Shaving soap

[Lee242]

How much clay should be added per lb ?
Is there a difference in the clay being used in it ?

 

[cgsample]

In my research of shaving soaps, I find the majority of men don't want clay in it?

 

[doriettefarm]

I agree and think most of the hard-core shave enthusiasts would tell you to ditch the clay. Search for songwind's monster post on shave soap . . . it's a wealth of info and will steer you in the right direction.

 

[Lee242]

Why no clay?

 

[doriettefarm]

Because it supposedly dulls your razor blades faster

 

[Lee242]

songwind's monster post on shave soap
where is it, my search skills arn't very good?

 

[Obsidian]

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=34264&

 

[doriettefarm]

This should keep you busy for awhile ;-)
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=34264&highlight=shaving+soap

 

[cgsample]

Songwind brought the discussion here that started over at:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...strated-Guide-to-a-Test-Batch-LONG-POST/page5

I re-read these two threads today, and I found a huge question! The Soapcalc numbers on the page 5 I linked to, did not check the 90% box on the KOH. Now I don't know if the KOH I have is considered 90%?

Are most KOH 90% or is 90% rare?

 

[IrishLass]

Lee- while it's true that many wet-shavers shudder at the thought of 'dirt' (clay) lurking in their shave soap, several others actually like having it in there. For example, my fellow forum ModMin Lindy uses clay in her formula and she has a successful business selling her shave soap. It all really comes down to personal preference.......and/or the actual formula, as I will explain below.

If you want to use clay in yours, the typical usage rate is 1 tsp. to 1 tbsp. ppo.

In my own recipe (before I re-formulated it to include lots of stearic), I use to use 2 tsp. kaolin clay ppo, and my hubby shaved quite happily with it for 6 years.

Then I was challenged last year by some of our resident, self-described crazy wet-shaving dudes here on the forum to try leaving it out of my formula, and it didn't go over very well- hubby said the soap without the clay gave him the 'crappiest' shave he'd ever experienced with my soap.

But when I re-formulated my recipe to give a big boost to the stearic acid content, it actually made the clay unnecessary.

So, my advice is to try your formula with clay and without clay, and then tweak from there.


IrishLass

 

[IrishLass]

Songwind brought the discussion here that started over at:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...strated-Guide-to-a-Test-Batch-LONG-POST/page5

I re-read these two threads today, and I found a huge question! The Soapcalc numbers on the page 5 I linked to, did not check the 90% box on the KOH. Now I don't know if the KOH I have is considered 90%?

Are most KOH 90% or is 90% rare?

From what I understand, most of the KOH out there is between 90% and 95% pure. The only way to be sure of the purity is to ask the company you bought it from.


IrishLass

 

[songwind]

I think the bias a lot of wet shavers have against soaps with clay in them is that it's not uncommon for soapers to add clay to a bath bar and call it shaving soap. So I think a lot of people have come to associate clay in the formula with mediocrity-to-crappiness.

On the other hand, there are some excellent shave soaps, which are pretty popular, that contain clay.

 

[cgsample]

3" Pucks

Just tried to cut down a 3" PVC pipe into six inch sections with a table saw who's blade does not extend 3". Much harder than I expected to get a square cut!

 

[luteplayers]

I cut pvc pipe on a a chop saw. Cut down as far as you can then rotate the pipe while keeping the blade turning. I guess you could do the same on the table saw.

 

[BrewerGeorge]

I cut pvc pipe on a a chop saw. Cut down as far as you can then rotate the pipe while keeping the blade turning. I guess you could do the same on the table saw.

This. Rotate the pipe while the blade is still turning. Make sure one side is up against a fence.

 

[Lee242]

Because it supposedly dulls your razor blades faster
Just keep your razor in mineral oil and it will last almost forever.
When did we go to cutting pipe?
Put the end of the pipe against something solid and rotate with the saw running. Good luck wit it.
I made some shave soap with clay great stuff. From what I have read it will give a smother and closer shave.

 

[sonoransoapnmadness]

There's a long thread over at B&B on creating a recipe and most of the long time de shave fanatics were pro clay. Some interesting thoughts too on marketing shave brushes to women. Untapped market.... http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/198520-Home-made-shaving-soap

 

[cgsample]

In making the 52% stearic acid hot process, do I stick blend after I pour in the lye?

I added more water than the recipe called for thinking it would be easier to glop into my PVC pipe. When I stirred in the lye water, I got the soupy pudding I was expecting, but when I used the stick blender, it became thick frosting within 15 seconds. I'm now cooking the frosting.

Was the stick blending a mistake for this process?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

SA will go pretty much solid as soon as the lye hits it, whatever you do. It'll soften up as it cooks

 

[cgsample]

If my un-molded "log" is 3" diameter, is there a guide as to how thick I make my cuts to get 4oz pucks?