June 5, 2025

Soap for Shaving

We are talking wet shaving here. None of this stuff from an aerosol can. Get a brush, work up a lather with some quality soap, and you will never go back to anything else. Very likely you will begin to enjoy the whole thing.

There are many outfits to buy from. I like "West Coast", they have a big variety. Shipping is significant, so you probably want to buy 3 or 4 soaps when you order, and those will probably last you a couple of years.

Some favorite soaps

Here is a nice article. Articles like this are great, because they make you aware of brands you never heard of and want to try. This article turned me on to "Noble Otter" and I bought a container of Noble Otter "Orbit" and have found it to be fantastic.

I have bought a lot of soap made by Stirling. The lather is good, and they give you 5.8 ounces of soap (most people give you 4.0 ounces), but they are often too aggressive with their scents and use of menthol. This of course is a matter of taste, but I enjoy a bit of balance in these things.

Ogallala bay rum is a wonderful soap. Good lather and smells wonderful.

Ghost Town Barber by chiseled face is a fantastic soap.

Ozark Mountain by Stirling, is great and my favorite of their soaps I have tried.

Be aware that there are two dimensions to shave soap. One is the base, which produces the lather. The other is the scent. A great soap gets both right.

When I use up my current supply (which will take years), I'll try others on the Sharpologist list.

Noble Otter

Orbit by Noble Otter is amazing, with just a touch of a long lasting menthol like substance that doesn't immediately knock you over as menthol does in some soaps.
At this point, Orbit is my all time favorite shave soap.
The following come with strong recommendations 
Logbook
Barrbarr (traditional barber shop)
Lonestar

Ariana and Evans

Novelist is the only one I have tried so far.
The following come with strong recommendations 
Spartacus
Vanilla Vendetta
Kaizen
Woods and Spices
Barbiere Classico (traditional barber shop)
You can order direct from them! Their website checkout wants $4.99 shipping charges. The price for Spartacus is $19 on their website. Shipping jumps up to $7.64 when I add a second soap. The price on Amazon is the same, with $4.99 (West Coast Shaving) shipping.

Declaration Grooming

As of early 2026 they have gone out of business.

Just before they went out of business I ordered two soaps from Declaration Grooming. I ordered Trismegistus and "Massacre of the Innocents.

I have to be honest -- this is some of the worst shaving soap I have ever used -- maybe the absolute worst. This being the case, I am not entirely sad (or surprised) that they went out of business, they certainly were not going to get any return business from me. It is always possible that they were cranking out a last few batches using up ingredients they had on hand and tossing care to the winds. No way for me to tell.

The only good thing was that I was able to order direct from their website. Shipping was only $4 for the two soaps!

Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements

I get tempted to try some of the offerings from Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements. They are in Arizona and well regarded. Their website is a tangled mess, and for whatever reason, when I look at their stuff (or manage to) I decide to go elsewhere.

Feedback? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's Shaving Info / tom@mmto.org