Bang for my buck

Sherbet66

Sherbet66

Messages
104
Location
Glasgow
Hi,

I've tried a few different soaps in the past year or so, as I'm sure others have too I've began drifting to the artisan makers, great soaps, good shaves and lovely scents however sometimes a bit on the pricey side. I did get into DE shaving on the premise that its better and cheaper that cartridge shaving so its time to reevaluate what I am spending*.

So as the Christmas visa bill hits it's time to tighten the belt. I'm looking for a soaps that will face lather and give me excellent value for money, it doesn't have to be the cheapest, just the soap that outperforms its price point.

Any suggestions gentlemen?

* New Years resolution - stop buying cheap crap on Aliexpress.
 
Sherbet66 said:
Hi,

I've tried a few different soaps in the past year or so, as I'm sure others have too I've began drifting to the artisan makers, great soaps, good shaves and lovely scents however sometimes a bit on the pricey side. I did get into DE shaving on the premise that its better and cheaper that cartridge shaving so its time to reevaluate what I am spending*.

So as the Christmas visa bill hits it's time to tighten the belt. I'm looking for a soaps that will face lather and give me excellent value for money, it doesn't have to be the cheapest, just the soap that outperforms its price point.

Any suggestions gentlemen?

* New Years resolution - stop buying cheap crap on Aliexpress.
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Palmolive stick, for the money you can't go wrong! :) P.
 
Sherbet66 said:
Proraso soap (with Rockwell 6C on 4 setting & Astra blades), same as I used prior to going so its not the kit that has changed.
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Proraso is a good alrounder that will lather anywhere with ease, all soaps will work with all water, you just need more soap to water in a hard water area and a little more work. I'm lucky to live in a soft water area and I just need to show the soap a damp brush and I've got lather! :) P.
 
Agree strongly with Palmolive - I think it is the value champion by a long shot. I also have La Toja stick, gave it a whirl last week, and was reminded just how satisfactory it can be - Gemstone Trading are an excellent shaving site, albeit with a quite specific range of goods.

Without any science behind it, in my view, any soap under £15 can represent excellent value for money. DR Harris, for example, is triple milled, and therefore has less moisture in it. You can load your brush for a fortnight on it, take your brush off and not notice any difference at all in the volume remaining.

I have days when I think I could just use Palmolive forever, because at 50p a stick from Wilko, the performance is incredible. However, I don't find the scent uplifting, so I may drift across to something like OSP Bay Rum, which is not only remarkable performance but a sophisticated, pleasant scent. What's the soap cost in each case? I don't know exactly, but it's probably 1p a shave with Palmolive and let's say 10p a shave with OSP. That's 10x more in real terms, but in relative terms, I may not think twice about buying a £2.50 coffee in London later that day.

My point is, what is cheap?

The tallow version of Lea sticks is good, but may be hard to find now.

If you like MWF, buy the Kent puck (identical but re-branded) for about £6 on Amazon and find your own bowl. That's remarkable value as well.
 
Supermangs said:
If you like MWF, buy the Kent puck (identical but re-branded) for about £6 on Amazon and find your own bowl. That's remarkable value as well.
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Or get MWF from Connaught at £6.30, even cheaper than Kent (£6.90).
Also, rumors say that MWF lathers more easily in a face than in a bowl. Although you should try a sample before getting it, as a lot of people complain about it being difficult to obtain a good lather. For me, great soap, lasts a good while. Not as cheap as Palmolive though.
 
the Kent soap is harder than the Palmolive so will last longer. I got 4 months shaving from half a puck. it's a quality product.

the Erasmic bowl is decent if you are looking at value exclusively. 2 quid ish from savers
 
Nalves said:
Or get MWF from Connaught at £6.30, even cheaper than Kent (£6.90).
Also, rumors say that MWF lathers more easily in a face than in a bowl. Although you should try a sample before getting it, as a lot of people complain about it being difficult to obtain a good lather. For me, great soap, lasts a good while. Not as cheap as Palmolive though.
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I am always at a loss why MWF gets two reputations. Firstly it is as easy to lather as any other soap.....loadsbof creamy lather with my hard water . Secondly, it is singled out as having lanolin which some guys are allergic to. Loads of other soaps have lanolin and these get no criticism! A great soap which lasts months. Only criticism for me is that it could do to come in a great scent, lime woukd be nice!
 
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