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Razor Emporium Shave Soap Review

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Razor Emporium is known for their hardware offerings like the Rex Ambassador, and their vintage razor restoration service.  But they also have a modest line of in-house “software” as well.  I picked up some Razor Emporium Small Batch Shave Soap in the “Citrus” scent to try.

Razor Emporium Shave Soap

Razor Emporium launched their Small Batch shave soap at the 2019 Big Shave West meetup.  They didn’t outsource the production and make their own shave soap and aftershave products in-house.  I prefer relatively strongly-scented shave products so I asked Matt at Razor Emporium for a recommendation and he suggested their Citrus scent.

From their website:

Description

The Small Batch Shaving Soap line is the culmination of a decade in the wet shaving community. We’ve taken the best of the best from our favorite formulas and produced our own soaps right here in our Phoenix, AZ workshop. These shaving soaps are made entirely from scratch in house from natural and vegan ingredients. The lather quality is wonderful and it provides a clean, slick shaving surface without any heavy feeling on your skin or irritating after effects. With glycerin for glide and shea butter for skin conditioning and a great post-shave feel, this soap is a terrific addition to any shave den.

The Scent

Our citrus is blended from 5 sources and is characterized by its zesty and fresh notes that are desired by anyone longing for spring/summer months or warmer, sunnier climates. Transport yourself to a warm grove of clementine, grapefruit, lime, orange and lemons.

Ingredients: Stearic acid, water, coconut oil, potassium hydroxide, glycerin, shea butter, fragrance, sodium hydroxide

I picked up the matching balm as well:

The Small Batch Shaving line is the culmination of a decade in the wet shaving community. We’ve taken the best of the best from our favorite formulas and produced our own aftershave colognes right here in our Phoenix, AZ workshop. These aftershave balms are made entirely from scratch in house from natural and vegan ingredients. These Balms are the perfect finish to your shave and contain essential oils to condition your skin and make you feel your best….

Ingredients: Water, Witch Hazel, Alcohol, Sweet Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil, Wax, Alum, Germall & Menthol

What Others Are Saying About Razor Emporium Shave Soap

….I was surprised at the performance. It lathered easily, though it took more water than I expected and needed re-working between passes (I hereby acknowledge that I take my time with each pass). But with that said, it produced floppy peaks in a rich, creamy lather that had that “well hydrated sheen”. Application was smooth and satisfying….Glide was superb, on par with any soap I have tried to date and far, far better than many. Residual slickness was a little disappointing but satisfactory.

Makes a great lather but I wasn’t loving the smell.

…for me so far the goldilocks of my soaps

This soap provides protection and slickness so I can enjoy a 3 pass shave. It’s a good value too!

My Experience With Razor Emporium Shave Soap

My experience with Razor Emporium “Citrus” shave soap largely reflects what I’ve read in other reviews.

I think the scent is a mix of citrus varieties, with grapefruit being the most forward to me and my notoriously dull nose.  I can see where some might think that grapefruit dominance makes the smell seem “artificial.”  I find the scent strength moderate (again, in my dull nose.  Some will no doubt think it’s stronger) and persistent throughout–after I shaved with it for the first time I left the jar open to dry out the lather residue; Mrs. Mantic59 went into the den a few hours later and thought I had lit a candle at some point.

Speaking of lather, building lather takes just a bit longer than average for me but is easy, with a good volume, even in my “hard” water.  I don’t think it’s a particularly “thirsty” shave soap.

I find both lubrication/glide and cushion/protection very good, at least on-par with other shave soaps at the same price point.  Performance is solid, especially considering the “basic” ingredient mix.

After shave moisturization is average for me.  I needed the matching balm.

Conclusion

I think Razor Emporium Small Batch Shave Soap is a very good, solidly-performing shave soap “flying below the radar” in a crowded shave artisan “airspace.”  I think its performance is particularly notable given the modest ingredient base formulation.

Razor Emporium Small Batch Shave Soap is available at the Razor Emporium website and at Pasteur Pharmacy.

Author

Shave tutor and co-founder of sharpologist. I have been advocating old-school shaving for over 20 years and have been featured in major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Lifehacker. Also check out my content on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!View Author posts

1 thought on “Razor Emporium Shave Soap Review”

  1. Just received Old School for Christmas. Nice scent for me, but light. Performance a solid 4+. I have had several head and face shaves with it.
    My wife works 1/2 mile from their shop and picked out the scent. I will likely purchase again as they’re local. Very good for a vegan soap.

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