Artisan soaps vs mass produced

These days, I enjoy both types of soaps BUT the artisans soap brands I mainly focus on are all top level performers, so to me they seem superior.

Price wise I place them as mid range priced to slightly expensive. But compared to Castle Forbes, DR HARRIS, ACQUA DI PARMA, Antica Barberia Colla, Santa Maria Novella, Boellis Panama, Penhaligon, Xpec, Baume, Tabula Rasa and other in my den, they are actually rather fairly priced.
 
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So, would it be fair to say that after 5 pages some if us like some artisan soaps ( not necessarily exclusively ), some of us prefer larger producers and if we don't make assumptions about the beliefs of other shavers as to the inherent merits or demerits of either type of soapmaker everyone pretty much buys and uses what suits them and prefers.

Oh, and GBeard is into either time travel or channeling.

JohnnyO. o/
 
Artisan versus the mass made. quite the lovely and lively topic. on American shave forums, saying the wrong thing can lead you to insomnia at night from fear of being woken up at 2 am by a guy called "mikey the blade" dragging a shavette loaded with Chinese razor blades across your throat.

Artisan from my experience has no actual meaning, or implication of quality or methods of manufactury. A large proportion of "artisan" soap you find on etsy and ebay and even amazon is just melt and pour glycerin soap.
A company in America called mama bear uses the melt and pour base. I cant recall the exact company she buys from, but its got a retail price of $1 USA per pound. And her "artisan soaps" retail for 2-4$USA an OUNCE. so a 50 pound barrel fetches a nice return cash wise per ounce.

the only artisan soaps I have used is the sample testing wickhams has done on here. the soaps have lathered strangely well and have given great shaves and great moisturizing afterwords. The only issue has been with scenting. A lot of us have issues with scents and go accordingly.
A disproportionate amount of artisan soaps in the US are loaded down with horrid synthetic scents and menthol. Things I have allergies with. As a result trying soaps is a basically expensive waste of time, as even "unscented" versions will be loaded down with menthol. because as artisan makers in the US "know", sensitive skin NEEDS menthol.

And with a large lot of American soap artisans, the availability of product is a mass joke. some companys be well known for the fact that you have to get on a waiting list to get the actual regular size soap puck, but can get sample pucks of the soap from almost any online vendor.

And the artisan makers are always changing the recipes to make them better, as a result there is no consistency from month to month, batch to batch, or year to year. As a result the soap made injune 2015 will be completely different from the soap made in September 2016 and give you completely different shaves.
 
andy boy,

if you live in America, you have access to some great soaps. mass made and artisan. Plus you don't have the exorbinant shipping charges to get wickhams.

the 14 dollar shipping is the main issue I have with ordering from English companies.
 
Bezoar said:
andy boy,

if you live in America, you have access to some great soaps. mass made and artisan. Plus you don't have the exorbinant shipping charges to get wickhams.

the 14 dollar shipping is the main issue I have with ordering from English companies.
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I found the shipping charges from Russia and China are much cheaper than America,
I avoid the USA on the Bay because of the charges..
 
Wet shaving sure is a YMMV world, no question. My Mama Bear soaps are my prizes of the glycerine based soaps, especially now that Prof Blighty is no longer being produced. And I'm constantly surprised at the great quality and performance of our very own TSR artisan producers.

JohnnyO. o/
 
Greybeard said:
I think this is a really good point...while I am still to be convinced through personal experience that artisan soaps deliver a level of quality shave that justifies the extra cost, I recognise that artisan soap makers don't have the same profit margins that the mass producers can work to. So, despite my views about cost/quality, I'll always be willing to pay (occasionally) for some artisan soaps to support their production and, as Sylviansghost says: give us a bit more choice.

Who knows, one day I might find an absolute pearl of a soap that justifies the extra cost.

If anyone can recommend something that they think might meet the bill?
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OSP and P&B Just to name two, I realise this post is a little old and you may have tried these by now but if you have not I think you should.
 
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