April 2015 Acquisitions

[Nonick]

Hooray for frenzied consumerism.

I'm going to pick up B&M Ferox (Latin for fierce apparently) Dr Jons Classic & Hydra this arvo + a few samples thrown in.

 

[filobiblic]

So my Barrister & Mann soaps arrived today. Terrific scents right from the tubs. Truly put a smile on my face. Unbelievable. More info in the relevant thread.

Thanks so much @barristerandmann [emoji6]

 

[alfredus]

I would wait before putting in a B&M order - seriously you are going to regret it...

 

[filobiblic]

I would wait before putting in a B&M order - seriously you are going to regret it...

What do you mean? I'm talking about the Group Buy happening here v v soon.

 

[eggbert]

Seems like you think you did your own group buy @filobiblic.

I'm not sure you get how it works - it doesn't count as a group buy if you are the only purchaser and you buy more than one item.

 

[filobiblic]

I would wait before putting in a B&M order - seriously you are going to regret it...

You can pick up some aftershaves for me. I'll be happy with that @alfredus [emoji4]

 

[borked]

Come on guys, he got one for each personality

 

[stillshunter]

Got a shavemac 177 from ShaveShed....well I hope!!! Their closing down sale made the price viable. Ordered and paid last Wednesday. Posted by Express this Monday. It's Wednesday and still nothing, nader, zilch, zippo. AusPost said it should have been here Tuesday. They say get the sender to initiate a trace - wrote Shave Shed three emails. Nothing, nader, zilch, zippo. I know their closing down anyway but this is unacceptable. Likewise since their closing their doors they don't give a toss what I think but Shave Shed aint got my custom ever again. Anyone know the owner enough to get him off his arse to reply to my messages?
I'm pretty easy-going but I'm pretty pissed right about now.

 

[Nonick]

I don't usually dance. But when I opened this box I did.

 

[filobiblic]

I don't usually dance. But when I opened this box I did.

What's the Hydra like? All that citrus ought to be up your alley (and @borked and @MrT). I'd also like to hear your thoughts on Ferox.

 

[Nonick]

Some initial thoughts.

Dr Jons are truly croaps. The tins have great artwork on them, and on the back too. They are just stickers, but look nice. The tins don't have a thread so come with tape around the lid. This is a bit of a pain for travelling with them but we'll see how we get on.

The Hydra is more muted than I thought it would be. Classic is a pretty bold scent, in the tin, on the face, and afterwards. In the tin the Hydra barely sinks its fangs in. The citrus comprises of lemon, orange, grapefruit, mandarin, lime and bergamot. To my nose it's a complex orange/lime affair, I can distinctly pick the mandarin though, grapefruit wandered off somewhere I suspect.


Ferox is a harder soap. The scent strength is about the same as their other lines. This is a typically well balanced scent. Grapefruit makes it tartness apparent, without being overpowering, tea tree gives that sweet tingle, and the sage thyme and rosemary add the herby background that several of the B&M scents have, all bound together with the vetiver. It all combines for a fresh savoury citrus. I think I like it. The tea tree is quite noticeable in the tub.


Rhapsody - this is just a weird scent. Like sweet floral clay.

Beaudelaire - This is very different to the Aromatiquè! Much more of a wet earthy base, described as a 'dark fougère' it has a leathery smell.

Orange & Cedarwood - is, well, orange and cedar wood. Not too strong, very clean and fresh. A nice citrus combo actually.

 

[Nick the Knife]

@stillshunter , that sounds ridiculously poor service! So are you able to get a full refund from the vendor or have to go a postal claim (as it's registered you'd be entitled to max $100 IIRC). Gawd, is it just me or are a LOT of things going missing in the post lately!

@Nonick and others, call me skeptical and I know they're reasonable soaps BUT if those Dr Jons soaps don't have the very eye catching artwork on them do you think they get anywhere near the attention/buys that they have? Imagine the same soaps but packaged like say Strop Shoppe/Shannons or something very generic do - as I reckon it's been a genius marketing move by them and they'd be veritable unknowns if they'd not chosen to do this - I say the latter as it's so hard to break into the artisan shaving soap market so you need a point of difference - voila!

 

[eggbert]

Welcome to what it's like living in Darwin @stillshunter. I don't think I have had anything ordered in Australia arrive within a week, yet somehow Amazon is sometimes cheaper than auspost to ship items, is fully trackable, and often arrives quicker!

 

[stillshunter]

Welcome to what it's like living in Darwin @stillshunter. I don't think I have had anything ordered in Australia arrive within a week, yet somehow Amazon is sometimes cheaper than auspost to ship items, is fully trackable, and often arrives quicker!

Yeah I'm not so happy with AusPost - their level of service has certainly degraded. Noting the amount of stuff - between shaving, photography, etc., - I ship I'm currently examining other courier options.

But, I must say I'm far more disappointed with the level of non-service from The Shave Shed. I've noted a few people around here of late complaining that The Shave Shed is not returning their messages - and I can be counted among them. So to me this is a clear case of buyer beware. I concede current prices are good but put your money in the little hole, stand back, cross your fingers and hope your stuff is dispensed out the bigger hole. Absolutely pathetic! My local fave shave shops are the exact opposite.
#1 - ShaverHut - Chris is an absolute legend. He replies anytime and nothing has been too much trouble to date - hence why he has received most of my business, and
#2 - Mensbiz - for what I can't get from Chris I'll get from Nathan and his crew who quite helpful as well - though not as responsive or intimate with their stock as Chris.

This is how you secure return custom.

Little wonder The Shave Shed is closing down. So land vultures if you dare as the discount offerings can be rotten offal.

 

[eggbert]

You have to wonder how much of their heart is in it if they are winding down their operation.

If you've poured your heart and soul into a project only to see it go down the gurgler, those last few months have got to be heartbreaking.

I know that's not an excuse for not replying to emails, but I can imagine I wouldn't be too happy at the end - then again maybe that is why they ended up in this situation?

 

[filobiblic]

@Nonick and others, call me skeptical and I know they're reasonable soaps BUT if those Dr Jons soaps don't have the very eye catching artwork on them do you think they get anywhere near the attention/buys that they have? Imagine the same soaps but packaged like say Strop Shoppe/Shannons or something very generic do - as I reckon it's been a genius marketing move by them and they'd be veritable unknowns if they'd not chosen to do this - I say the latter as it's so hard to break into the artisan shaving soap market so you need a point of difference - voila!

Yep. You're skeptical.

The label definitely are eye-popping but the soap is a solid performer up there with the many quality Artisan products. I'd say better than Stirling and as good as Nannys (similar consistency also), Strop Shoppe. Not top level but better than most. (Without having tried your CRSW I'd cheekily say "as good as" the versions you have; but not as good as Larry's highest quality Select range [emoji14]). Don't diss what you haven't tried.

@Nonick, @stillshunter, @Mark1966 and a few others have samples of these soaps. This is actually a purchase by @Nonick based on samples (so it means he liked it enough to buy from amongst the plethora of quality soaps he has tried). That already speaks of its performance...

I haven't posted any reviews yet because I haven't gotten around to it. But once we put up a new thread with the soap reviews, you'll soon see its a quality product.

Bottom line: The labelling makes it catch the eye, but the soap is a quality product.

 

[stillshunter]

@Nonick, @stillshunter, @Mark1966 and a few others have samples of these soaps. This is actually a purchase by @Nonick based on samples (so it means he liked it enough to buy from amongst the plethora of quality soaps he has tried). That already speaks of its performance...

Filo was nice enough to send me some samples. Commenting on the Anne Bonny exclusively, the scent is superb - closest thing to the now extinct Johnny Goodsir (listening @Dale.Whiley ?). However, the lather is far superior to JGS. I'd rate the scent as one of the best I've put to my nose and the lather on a par with Mikes - better than the likes of Stirling, RazoRock, HTGAM, but a little behind Occams, B&M, LPL ....IMHO!

...and c'mon this label isn't kitschy and catchy. I mean it does absolutely nothing for me at all...

 

[filobiblic]

Filo was nice enough to send me some samples. Commenting on the Anne Bonny exclusively, the scent is superb - closest thing to the now extinct Johnny Goodsir (listening @Dale.Whiley ?). However, the lather is far superior to JGS. I'd rate the scent on of the best I've put to my nose and the lather on a par with Mikes - better than the likes of Stirling, Razorback, HTGAM, but a little behind Occams, B&M, LPL ....IMHO!

That sounds about right to me also.
I'll start that overdue thread later today...

 

[Nick the Knife]

Yep. You're skeptical.

The label definitely are eye-popping but the soap is a solid performer up there with the many quality Artisan products. I'd say better than Stirling and as good as Nannys (similar consistency also), Strop Shoppe. Not top level but better than most. (Without having tried your CRSW I'd cheekily say "as good as" the versions you have; but not as good as Larry's highest quality Select range [emoji14]). Don't diss what you haven't tried.

@Nonick, @stillshunter, @Mark1966 and a few others have samples of these soaps. This is actually a purchase by @Nonick based on samples (so it means he liked it enough to buy from amongst the plethora of quality soaps he has tried). That already speaks of its performance...

I haven't posted any reviews yet because I haven't gotten around to it. But once we put up a new thread with the soap reviews, you'll soon see its a quality product.

Bottom line: The labelling makes it catch the eye, but the soap is a quality product.

Filo, c'mon work with me here - you're making out like I'm slagging their product off saying it's a rubbish soap and PURELY bought for the fancy lid when I clearly said absolutely nothing of the sort.

My statement clearly was that in what I feel is a brilliant marketing move by them they've garnered quite a lot of business early and I've theorised that a LOT of that has to do with the tin designs - now OBVIOUSLY if the product was shit that'd somewhat stop even the best packaging - but as I stated they're from all reports a reasonable soap.

So forgive me for saying but thats waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too defensive given that there's absolutely no attacking comments being made to a product.

So again with all due respect I don't appreciate the don't diss what you haven't tried - when I'm not dissing the product at all, I'm merely theorising that a lot of it's popularity stemmed from the very hipsterish and well thought out tin designs....no more, no less. Obviously SUBSEQUENT sales will tend to come from feedback on the product but I was CLEARLY commenting on how they went from an absolute unknown to relatively visible in a few mths.

I've dealt with enough mad women over at the Soap Making Forums making out something that simply wasn't said actually was - so I'd really not repeat such shananigans here. You like/love the actual soap - fair play to you, however my comments were on the packaging of it & the disproportionate effect on early sales/attention that might have had vs it's peers. Nuf said.

 

[filobiblic]

Filo, c'mon work with me here - you're making out like I'm slagging their product off saying it's a rubbish soap and PURELY bought for the fancy lid when I clearly said absolutely nothing of the sort.

My statement clearly was that in what I feel is a brilliant marketing move by them they've garnered quite a lot of business early and I've theorised that a LOT of that has to do with the tin designs - now OBVIOUSLY if the product was shit that'd somewhat stop even the best packaging - but as I stated they're from all reports a reasonable soap.

So forgive me for saying but thats waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too defensive given that there's absolutely no attacking comments being made to a product.

So again with all due respect I don't appreciate the don't diss what you haven't tried - when I'm not dissing the product at all, I'm merely theorising that a lot of it's popularity stemmed from the very hipsterish and well thought out tin designs....no more, no less. Obviously SUBSEQUENT sales will tend to come from feedback on the product but I was CLEARLY commenting on how they went from an absolute unknown to relatively visible in a few mths.

Ok. Sure. Got it. I probably read too fast again and just caught the general drift of what you were saying... It's easy to do. [emoji51]

I think you need to stand out in this niche product corner. Yes, the designs certainly give a head start (and so very clever). I'm just wondering why more artisans don't have good quality labels?! I know that Dr Jon's labels were done by a graphic design company (not by him, the soap maker). So he obviously thought it important enough to throw money in that direction. So why don't others do the same thing?!