What's the Perfect Soap Size?

I can deal with either headroom or no headroom, but I strongly prefer buying 3-4 oz. of soap to big 8 oz. containers. Most soaps I use once a week or less, so a 4 oz. container lasts a year or more. 8 oz. is just more of a commitment than I want to make.

Now that I'm typing that it, it sounds like of irrational, but there you go.

I also prefer 4oz containers, large enough and with some room left to ease the loading without spilling the protolather on the side...

My favorite jars out of all commercially available are the ones B&M and MLS are using, they are 6 ounces low profile and extra wide, filled half way, still plenty of soap. I am seriously considering them for my tallow formula.

Agreed, I think these are the perfect sized jars. Honestly while I love the idea of 8oz or more of a soap, I like many never actually empty jars as it is. I think the only soaps I ever fully use up is MdC.

Now that I'm typing that it, it sounds like of irrational, but there you go.

LOLOL

No jar. Stick.

4-6 oz. with some headroom in a nice plastic container.

Whether to fill all the way or to leave room, I don't care either way. For dimensions, though, I prefer a large diameter, shallow container over a small diameter, deep container. I prefer plastic tubs over metal tins, too. B&M has the best I've used so far. And I agree with Chuck about the 4 oz vs 8 oz containers.

if I'm using a soap, I don't like it when my lather runs outside of the bowl/tin while I'm loading my brush. I don't like wasting product unnecessarily.

I don't think the size of the container makes as much difference as some other people do. I've loaded without a lot of issues from 5" wide tins, all the way down to the Cella/La Famiglia sized containers. All of them worked fine.

I do prefer some head space. Not so much because the lather spilling over makes a mess - that's easily rinsed away. But if the lather doesn't spill over, that soap stays in play as you load, leading to a denser, creamy lather faster.

As a shaver and as an artisan I have an internal struggle between visually interesting and practical. Ceramic containers like the one for MWF are beautiful - but can't be safely stacked, for example. Our domed lids are more visually appealing to me, but I know they'd be more stable in storage if the lid was flat.

Hey, Eric, it's good to see you here.

I couldn't agree more with you about the lather staying in the bowl. If there is no head room, I feel like I'm spending as much time working the overflow back into the bowl as I am making lather.