Tim's Soap - so long

What is your opinion on fine shaving creams and hard soaps? Do you like Trumpers, Coates, Taylors, Truefitt & Hill? Post your reviews and opinions here!
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brothers
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Tim's Soap - so long

Post by brothers »

First, Strop Shoppe, and now, Tim's Soap. Good soap, and a variety of great proprietary scents. Sad news, indeed. Best wishes Tim. I love my Lime.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
CMur12
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by CMur12 »

I saw that, Gary. We have followed Tim here since his early experiments with soapmaking and I have done beta testing for him on several occasions. He made great soaps and he was always looking for ways to make a better product. We have a lot of good artisan soapmakers out there and I'm sure that it is hard to find a place these days in this crowded market. I wish Tim the best and hope that this might give him a little more time to join us in posting here at SMF. :)

- Murray
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fallingwickets
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by fallingwickets »

What happened ??
de gustibus non est disputandum
brothers
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by brothers »

I'm with Murray in hoping it'll provide Tim with a bit more free time he might spend posting on SMF. I certainly admire his self-taught expertise making and selling high quality shaving soap and fragrances.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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fallingwickets
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by fallingwickets »

Tim definitely gets 37 thumbs up as a gent and as a soap maker and ditto on Murray's sentiment about seeing him around more often

clive
de gustibus non est disputandum
nicodemus38

Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by nicodemus38 »

This raises the classic question of them all.

Is there enough market share for any truly unique soap maker to survive with just about every feel good hippy out there selling "shaving soap"?

Colgate soap disappeared and it was a great. The old Old Spice soap disappeared like the dodo bird, and it was a great one they say.

But on these craft websites, just about every hippy gets a "make soap at home kit" makes ten pounds of crappy glycerin soap, calls it shave soap and puts it online for resale.
CMur12
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by CMur12 »

Nic, when I came here, nine years ago, the typical artisan shave soap was of the glycerin-based melt-and-pour type. That is no longer the case, however, as Tim and others have really delved into the science of soapmaking to produce truly excellent soaps.

- Murray
eyebright
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by eyebright »

Caveat emptor. There are many reputable artisans or home businesses or whatever you want to call them (and not all are "feel good hippies") who make excellent soap with nice scents and good customer service. And there are probably other people who think they've found a way to make a quick buck, and if you buy from them you'll have wasted your money.

There are many reasons why a person might choose to close their business that have nothing to do with competition.
CMur12
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by CMur12 »

eyebright wrote:Caveat emptor. There are many reputable artisans or home businesses or whatever you want to call them (and not all are "feel good hippies") who make excellent soap with nice scents and good customer service. And there are probably other people who think they've found a way to make a quick buck, and if you buy from them you'll have wasted your money.

There are many reasons why a person might choose to close their business that have nothing to do with competition.
Very good points, eyebright. Especially the last one.

- Murray
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BPman
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by BPman »

I actually had a conversation today with a big vendor and he shared with me the reasons (notice the plural) why these recent companies have failed as he did business with them. I won't share what he told me as it was a private conversation. Suffice to say the reasons were all across the spectrum. :wink:
nicodemus38

Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by nicodemus38 »

if some of the do it themselves soap makers were also saving "lets save the unicorn" tshirts, hippy ness is notmuch in doubt.

Some are truly good at making an actual soap, actual soap. Some are good at scenting bulk purchased soap.

Some have managed to make actual soap, AND given good scents to it.

Some, I cant remember the name, came up with good scents, and had a large company make it for them. as do TOBS, Trumpers, and Harris.

A lot of the non "name brand" soaps exist because of cult status. Or because the maker/seller also makes a living restoring razors or making custom straights. I once remember one posting on a forum, where a guy spent 100 on soap just because he liked the label artwork. soap itself was ok, average. But the labels were great masterpieces of artwork to him.

Everyone knows to give arko a try. Its got great fame and mileage. Just all on how you like the smell in the end. If a man knows a 5 dollar purchase of arko will have him shaving in happiness for a year, he has no reason at all to try any 15-20 dollar artisan soap out.
brothers
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by brothers »

CMur12 wrote:
eyebright wrote:Caveat emptor. There are many reputable artisans or home businesses or whatever you want to call them (and not all are "feel good hippies") who make excellent soap with nice scents and good customer service. And there are probably other people who think they've found a way to make a quick buck, and if you buy from them you'll have wasted your money.

There are many reasons why a person might choose to close their business that have nothing to do with competition.
Very good points, eyebright. Especially the last one.

- Murray
Good response, eyebright. Thx.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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dosco
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by dosco »

Where did Tim announce this news?

I appeared to have missed it...

-Dave
CMur12
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by CMur12 »

Dave, Tim announced it on his website but not here on the forum.

- Murray
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TRBeck
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by TRBeck »

Hey guys, checking in here as I haven't been around much.

I put the soap business on the back burner as it was eating me alive. I have a 4-year-old, a 7-year-old, a full-time job, and other hobbies/interests. All of these things were suffering, as were my health and sanity. Indeed, there were days I didn't have time to shave :shock: as I was pretty much making, packaging, testing, or shipping product every minute I wasn't at work. It all sort of came to a head in the last quarter of 2015, and when business didn't slow down after the holiday season, I slowed things down myself.

I'm so much happier and healthier now. And I believe the artisan soap business is still quite healthy and robust and full of terrific stuff.

I'm currently using some of my third batch of really good soap, a three-year-old tub at this point, scented with vetiver, bergamot and orange. It has grown milder with age and still has a good amount of scent. I chase it with a tonic splash I make for me and never sold commercially. I'm still working on other things that I'll enjoy using, alcohol splashes and light-hold pomade and such. Bar soaps for the family. Liquid soap.

Soap is fun again. Shaving is fun again.

Thanks to all here for the kind words and support you gave me. I may start selling soap again someday; it's just not something I'm all that interested in nor able to pull off at this stage.
Regards,
Tim

Why should we not meet, not always as dyspeptics, to tell our bad dreams, but sometimes as eupeptics, to congratulate each other on the ever-glorious morning? - Henry David Thoreau
CMur12
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by CMur12 »

Hi Tim. Great to see you here and good to get the story from you. Your soaps were certainly worthy of a place in the marketplace, but it's easy to appreciate that you had too many rods in the fire.

- Murray
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drmoss_ca
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by drmoss_ca »

Perhaps everyone one to go and review the "Rolling My Own" thread. I'm still faithfully using my Mk.IV shaving soap every day while the shelves of shame gently weep. Hard to believe it's been over three years since!

Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
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fallingwickets
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by fallingwickets »

Good to see you out about Tim....you too dr moss! :D

clive
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drmoss_ca
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Re: Tim's Soap - so long

Post by drmoss_ca »

Oh, I'm here approving new accounts and checking they aren't posting spam every day. So much has happened in those last three years that my head is in a whirl.

And, as always, I'm Chris here. In fact I'm not Dr Moss anywhere now as I have given up my practice in order to better use my time.

C.
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
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