How many soaps/creams do you own? What is your favorite in your collection?

nervosa1901

nervosa1901

Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2018
Location
Virginia
My shaving cabinets have evolved into an APR wonderland as of late. I use APR versus other brands on average 4:1. After taking note of this, I immediately started to trim the collection, eventually deciding that there needed to be a hard cap of 15 non-APR soaps/creams in the collection. I'm down to 18 at present, and will make the final cuts by the end of the weekend. With APR soaps, this brings me to a total of 27, large by the standards of many but minuscule among those in my circle.

For a number of years, Aqua di Parma was the undisputed King of the cabinet. As some of you may have guessed, SAS has now claimed the throne....

I'm curious as to how large the collections tend to be for those living amongst the kangaroos. What in your collection would you not be able to live without?

Look forward to your responses.
 
On par with my DE collection, so around 30 odd soaps with a majority being Australian: APR, Shaver Heaven, Squadron's, A&G Soapworks, etc. I have one each of the popular brands (Wholly Kow, B&M, Dec. Grooming, A&E, etc) but the 'local' stuff is just as good if not better! I absolutely love Fenchurch, Ozymandias and Group Captains Blend, plus the Y/P/R from Dec. Grooming is divine :love:
 
nervosa1901 said:
I had over 200 at one point... Can you do better than that?
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I’m only at 110 soaps so far in my den, because I’m suffering from a shaving soaps depression acquisition disorder :smug: and I don’t want to start another spreadsheet :smuggrin:
 
nervosa1901 said:
I had over 200 at one point... Can you do better than that?
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340 odd at one point, then I went through the process that most do and did a massive cull, selling them off through successive BST's and donations to the travelling box. I keep multiples of my favourites now and other artisans are always sending me their latest work so it is a constant struggle, I also buy a fair bit too if I see something I like especially. I could easily cull more but having the time and inclination to do so just isn't there.

If people ever ask me if I have a favourite soap, I always reply in the negative and say I have favourites. The idea of a single soap or heaven forbid a single fragrance is just too tedious to imagine.
 
I haven't previously counted my soaps (for home security reasons, it's better if she doesn't know, though of course she has a fair idea). Looks like around 70 (not including doubles and reiterations i.e. MkI, MkII). I think at this stage it's around 50/50 Pb soaps and others. The others comprises Australian, American, Italian, Spanish, German and English soaps. I don't have definite favourites, just lots of favourites. I could live just with my soaps but love the other Aussie artisans, Squadron, APR, Whispers from the Woods, Washpool Farms, but love that I can pull out international offerings such as Soaps by Luna, Phoenix and Beau, Meissner Tremonia, Barrister & Mann, Mikes, Stirling, Mystic Waters..................
If I gravitate back to a soap it's usually just for a while. I've stopped looking for the perfect soap, I just appreciate the characteristics and mood that each soap brings.
 
I can count 27 full sized soaps, 12 of them being APR (one duplicated). Another 4 are Australian made, and the only other brand I have more than 1 is B&M with two.
25 full sized splashes of which, 15 are APR (one duplicated). The only other brand I have more than one is Chatillon Lux (three)
Parfum I have 4 full sized, all APR
I cannot nominate a favorite, but in terms of use, the most used so far has been Coeur de Vert
 
nervosa1901 said:
I'm particularly interested to hear of your favourite, especially with such a large collection.
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The first tier section is my favourite, I've rechecked all my soap counts is now 112 in my den :wideyed::shy::smug::smuggrin::bucktooth::cigar:

First Tier:-
Ariana & Evans
Barrister & Mann
Declaration Grooming
Haslinger Sheep Milk & Lanolin (tallow version)
Mitchell's Wool Fat
Wholly Kaw (All Donkey Milk version)

Second Tier:-
Castle Forbes
Mike’s Natural
Tabac
Taylor of Old Bond Street
The Body Shop Maca Root (very slick soap)
Route 66
Squadron Soaps
Stirling (without menthol)
Valobra shave stick
Vintage Sir Irisch Moos
Wickham 1912

Third Tier:- (budget soaps are worth keeping these in your den nothing wrong with it, STOP being complete Jackass :bucktooth:)
Arko shave stick
Derby shave stick
Dr Harris Windsor shave stick
La Toja
Lea Classic
Palmolive Classic shave stick (european version)
Speick shave stick
Wilkinson Sword shave stick (european version)

Sold:-
Cella
I Coloniali
La Savonniere Du Moulin
Martin de Candre Scented
Pre De Provence No. 63
Santa Maria del Fiore Sapone da Barba

Trash in the bin:-
Nivea Sensitive Shaving Cream
 
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I somehow have gotten up to 29 soaps in the den.
I have been trying to try out different artisans to get a handle on what is out there and what works best for me.

So far I have:
Ariana & Evans
Barrister & Mann
Declaration Grooming
Stirling
TOBS
Wickham 1912
APR
Razorock
LA Shaving Company
Face Fat
Reef Point
Oleo Canard Base
Shaver Heaven
Strop Shoppe
Noble Otter
Tallow & Steel
Fine
Proraso
Nivea
Henri et Victoria

It's been a good learning experience. Some have been great, some surprises and some I won't be buying again!
 
It has been less than a year since coming back to traditional wet shaving.
21 Soaps
Abby & Grace x 2
Squadron x 5
APR x 3
PAA x 1
Proraso x 2
Face Fat x 2
Mondial x 1
TOBS x 1
Shaved Goat (unfortunately no longer being made) x 2
Col Conk x 1
Tabac x 1
I look at the list now and see there is a heavy local influence. This has not been through any conscious decision just a "that sounds like it will be OK I'll give it a run".
As for a favorite, it is very mood dependent.
Will the list grow.. of course.. just it will be very selective from here in. The Minister for War and Finance is starting to notice the collection.
I look at the lists above with a mix of envy and admiration. I doubt I could even keep any resemblance of order or rotation going with most of them.
 
I trimmed back the number of soaps in my den significantly a few months ago. I had reached some silly numbers prior to that. Apart from some soaps that have been gifted to me I pretty much only have a few tubs of Mike’s, Stirling and Mystic Waters. Of course there is a tub of every APR release since the F2 base was finalized.

Interestingly when I set out to make a new soap base for APR I knew it had to be something that would appeal to the masses. Based upon my personal preferences which were not particularly mainstream I had, prior to finalizing the soap base, determined that the final product would likely be something that would appeal to many but likely not something I personally would use on a regular basis. Surprisingly when the soap base was finalized I found that not only had I created a soap that appealed to a large audience but also one that I really enjoyed using as well. Typically I find myself reaching for the APR soap more than any other nowadays.
 
Dustin L said:
I somehow have gotten up to 29 soaps in the den.
I have been trying to try out different artisans to get a handle on what is out there and what works best for me.

So far I have:
Ariana & Evans
Barrister & Mann
Declaration Grooming
Stirling
TOBS
Wickham 1912
APR
Razorock
LA Shaving Company
Face Fat
Reef Point
Oleo Canard Base
Shaver Heaven
Strop Shoppe
Noble Otter
Tallow & Steel
Fine
Proraso
Nivea
Henri et Victoria

It's been a good learning experience. Some have been great, some surprises and some I won't be buying again!
Click to expand...
How do you rate Noble Otter?
 
nsavage said:
I trimmed back the number of soaps in my den significantly a few months ago. I had reached some silly numbers prior to that. Apart from some soaps that have been gifted to me I pretty much only have a few tubs of Mike’s, Stirling and Mystic Waters. Of course there is a tub of every APR release since the F2 base was finalized.

Interestingly when I set out to make a new soap base for APR I knew it had to be something that would appeal to the masses. Based upon my personal preferences which were not particularly mainstream I had, prior to finalizing the soap base, determined that the final product would likely be something that would appeal to many but likely not something I personally would use on a regular basis. Surprisingly when the soap base was finalized I found that not only had I created a soap that appealed to a large audience but also one that I really enjoyed using as well. Typically I find myself reaching for the APR soap more than any other nowadays.
Click to expand...

I’m guessing Mr @nsavage that there would be an endless supply of base in your Den....🤣🤓🤣🤓
 
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