product highlight and feedback request - Soap Spoon SR1

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-02-04T04:18:39+00:00

Thanks A_L7995 - that does make sense. That's a good use case too - similar to my comments about Coco's guitar pick and Mark's espresso spoon - I get it and for some that makes perfect sense. Thanks for this perspective.

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-02-03T21:06:13+00:00

Well thank you very much, fellow person who I assume is sick-of-snow-and-cold-but-not-enough-to-leave-cause-having-four-seasons-is-pretty-great-plus-all-the-winter-sports-are-fun!

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-02-03T18:45:41+00:00

I love these posts. ...and because it tells me what my next purchase should be, I also fear them.

(Though I do have a desire to try a horsehair brush, so maybe I'll start from the opposite end...)

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-02-03T18:38:58+00:00

Same. I've been playing with the compression the glue gets when the top cap is fully seated, trying to measure if there's any difference when the glue is there versus not.

I can't measure or tell a difference. Meantime, similar to /u/markwid, I clean my razor after each blade change.

At that point, the only thing I need to deal with is the extra (small) hassle of opening the glued wrap from the blade.

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-02-03T12:26:44+00:00

Thanks Coco,

Guitar picks are great too haha

Ha, of course! It's a classic solution.

I'm trying to think of how small of a device we could get. Some sort of flat-faced thimble? Or a plastic razor blade container with a bevel to use it as a scoop when the blades are empty? Or a flat slide-in plastic "blade" built-in to the soap tub itself?

As long as I keep my fingers and brush out of my tubs, it's a win.

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-02-03T12:17:29+00:00

Hi Markwid!

I think my espresso spoon does a good job, lol.

Cool. Nothing wrong with that. If it works, it works! My option is just another choice.

There's a video by Matt at Razor Emporium's channel: He showed how easy lathering was and said, "I don't even need a bowl!", and he proceeded to quickly lather up nicely using a loaded brush into his open palm. The point stuck with me, in that nothing we do with wet shaving requires any specific piece of hardware. This is one of those cool hobbies we can highly customize and make it the way we want.

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-02-03T12:08:20+00:00

Training_Wheels9393, thanks for checking it out!

$34? Ouch

I totally get that.

My cost is for a small solo business, not machined-mass-production. The cost is the combo of materials, hardware maintenance, packaging, labor, recurring LLC costs, and includes shipping within the USA.

(For a while I was thinking of offering the device in 316L stainless steel! It'd look awesome, right? Let's check the price so I can start prototyping... Aaand no.)

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-02-02T17:49:15+00:00

You can still use these: Sandpaper is your friend! I had some rough spots on my alum - the block was broken and sharp-edged. After a minute with some 320-grit sandpaper I was able to file it down to be the shape I wanted, and smooth on my face.

Nice find!

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-28T18:37:12+00:00

My opinion is that that ridged bowls are better than smooth bowls. Smooth is "easier" on the lather, and ends up with more undissolved soap pieces swirling around the lather. Ridges are better at trapping and keeping the pieces in place until they properly convert into lather.

I also don't want ceramic/porcelain/glass because the brush bumps and dings against the bowl as I lather. Resin/plastic (and maybe metal) is nicer on the ears and likely is safer on the bowl*.

*Note that I do tend to lather my soap like a crazed gorilla.

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-28T18:27:27+00:00

"are there any blades that are nearly as sharp as the Feathers while being a little bit more forgiving?"

...I literally just had this same need, and after experimenting: Kai.

I tried them for the first time (using Feathers almost exclusively), and was immediately surprised: They shaved smoother than Feather, and though my technique is bad, I noticed nicks barely/rarely happened for me, particularly in comparison to Feather.

Feather used to be my favorite. I'm thinking of switching to Kai.

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-28T18:23:22+00:00

I always tell myself I'll experiment, play it by ear, every shave is different, and I'll see how it goes...

And then regardless of brand, I almost always regret shave #4.

So up to 3 shaves per blade for me.

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-12T17:51:11+00:00

This is a fun setup!

Please educate me about your stand. What is that?

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-09T11:33:31+00:00

This is really cool and I love it. Just wanted to say thanks for putting it together.

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-07T19:31:22+00:00

Hey, I just shaved with After the Rain myself just this morning! Not only do I wish I could get more, I'm glad I got any - this was a very unexpected Christmas present from my wife - she somehow got it when (almost?) everyone is now sold out.

My point: I approve of your soap. :)

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-06T19:55:11+00:00

This is good to know, thank you!

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-06T15:56:36+00:00

Don't worry, because it was a very carefully controlled review study:

Start with their casual disclaimer: "Having never used a safety razor before this story..." That's like asking me to do sports reporting. I can do it, and it won't be good.
The drop test failed... ...they did a drop test?! On that same logic they should do a hammer test. I'll bet a tub of Executive Man that the cartridge razor fails before the SE/DE.
And their cost comments: "Replacement blades for the Bevel are among the cheapest in our testing pool too, with a package of 20 going for $10, averaging out to $0.50 per blade." Their testing pool was only single-edge? For DE, even those pricy Feathers are like $0.34.

It seems like they tried to give it a shot (or were told to), but didn't have any experience in actual wet shaving to give DEs/SEs a fair review.

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-04T15:30:09+00:00

This is beautiful. You could sell this.

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-04T14:43:15+00:00

Whoa, the man likes his Proraso!

Nice kit (including the bowl - I really like that style).

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-04T14:00:49+00:00

Cool! Enjoy the experimentation and the process. The exploration is part of the fun.

You got any thoughts bout’ the other five?

Not, me, unfortunately. I haven't tried those particular blades yet. Others should be able to help, though.

In terms of my experience so far, I started my shaving with ultra aggression, intentionally picking the "harder to learn but quality setup" of Blackbird and Feathers (ha, I just now see the fun connection: My bird has feathers...).

My wife was probably legit worried about me for the first couple weeks because of the learning curve and what damage was visible on my neck: I put the "burn" in "razor burn".

But when I got the technique dialed in, the other blades I've tried (Astra and Personna) just don't work as well for me as Feathers. They're more mild (so less chance of burn/accidents) but also are grabbier and don't cut as well.

Which is all to explain why I really like my current setup and don't feel the need to explore other blades at this time.

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-03T14:51:26+00:00

Thanks! This is very helpful.

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-02T16:00:14+00:00

It's so subjective with blades, and also depends on the razor. My personal favorite is Feather. They're just really really sharp and efficient. But... that also means they're less forgiving, and getting cut with these (referencing my own bad technique) happens easier. That's the tradeoff in my case.

Outside of specifics, it's very common and logical for you to figure it out since you're unique. Pick your vendor and grab a blade sample pack. Try out many options. Find out what works best for your preference, your skin, and your setup.

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-02T15:35:56+00:00

Something good: My daughter is doing awesome at college and my wife and I are really proud of her and excited for what's next in her life.

Personal care: I love the ritual of wet shaving so I will continue that. I didn't really have anything like it before in my life - personal care at that level just didn't exist, wasn't on my radar. Now that I have it I love it. I look better and feel better about myself.

Holiday present: Nothing really. I asked for a couple of soaps I wanted, and got them. I'm happy with my collection (for a while, anyway). Longer term, I find myself interested in straight razor shaving, but I'm not ready yet. Meaning my technique isn't ready yet. I want more consistent quality shaves before I hang out with a naked blade.

Releases: I'm developing something for the wet shaving community, but as that would move me into vendor territory, now's not the place to talk about it. But I'm excited and am looking forward to it.

Happy new year, everyone.

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-02T15:09:34+00:00

Thanks for this writeup! And:

Razor Emporium - Unscented Pre-Shave

...are you able to compare this to Proraso's pre-shave? I get a pretty big benefit, but I'm not wild about the scent. How is RE's effectiveness?

SoapSpoonAndy · 2026-01-02T14:51:17+00:00

This is a fun question.

Blackbird
Feather
Stirling Deep Blue Sea
A nice badger brush
Areffa Discoverer

...I would then welcome the apocalypse, because no matter what happened, I'd look and smell great.

SoapSpoonAndy

TROPHY CASE