What's the deal on "artisan" Shaving Creams?

My understanding is that a cream IS a soap just a very soft soap but so is soft soap or liquid soap, it's not the form that matters but the ingredients and processing (i.e. saponification).

Precisely, technically. They both will contain soap/salt forms of fat and lye, i.e. Potassium X-ate, Sodium X-ate.

...Nancy Boy...TOBS, DR Harris, and GFT are all creamy soaps. I think Truefitt & Hill is a cream that lathers...

Technically, all of the above are soaps, albeit very soft (creamy).
They all contain saponified fats, and by this virtue should be latherable.

Right, and that's what I wrote.

Well I think that a cream is not a soap with more water in the recipe! And the same holds true for croaps versus hard soaps.

If it was as simple as that, water would just evaporate and at some point in time every cream or croap would just become a hard soap.
A cream is a soap that holds more water than a hard soap, water is sort of trapped in and does not evaporate. You do that by correctly balancing the alkali, that is using more potassium hydroxide and less (or no) sodium hydroxide.

I used to make creams in the past, while I was researching a making method to enhance the ingredients qualities, and frankly I found that process a lot easier, both because you can cold work the paste since it does not harden, and also because the jars (or tubes) filling is easy with a soft product, you can even use a filler machine for that.

I think people prefer soaps because they perceive the cream as if they're just paying for the water, and that is partially true.

...Nancy Boy...TOBS, DR Harris, and GFT are all creamy soaps. I think Truefitt & Hill is a cream that lathers...

Technically, all of the above are soaps, albeit very soft (creamy).
They all contain saponified fats, and by this virtue should be latherable.

Right, and that's what I wrote.

Ah, sorry, just wanted to clarify.:-)
It seems I misunderstood; I did not exactly understand what you meant by a "cream that lathers" (vs "creamy soaps").

Well I think that a cream is not a soap with more water in the recipe! And the same holds true for croaps versus hard soaps.

If it was as simple as that, water would just evaporate and at some point in time every cream or croap would just become a hard soap.
A cream is a soap that holds more water than a hard soap, water is sort of trapped in and does not evaporate. You do that by correctly balancing the alkali, that is using more potassium hydroxide and less (or no) sodium hydroxide.

I used to make creams in the past, while I was researching a making method to enhance the ingredients qualities, and frankly I found that process a lot easier, both because you can cold work the paste since it does not harden, and also because the jars (or tubes) filling is easy with a soft product, you can even use a filler machine for that.  

I think people prefer soaps because they perceive the cream as if they're just paying for the water, and that is partially true.

I agree with you, but I do have a couple of my older 2012/2013 DR Harris pots of creams, that now have dried totally, so they are harder than a croap - meaning if you preess your finger down into the used-to-be-a-cream you can not see even a small tiny dent in the texture on the surface. It's hard as a saop now.

I load these old DR Harris creams as soaps now, and what surprises me is that both the Arlington and the Almond still have kept their scents down under the surface, almost as strongly smelling as the day I bought them. And they still work great.

My 2012 Truefit & Hill Ultimate shaving cream and my TOBS Jermyn Street cream are both almost as hard my two DR Harris creams, and I also have to load them like I do a croap/soap.


So in a sense these dried out creams acts and feels like soaps now.....they have far from kept their water balance inside the cream.
On the other hand my two pots of Castle Forbes cream are both also from 2012, and they have pretty much stayed the same, still a hard cream/croap like in texture. Scent is still there also, quite strongly smelling still.

WSP Facebook has announced the following: http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=7cc5...b2bbfc850b summarizing

I've become the first artisan maker of shaving cream.

OK ... What about Stone Cottage Soapworks? http://www.stonecottagesoapworks.com Its shaving cream. I've tried some of them. Its most definitely shaving cream and not a soap or croap.

What about Al's Shaving Cream? http://alsshaving.com Its definitely shaving cream and both have been around for a few years.

What's going on?

Al's is known as the Bombe. It lathers so easily it explodes in lather, and it does. Here is an interview from three years ago http://sharpologist.com/2013/07/intervie...l-raz.html. He's also written articles for Sharpologist like this http://sharpologist.com/2012/03/anatomy-...cream.html and this http://sharpologist.com/2012/05/7-common...myths.html

WSP Facebook has announced the following:  http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=7cc5...b2bbfc850b summarizing

I've become the first artisan maker of shaving cream.

OK ... What about Stone Cottage Soapworks? http://www.stonecottagesoapworks.com  Its shaving cream. I've tried some of them. Its most definitely shaving cream and not a soap or croap.

What about Al's Shaving Cream? http://alsshaving.com Its definitely shaving cream and both have been around for a few years.

What's going on?

Went to check that quote in the link you posted, and here is a slightly longer version of it:
I've done it! I'm very pleased to announce that after over 150 trials & failed batches, I've finally cracked the code to become the first artisan to make shaving cream successfully.

So yes, it sounds like WSP is either putting down all other artisan shaving cream makers, or is dreadfully ignorant of their existence.

has anyone asked Lee about his claim regarding the cream?

Are you sure the other two meet the definition of "artisan"? Or are they shartisans? lol

Are you sure the other two meet the definition of "artisan"? Or are they shartisans? lol  

Like most everything in this industry, there are fads. At one time, Al's seemed highly regarded by people like Mantic and Leisure Guy. I've tried Al's. Its shaving cream and it's reputation for "exploding" in lather is deserved. I'm not keen on the scents but its latherability is up there with the 3Ts. I've also tried Stone Cottage and can say it is a cream and has got reasonable reviews elsewhere on the internet.

Do they meet the definition of artisan. I believe from the Sharpologist interview Al is a chemist started in 2010. You can read his story on his website. Stone cottage is a small place in NJ opened in 2003, store in 2006. I think they made regular soap and then moved on to shaving cream. He's active on the other forum and has explained what it takes to make shaving cream vs shaving soap. Just as their are vendors here, he is there.