Size of bars

[Marilyn Norgart]

I find myself looking at pics of everybody's soaps and wondering how much they weigh/how thick they are cut. I cut mine at 1" and after drying for 6 weeks they seem to be running around 3.9 ounces

 

[jcandleattic]

Mine, depending on if they have a high-top or not, after a full cure run anywhere from 5.5oz to 7oz and are cut to 1.25" thick. 7oz is rare. Norm is right about 6oz. But I've had extremes on both ends.
I weigh each wrapped/labeled bar a day or two before I take them to market. Others may do it differently, but this works for me.

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

Mine, depending on if they have a high-top or not, after a full cure run anywhere from 5.5oz to 7oz and are cut to 1.25" thick. 7oz is rare. Norm is right about 6oz. But I've had extremes on both ends.
I weigh each wrapped/labeled bar a day or two before I take them to market. Others may do it differently, but this works for me.

I have seen people post that they charge $5 and above for a bar and I doubt I would pay that much for my size. do you charge by the ounce then?

 

[jcandleattic]

I have seen people post that they charge $5 and above for a bar and I doubt I would pay that much for my size. do you charge by the ounce then?

I'd have to look at my breakdown spreadsheet, but no, not by ounce. I charge $6 each for my large bars or 4/$20. This year, because of my costs, I may have to up that thought. I'll have to see.

I do make a smaller line of soaps I call my "kids kare" or "small hands" line, that are right about 4.5 oz each (these are pretty consistently the same size because they are pretty standard, and not high-tops at all) that I charge $4 each or 4/$12. Also may have to up that this year.

 

[Meena]

I don't think it matters, unless you are selling maybe. I'd say, just make them how you like.
I eyeball mine to around 1" - 1-1/4" but none are ready to weigh.

My store-boughts in the cupboard are 2.65 oz, 3.5 oz, 5.0 oz, 4.41 oz, and 125 grams -- All Over The Road!

 

[Hendejm]

My cured soaps are 4.5 to 5 ounces. I label at 4.5 ounces.

 

[Hennyfer]

Good question! Mine are also cut at 1", 2.5" long and weigh around 3.6-ish oz. I like the bar size though it seems smaller than many others I see. I thought 3-4 dollars at the farmer's market would be fine to charge for them considering the local stores sell higher-end handmade bars for 6-8 bucks.

 

[shunt2011]

I too cut mine at 1.25”. My finished bars after cure are 5-5.5 oz. I sell 6.00 or 4 for 20 as well. I upped my prices last year. I could probably sell for more but am happy with my margins for now.

 

[amd]

Mine are (cured size)
Size: 3.25”x2”x1.125”
Net Weight 4.0 ounces (113g) on the label, but typically weigh 4.3 to 4.7 ounces
The only exception is my confetti soaps, those are taller (2.5") and are labeled 5.0 ounces (probably weigh around 5.6 oz).
I had considered doing a smaller bar this year, but I wasn't happy with the two sizes I could do with my multibar cutter.

 

[earlene]

I believe the size of soap is a personal preference and I think it is relative to what one prefers or what is 'normal' where they live. Even though there seems to be a sort of a standard size when you buy molds or cutters or even when you go to the store and check out the size of bars of soap, but the standards are so variable, it's not even that uniform IMO.

And the shapes of soaps seem to be variable as well. In some countries, it appears that square shaped cubes (like a child's building block with the letters on the sides, but a bit larger) are more common, while in some countries that is uncommon. The Provence bars are large rectangular bars and weigh about 250 grams (8 ounces), and I really like that size bar. But I also like the large cubes such as Marseille soap at about 300 grams (10 ounces). For me, I think 1" width bar is too thin, but finding a soap cutter in the US that cuts anything except 1" width and sometimes 1.25" is not so easy unless you go single bar cutters or custom multi-bar cutters.

So do I have a standard size, shape and weight of bar soap that I make regularly? Not so much. I like smaller bars for travel, and tend to travel a lot, so I make small bars that are about 2 - 2.5 ounces and fit in my travel soap container. I prefer the larger bars in the shower/bath, but at sink-side for hand washing I prefer the a small-medium sized bars, so I make medium sized bars as well. My husband doesn't like the huge bars I prefer in the bath or shower, so he uses small-medium sized bars in the shower.

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

I believe the size of soap is a personal preference and I think it is relative to what one prefers or what is 'normal' where they live. Even though there seems to be a sort of a standard size when you buy molds or cutters or even when you go to the store and check out the size of bars of soap, but the standards are so variable, it's not even that uniform IMO.

And the shapes of soaps seem to be variable as well. In some countries, it appears that square shaped cubes (like a child's building block with the letters on the sides, but a bit larger) are more common, while in some countries that is uncommon. The Provence bars are large rectangular bars and weigh about 250 grams (8 ounces), and I really like that size bar. But I also like the large cubes such as Marseille soap at about 300 grams (10 ounces). For me, I think 1" width bar is too thin, but finding a soap cutter in the US that cuts anything except 1" width and sometimes 1.25" is not so easy unless you go single bar cutters or custom multi-bar cutters.

So do I have a standard size, shape and weight of bar soap that I make regularly? Not so much. I like smaller bars for travel, and tend to travel a lot, so I make small bars that are about 2 - 2.5 ounces and fit in my travel soap container. I prefer the larger bars in the shower/bath, but at sink-side for hand washing I prefer the a small-medium sized bars, so I make medium sized bars as well. My husband doesn't like the huge bars I prefer in the bath or shower, so he uses small-medium sized bars in the shower.

I think mine are almost too big for me. But it got me wondering what everybody else does. whenever I drop mine in the shower and it hits my feet it hurts kinda scares me to think of 8-10 ounces hitting my feet

 

[earlene]

Well, that is an issue. I think the larger cubed soaps are used more as a block of soap upon which you rub your wash cloth prior to washing, but don't hold the soap in your hand while washing. Saves on soap melting down the drain when the wash cloth is soaped up but the soap stays out of the running water.