PAA General Thoughts?

Find their prices high, products mediocre and scents muddled. Much better out there for the money

Bad for traditional wet shaving Brian.
I have tried numerous versions of HTGAM & PAA soaps and they were awful, not even bringing up price or his dreadful behavior.
This grifter and his sycophant girlfriend really have no reason to be in the business.

NeoXerxes reviews are indeed invalid for being compensated (as Freddie mentioned above) not to mention the private PM he wrote I have stating his intent to discredit Cold River Soap Works on behalf of another artisan.
Again another example of dreadful behavior in the so called "artisan" community.

Please note that I stated that compensated reviews were not valid, in my opinion.  This does not make a compensated reviewer dishonest but simply puts enough doubt in my mind to not consider them.  There are others who like them and follow them.

As for your other comments, this is not the place for them as the original poster was asking about PAA products, not CRSW.  There has been more than enough drama on both of those topics so, please, keep it to what you think of those PAA products you have tried or were considering trying (or not).

Guys, you have a plenty of free time, I like that.
You know, this guy( Hodges) is a member here, but he is not willing to spend a little of his free time to say a few things about himself, his past, his products, answer customers' and wetshavers' questions etc. So, why is he a supported vendor here? Does he support with his behavior the members? You were used to criticize other forums, like TSN and its policies, but all the supported vendors there, are willing to help the members, support them and answer their questions promptly. Meanwhile, some of you continue talking about the HTGAM/ PAA drama, giving credits to this guy actually, because this is what he wants. I am sure he enjoys that, laughing in a corner with some of your comments. He accomplished what he wanted, people talk about him, about his personna.

LMFAO

He's a vendor here because any vendor is allowed to become a member here and participate to whatever degree they choose. He runs 2 websites for his products, another website for international shave meet-ups, 2 podcasts, a youtube channel, a G+ group, his business, and his family. I doubt that the naysayers bother him enough to address them on every forum they frequent, and it's irrational to expect him to do so. He interacts quite regularly and decently on his own sites and G+ group, and messages directly to him through any of those avenues are quickly responded to, in my experience.

I give him credit where it is due...his hardgoods are awesome and well priced. His software performs well for me, but is slightly overpriced. I simply don;t care about the drama others like to create.

Find their prices high, products mediocre and scents muddled. Much better out there for the money

Bad for traditional wet shaving Brian.
I have tried numerous versions of HTGAM & PAA soaps and they were awful, not even bringing up price or his dreadful behavior.
This grifter and his sycophant girlfriend really have no reason to be in the business.

NeoXerxes reviews are indeed invalid for being compensated (as Freddie mentioned above) not to mention the private PM he wrote I have stating his intent to discredit Cold River Soap Works on behalf of another artisan.
Again another example of dreadful behavior in the so called "artisan" community.

This is the kind of stuff that makes it impossible to have a rational and reasonable discussion about THE PRODUCTS. Not a single mention of PAA's products, just a personal vendetta on 2 different subjects, neither of which are valid in this particular topic.

My guess is your description of the products as "awful" is based on bias, rather than an actual sampling of the products. Just my guess...

This is why people don't write anything positive about PAA on forums. People like this ruin it for anyone looking for a reasonable and rational discussion of THE PRODUCTS.

People are certainly welcome to formulate their own conclusions about PAA's marketing techniques. I have no problem with that. I do have an issue with people constantly and continuously chastising, belittling and berating a company for those marketing techniques and denigrating anyone that supports that company publicly with a constant barrage of unrelated rumours and unfounded accusations.

Find their prices high, products mediocre and scents muddled. Much better out there for the money

Bad for traditional wet shaving Brian.
I have tried numerous versions of HTGAM & PAA soaps and they were awful, not even bringing up price or his dreadful behavior.
This grifter and his sycophant girlfriend really have no reason to be in the business.

NeoXerxes reviews are indeed invalid for being compensated (as Freddie mentioned above) not to mention the private PM he wrote I have stating his intent to discredit Cold River Soap Works on behalf of another artisan.
Again another example of dreadful behavior in the so called "artisan" community.

Though this was clearly an attempt attack my credibility, I thank you for bringing this up so I can have a chance to address it. Gentlemen, please take the time to read this so I can offer my side of this story.

First, on the concern that Freddy brought up, I should point out that I do not get compensated for reviews. On rare occasion, I receive a review copy of a soap/brush/razor in order to evaluate. This is not the same thing as being compensated (the distinction ought to be made), but is about enabling the reviewer to test an item, and does not affect my review any more than receiving a book for review would. One is welcome to find those reviews useless, but when I do receive an item for review from a vendor/artisan, I note it publicly. The members here will note that I have not once noted this on reviews that I have posted on this site. This means that in all the reviews that I have done here thus far, I have not once received for free any soap/cream for review.

Second, I'd like to assure everyone here that the accusation made about launching some secret campaign to discredit CRSW is false. Recently, a new member came here to post (this member incidentally had the name "Ravi", who is a mod over on TSN) a screenshot of a private message of mine from TSN where I have been banned. Clearly I no longer have access to this PM in order to offer my side of the story. In any case, the PM showed a random member (who I have never met or discussed anything with prior to this message) asking me to post a negative review about CRSW in order to discredit them. In the doctored image (I don't know if it was the image or the PM itself that was altered), the message shows that I practically jump for joy at the opportunity, and in barely coherent english I openly confess how I (and many others) was asked by Will of Barrister and Mann to discredit CRSW.

Now, the reason why I remember the original message (which I did receive) is that I found it to be extremely offensive. But instead of accepting this ridiculous offer as the doctored image shows, I refused, directly and immediately. I told him that I would absolutely give CRSW a fair shot and that I have no interest discrediting any particular brand. Numerous others can confirm this because I had mentioned the message that I received to them as soon as I received it, largely because I found it so offensive. I also mentioned my immediate refusal. They thought the offer was shady, and I thought the offer was shady. And it offends me that someone would attempt to attack my credibility by faking a private message on a site that I no longer have access to.

Actually, I suspected entrapment the moment that I received the message - I am not a moron. The person that sent me the message was suspect because it was one of those AstroTurf newer accounts. Ironically, not long after I received this message, that same fake account went over to a CRSW thread on TSN and posted an extremely positive review. Ask yourselves: Does that sound like someone who genuinely wants to trash CRSW on behalf of another brand? Is this person likely to offer a glowing review of CRSW? Obviously not.

Most of you gents know that I would never accept any such deal, and certainly wouldn't be behind some massive campaign to discredit one brand at the behest of another. Why the hell would I do that? I have reviewed countless items without problem or bias, and never once before CRSW have I received any sort of attack on my credibility. The only brand that has ever given me trouble is CRSW. Not because it deserves any special discrediting, but because my comments on the soap have earned me a trolling campaign of defamation, launched by a few questionable individuals on another site. In fact, on that site, an admin by the same name as the one who produced the doctored image here (Ravi) warned me that I was "trolling" for being analytical about CRSW.

Others have seen me being trolled by admins/mods on TSN for criticizing this product like I would any other. Still others have nearly gotten banned (in their own words) for criticizing this product. Is anyone really surprised that someone would go so far as to doctor private messages in order to discredit someone who has a lukewarm opinion about CRSW? I'm not, quite frankly, from the way that I've been treated for making a couple of negative (mostly lukewarm) observations about the performance of this brand.

I hardly think I need to defend myself on this issue, but in this case I will make an exception since I am being defamed (probably by certain members over on another forum) through an altered private message. I realize that I am arguing against something that looks like facts and evidence, since it is in the form of a "screenshot" of a private message, but I leave it to you to make your judgements.

I will state it directly and openly: This message was doctored in order to undermine my credibility. I refused that request to attack CRSW.

EDIT: If anyone has any questions at all, or if you have any further doubts or concerns on this issue, feel free to send me a private message.

Gents, this is an interesting thread and I look forward to additional comments on what is a broad product line. May give the community some ideas on how to narrow down selections.

Let's get back on topic- the products themselves.

Thanks in advance.

Most certainly lets get back to the discussion at hand...we had three really good pages of useful discussion and one page of sidetracked unrelated items... as my 4 year old would say "don't be drama Dad"......


One item I do have of PAA that I like is their open comb razor. It's pretty well made and is an aggressive beast almost as aggressive as the IKON Tech in my opinion and I think when I got it a year ago it was just under $40.00; that was a pleasant surprise. I also think their DOC razor is pretty good as well. The prices and performances of his razors are pretty dang good... the software to me is just overpriced for what you get then again I stated that already... damn redundancy......

That DOC has always seemed interesting to me too. Looks like a medieval torture device but people swear by it.

I know it was mentioned briefly earlier but any more detail on #9? This right now would be my first pickup soap as I have always loved the smell of Hoppes. Is it a good likeness? Not sure I'd love it in a soap but that scent takes me back to great times with Dads, Grandads, etc.

That DOC has always seemed interesting to me too. Looks like a medieval torture device but people swear by it.

I know it was mentioned briefly earlier but any more detail on #9? This right now would be my first pickup soap as I have always loved the smell of Hoppes. Is it a good likeness? Not sure I'd love it in a soap but that scent takes me back to great times with Dads, Grandads, etc.

I've never smelled Hoppe's, so I can't attest to the accuracy of the match, though I have heard it is "spot on". I've never used the soap, but I've used the splash. To me, it comes on with a bubblegum-ish scent that dissipates during drydown into something like gunpowder. It is not like anything I have ever smelled before, but as I said...I've never smelled Hoppe's gun oil, so it might just be a match...

I think 9 is a pretty darn dead ringer for Hoppes gun oil. Having used them both it's pretty dang accurate. Don't wear that before flying though, I've gotten asked by TSA before if I had been shooting or handling a firearm before flying and be given special attention..... True Story.....

I think 9 is a pretty darn dead ringer for Hoppes gun oil.  Having used them both it's pretty dang accurate.  Don't wear that before flying though, I've gotten asked by TSA before if I had been shooting or handling a firearm before flying and be given special attention..... True Story.....

This made me laugh and I would not have thought of it. I do travel a fair bit and THAT would be a real hassle- good to know on the scent. Thanks steeleshaves and BadDad .

Guys, you have a plenty of free time, I like that.
You know, this guy( Hodges) is a member here, but he is not willing to spend a little of his free time to say a few things about himself, his past, his products, answer customers' and wetshavers' questions etc. So, why is he a supported vendor here? Does he support with his behavior the members? You were used to criticize other forums, like TSN and its policies, but all the supported vendors there, are willing to help the members, support them and answer their questions promptly. Meanwhile, some of you continue talking about the HTGAM/ PAA drama, giving credits to this guy actually, because this is what he wants. I am sure he enjoys that, laughing in a corner with some of your comments. He accomplished what he wanted, people talk about him, about his personna.

LMFAO

you have to pay to be a vendor & artisan on TSN before you're even able to speak about your products. failure to do so will likely result in a ban or a stern warning.

on DFS, we don't place any of those restrictions on a merchant to get involved with the shaving community...that's why we have something like 65 or 70 registered merchants on this site at the moment.