto like, and if it weren’t up against MYPP it might easily be in the 4’s.

Lather: (Not a huge factor)
MYPP: 2.5/5. Definitely a “soapy” product, not “rich and creamy” style. Applies about average evenness
RPFS: 3-3.5/5. Soap is more densely cured than MYPP and lather a bit richer. About as rich on the soapy side as you can get and not pass into creamy texture category.

Glide with lather (not a huge factor if shave is close and comfortable)
MYPP: 2.5/5. About average
RPFS: 2-2.5/5. Average

Residual Slickness:
(not a huge factor unless the slickness is actually efficient, otherwise it can just get in the way of closeness)
MYPP: 3-3.5/5. More RS than glide, definitely leaves some small amountof a slick residue
RPFS: 2/5. Not much RS. Even thought of a 1.5/5 initially. Shave a swath of the lather and not much remains.

Nicks: (Big factor always)
MYPP: 4.5+/5. Maybe a five. There was absolutely no nicks despite multiple passes of a not overly-slick soap.
RPFS: 4.5+/5. Ditto. Quite protective despite little RS.

Comfort: (Big factor always)
MYPP: No significant post-shave sensitivity. Perhaps a bit on the mild-drying side, will have to monitor this.
RPFS: Slight tinge during shaving but it dissipates quickly. No oversensitivity. Both soaps pass the slap test post-shave. Both may be slightly drying?

Lingering irritation: (Big factor).
There just is none for either soap. Re drying: while neither is disturbingly drying, neither would be called “moisturizing” either. So perhaps neutral in that area.

Closeness: (One of the biggestfactors always).
At post shave they feel about equal. See subsequent hour reports below.

Immediate post-shave impressions: Poggio dei Pini can be a “signanturescent” for somebody. It is distinct, wonderful, and classy. Some question as tocloseness vs. RPFS but otherwise RS is good, nicks are great. Possibly a taddrying. RPSF has great nick control, initially seems to have shaved slightly closer but initial closeness impressions often don’t pan out.

Subsequent hours: Throughout the post-shave hours, both sides remained sensitivity-free. Dryness was very modest if at all, and about equal. Closeness seemed either equal or slightly favoring RPFS, but certainly not enough to disqualify MYPP on closeness alone. At around 7-8 hours some micro stubble was visible both sides. I would say this is about a 9-hour super-close appearing shave for both sides.

Result: Both products good enough to move on and face othercompetition. Reasonably close, fantastic nick protection, no discernablediscomfort, very minor drying if any. And that incredible MYPP scent, not thatI’m supposed to be grading fragrance this early in the competition, but itstands out even among dozens of soaps in these trials.

NORTHERN BRACKET QUARTER-FINALISTS TO THISPOINT:

Dapper Dragon Signature
DR Harris Lavender
Mystic Waters Poggio dei Pini
Reef Point Fougere Santal

The eventual winners in the NorthernBracket will face-off against the finalists of the Eastern and Western Bracketsfor drafting into my permanent line-up.

BSAGuy said:

Amazing detail.

Where is the Southern bracket?

Click to expand...

Great question. If the trends for the other regions continue, it's going to be fairly difficult to boil the finalists down to less than 5 or 6 soaps!

Do I need others? But am willing to try them and have a few names in mind.

One real issue I'm seeing is that a number of my (thus far) favorite soaps are artisanal, and unfortunately these companies tend to go out of business or change formulas, hence having 5 or 6 soaps on a current rotation makes sense.

NORTHERN BRACKET QUALIFYING ROUND 3:
Mike’s Natural Bay Rum vs Proraso Green

Technique: Shave done at 10am with over 40 hours beard growth, Merkur 34-C with fresh Derby blade. Both soaps lathered up with a boar brush in warmed scuttle. Each side allowed 4 face passes plus limited touch-up, and 2 neck passes. Approximately 2 strokes per pass, one with lather, the other(s) with residual slickness on skin.

Scent: (barely any factor as long as the scent isn’t repulsive and the shave is close and comfortable)
MNBR: A very pleasant lightly-scented soap in the mild to mildly moderate scent category. Definitely masculine and a shaving-type fragrance. Appropriate for any setting.
PG: Not sure if this is industrial, or if it’s the eucalyptus. Not horrible, just not a scent I would gravitate to.

Lather: (Not a huge factor)
MNBR: 4.5+/5. Could be a benchmark for the extreme “thick and rich” creamy-type lather. Very similar to Cold River Soap Works. Applies very evenly.
PG: 3-3.5/5. Starts out foamy but builds richness. Somewhere in the nexus where soapy meets creamy, slightly above average in richness overall.

Glide with lather (not a huge factor if shave is close and comfortable)
MNBR: 3-3.5/5. Key is to keep skin and razor wet, else is closer to an average 2.5.
PG: 2.5/5. Right around average. First strokes WTG were lower.

Residual Slickness:
(not a huge factor unless the slickness is actually efficient, otherwise it can just get in the way of closeness)
MNBR: 3+/5. About same comments as for glide. Slightly above-average but not breaking into the 4’s.
PG: 2-2.5/5. About average. Leaves little to no slick residue to support additional shave strokes.

Nicks: (Big factor always)
MNBR: 4.5/5. One micro-nick above upper lip. Very exceptional protectiveness on this shave.
PG:4/5. Couple micros above upper lip, else no skin tears.

Initial Comfort: (Big factor always)
MNBR: 3.5/5. During shave, no tingle, burn, sensitivity. Post-shave passes slap test. Perhaps a bit of tenderness on brisk rub. Neither drying or moisturizing.
PG: 3.5+/5 with difficulty. The difficulty is in the menthol. While it dissipated post-shave I’m not sure I really like the menthol effect during the shave either. Post-shave passes slap test and brisk rub. Neither moisturizing or overly drying on initial impression.

Lingering irritation: (Big factor).

Post-shave closeness: (One of the biggest factors always).
MNBR: Post-shave some palpable stubble ATG in central cheek area, with this Merkur / Derby system. Would be interesting to test this soap using the wide-gap Mach 3 system eventually.
PG: Post-shave a few patches of palpable stubble ATG.
At post shave Mike’s feels a bit closer. See subsequent hour reports below.

Immediate post-shave impressions: Mike’s is noted for an incredibly rich and creamy lather, high nick protection and reasonably close face-feel post-shave. Proraso Green is notable for the strong menthol effect during shaving.

2-hours out: Both sides generally comfortable. MNBR may be slightly sensitive to brisk rub whereas PG is slight sensitivity to slap test. MNBR feels overall closer.

4-hours out: Although some relative sensitivity on PG side, reasonable comfort both sides. Neither has seemed dry. Visible patches of stubble on PG side, minor visible patches MNBR. MNBR is palpably closer.

Result: Both soaps have been quite protective and reasonably comfortable. MNBR has the distinctly closer shave however it is not absolutely that close. It could be due to the extreme richness of the soap that may work better with a wider-blade rig and it will be tested on same in the future. I didn’t understand the PG scent that well and not crazy about the menthol. MNBR moves on to the quarter-finals.

[FONT=&quot]NORTHERN BRACKET QUARTER-FINALISTS TO THIS POINT:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
Dapper Dragon Signature
DR Harris Lavender
Mike’s Natural Bay Rum
Mystic Waters Poggio dei Pini
Reef Point Fougere Santal
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The eventual winners in the Northern Bracket will face-off against the finalists of the Eastern and Western Brackets for drafting into my permanent line-up.[/FONT]

NORTHERN BRACKET QUALIFYING ROUND 4:
I Coloniali vs. Mama Bears Ye Olde Barbershop

Technique: Shave done at 2pm with over 40 hours beard growth, Merkur 34-C with fresh Derby blade. Both soaps lathered up with a boar brush in warmed scuttle. Each side allowed 4 face passes plus limited touch-up, and 2 neck passes. Approximately 2 strokes per pass, one with lather, the other(s) with residual slickness on skin.

Scent: (barely any factor as long as the scent isn’t repulsive and the shave is close and comfortable)
MBYOB: 4.5+/5. This is a very righteous signature scent, about as nice as any I’ve tried. Not sure why they call it “olde” as it seems like a modernistic and very sexy twist on barbershop. It’s in the moderate to heavy aroma category and may not be appropriate for every setting due to it’s strength and sexiness. But otherwise amazing, and something I’d love to use for the right situations.
IC: This is a much more subtle and more unisex scent in the mildly-scented category. Not sure what it is, but does smell natural, not a “factory” scent. Hard to grade but nothing not to like. Probably appropriate for any setting.

Lather: (Not a huge factor)
MBYOB: 2-2.5/5. The puck is a dense, opaque soap, similar to VDH glycerin. Lathers on the soapy / thinnish side. Applies somewhat unevenly.
IC: 4-4.5/5. This soap lathers very rich and creamy but I didn’t find the creamier consistency to shave as well as it did with a bit more H2O, say smoothed down to around 3-3.5/5.

Glide with lather (not a huge factor if shave is close and comfortable)
MBYOB: 2.5/5. About average glide.
IC: 2.5/5. Ditto, about average.

Residual Slickness:
(not a huge factor unless the slickness is actually efficient, otherwise it can just get in the way of closeness)
MBYOB: 2-2.5/5. Avg at best, really very little RS after the soap is initially shaved off.
IC: 2.5/5. Ditto. Not much RS, perhaps half a point more than MB, right around average.

Nicks: (Big factor always)
MBYOB: 4.5/5. Perhaps could even be higher for this shave. Virtually no nicks.
IC: 4.5/5. Ditto. Unusual to have two soaps, multiple passes, and zero nicks.

Initial Comfort: (Big factor always)
MBYOB: Great comfort during the shave. No tingle, numbness, drying, or other sensitivity noticed.
IC: Similar as well, perhaps slightly more on the dry side relative to MB, but not absolutely so.

Lingering irritation: (Big factor). See hourly comments at bottom.

Post-shave closeness: (One of the biggest factors always). See hourly comments at bottom.

Immediate post-shave impressions: MBYOB has a world-beating scent. Just about as nice as anything, and for as bold as it is, it still has a cleanliness about it. Just very sexy and classy. Both soaps had great nick protection. Neither was overly slick. Post-shave both passed the slap test with little to no sting. Neither soap seemed to shave super-close. Will continue to monitor.

3-hours out: Both sides very comfortable. MB may be slightly more comfy on the slap test. IL seems to have shaved slightly closer on chin, center to posterior cheek, and upper lips. MB closer on central/anterior cheek. About even on sideburns.

6.5 hours out: Basically same closeness relationship continues. Visible stubble on MB side and to a lesser extent on IC side. Both remain very comfortable.

Result: Neither side super-close, but IC closer. IC will move on to the quarter-finals. I would have dearly liked to send MBYOB through on scent alone, it’s that good.

[FONT=&amp]NORTHERN BRACKET QUARTER-FINALISTS ARE SET:[/FONT]

Dapper Dragon Signature
DR Harris Lavender
I Coloniali
Mike’s Natural Bay Rum
Mystic Waters Poggio dei Pini
Reef Point Fougere Santal

[FONT=&amp]The eventual winners in the Northern Bracket will face-off against the finalists of the Eastern and Western Brackets for drafting into my permanent line-up.[/FONT]

An uneven result for Mystic Waters Poggio dei Pini in my "soap molecule size test" in the modern shavings systems category: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-AND-Fusion-5-vs-Mach-3?p=8499166#post8499166

MWPdP performed great in the F5 but not particularly well in the M3. It's a thinner-consistency soap and the outcome is (I think) predictable that the thinner soaps do better in the F5 system than do the thicker / richer soaps. So, bottom line, the performance was great, scent is incredible, MWPdP (with the F5 system) will advance to the next round of testing.

Sub-par result for DRH Lavender in the Modern Shaving Systems side-by-side test. This soap will not move on in the competition: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/498500-Intertwined-Tests-Soap-molecule-size-AND-Fusion-5-vs-Mach-3?p=8513194#post8513194

YMMV

Great performance by Il Coloniali with the F5: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-AND-Fusion-5-vs-Mach-3?p=8513223#post8513223

IC likely to advance in the competition