vaseline stage

This might sound extremely silly but it's always good to ask, right...? I decided to test out one of my bars from a batch that has only been curing about a week. I washed my hands and it seems a tad oily but the soap is still soft. I can easily carve into it with my nail and it'll leave what...

Sorry, I am unclear about a couple of things. I have read quite a few books to learn the process of soap making but I am still in the dark about a couple of things. Hopefully someone on here could clear these questions I have, up for me. =) How long do you usually leave the soap in the crock...