Favorite American Soaps?

The "Big Four" are:

Barrister & Mann
Stirling
Mike's Natural Soaps
Cold River Soap Works

Many would add Mystic River but I won't as it doesn't lather worth a damn in my hard water. I have used all of first four and they are all fantastic with any clear winner being purely subjective.

FYI, there is a new soap that is drawing raves, but is yet another of those small batch "unobtainium" types: Talbot Shaving Soap.

https://www.facebook.com/talbotshaving/
 
Bogeyman said:
The "Big Four" are:

Barrister & Mann
Stirling
Mike's Natural Soaps
Cold River Soap Works

Many would add Mystic River but I won't as it doesn't lather worth a damn in my hard water. I have used all of first four and they are all fantastic with any clear winner being purely subjective.

FYI, there is a new soap that is drawing raves, but is yet another of those small batch "unobtainium" types: Talbot Shaving Soap.

https://www.facebook.com/talbotshaving/
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Who says they are the big 4? PAA should be a lot bigger than Mike's natural soaps at the very least ;)
 
Merkurologist said:
Who says they are the big 4? PAA should be a lot bigger than Mike's natural soaps at the very least ;)
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The owner of PAA is controversial to say the least due to an ignorant stunt he pulled in the past and even the mere mention of him or his company gets threads locked constantly on American forums. I will leave you to research that incident on your own.
 
Bogeyman said:
The owner of PAA is controversial to say the least due to an ignorant stunt he pulled in the past and even the mere mention of him or his company gets threads locked constantly on American forums. I will leave you to research that incident on your own.
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The incident is well known. He has apologised publicly...... personally, I can only take him in small dosis so everytime I come across one of his videos, 2 minutes is about as much I can take. However, I do admire his talent to recreate scents, the guy is one of the best at that in the business.
Whatever people keep saying about him, his company seems to continue growing so he/they must be doing something right, in fact, I know he is cause his and Frances' soaps and AS are amongst the very best I found.

A year ago, I read plenty on Douglas and his old company ( Sinergy???) and I decided to give the new company a try, I'm very glad that I did or I would be missing out on many of my favourite soaps.

More to the point, regardless of how you feel about PAA, I don't have the information but at a guess, PAA is the biggest artisan soap maker out of the list you posted.
 
Yeah, I understand all their soaps are vegan. I'm not vegan myself nor I need to use vegan soaps, I just find them very good.
Scent, for me is very important, otherwise I'd only have one or two soaps :)
 
I bought a bunch of US soaps when I was out there a year or so ago. B&M Seville was easily my favourite (once you realise you have to add much more water than most soaps to get a great lather with B&M), followed by Reef Point - Dragon's Blood.
Personally, I was underwhelmed by Sterling and Soap commander.
 
Merkurologist, I will add a fifth: Viking Shaving Soap. I have been using three samples he sent me a couple of months back and they are simply fantastic. He works at a major university in the agricultural dept. and has access locally to the best possible refined tallow and that is patently obvious by the shave quality. Scents are tasteful, but not overwhelming. As further regards this soap one notices something just a nudge above other top tier soaps re "feel" that IMO must be the quality of tallow he uses. It's enough to make Fergiebilly file emigration papers. ;)

https://www.vikingsoap.com/product-category/shaving-soap/

https://www.facebook.com/vikingsoap/
 
Helveticum said:
Soap Opera make extremely good soaps. It's on par with the very best in my rotation. I own Himalaya, and highly recommend it.
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Hey buddy what's up,

Yep, that stuff is fun to use for sure. Very inexpensive here in Denver, even with kinda high shipping added on. Performance is right up there with a pleasant scent.

That particular Himalaya version has.....I forget the big ingredient. Oh yeah it was shea butter. Shea butter, loaded with the stuff.

Nice typing at you again,

Martin
 
Helveticum said:
Soap Opera make extremely good soaps. It's on par with the very best in my rotation. I own Himalaya, and highly recommend it.
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Hey buddy what's up,

Yep, that stuff is fun to use for sure. Very inexpensive here in Denver, even with kinda high shipping added on. Performance is right up there with a pleasant scent. Plus it's melt able if you like.

That particular Himalaya version has.....I forget the big ingredient. Oh yeah it was shea butter. Shea butter, loaded with the stuff.

Nice typing at you again,

Martin
 
dodgy said:
Hey buddy what's up,

Yep, that stuff is fun to use for sure. Very inexpensive here in Denver, even with kinda high shipping added on. Performance is right up there with a pleasant scent. Plus it's melt able if you like.

That particular Himalaya version has.....I forget the big ingredient. Oh yeah it was shea butter. Shea butter, loaded with the stuff.

Nice typing at you again,

Martin
Click to expand...
What's up old sport! Yeah, that nasty shea butter, puttin' it everywhere these days :D :D :D
But I believe the big selling point of Himalaya was the soybean smth. Excellent soap, real good - and thanks for pointing my attention to it back in the day!
 
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