Phoenix Soaps: "Douglas Smythe" aka Erik Coates any good.

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Really, I would say that you should do what you're comfortable with. Live and let live is my motto. I'm quite comfortable buying from him because so far his products and service have been excellent. I started buying from when he made the 5" pucks in tins, which I liked a lot: great surface for loading. Wickham's did that as well, though I don't know whether they still do. Nowadays, though, he uses conventional cylindrical plastic tubs.
 
If people are happy with his product and obviously @Leisureguy is then as far as I'm concerned enjoy your purchase. I respect your choice as I'm sure you're respecting mine.

There are far more soap suppliers to try who I feel to be more stable and trustworthy. I only have one face and if I've just a 1% misgiving about any product then I won't be using it.

I really don't feel I'm missing out on the next best thing by making this decision. As far as I'm concerned feel free to comment away sir!
 
@Darkbulb - "Middle-aged" is kind. I'd have to live to a little over 150 for it to be true, but I'll take it. :)

And I hope this response is not out of line, but it seemed only appropriate to acknowledge and respond. And I'm thankful for the peacemakers, for they... something. :)

Meh, a decade left or right is no big deal.
As long as we can get this excited about bathroom supplies and products there's hope for all of us to go out and do something even grander :)
 
@matteob - ?...For example, this morning I used my tub of Phoenix Artisan Honeysuckle, and I have to say that (for me, with my tap water) it's a first rate soap...Also, I tend to discount the internet rumor mill which can go into overdrive from a disgruntled customer's report...There's a reason that hearsay evidence is not even allowed to be introduced in court: it is highly unreliable...I prefer to go as much as possible on my own experience, and with Phoenix Artisan the experience so far has been excellent. And I do like his soaps and aftershaves and some of his razors.

...whilst your repeated championing of Phoenix Artisan products is noted; I would suggest that the many posts across various forums is more than a disgruntled customer issue. To potray it as such is bizarre. I welcome opinions and experience from forum members who have no conflict of interest and flagg concerns which maybe pertitent to others.
 
"Middle-aged" is kind. I'd have to live to a little over 150 for it to be true, but I'll take it. :)

And I hope this response is not out of line, but it seemed only appropriate to acknowledge and respond. And I'm thankful for the peacemakers, for they... something. :)

@Missoni - I have no conflict of interest: my only connection with Phoenix Artisan is as a customer, and I buy from him the products I use. I just report my own experience. It's pretty well known that different men can have different experiences with the same products. I appreciate your suggestion to flag concerns that might be pertinent to others (e.g., noting that a product is not vegan), and I'll try to do that. But in this case there is not a conflict of interest.
 
My personal experience of Phoenix soaps is limited to a tin of Black Tea, which is now finished. I can't offhand remember where I got it from, but it must have been someone in the UK. It had rather a nice scent, and as soaps go, it was neither outstandingly good nor shockingly bad. The downside with it was that the metal container is plated steel, rather than aluminium or plastic, and tends to form rust spots.
 
"Middle-aged" is kind. I'd have to live to a little over 150 for it to be true, but I'll take it. :)

And I hope this response is not out of line, but it seemed only appropriate to acknowledge and respond. And I'm thankful for the peacemakers, for they... something. :)

@Missoni - I have no conflict of interest: my only connection with Phoenix Artisan is as a customer, and I buy from him the products I use. I just report my own experience. It's pretty well known that different men can have different experiences with the same products. I appreciate your suggestion to flag concerns that might be pertinent to others (e.g., noting that a product is not vegan), and I'll try to do that. But in this case there is not a conflict of interest.

...delighted to hear that you do not have a conflict of interest. However you do promote your book and if I recall correctly, and I may not, the B&B forum had concerns with your perceived promotion of a vendor. For me you have an interest that is also financial and therefore I naturally pay more attention when a particular vendor is championed. I am sure you understand.
 
@Missoni - I'm unsure what you mean when you say I "promote" my book. I don't know that I've mentioned it much here, and I generally avoid recommending it (now that would be a conflict of interest for sure), limiting myself to recommending that those who might be interested look at the reader reviews and decide from those whether the book would be helpful. But I cannot recall any general promotion of the book beyond having a Facebook page.

The B&B forum has a few comments about me and the book, including some outright falsehoods (e.g., that the book was plagiarized from B&B posts, which it was not, as those who have read it can testify).

And I don't understand what you mean by my "promoting" a vendor. I mention vendors from whom I've made purchases and whose products I like, and will recommend products based on my experience in using the products. My primary focus, however, is the product. I don't see that describing my experience with a product is promoting the product, but if it is, it's not unusual for forum members to promote products: we often discuss products we like (and don't). I'm just part of that conversation, and I have no interests or motives beyond that.

So I guess I don't understand. I do know that some vendors will become persona non grata on one or another forum, with an unwritten ukase against mentioning such vendors (and in particular against favorable mentions of their products). I was not aware that TSR had that sort of thing. I do know that B&B has barred various vendors (Razor & Brush back in the day, when R&B was bringing in many brands of blades new to US, Connaught Shaving, and others).
 
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I'm sorry I no wahn start bad feelin's on here. I jus posted this coz I had my doubts after readin forums about this guy dabblin about with his ingredients list and takin on multiple personas on internet websites. The thing of it is he push the artisan thing but he has massive range an I think he is bigger operation than small time maker giving out homemade goodness. I do a a search of de maan and he in with woman going by the name of Towle (Shavin; lol?) and they bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars so he no small time maker.

I no have a problem with Leisureguy. I have his book and he mentions it in his signature and who would not wahn promote something that one spend time on. However the guy Coates, Hodges, Smythe has been called out for a deceitful boi online an that troubles me because I wah gonna buy his barbershop stuff :(

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcom...gle.co.uk/&referrer=https://www.google.co.uk/
 
I'm unsure what you mean when you say I "promote" my book. I don't know that I've mentioned it much here, and I generally avoid recommending it (now that would be a conflict of interest for sure), limiting myself to recommending that those who might be interested look at the reader reviews and decide from those whether the book would be helpful. But I cannot recall any general promotion of the book beyond having a Facebook page.

The B&B forum has a few comments about me and the book, including some outright falsehoods (e.g., that the book was plagiarized from B&B posts, which it was not, as those who have read it can testify).

And I don't understand what you mean by my "promoting" a vendor. I mention vendors from whom I've made purchases and whose products I like, and will recommend products based on my experience in using the products. My primary focus, however, is the product. I don't see that describing my experience with a product is promoting the product, but if it is, it's not unusual for forum members to promote products: we often discuss products we like (and don't). I'm just part of that conversation, and I have no interests or motives beyond that.

So I guess I don't understand. I do know that some vendors will become persona non grata on one or another forum, with an unwritten ukase against mentioning such vendors (and in particular against favorable mentions of their products). I was not aware that TSR had that sort of thing. I do know that B&B has barred various vendors (Razor & Brush back in the day, when R&B was bringing in many brands of blades new to US, Connaught Shaving, and others).

...delighted to hear that you do not have a conflict of interest. However you do promote your book and if I recall correctly, and I may not, the B&B forum had concerns with your perceived promotion of a vendor. For me you have an interest that is also financial and therefore I naturally pay more attention when you champion a particular vendor. I am sure you do understand.
 
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