Col Conk revisit

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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EL Alamein
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Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:55 pm

Col Conk revisit

Post by EL Alamein »

Today I was in a mood to revisit Col Conk shaving soap just out of curiosity.

Well I lathered the cake and shaved - one pass only and I knew straight away why I had abandoned it decades ago. No cushion whatsoever. Applying Bay Rum afterward reinforced the error of my experiment.

I do feel it's good to revisit stuff we've written-off just to confirm our earlier observations and this was just what I needed.

Triple-milled soaps all the way for me.

Chris
CMur12
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Location: Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Re: Col Conk revisit

Post by CMur12 »

Hi Chris -

My favorite commercial soap is Valobra hard soap, though it isn't triple-milled. Interestingly enough, I think Valobra quadruple-mills their bath soaps but they apparently don't want their shave soap (shave stick or cake) to be that hard.

I, too, have recently been curious about the old glycerin-based soaps, as they were so good at holding EO scents. I think I just moved on to other soaps because the former fell out of favor and were no longer commonly available. I like to use a mild razor with a lather that provides minimal cushion and maximal lubricity, and I think glycerin-based soaps did this fairly well.

- Murray
slackskin
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Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Re: Col Conk revisit

Post by slackskin »

Chris - I agree with you re Col Conk soap.

With regard to high glycerin based soaps, may I suggest consideration of the following:
https://kellsoriginal.com/Kells-Origina ... -3-XX2.htm They have cakes and stick
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0742C9CSL/ref=emc_b_5_t Imperial Barber No sticks.
https://www.emsplace.com/shop/proddetai ... _Handy_Tub
https://www.emsplace.com/shop/proddetai ... oap_Rounds
https://www.classicshaving.com/collecti ... -5-regular

I prefer the unscented versions due to significant breathing problems in my household, but scented versions are available. I have used these veggie soaps, and IMO they are all first rate. Skip the high cost of the glitzy brands -- except I still want to try Valobra some day.
CMur12
Posts: 7461
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:41 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Re: Col Conk revisit

Post by CMur12 »

Thanks for the links, slackskin.

The offerings from Em's Place look promising. At least they make reference to using essential oils "as applicable."

My experience with Kell's in the past was that they used fragrance oils and it looks like they may still. The Classic Shaving offerings also appear to use fragrance oils.

- Murray
brothers
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Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: Col Conk revisit

Post by brothers »

Now that the shop is closed and the soap is just another one we'll always wish was still around, I am recalling how much I liked the SRD Straight Razor Designs house label glycerin shaving soaps. Opus X was tobacco scented and performed great.
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
EL Alamein
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Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:55 pm

Re: Col Conk revisit

Post by EL Alamein »

Thanks, guys, great responses.

A lot of guys can get on well with a Conk-like soap and more power to them.

I'm just in the lot who don't care for it. Many roads to Rome.

Use what works best for you. Enjoy the road you're on.

Chris
pausted
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Location: Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Re: Col Conk revisit

Post by pausted »

This thread prompted me to pull out my Ogallala Bay Rum and Orange soap for today’s shave. I lathered it on top of the puck and got a very good shave. It is both slick and protective. It might just be a cut above some of the other melt ans pour soaps.
Best regards,

Basil
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TRBeck
Soapgeek
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Re: Col Conk revisit

Post by TRBeck »

What's interesting is watching the artisan soap market drift toward detergents (B&M, Saponifico Varesino) and huge amounts of glycerin (many, many examples). The goal seems to be both instantaneous surfactant/foaming effect and huge amounts of slickness, plus replacing the glycerin that occurs naturally in saponification. Less work for the effect on the part of the user. Of course, soaps with detergent and loads of glycerin (plus lots of castor oil which increases the soap's solubility) get used up faster, too. At this point, there are some artisan soaps that are basically a triad of actual soap, detergent, and "glycerin soap" like Conk. The surfactant covers for the lack of cushion a glycerin soap has; the glycerin adds the slickness lacking in a purely surfactant formula, and a bit of body from actual soap allows an emulsification to occur. Nothing wrong with this, and a lot of guys seem to dig the soaps.

I had a phenomenal shave with a stearic-tallow-coconut oil soap this morning. Yesterday, too.
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
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mike
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Re: Col Conk revisit

Post by mike »

Col Conk is one of the few soaps I still use. I like it.
Mike

~ Beati Pacifici~
FireDragon76
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Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2015 2:31 pm

Re: Col Conk revisit

Post by FireDragon76 »

TRBeck wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2019 3:37 pm What's interesting is watching the artisan soap market drift toward detergents (B&M, Saponifico Varesino) and huge amounts of glycerin (many, many examples). The goal seems to be both instantaneous surfactant/foaming effect and huge amounts of slickness, plus replacing the glycerin that occurs naturally in saponification. Less work for the effect on the part of the user. Of course, soaps with detergent and loads of glycerin (plus lots of castor oil which increases the soap's solubility) get used up faster, too. At this point, there are some artisan soaps that are basically a triad of actual soap, detergent, and "glycerin soap" like Conk. The surfactant covers for the lack of cushion a glycerin soap has; the glycerin adds the slickness lacking in a purely surfactant formula, and a bit of body from actual soap allows an emulsification to occur. Nothing wrong with this, and a lot of guys seem to dig the soaps.

I had a phenomenal shave with a stearic-tallow-coconut oil soap this morning. Yesterday, too.
That's what's in Van Der Hagen's soaps, for the most part, so it's not surprising that works. It's definitely better than Col. Conk, which I find to be marginal.
EL Alamein
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Re: Col Conk revisit

Post by EL Alamein »

For the record the cake of Conk I used was ancient. Sitting in a drawer in it's sealed container for probably 15 years or more.

Don't know if they've ever changed their formulation or not but I thought I'd provide a point of reference for anyone wishing to compare it.

Chris
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