Discouraged

[kirkawall]

Thank you, gentlemen, for the responses.

k, most of the vendors of Trumper soaps that I know of don't include the Oxford variety. Do you know of a vendor that carries it? Also, what is RG? Thanks.

- Murray

Hi Murray,

Gordon is absolutely right about Trumper's Oxford -- very similar to the T&H. RG is Roger & Gallet, which is the mildest triple-milled soap I've tried, though the scent might put you off. AOS sounds like the ticket, and they're often available at a discount from online vendors or even eBay.

good luck,

k

[salbev]

I think the idea of rotating soaps is about as silly as rotating razors.

uhoh... (ducks under a table at the saloon).

[Bargepole]

I think the idea of rotating soaps is about as silly as rotating razors.

uhoh... (ducks under a table at the saloon).

Okay. I'm a convert. And with the zeal of the convert I am going to apply the principle to every aspect of my life, including clothes and, especially, food.



(The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, who was a bit of an odd sort of chap, said he didn't care what he ate for lunch as long as it was always the same.)

[Trumperman]

Ach, Ludwig Wittgenstein. They just don't make names like that anymore......


I haven't seen L'occtitane Cade mentioned here. It's a great lathering soap. Some may not like the scent so it would help if you could go to a store and check it out.


Regards

Bill

[Lionhearted]

pardon moi, but what's so silly about rotation?

What's the point? Do you rotate your nail clippers?

Richard

[Lionhearted]

Speaking of rotating nail clippers, perhaps there should be a forum for enthusiasts. Nail clippers were invented in 1896 around the time of the safety razor.

There are two basic types of clippers, levers and pliers. A nail trimmer often has a miniature file. Are you satisfied with this or do you use a separate nail file? Do you use a concave or convex head? Is the cutting head parallel or perpendicular to the axis of the clipper? Do you use stainless steel, chrome plated, gold? There are two basic lengths of nail clippers. Do you use the same clipper for fingers and toes?

How many have over six models of nail clippers in their rotation? Then there are the post-clip lotions and balms. And what about the pre-soak? Water, oil, alcohol?

A quick check at Google found clipper prices from 59 cents to $149.95 (and it was only stainless).

I even ran across one with a magnifying glass.



And what about vibrating clippers and those with saw blades?

My father never used a nail clipper in his life. He thought clippers were silly. At age 90 he was still trimming his nails with a pocket knife.

And then there's the whole nail clipper collectible market. These two on eBay have a $3.99 Buy It Now price. One (made by Bell) even has a bottle opener.



The nail clipper hobby has the same potential for excitement as shaving... and they're about equally silly. Where is clipmynails.com?

Richard, Infidel

[notthesharpest]

Rotating soaps is not silly if you like the different scents or whatever.

It is silly if it means you never get good at lathering any of them.

So rotate away, but only after you can count on yourself to lather anything well.


Personally, I think there's less of a case for rotating your razors, but hey, if you like it and you get good shaves, there you go.

[Nocturne]

@ Lionhearted: although funny, let's call this one a fallacy: in a given culture, not everything has the same potential for a rotation. We all do a rotation for our clothes, people we meet, food, wine, wives, err... lets forget the last one. It is not usually as exciting to alternate among a choice of shovels, chairs, nailclippers or anything that has a purely functionnal value. Although a deeply ymmv thing, creams and soaps in all their variety have more "rotation value" than colored thoothpicks.

Your passionate defense of the nailclipper was an entertaining read though

[bernards66]

Well, 'fidelity' is a double edged concept in terms of shaving. On the one hand, it is the easiest, and most 'sensible', way to go, in order to get very good shaves daily ( once one has found what products etc. work especially well for one....which in some cases, takes quite awhile ). On the other, most of us would not even be here at SMF if that was our approach.....and a number of good members HAVE left when they found that right combination of products and skills that could do it for them consistantly. Although I'm a big advocate of 'fidelity' in general, I don't expect, nor would I even WANT, to get all this down to one razor, one soap/cream, one brush, one A/S product, and maybe even just one cologne, um? I certainly 'could'....I could pick any of the shave products I use ( that are still being made ), and any of my main brushes, and say, 'okay, that's it'. But why would I particularly want to? I normally don't switch razors and blades around much, because I've found that doing that actually negatively impacts the shave I get. Same with A/S products. But using different creams, or brushes ( up to a point ) does not, and it keeps things interesting and 'fun'. No, nobody really 'needs' all the stuff that many members have, but hobbies are not about 'need' and pure pragmatism. Of course, one could argue that all hobbies are 'silly', I suppose, but I wouldn't agree with that. I don't switch off toothpastes, though....different trip....at least for me.
Regards,
Gordon

[CMur12]

I would agree that the bulk of SMF members do not congregate here for purely pragmatic reasons. Of course, we are all interested in getting a good shave, but the interest in mastering traditional shaving tools and supplies is even more about connecting with tradition and enjoying the process, while socializing with an amazing group of gentlemen.

Many of us approach traditional wetshaving as an affordable luxury. (And who ever said there was anything practical about luxury?) Multiple razors, blades, soaps, creams, brushes, aftershaves, colognes, and what have you add new facets and dimension to this enjoyment.

As to my quest for the ideal triple-milled shaving soap:
I shaved last night with Institut Karite shaving soap. In use, I didn't even detect the scent when loading the brush and lathering, which is a very good thing in my case. I didn't seem to get the beard conditioning of the Pre de Provence or much glide, but I did get a close, irritation-free shave. This soap definitely shows promise and warrants further experimentation.

Others have suggested the AOS (Art of Shaving) soaps, the unscented version in particular. I checked the AOS website and saw that their other soaps are all scented with essential oils (EO), so I intend to try their unscented and lemon varieties. I found that the only AOS store in the State of Washington is located across the mountains in the town where I grew up, so I think I'll drop in there come spring. There is no hurry in the meantime, as I have more than enough shaving soaps to keep me occupied.

I thank you all, once again, for your feedback. I am interested in an ultimate rotation of 4 - 5 preferred soaps, which may well in turn be reduced further over time, so even the discussion about "collecting" is a valued contribution to this thread. Thank you, gentlemen.

- Murray

[fallingwickets]

is even more about connecting with tradition and enjoying the process, while socializing with an amazing group of gentlemen.

Murray

Thanks for putting that thought out there.

Clive

[CMur12]

I think I have finally found my number one triple-milled soap in the Valobra! The scent is very light - almost subliminal - but very pleasant. A co-worker recognized the scent immediately as lavender.

I forgot how much water my little Rooney pure badger brush holds compared to my other pure badger brushes, so I made this lather wetter than I would normally. Nevertheless, the lather was very rich, it didn't dissipate when I left it on the beard to soak, and it did an amazing job of softening the beard. This may be the closest, smoothest shave I have ever achieved!

I would like to thank Bob/divotmax for sending me this soap, free of charge, in response to my expressed interest therein earlier in this thread.

- Murray

PS. I sure wish this soap came in a cake!

[notthesharpest]

Valobra hard soap is apparently the same as Art of Shaving, which comes in a regular cake.

If you have the semi-soft Valobra, it's unique as far as I know.

[letterk]

The L'ome soap is pretty mild in terms of scent.

[rustyblade]

I think I have finally found my number one triple-milled soap in the Valobra! The scent is very light - almost subliminal - but very pleasant. A co-worker recognized the scent immediately as lavender.

I forgot how much water my little Rooney pure badger brush holds compared to my other pure badger brushes, so I made this lather wetter than I would normally. Nevertheless, the lather was very rich, it didn't dissipate when I left it on the beard to soak, and it did an amazing job of softening the beard. This may be the closest, smoothest shave I have ever achieved!

I would like to thank Bob/divotmax for sending me this soap, free of charge, in response to my expressed interest therein earlier in this thread.

- Murray

PS. I sure wish this soap came in a cake!

Slice the stick down the middle and bung it into a ziplock bowl or similar. FWIW, I find it somehow less interesting to use this way, now it looks butchered and sorry for itself. Strangely the scent doesn't seem the same either, like it's trying to tell me it isn't happy about the situation (how would you feel being cut in half?). Luckily I have backups!

[CMur12]

I think I have finally found my number one triple-milled soap in the Valobra! The scent is very light - almost subliminal - but very pleasant. A co-worker recognized the scent immediately as lavender.

I forgot how much water my little Rooney pure badger brush holds compared to my other pure badger brushes, so I made this lather wetter than I would normally. Nevertheless, the lather was very rich, it didn't dissipate when I left it on the beard to soak, and it did an amazing job of softening the beard. This may be the closest, smoothest shave I have ever achieved!

I would like to thank Bob/divotmax for sending me this soap, free of charge, in response to my expressed interest therein earlier in this thread.

- Murray

PS. I sure wish this soap came in a cake!

Slice the stick down the middle and bung it into a ziplock bowl or similar. FWIW, I find it somehow less interesting to use this way, now it looks butchered and sorry for itself. Strangely the scent doesn't seem the same either, like it's trying to tell me it isn't happy about the situation (how would you feel being cut in half?). Luckily I have backups!

Hi Richard -

I was thinking of grating it up and packing it into a covered pyrex dish.

Before I resort to that, however, I plan to take another stab at face-lathering. I have ordered a small Omega silvertip travel brush with a 17mm knot. Since I only shave my throat, this might offer an advantage over other brushes that all seem too big. If this works, I can just use the Valobra as the shaving stick that it is. If not, I'll just grate it up and pack it into a glass dish!

Come spring, I plan to drive over the mountains to the one AOS store in the State of Washington. That will be my first trip to a shaving shop, and it should give me the opportunity to sniff their soaps.

- Murray

[CMur12]

The L'ome soap is pretty mild in terms of scent.

Thanks, John -

Where do you find this soap?

- Murray

[letterk]

The L'ome soap is pretty mild in terms of scent.

Thanks, John -

Where do you find this soap?

- Murray

http://durance.us/

PM me your address, and I'll cut you off a piece so you can test it.

[IanS]

Actually, I think rotation is important. If you only use one soap (or cream, or whatever) you'll become so accustomed to it that you'll lose the scent after a while. That's how these things work. If you want to enjoy it to the full, you need to change around a bit and come back again. So you need to find at least two products you're happy with.

Did I really say "2"? Who am I trying to kid...

IanS

[ScottS]

Slice the stick down the middle and bung it into a ziplock bowl or similar.

Just reading that seems to hurt, for reasons I can't quite place.