SMF

So yesterday I whipped up a batch of shave soap. Recipe: 273g distilled water 205g potassium hydroxide 456g stearic acid 228g coconut oil 228g beef tallow I followed a different procedure this time. 1. Setup ice bath and place a pyrex (glass) mixing cup in the bath. Put all of the distilled water in...

There was a piece on CBS news IIRC where the reporter talked with/interviewed a Gillette scientist.

Although I think the Flexball is ridiculous, the CBS report was very interesting. I can't seem to find it (the video) online ... if I do I will post it.

-Dave

This morning I made a "single batch" which entailed mixing and melting all of the oils (stearic, coconut, and beef tallow) into one pot followed by addition of KOH and then cooking using HP. It is in the fridge now, cooling. Many thanks again to Gary for informing us that stearic acid can ...

Badger brush, $20, part of the "Luxury Line" of products. I opened one and the bristles, compared to my el-cheapo VdH boar brush, are very soft and nice. I suggested to my daughter (who was with me) that she get one for me for Father's Day. We'll see about that, lol. You can see what it lo...

I was at the local Target last evening and after I was done with the primary shopping mission I stopped in the shaving aisle. Of note was the VdH "section" ... I was pleased to see that there were several VdH products: 1. Razor and blades set. 2. Shave kit: a) Mug/bowl b) Soap c) Soap brus...

I maintain my kitchen knives religiously with a steel and I have maintained a sharp edge with no need for separate sharpening for a long time. +1 The wife and I have an old set of Wusthof knives (we bought them for ourselves after we were married) ... I use the steel regularly and have been able to...

My second batch was a stearic acid batch - and I built the recipe. It had fewer butters in it, and was a bit harder. I liked it fine, wife did not. One issue - I had read that using stearic acid caused the batch to trace almost immediately - so I added it almost at the end. It did not all melt - so...

Good luck Dave. I hope they have it in stock for you. I finally got there this past Friday ... they had quite a bit so I bought 2 lbs. (side note ... I like that place, lots of good hobby stuff, definitely better than Michael's) I made a batch of stearic-only soap this morning using a different met...

Gene:
What is your process for CP soap? And ... are you using any stearic acid in your CP product?

Regards-
Dave

ShadowsDad wrote:They do indeed contain a weak carcinogen.

Life is carcinogenic ... if you live long enough, there's a pretty high likelihood you'll get cancer.

Cool. I've read about these but never have seen them. Nice.

Squire: Looks like there are some differences in ingredients. As posted in the OP: French-style soap (which sells for $20): Ingredients: Stearic Acid, Water, Coconut Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Lactate, Glycerine, Fragrance. Italian-style soap (which sells for $15): Ingredients: Stearic Acid, W...

As for the hillbilly still type sites be mindful it is illegal to posses unlicensed distilling equipment and certainly illegal to use it. Mere possession is indicative of intent to use. I hope you had a chance to look at that site ... they make some very nice (and expensive) distilling equipment. T...

Squire, that explains a lot. Thanks. I suspect the family enterprise I saw is doing exactly what you have said, rebranding something that is not acually moonshine. I think I saw the same bit that you did ... judging from their equipment (a fractional column still) I would guess they're distilling a...

The only place I have found stearic acid is at a large store called Hobby Lobby, it is kept back in the back with the candle making supplies. !!! I wish I'd known this earlier ... there is a HL not far from me and at 5.99/lb it is actually cheaper than Essential Depot due to the shipping charges. T...

Now, with respect to sippin' whiskey. I was brought up, as it were, on scotch whisky. I decided I liked the smoky peaty flavours (Laphroaig and Knockando!) and soon discovered that Jamieson's Irish whiskey does that job very nicely at a cheaper price. About a year ago a friend introduced me to Tali...

Outstanding! Presumably you'll be in Vatican City for the seminar? You might want to take advantage of that, if possible. Regardless, one of my favorite memories of Rome was a trip to the Cupola of St. Peter's (the "balcony" on the top of the dome of St. Peter's basilica) ... pay a little ...

whingnut: Glad to see you making progress. I know you aren't all that interested in disposables, but you might want to give the Bic Sensitive and/or Bic Metals a try. They're cheap, IMO they last for a very long time, and the Sensitive is my #1 choice for razor. For me it simply delivers the best an...

Awesome stories. Keep 'em coming.

I don't recall shaving at Field Training ('summer camp' for ROTC pukes like me that served as 'basic for zeroes') ... I was 18 and didn't have any facial hair to speak of.

-Dave

Well, that's pretty funny.

I'm surprised that they haven't designed a multi-blade cart where the user could twist a knob and adjust the angles of the blades. Sort of like a Venetian blind.