[gssixgun]

Bay Oil & Clove Shave Soap
From Mike_Ratliff (the well honed razor)

I was asked by one of our members here at SRP to do some testing on a shave soap that he had made. Make Ratliff sent me a few sample pucks of his newest Bay Oil & Clove soap, I used the double boiler method and gently melted the pucks into one of my soap bowls, and have been testing the soap all week, using several different lathering methods, here are the copies of the PM’s that I sent back to Mike on his soap

Mike:
As you know I am a fairly anal compulsive person, so I am going to actually test this soap for you as if it were my own.... LOL lucky you!!!! Hmmmm maybe that’s why you wanted me to test this???

Shave 1

I used an antique shaving scuttle that my Father had left for me.. Just using normal beard prep, I let the soap and brush warm up then after shaking out the brush I loaded it up with soap...First impression at just working the soap was good, it loaded onto the brush as expected and the scent was subtle but there...
I worked it into a lather on my face, and it was a very predictable lather, no surprises at all, had to figure out the water ratio but that was very straight forward also..
The shave was good also, no burning or redness at all, and I do have sensitive skin...
The re-lather was also very straight forward, just dipped the tips of the brush in the hot water, and the lather exploded again...
The slickness is really good, the razor glides nicely and after the skin is cleared of lather I can still pull back the skin to stretch it for shaving...
(Some soaps are too slick you can't stretch your skin)
Very impressed at how conditioned my face felt during and after the shave....

My overall first impression I would rate as above average...
Don't take that the wrong way, this is good, because this is a way of lathering that most soaps would fail with me....
Each day I will try a different lathering technique, and let you know what I think....


Shave 2


For shave two I used the mug technique and made a lather right in the mug...
This was even better than the last technique.
The lather was thick and creamy, again a great shave.
I have been using different brushes here also and will continue to switch them up throughout the testing...
I am trying brushes from the $5 Burma Shave through the spectrum up to my $150 Shavemac 28mm Silvertip...
Again I am impressed with the results..
Keep in mind that living in the boonies like I do, we are talking about very hard well water here, so my results should be the worse possible...


Shave 3

This is the toughest test for any glycerin-based soap...
Lathering in a lather bowl, I build the lather by loading the brush with soap after letting it sit with about 1/4 inch of hot, hot water on the soap, pouring the water into the bowl, then using an almost dry brush to load soap.
The real test is that the lather sits in the bowl while I shower, in the sink full of hot water...
Every soap I have ever tested this way will break down into a micro foam instead of keeping the creamy consistency of lather... Only some of the high-end hard milled soaps will hold a lather here...
The good news is the after working this soap for a minute the lather came back and I got a great shave from it....


Shave 4

This morning I tested the new soap in a Superlather!!!!
I used “The Body Shop” shave cream and the Bay Oil & Clove soap and mixed up a Superlather... What a fantastic combo, rich, creamy mounds of lather, that lasted though sitting in the bowl in hot water while I showered...This was an absolutely great shaving experience!!!!!! Nice thick warm lather Ahhhhh
This is where we are getting into my lathering techniques of choice, I am very impressed with the subtle Bay Oil & Clove scent of the soap…The conditioning aspects of the soap are also way above average here…


Shave 5

This is my lathering method of choice I spoil myself here; it is my time in the shave den so why not experience the most luxurious method possible.. This is the Uberlather, I used the new Bay Oil & Clove soap a snurdle of “The Body Shop” shave cream and 5 drops of glycerin. The resulting explosion of thick whipped cream lather was fantastic!!!! I let this sit in the lather bowl in the hot water while I showered and found a thick creamy lather awaiting me when I was ready to shave. The resulting Uberlather was fantastic...

I would rate this at the top of my soaps to get list !!!!! Mike I think you have a winner here and you need to make this soap available to the membership in general… Please put me at the top of the order list in fact I will take 2 of the first pucks you decide to sell…

Thank you

[dwessell]

I'll take a puck too, please!

[crichton]

I'd pick one up for sure if Mike decides to make them en masse.......

[ewanhuzarmie]

If you will start selling these, I would like a puck too please.

[Doc]

I am good for one.

[tjiscooler]

What the hell, sign me up for one too!

Real thorough and well done review

[crichton]

lol......you'd better get to work Mike!!!!!

[Mike_ratliff]

I made up a small batch for the development, and have sent out about half of it as samples, the other half is now available on my site.
It is very lightly scented, so don't expect QED type smalls from it.
MY goal with the soap was to make the best shaving soap I could, I originally wanted unscented, but after a few generations I decided to add bay for it's antibacterial properties, and clove for it's slight numbing effect.

right now all I have available is the 3/4 ounce samples I poured for the test, but I will have more ready soon.


Note: my site defaults to UPS ground, I don't have a way around this, if you select Priority mail, it will save you about $6

[Mike_ratliff]

Originally Posted by crichton

lol......you'd better get to work Mike!!!!!

If this keeps up, I'll have to do a group rate...

[chancecatalyst]

Group rate, indeed! Sign me up!!

[megabit]

1st question, why would anyone have SixGun review something with a Bay scent?

and a look at Mike's website answered Q 2.

Mike
all the cool guys are named Mike

[Mike_ratliff]

actually I didn't ask him to review it per se, I asked him to critique it privately, and offer suggestions for improvement.
after his 3rd or 4th report, and statements of confidence in the soap, (and after I had already played with and fiddled with it going through numerous changes) I asked him if he would mind posting the rest of his tests publicly.

It had nothing to do with the Bay scent, and everything to do with his love of lather.
Now after I had told him it had bay, and I saw the drool in his response, I decided to include a sample of my home made bay rum AS...
If he writes a review on that one, well... at least we know it's being written by someone who knows his bay rum.

And yes, Bay Rum is my favorite scent.

[poona]

Originally Posted by Mike_ratliff

actually I didn't ask him to review it per se, I asked him to critique it privately, and offer suggestions for improvement.
after his 3rd or 4th report, and statements of confidence in the soap, (and after I had already played with and fiddled with it going through numerous changes) I asked him if he would mind posting the rest of his tests publicly.

It had nothing to do with the Bay scent, and everything to do with his love of lather.
Now after I had told him it had bay, and I saw the drool in his response, I decided to include a sample of my home made bay rum AS...
If he writes a review on that one, well... at least we know it's being written by someone who knows his bay rum.

And yes, Bay Rum is my favorite scent.

Bay Rum is my fav too.

Good work Mike!

[Huskysibe]

I may have to modify my honing order with Mike to inlcude some of his soap

[megabit]

Originally Posted by Mike_ratliff

actually I didn't ask him to review it per se, I asked him to critique it privately, and offer suggestions for improvement.

And yes, Bay Rum is my favorite scent.

Question #1 was my frail attempt at humor. I would think SixGun would likely be extra criticle of anything Bay if it wasn't right and given his collection he certainly would have a frame or reference. He has me converted to Uber-Lather as well although a low budget version of Williams, US spec Palmolive and veg glycerine.

Maybe I will need to upgrade to some WellHoned soap and add some WellHoned Bay Rum to keep my Capt Smith company.

Mike

[Mike_ratliff]

I'm not sure he would be extra critical, but he could probably spot a cheap bay oil pretty easily.

as for your uber lather, wait till you try it with a high quality soap like TGQ or Mama Bear's... You'll never look back.
I have some williams soap, it smells good, and is a good degreaser when I work in my shop, but I don't shave with it.

[zepplin]

I have some coming, and I am, too, looking forward to trying this out.

BTW, I think "Sixgun's" review would make a great lathering sticky.

Good job!

[barneycg]

Oh dear ... I think it says something when I read the title of this thread as "Baby oil and clove shaving soap"

[Huskysibe]

I received a sample with my honing order from Mike and I must say this stuff is awesome! From the box it smelled delicious, I let my wife smell it and she said and I quote "Mmmmm" I too use a dab of shaving cream with all my shaving soaps so I mixed a small amount of B&BW rebranded proraso green with it and I must say, this stuff is fantastic! Thank you Mike for the sample, and I will definantly be ordering more before these other cats get their paws on some LOL. Seriously, this is great stuff, my face has never been smoother and the smell is absolutely fantastic!

Billy

[PA23-250]

Really great stuff! Smells wonderful (subtle, yet hangs around for a while after the shave) and nice, slippery lather. I'll definitely pick up more.