The Very Best Budget Soaps / Creams Where Money is The Object!

I'll go with Stirling as well. Really close behind is Soap Commander. Third is RazoRock.

Is almost 3$/oz still considered as budget? If so, my first choice would be WSP. Slightly better than Stirling IMO.

About initial cost - isn't it just a matter of patience? If you don't HAVE to buy the soap RIGHT NOW, you can save for it while using other budget soaps with lower initial cost. After you save enough to splurge on the expensive but budget soap, you'll have enough time while going through it to save for a replacement.

You could save up for the soap, but the high cost of an expensive soap still makes me cringe. If I save up enough to buy the expensive soap, I guarantee that something else will come up that I can use the saved money on. And let's face it, expensive shaving soap is a luxury not a necessity. Even saving the money specifically for the purchase of an expensive soap, my conscience will not let me spend a lot on soap when I have other items that I could use the money for. In my case, expensive soaps are something that I will never experience. If I had a larger disposable income, then I would splurge. Unfortunately, like a lot of other people, money is tight for me and I cannot justify spending a lot on a shaving soap.

Can I ask what razor you're using? I'm interested in your view on what counts as a "budget" razor.

I understand completely about money being tight - it still is for me. However, it's again a matter of priorities and patience. As I see it, I'll save where I can so I could spend on quality products. I prefer to buy better and more expensive food ingredients and cook myself (you sacrifice your time and comfort, and just a bit more money), instead of eating out (easier but expensive), or eating fast food (cheap and easy, but you sacrifice your health). I like to save and buy better tools so a repetitive task/chore becomes enjoyable. This is just my opinion and the way I live, and in no way an accusation or expectation that others will do the same.

I like to cook, so I saved for a really good knife. In the meantime, I used several cheap ones that didn't last long, and combined actually cost more than the expensive one but I didn't have the initial sum to invest at the beginning (or knew the difference between grades...). Same thing with shaving. I started with Proraso and a dirt cheap Escali brush (cheap but perfect ratings on Amazon), and ended up with terrible allergic reaction and the brush was harsh and fell apart. I saved for better tools and now I'm looking forward for my next shave. Again, this is just my opinion, and my experience - I see posts that people enjoy ~0$ soaps or no soap at all, and somehow get 20+ shaves per blade with a plastic razor, and others use a titanium/stainless razor with one shot blades and have a collection of really expensive brushes. To each his own I suppose.

I think we need a better definition of "budget". It seems to me this thread should be focused on low-cost soaps. Im not talking about a $60 puck of soap that might last 4 months for some people, but a puck of soap that costs $5 for everybody...

We have 3 categories being talked about and 2 of them are already covered in the other soap thread...

Look around the internet. The median cost of a 4oz puck of artisan soap is about $15. So use that as a starting point for the definition of "budget". If the cost of a soap, outright, not per shave, is higher than that, than it is not a budget soap.

You can justify high-cost soaps any way that works for you. Thats fine. But in the end, $30 or more for a puck of shaving soap is not budget, no matter how you slice it. Its high end, luxury soap.

The "cost per shave" argument should be moot, in my opinion. You cannot buy soap by the shave, you must buy it by the ounce. That is the cost that should be used to gage whether or not a soap is budget.

The idea that $60 puck of soap us a budget item is odd to me. Coming from someone that has had to choose between gas in the tank and food on the table, those arguments just dont make sense. No matter how good a soap is, some of us cannot lay out that kind of cost just to cut the hair of our faces, or head, as in my case.

In my personal opinion, any soap that costs more than $3-4 per ounce is automatically disqualified as a "budget soap". Its just not budget conscious for anyone with a real budget, and frankly, thats where this thread should be focused.

If we want to discuss the best VALUE soaps, than perhaps a different thread that will break down the cost per shave value of the soap to help those that are looking at it from that persepctive. We have the high end thread, this should be the low-cost, or economy thread.

Start a value-based thread that ignores initial cost in favor of per shave cost. It is a different topic, in my opinion...

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I think that some of us have different definitions for "economic", that's all. I respect your view on things, but I don't think that the cost per shave is moot. You can get a really cheap car but with a terrible mileage so you end up spending much more on gas. Maybe we can clarify the thread to be "cheapest soap that's still acceptable to you"?

Did I beat you to it celestino?

Hehe. Seriously though, it's a fantastic soap, especially considering that the price point is in the ~$10 range.

Peter, that is why I have been using it for the past five years.

I think we need a better definition of "budget". It seems to me this thread should be focused on low-cost soaps. Im not talking about a $60 puck of soap that might last 4 months for some people, but a puck of soap that costs $5 for everybody...

We have 3 categories being talked about and 2 of them are already covered in the other soap thread...

Look around the internet. The median cost of a 4oz puck of artisan soap is about $15. So use that as a starting point for the definition of "budget". If the cost of a soap, outright, not per shave, is higher than that, than it is not a budget soap.

You can justify high-cost soaps any way that works for you. Thats fine. But in the end, $30 or more for a puck of shaving soap is not budget, no matter how you slice it. Its high end, luxury soap.

The "cost per shave" argument should be moot, in my opinion. You cannot buy soap by the shave, you must buy it by the ounce. That is the cost that should be used to gage whether or not a soap is budget.

The idea that $60 puck of soap us a budget item is odd to me. Coming from someone that has had to choose between gas in the tank and food on the table, those arguments just dont make sense. No matter how good a soap is, some of us cannot lay out that kind of cost just to cut the hair of our faces, or head, as in my case.

In my personal opinion, any soap that costs more than $3-4 per ounce is automatically disqualified as a "budget soap". Its just not budget conscious for anyone with a real budget, and frankly, thats where this thread should be focused.

If we want to discuss the best VALUE soaps, than perhaps a different thread that will break down the cost per shave value of the soap to help those that are looking at it from that persepctive. We have the high end thread, this should be the low-cost, or economy thread.

Start a value-based thread that ignores initial cost in favor of per shave cost. It is a different topic, in my opinion...

Sent from my LGL34C using Tapatalk

I think that some of us have different definitions for "economic", that's all. I respect your view on things, but I don't think that the cost per shave is moot. You can get a really cheap car but with a terrible mileage so you end up spending much more on gas. Maybe we can clarify the thread to be "cheapest soap that's still acceptable to you"?

I get both points but as I mentioned earlier, I personally look at absolute cost vs. relative when thinking about budget soaps.

As already mentioned in a different way: unless MdC can say "Buy my 200g tub for $43 + shipping and you will get 200 shaves, guaranteed" I don't feel $6 an ounce is budget. I can and often does workout that way but it is very dependent on the environment and habits of the user.

Having said that, I do have and enjoy some of the higher cost soaps such as MdC, xPec, etc. but I LOVE finding a solid value soap.

Still feel that VdH represents great value along with IB/Razorock. They bring it and are so inexpensive: I saw a tub of scratch/dent RR P160 for .99 cents this week!

In addition, I didn't see it mentioned and although it takes some hits online: Col Conk. Don't have any right now but have used in the past and you get decent bang for buck across a number of scents [~$4 for a little over 2oz puck].

Such passionate and intricate discussion, just about shaving!

One of the first soaps I bought was Stirling Vanilla Sandalwood. I did enjoy using the soap and it as a great place to start with such a low price point. One of the best soaps I own or have used is Mystic Water. The cost of refill pucks combined with performance of the soap make it a real winner for me. I make my own shave sticks from the refill pucks and as I thin out the current soap inventory, I plan on purchasing more Mystic Water soap.

I think that some of us have different definitions for "economic", that's all. I respect your view on things, but I don't think that the cost per shave is moot. You can get a really cheap car but with a terrible mileage so you end up spending much more on gas. Maybe we can clarify the thread to be "cheapest soap that's still acceptable to you"?

But that is what this thread is supposed to be. Budget conscious soaps where the cost is the concern.

It's not a "best value" soap, or "which soaps last the longest", or even "What is the cheapest soap that still works". It is "what soaps are inexpensive and still provide good performance".

$12 per ounce is not inexpensive. Regardless of the per-shave potential for a stingy loader, $12 per ounce is not inexpensive. $2 per ounce is.

Someone mentioned cars with high gas mileage. I accept that challenge. For someone that has $3,000 to spend on a vehicle, the gas mileage is regarded only on an "as it comes" basis. It's VASTLY easier to come up with $20 to fill the tank every other week than it is to come up with an ADDITIONAL $3,000 for a better efficiency vehicle.

By the same token, it is VASTLY easier to come up with $4 for a tub of Amici every other month than it is to save up for almost a year at the same cost for a tub of McD, no matter how long that tub lasts.

I can buy 6 tubs of Amici soap PLUS 6 bottles of Amici splash for the cost of 1 tub of McD. To put these 2 soaps in the same "budget" category is just silly, in my opinion. It's not a budget soap, no matter how you slice, or how much patience you have.

At the end of the day, if I have to save up for almost a year to buy a tub of soap at $2 per month(the cost of Amici)...it's not a budget soap. It is a luxury item, thus the need to SAVE UP for it.

A BUDGET item does not require one to save up for an indefinite period of time just for the privilege of experience said item. Budget means inexpensive. $60 for 4 ounces of shaving soap is not inexpensive, by any degree.

If we are really trying to help budget conscious shavers find the best budget-priced soaps, we need to forget this idea that saving up for a year to buy a soap that *might* last 4 months is a viable option. It isn't.

One of the first soaps I bought was Stirling Vanilla Sandalwood.  I did enjoy using the soap and it as a great place to start with such a low price point.   One of the best soaps I own or have used is Mystic Water.  The cost of refill pucks combined with performance of the soap make it a real winner for me.  I make my own shave sticks from the refill pucks and as I thin out the current soap inventory, I plan on purchasing more Mystic Water soap.

Clint, great to hear you are enjoying the soap.

BadDad I know you meant Martin de Candre (MdC), but every time I saw "McD" I read it as "McDonald's" which made the whole post that much more fun to read. :-)

That said, I think your point is solid; up-front cost is almost certainly the most important factor for the budget-restrained, as it's just a matter of what's actually possible. There's also initial impression, such as someone being convinced of wet shaving needing to see that a good soap can be quite inexpensive. Both of these are in contrast to someone who is looking for great VALUE, or seeing their money put to the best possible use, which, depending on your finances, may allow for a bigger up-front cost for longer-term savings. I agree, though, that the first case (budget restraint) is likely the most relevant context for this thread.

And please forgive me if I come across as "angry" or whatever. I am not. I am, however, an exceptionally cost-conscious shaver, and my entire den is built around a very strict budget. You will not find a tub of Martin de Candre soap in my den, because there is no chance I can afford to spend $50-60 bucks on a tub of soap. That's enough gas to get me back and forth to work (45 miles one way) for 3 weeks. That's what I spend on groceries for the week.

So if I seem a little "zealous" in my arguments, please forgive me. I do find it slightly insulting when someone says $60 is "budget" if you have patience and save up for it. Unless that $60 tub is going to last me for the next 12 months it takes to save up for another one...it is not budget. If it takes longer to come up with the money to pay for it than it actually lasts...it's not budget.

As a bit of insight, I currently have about 20 soaps in my den, ranging from Jeeves of Hudson St and Tiki Bar to Williams and Van der Hagen. Of those 20 or so pucks of soap...16 of them were gifts from other shavers looking to thin their den of unused product. I really appreciate their generosity because otherwise, my den would consist solely of Williams, VDH, and my 2 luxury tubs...Captain's Choice Bay Rum and Maggard's Tobacco and Leather...both of which fall squarely in the median-cost range, and both of which were "splurges" on my part.

I make decent money, and I'm not looking for "sympathy" or whatever, I'm just trying to display what a real budget shaver looks at. I *might* buy a real artisan soap once a month at $15/4oz. That is splurging on a budget.

As a single father to a rapidly growing young lady, soaps are not high on the priority list...