# Smooth looking Soap



## rainwater

Hi, 
I recently purchased some CP Soap and it is amazingly smooth. I keep my soap in a the silicone mold for about 2 days, I wait another day to cut it. However it is still not as smooth as the soap I purchased. Does anyone have any advise for me to achieve a really smooth finish to my soap?


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## The Efficacious Gentleman

Hello and welcome.

What do you mean by 'smooth looking', especially when you say that yours is not smooth?  Can you post pictures?


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## Susie

If you mean the edges/corners are smoothed out, it is done with a soap planer.  If you are talking about the sides being smooth, then pictures would help as I am not sure what you mean.  Some soaps I have bought, I am sure they rubbed them under water to smooth out the sides.


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## rainwater

Hi,
Sorry, it's hard to explain. Let me see if I can figure out how to post a picture.
I plane my soap and bevel the edges. It's the actual texture of the soap. It has a very creamy appearance and is just so smooth. My soap seems to be harder but just has a rougher appearance. I've tried, it seems 100's of recipes and tweaked them all. I like the recipe I am using now, but the texture is not as smooth as I would like it to be.
I thought maybe I might need to superfat more. Right now I am superfatting at 5%.


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## marilynmac

It looks like it may be tiny air bubbles in your soap.  Slam it on the floor a lot to make the bubbles rise to the top and pop.     also burp your mixer to be sure there is no air caught under it, or you will be whipping lots of bubbles into the soap.

I have heard that cutting with a wire gives a more textured cut.   I'm using a bread knife, but that leave stripes on one side.


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## rainwater

I probably do need to slam it down more. That's a good idea. I use a Bud Cutter and it works great... but if you could see this soap you would agree it's really smooth.. Like butter smooth. Oh well... I'll just keep trying. Thanks eveyone for your help.


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## marilynmac

rainwater said:


> I probably do need to slam it down more. That's a good idea. I use a Bud Cutter and it works great... but if you could see this soap you would agree it's really smooth.. Like butter smooth. Oh well... I'll just keep trying. Thanks eveyone for your help.



what is a bud cutter?


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## Obsidian

You might try a knife, see if that smooths the surface of your soap more. Every time I use wire, I get the same texture you do. Now I use a very thin knife and I get beautiful smooth surfaces.


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## pamielynn

The "smoothest" recipe I have is made with sunflower oil - that's the only difference. Don't know why - just is


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## DeeAnna

Bud cutter -- Bud Haffner. You can find him and his soap cutters on Etsy.


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## IrishLass

Which silicone mold are you using? I ask because I have a couple of different ones, but only one of them always seems to gives my finished soap a bubbly surface everywhere that the soap was in contact with the mold, even if I had burped my stick blender and banged my mold (talking about my ED silicone mold). Otherwise, it's a great mold and I love using it (it's very versatile and gives me several swirling options), but I've resigned myself to always having my planer at the ready once the soap is unmolded. 

The pic below is a perfect depiction of what I'm talking about. The blue soap on the left was made using my Woodfield's silicone mold (see how smooth it is? I did not need to plane this soap at all); and the green soap on the right was made with my ED silicone mold (the surface bubbling is typical for me with this mold). Both were soaped using the same recipe at the same temps, and both were placed in my oven to ensure gel at the same temp. 






And here is my green soap after one swipe with my planer (it needed 2 swipes in the end to make it perfectly smooth): 







IrishLass


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## Obsidian

My smoothest recipe is 75% lard. Hard, waxy and super smooth.


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## katsntx

IrishLass said:


> Which silicone mold are you using? I ask because I have a couple of different ones, but only one of them always seems to gives my finished soap a bubbly surface everywhere that the soap was in contact with the mold, even if I had burped my stick blender and banged my mold (talking about my ED silicone mold). Otherwise, it's a great mold and I love using it (it's very versatile and gives me several swirling options), but I've resigned myself to always having my planer at the ready once the soap is unmolded.
> 
> The pic below is a perfect depiction of what I'm talking about. The blue soap on the left was made using my Woodfield's silicone mold (see how smooth it is? I did not need to plane this soap at all); and the green soap on the right was made with my ED silicone mold (the surface bubbling is typical for me with this mold). Both were soaped using the same recipe at the same temps, and both were placed in my oven to ensure gel at the same temp.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And here is my green soap after one swipe with my planer (it needed 2 swipes in the end to make it perfectly smooth):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> IrishLass


''

Are you kidding me, IrishLass??  Why in the world would the ED mold do that?  I have two of these molds and have never seen anything like that.  Have you contacted ED about it?  I certainly would if it were mine.


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## cmzaha

Have to admit that I am not real forthcoming with my recipes but I do have a really nice super smooth feeling bar that I make. Recipe follows
lard 37%
Palm 18% 
Sunflower 17%
coconut oil 15%
Canola 7%
Castor 6% 
sugar
salt
3% superfat
33% lye concentration
This is a very silky smooth bar of light color soap. I do not superfat it high because of the low cleansing number. Tallow could sub for lard but will bring up the cleansing number


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## Obsidian

Irishlass, I love the bubbled surface. Its a really neat pattern, reminds me of the moons surface.


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## OliveOil2

I have noticed that both lard and rice bran oil contribute to a smooth waxy surface, and I think that the finish on the inside of the silicone liner also makes a difference. The silicone lined mold that I have been using recently leaves the soap almost looking like melt & pour. The bottom and sides are smooth and shiny like glass, wonder if someone will think that it is melt & pour.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman

Does the water amount have any effect on it at all?


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## CaraBou

Not sure I have clear insight to the smoothness of my soaps so I'll leave that question to the others.  But I do have something to add about IrishLass's bubble texture.  Like katsntx I have 2 ED silicon molds too (a red and a white), and have never gotten that pattern.  I suspect it has to do with the oven / gel temp as I don't usually do CPOP (at most, I have put these molds into a warm oven that has already been turned off).  But I agree with Obsidian, that looks nifty!


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## froggybean37

rainwater said:


> I probably do need to slam it down more. That's a good idea. I use a Bud Cutter and it works great... but if you could see this soap you would agree it's really smooth.. Like butter smooth. Oh well... I'll just keep trying. Thanks eveyone for your help.



I recently bought a cutter from bud and (while the quality of the cutter is great) my soap which usually looks very smooth looks very rough when cut with it. I have gone back to using just a plain, non serrated knife.


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## rainwater

I also have the same experience with my Bud Cutter. I was so excited to get it, but when I compare my knife cut soaps to the wire cut soaps the texture has little bumps which I have to plane off. I spent so much on it I feel like I need to use it.


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## rainwater

Bud Haffner Soap Cutters on Etsy. They are nice cutters, but I notice little bumps when cut with the wire. I compared them to some bars I cut with a knife a while back and those were smooth. I didn't need to plane them.


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## rainwater

I have read other places, and maybe even on ED website that using their molds in the oven may cause bubbles in the soap. I have 2 and haven't put them in the oven. I have insulated them with no problem.


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## rainwater

I am going to have to try your recipe. What superfat percentage do you use?


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## shunt2011

Wow, that's weird how you get those bubbles.  I kind of like the effect.   I use the brambleberry 5lb silicone molds and get smooth shiny sides.  I just purchased two from Nurture Soap supplies and can't wait to try those out soon.  I've not tried the ED molds.  I do use sodium lactate in my soaps and it's seems to make them smoother when unmolding.


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## rainwater

I use the white Essential Depot Mold


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## fuzz-juzz

I would say also a recipe can contribute to smoother,  shinier bars. Someone mentioned RBO, it really does add shine and smoothness to soap. And also less SF and water discount. My soaps have always been quite smooth, but as any soapmaker will know, there are always inperfections in our soaps  So, I've been recently experimenting with lower SF and really low water discounts, results are even more smoother soaps, more opaque and keep their shapes better. Sometimes high water % can produce warped bars after a cure. And high SF% makes my bars a bit transluncent, if that's a right term.
Good quality mold is also crucial,  I have BB one and it makes xide perfectly straight and smooth. I cut my soaps with kitchen knife (Global one) and usually get minor drag marks which I just smooth out with the fingers as I go (cut more). They then cure to perfectly smooth bars.


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## TheOneWhoSoaps

rainwater said:


> I also have the same experience with my Bud Cutter. I was so excited to get it, but when I compare my knife cut soaps to the wire cut soaps the texture has little bumps which I have to plane off. I spent so much on it I feel like I need to use it.



Hey buddy, I doubt it's your recipe. I make my soaps in a silicon log mold and until today, I've always cut with a knife, which gives a really smooth finish. I used my new wire soap cutter today (I was really excited about it) and I have the same problem as you now.

You may need to gently lift and tap your mold on the bench to get rid of any bubbles trapped in your mix (the thicker the trace, the harder it is to get bubbles out).

I just spent about $230 on a wire soap cutter, and I'm not sure I'm going to use it again either. It gives 10 great 25mm thick bars per batch, but with a rough texture, whereas a knife I'll get 8-9 bars, great smooth finish, but varying in thicknesses.
I'm gonna try to unmold at about 19-20 hours and see if a slightly softer bar will give a smoother finish with the wire cutter.

You can see in one of the photos how the lime bar has a rough texture (cut with the wire cutter), compared to the other bars, which are cut with a knife and smooth.
I also had bubbles appear on the edge of my soap from my silicon mold, but they stopped happening after the first two batches in it (I kinda like the bubbles to be honest!)


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## TheOneWhoSoaps

A little update. The soap I did this morning I just cut now (about 12 hours curing). I've never even thought of unmolding soap so soon, but the log was firm enough to take out without any issues. It sliced a lot easier with the wire cutter compared to waiting 24 hours, but the roughish texture still remains.

I guess it's better to use the knife for a smooth finish, but I would love to be proved wrong so I can get smooth wire cut soap too!


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## OliveOil2

I am not sure what causes the bumps using a wire cutter, but know that it isn't just the bud cutters. I have noticed that if I make sure the wires are tight before I use it that I get a smoother cut. I have often wondered about this because I don't seem to get the bumps as much anymore since I tighten the wires.
 I wondered if it could be the recipe, or the fragrance oils, since one fragrance oil in particular is not smooth. You may want to cut a small section off your log and just cut that to test. It is a shame not being able to use it, and for me I really need the cutter because I cannot cut straight let alone get close to the same weight for each bar.


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## navigator9

If tiny bubbles are the problem, no amount of slamming on the counter will get rid of them. That works best for larger air pockets when the soap was very thick when poured. Those tiny air bubbles are most often caused by air trapped under the bell of the stick blender, and then whipped into the soap. You can try tipping the stick blender when you insert it into the soap batter, to let the air release. I did that, but still had air bubbles. Then I bought a cheap, $10 back up stick blender, and thought I'd give it a try to make sure it worked. Well guess what. No air bubbles! I'm not saying that switching SBs will solve the problem, but it may be worth a try if you can find a cheap one.


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## TheOneWhoSoaps

You can also steam the sides of the soap too to help with the rough look - the roughness will still be there, but the soap will have a slight gloss look to it as well. Worth a shot if you like!


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## rainwater

Hey TheOneWho Soaps. That's exactly how my soap looks with the wire cutter. I made a batch night before last...Slammed the heck out of tub before I poured... Slammed it again after I poured. It's unmolded but not cut. I've been hesitant to cut too soon. Your soaps are beautiful. You're right though your knife cut soaps are very smooth- amazing. I can't cut straight with a knife, but guess I'm going to have to learn how. I also think I need to get a new stick blender... Even though I burb and tap and bang I can still see air being mixed in.
Thank you so much everyone for all your help. I'm going to test everything... I'm excited now. Thanks


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## rainwater

I never thought about cutting a small part off and using a knife to compare, I'm going to try that tonight. I have a loaf waiting to cut.  thanks


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## rainwater

I do think my stick blender is creating tiny air bubble. Do you remember which cheap one you got? I'll have to look tonight to see which one I have, but it only has one speed- HIGH... $10 is worth solving this problem... so I am going to get a new stick blender, cut a test batch with a knife, still slam it down, (My wires are pretty tight, I think - but I will check them). thanks everyone.


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## marilynmac

Try "burping" the stick blender.  sometimes when you put it in the soap, air gets caught under the dome and will get whipped into your soap.  submerge it, then tilt it to let the air out.


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## TheOneWhoSoaps

I can cut my soaps pretty straight by hand, but I might try a mitre box (used for woodworking) and see how good I can get them using that.
I don't think the quality of the blender should effect the bubbles, as the others have suggested, burping the blender will help. 
I have used Olive oil before that has contained many bubbles in it that don't want to disperse either. Also, if your mix is in a big bowl while blending, there's more chance that the blender will just breach the surface of the mix and blend air into the soap. Sometimes a smaller bowl/pot will help to keep the stick blender submerged properly.
The only other way I suggest is a lighter trace, where the bubbles can be tapped out on the bench easier.


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## navigator9

rainwater said:


> I do think my stick blender is creating tiny air bubble. Do you remember which cheap one you got? I'll have to look tonight to see which one I have, but it only has one speed- HIGH... $10 is worth solving this problem... so I am going to get a new stick blender, cut a test batch with a knife, still slam it down, (My wires are pretty tight, I think - but I will check them). thanks everyone.



The cheapo I bought was a generic one, no name brand. I got it at either Big Lots or Ocean State Job Lot. Ocean State, I think. 

I also remember seeing somewhere that when you pour ingredients into your pot or mold, it can introduce air into the mix. That's why you see some people pour onto their spatula, and let the ingredients slide into the pot or mold. I suppose anything is worth a try. All I know is, changing SBs did it for me.


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## rainwater

cmzaha said:


> Have to admit that I am not real forthcoming with my recipes but I do have a really nice super smooth feeling bar that I make. Recipe follows
> lard 37%
> Palm 18%
> Sunflower 17%
> coconut oil 15%
> Canola 7%
> Castor 6%
> sugar
> salt
> 3% superfat
> 33% lye concentration
> This is a very silky smooth bar of light color soap. I do not superfat it high because of the low cleansing number. Tallow could sub for lard but will bring up the cleansing number


Hi Carolyn,
I tried your recipe and I like it very much. Between my husband drilling holes in my stick blender ( I still have some bubbles, but not as many). and trying your recipe I have a lot less bubbles.  thanks for sharing... Sherry


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## Lbrown123

I read this thread a couple of days ago, and I started thinking about my stick blender. It happens I got a new one for Christmas for a back up. Si I made a couple of batches of soap to test to see if there was any difference with the air bubble issue using my new SB. Well I just cut my soap WITH a wire cutter and they are smooth as a baby's bottom. Not an air bubble in sight! You guys are so smart!


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## Dana89

I find if I use a little stearic acid my soap is smoother.
I have been thinking about using Sunflower oil to cut my Olive oil in half. Do you guys know if should buy the high oleic SO? I dont want to have to worry about DOS. Also I cannot find sunflower oil at my grocery store, I wonder if they have it at Walmart.


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## hmlove1218

I use the great value sunflower oil In my soaps. I believe their SO is the HO even though it doesn't say it.


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## Dana89

Thanks! I will look for it next time I am at Walmart.


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## shunt2011

Dana89 said:


> I find if I use a little stearic acid my soap is smoother.
> I have been thinking about using Sunflower oil to cut my Olive oil in half. Do you guys know if should buy the high oleic SO? I dont want to have to worry about DOS. Also I cannot find sunflower oil at my grocery store, I wonder if they have it at Walmart.


 
I would only use high oleic sunflower.  Especially if using in larger amounts.


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## Soapsense

What brand of planer do you use?


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## Dorymae

They do carry it, but check online and you can see if they have it at your store. Beats making a trip for nothing!


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## IrishLass

Soapsense said:


> What brand of planer do you use?


 

I'm not sure to whom the question was directed, but for what its worth, I myself use the acrylic planer from SoapmakingResource (it also bevels, too): http://www.soap-making-resource.com/soap-beveler.html


IrishLass


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## newbie

If I am taking the OP's question correctly, comparing texture of soaps and the finish, I think there are a lot of factors. I put in some pictures to compare. All are beautiful soap, without question. Some look smoother than others. I think the recipe contributes, gelling can contribute, the air bubbles from the stick blender definitely contribute, but so can the trace at which you pour, how much colorant you use, as well has how you cut. I know from our recent swap that one of the participants tweaked her recipe to get a harder soap so the finish would be more glossy and smoother and boy did it work! Her soap is the last picture. I wish I knew how to get it all the time but I don't.


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## cmzaha

I use a mid-oleic from Cibaria Soap Supply with no problems. I do add in ROE to all my containers of liquid oils when I first open them.


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## Soapsense

Irish Lass Thank you, I use molds from Soap Making resource, I will look at their planer.


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## DeeAnna

Teacher! Teacher!! ... <hand waving in the air> I have a question that might relate to the question being discussed!

Does anyone have any opinions if the lumps may be due to the temperature at which the soap is made and/or molded? Reason why I ask is I have been thinking those annoying bumpy bits may be lumps of slightly harder soap -- lumps just hard enough that the wire cannot go through, so it goes around.

The bits could be soap formed from high stearic fats that were not fully melted before soaping -- say maybe if someone soaps really cool. This would be similar to the soaps that someone puts beeswax in, and the beeswax just makes hard lumps in the soap. 

Or they could be lumps that formed after the soap was put into the mold due to the way the soap was heated (CPOP), or insulated, or refrigerated, or whatever. The second theory is somewhat related to how crackled or mottled soaps (aka glycerin rivers) are created.


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## TVivian

I know from our recent swap that one of the participants tweaked her recipe to get a harder soap so the finish would be more glossy and smoother and boy did it work! Her soap is the last picture. I wish I knew how to get it all the time but I don't.[/QUOTE]


Thanks Newbie! That last one was my soap and the recipe was nothing fancy. Olive and Palm in equal amounts, coconut, castor and PKO. I just really find that the trick is to not get those itty bitty little bubbles. Melt the oils completely until they are totally translucent and spritz with alcohol if a light film of bubbles remains on the surface of the melted oils. My stick blender is notorious for sending bubbles down the shaft and into the blades so I stop stick blending as soon as the oils and lye are emulsified and I stir the rest of the way by hand. I use a wire cutter and the way I am deliberate about mixing makes all of the difference in whether I get those pock marks or glycerine rivers or anything else that messes with the soap texture.


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## rainwater

I have this same stick blender and I love it. My husband drilled small holes in the bell which helps release even more trapped air. Now my soaps are super smooth and I'm a happy soaper.


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## rainwater

I buy my Sunflower Oil  High Oleic from soaperschoice.com. They have the best prices I have found. If there a place out there with better prices it's be great if anyone would share their source.


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## rainwater

I also use the planer from SoapmakingResource also. Since this is the only one I've ever used, I don't have anything to compare it to..
http://www.soap-making-resource.com/soap-beveler.html


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## RhondaJ

IrishLass said:


> I'm not sure to whom the question was directed, but for what its worth, I myself use the acrylic planer from SoapmakingResource (it also bevels, too): http://www.soap-making-resource.com/soap-beveler.html
> 
> 
> IrishLass



I've been looking hard at that planer Irish Lass - It works nicely even without a "blade"?


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## DeeAnna

The acrylic is cut at a sharp angle where the soap passes over. That is what does the cutting ... there's not a separate blade.  

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk HD


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## RhondaJ

DeeAnna said:


> The acrylic is cut at a sharp angle where the soap passes over. That is what does the cutting ... there's not a separate blade.
> 
> Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk HD



I know there's not a blade on that planer, that's why I was asking if it did a good job even though it doesn't have a "real blade"


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## IrishLass

Yep- exactly what DeeAnna said^^^^. When I first bought it, I wondered if the acrylic blade would be up to the task, and I'm most happy to report that it is. I've had it for about 4 or more years now and it's still quite sharp. I make sure to take very good care of it, though. I hand wash and dry it and then store it upside down so that the blade is never touching anything.

I absolutely love it. Although it bevels as well as planes, I only use it for planing since I already have another tool that I use for bevels (of which I like the looks of much better). 

Also, another concern I had when I first bought it was that I worried it might shave too much off my soap, but it happily turns out that I was worried for nothing. The thickness of the planed-off soap is paper-thin- not more than 1/32" at the most.


IrishLass


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## RhondaJ

IrishLass said:


> Yep- exactly what DeeAnna said^^^^. When I first bought it, I wondered if the acrylic blade would be up to the task, and I'm most happy to report that it is. I've had it for about 4 or more years now and it's still quite sharp. I make sure to take very good care of it, though. I hand wash and dry it and then store it upside down so that the blade is never touching anything.
> 
> I absolutely love it. Although it bevels as well as planes, I only use it for planing since I already have another tool that I use for bevels (of which I like the looks of much better).
> 
> Also, another concern I had when I first bought it was that I worried it might shave too much off my soap, but it happily turns out that I was worried for nothing. The thickness of the planed-off soap is paper-thin- not more than 1/32" at the most.
> 
> 
> IrishLass



Fantastic  That's exactly what I have been wondering for months...does it work as well as the blade type planer and will it hold up over the long haul!

My husband is not going to like you very much  Off to order the acrylic planer!! Wooot! lol

Thank you


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## raingarden

I just bought a soap planer/beveler from plowboyz on etsty.  It has made my bars soooo smooth and shiny.  I love it!


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## TeresaT

*Not judging, just curious.  This will be my career 7 years from now.*

What difference does it make if there are bubbles in it or if the surface is not smooth and shiny? Don't the imperfections add to the appeal of "handmade" soap?  Will the glycerine rivers cause any burns or damage to someone's skin? Do aesthetics really matter that much?


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## DeeAnna

I've coveted his planer. It looks very nice! And he's from Wisconsin ... right next door to my state of Iowa. A neighbor, kind of.


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## lsg

A pinch of raw silk fibers dissolved in the lye water produce a creamier lather.


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## DeeAnna

Teresa -- I think esthetics do matter. It's just to what degree it matters from soaper to soaper. Some people do "soap as decorative art" and others do "soap as functional object" and others fall somewhere in between. 

I definitely am a "functional soap" maker, but I still care about appearance. I like my soaps to be nicely and evenly cut and corners beveled. I want the crumbs brushed off. And if I get lucky enough to make a pretty (although simple) swirl, that makes me happy. And I want the look of my labels and the type of packaging to reflect this level of skill.

You see this range of craftsmanship in many fields. Wood working, for example. Some people do rough carpentry and are pleased with the results from using 2x4's and heavy nails. Others like me are trim carpenters looking for more fit and finish. And then there are the wood carvers/sculptors who turn wood into art.


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## rainmanp7

Try a little water and slightly and lightly
wash the surface smoooooth.


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## Adonech

I know exactly what you mean. I have the same issue. The only recipe that comes out really smooth for me is the one woth avocado oil. I love all my recipes but i am a perfectionist and want to have a smooth texture as well.


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