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Oklahoma
(This post was last modified: 09-27-2015, 02:16 AM by thehollowaytape.)
Cimarron Shave
Tim's Soap is a relative newcomer to the artisan shaving soap market, based out of Georgetown, TX. He makes a vegan soap with a simple ingredients list:
Ingredients: Stearic acid, water, coconut oil, potassium hydroxide, fragrance, sodium hydroxide, avocado butter, sodium lactate
Presentation
Tim's Soap comes in the same white container that B&M used for their white label soaps (before switching to clear). That is, a thick walled 4-inch wide 6oz Parkway polypropylene jar with a matching lid. The lid has a nice waterproof label with the company's name & website, scent name, ingredients, and soap weight. There is 4oz of soap in the jar, with plenty of room to load without making a mess. The texture of the top of the soap lets on that it was most likely hot-filled. I will give it 9 out of 10 on presentation.
Lather
This is a fairly hard soap, in the same realm as B&M and CRSW. I used my Simpsons M6 in Manchurian badger to lather. I soaked the brush while I showered, and knocked almost all of the water out before I began swirling on the puck. This soap exhibits the frothiness that other coconut oil-based soaps do. (LASSCo, LPL, etc.) I added a touch more water a few times, and after about 45 seconds of swirling had a sufficient amount to move to my face. The soap took water well, and I ended up with a nice, shiny lather with a lack of large bubbles as a result. Lather score: 9 out of 10. I took away a point as my personal preference is for a less "frothy" soap when loading.
Performance
I began to shave with my S1, and the soap was very slick. I should have started this shave with a new blade, but did not. The soap helped me out there. Plenty of cushion as this soap will build up a very thick lather with enough product. With each application, the soap had not dissipated in my brush and provided a slick, cushiony 3 pass shave with ease. I even had enough for touchups and to squeeze out of my brush and rub on my face while I cleaned up. My only knock is on post shave feel. Although the coconut oil can be a bit drying for most, it doesn't bother me because I have oily skin. The avocado butter helps, but I could see some of you with dry skin needing to follow the shave up with a balm. Performance: 8 out of 10. This is compared to the top performers like B&M and Strop Shoppe LE.
Scent
Last but not least, the scent. Tim describes the soap as follows: "Cimarron is the scent of high prairie grasslands. A dusty cypress-vetiver accord gives the impression of windswept plains and chapparal. Notes of nutmeg, robust sandalwood and bold coffee create depth and richness. If all of that sounds like some over-the-top man-stink, let me assure you this is a scent for men or women. My wife has been using bath soap made with the same fragrance for months and has yet to grow a beard. Cimarron is complex and contemplative, as deceptively textured as the sandy-soiled grassland from which it gets its name." Though that sounds wonderful, I'll tell you what I get out of it: a very well blended combination. I get the spice from the nutmeg, but the tender sweetness of the sandalwood. The cypress-vetiver accord becomes much more noticeable during the shave. I don't get much of the coffee, but that could just be my nose ignoring it. If Roam is the scent for the manly, rough cowboy who spends his days on the range smoking cigarettes and comes home smelling of campfires and the leather of his saddle, Cimarron is the kind-hearted cowboy, the gentleman of the wild west. He is well-groomed and tips his hat to all of the ladies and is kind to them, but only has one who he calls his own. The gun on his hip is for protection, and he is the farthest from what one would call an outlaw. In short, the ladies would love this scent. I think it can be very unisex, as Tim states. For the scent I'll give this one a 10 out of 10 for me, as it makes me think of my grandpa.
Overall, Tim's soap provides a great shaving experience. I know that it has been discussed that there are almost no bad artisans anymore, but I think Tim stands out like B&M and CRSW in that he creates more interesting, complex scents. The overall score I give Cimarron is 9 out of 10. I look forward to trying more of his soaps. I have Blue Suit and Roots on deck for my next few shaves. Go get some, he has plenty of scents with a few more coming next month!
Tim's Soap is a relative newcomer to the artisan shaving soap market, based out of Georgetown, TX. He makes a vegan soap with a simple ingredients list:
Ingredients: Stearic acid, water, coconut oil, potassium hydroxide, fragrance, sodium hydroxide, avocado butter, sodium lactate
Presentation
Tim's Soap comes in the same white container that B&M used for their white label soaps (before switching to clear). That is, a thick walled 4-inch wide 6oz Parkway polypropylene jar with a matching lid. The lid has a nice waterproof label with the company's name & website, scent name, ingredients, and soap weight. There is 4oz of soap in the jar, with plenty of room to load without making a mess. The texture of the top of the soap lets on that it was most likely hot-filled. I will give it 9 out of 10 on presentation.
Lather
This is a fairly hard soap, in the same realm as B&M and CRSW. I used my Simpsons M6 in Manchurian badger to lather. I soaked the brush while I showered, and knocked almost all of the water out before I began swirling on the puck. This soap exhibits the frothiness that other coconut oil-based soaps do. (LASSCo, LPL, etc.) I added a touch more water a few times, and after about 45 seconds of swirling had a sufficient amount to move to my face. The soap took water well, and I ended up with a nice, shiny lather with a lack of large bubbles as a result. Lather score: 9 out of 10. I took away a point as my personal preference is for a less "frothy" soap when loading.
Performance
I began to shave with my S1, and the soap was very slick. I should have started this shave with a new blade, but did not. The soap helped me out there. Plenty of cushion as this soap will build up a very thick lather with enough product. With each application, the soap had not dissipated in my brush and provided a slick, cushiony 3 pass shave with ease. I even had enough for touchups and to squeeze out of my brush and rub on my face while I cleaned up. My only knock is on post shave feel. Although the coconut oil can be a bit drying for most, it doesn't bother me because I have oily skin. The avocado butter helps, but I could see some of you with dry skin needing to follow the shave up with a balm. Performance: 8 out of 10. This is compared to the top performers like B&M and Strop Shoppe LE.
Scent
Last but not least, the scent. Tim describes the soap as follows: "Cimarron is the scent of high prairie grasslands. A dusty cypress-vetiver accord gives the impression of windswept plains and chapparal. Notes of nutmeg, robust sandalwood and bold coffee create depth and richness. If all of that sounds like some over-the-top man-stink, let me assure you this is a scent for men or women. My wife has been using bath soap made with the same fragrance for months and has yet to grow a beard. Cimarron is complex and contemplative, as deceptively textured as the sandy-soiled grassland from which it gets its name." Though that sounds wonderful, I'll tell you what I get out of it: a very well blended combination. I get the spice from the nutmeg, but the tender sweetness of the sandalwood. The cypress-vetiver accord becomes much more noticeable during the shave. I don't get much of the coffee, but that could just be my nose ignoring it. If Roam is the scent for the manly, rough cowboy who spends his days on the range smoking cigarettes and comes home smelling of campfires and the leather of his saddle, Cimarron is the kind-hearted cowboy, the gentleman of the wild west. He is well-groomed and tips his hat to all of the ladies and is kind to them, but only has one who he calls his own. The gun on his hip is for protection, and he is the farthest from what one would call an outlaw. In short, the ladies would love this scent. I think it can be very unisex, as Tim states. For the scent I'll give this one a 10 out of 10 for me, as it makes me think of my grandpa.
Overall, Tim's soap provides a great shaving experience. I know that it has been discussed that there are almost no bad artisans anymore, but I think Tim stands out like B&M and CRSW in that he creates more interesting, complex scents. The overall score I give Cimarron is 9 out of 10. I look forward to trying more of his soaps. I have Blue Suit and Roots on deck for my next few shaves. Go get some, he has plenty of scents with a few more coming next month!
