The Mother of all Menthol Soaps!

[Crag]

Yes, you heard right! I found the Mother of all Menthol Soaps, and wanted to give you all the 'scoop'! I'm talking about PERMAFROST from Barbieria Italiana. A few weeks ago I read a post from Giovanni about a new soap he was introducing called Permafrost. He said it would be more cooling than any other soap on the market today, so I had to take the plunge and buy one.

Just for the record...I'm a Menthol Head, and have just about every mentholated soap around. My list includes, Proraso, CO Bigelowe, Valobra Menthol, Omega Menthol, Palmolive Green, Ingram, Noxema, Murphy's, and a few others I can't think of right now.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the package was the scent. It was pure menthol, and I couldn't wait to open it and take a whiff. Man! It was a WHOLE LOTTA Menthol, even more that MENTOLO, their other mentholated soap.

Today, after my shower, I sprinkled the soap with water while I soaked my Superior Brushes 30mm Super Badger Brush, and then started on the soap. There was literally an explosion of lather on the brush, so I finished lathering on my face. All I can say is WOW! Cool stuff for sure. Just to give you a hint I like to mix my Noxema, and my Ingram's together, and THIS stuff was WAY cooler than that! Permafrost is a GREAT name!

I used my Merkur HD, (which I still haven't mastered), and it gave me no problems at all. I made 3 passes method style, and got a shave as close to BBS as I have ever had.

The price, $15, is awesome for this quality of soap. The only other soap that compares to Gios Soaps lather-wise are my Trumper's soaps! I would recommend this soap for anyone who likes the feeling of INTENSE menthol as it is LOADED with it...So much so that I skipped my Proraso Dopo Barba, and just used Proraso Milk directly after the Alum.

This soap gets a Double Thumbs Up from me! Buy it, you won't regret it. To buy or shop from Barbieria Italiana please go to http://www.razorandbrush.com/indexbarbieria2.html .

Cheers!

Matt

[Queen of Blades]

$15 for a glycerin soap!! :eek:

[Sejanus]

My only question, is there Menthol involved? :D

Sounds interesting!

[crackstar]

For something to be cooler than the Italian Palmolive, that would be a really tall order. :eek:

[Brigadier]

$15 for a glycerin soap!! :eek:

But buy 4 and it is $40 shipped. And they work great, though I haven't compared them to TSD soaps yet.:ashamed001

[Austin]

But buy 4 and it is $40 shipped. And they work great, though I haven't compared them to TSD soaps yet.:ashamed001

I would not buy 4. Much less 1.

Overpriced and overhyped.

[Baloosh]

I would not buy 4. Much less 1.

Overpriced and overhyped.

The relative expense of the price per tub can be debated, but the efficacy of Tryphon soaps are told time and time again by numerous wetshavers. They rank right up there with the best of the Glycerin-based shaving soaps available on the market today.

Cases in point:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?ltr=T&t=13239

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?ltr=T&t=11015

The Rose reviews are split 50/50.

[Austin]

The ratings go in different directions. Glycerin soaps are relatively cheap to manufacture and do not warrant premium prices. Mama Bear, TSD and others price their glycerin soaps accordingly. I am not really a fan of glycerin soaps but to each his own. ;)

[crackstar]

From what I understand, Giovanni's soaps are outstanding, and very well worth the extra couple of dollars. I plan to buy a couple of them in the very near future. Perhaps some of the ingredients he uses are imported from Europe, so he has to figure the cost of them into the price, which I could understand.

[Scorpio]

I believe that a 15 dollar glycerin soap is highly overpriced regardless of how good it is. If I was paying that amount I would buy a puck of Woolfat or Tabac for the same price which are better products in my opinion. YMMV.

Raf

[crackstar]

Raf, yo soy de acuerdo contigo, tal vez el jabon es un poco caro....Pero quien sabe?

[sparky5693]

no se tampoco. No lo he intentado.

[Austin]

Si

[crackstar]

ay, Valgame Dios, Bobby! Desde cuando tu hablas espanol?

[Michael]

Huh?

[sparky5693]

ay, Valgame Dios, Bobby! Desde cuando tu hablas espanol?

Tengo cuatro anos de espanol en la escuela. Todavia recuerdo alguno.

[Johnmw1]

Huh?

Yeah I'm with you, Huh?

Cheers
John

[Scorpio]

I find it interesting that when members make posts in other languages such as German or Dutch, for example, no one comments. But as soon as there are posts in Spanish comments soon follow.


Gracias a Jeff,Bobby y a Andrew por sus comentarios. Me da un gran placer de saber que tengo amigos con los cuales puedo hablar en mi lengua nativa.

Raf

[sparky5693]

I find it interesting that when members make posts in other languages such as German or Dutch, for example, no one comments. But as soon as there are posts in Spanish comments soon follow.


Gracias a Jeff,Bobby y a Andrew por sus comentarios. Me da un gran placer de saber que tengo amigos con los cuales puedo hablar en mi lengua nativa.

Raf

El gusto es mio.

[sparky5693]

I mentioned that it does seems like a high price for a glycerin soap, but I haven't tried it myself (as of yet)

[crackstar]

Raf, me da un gran placer tambien. tu sabes, para mi, espanol es muy importante, casi como una tercera lengua.

[crackstar]

Bobby, tu lo hablas muy bien--bravo, hombre!

[Brigadier]

I would not buy 4. Much less 1.

Overpriced and overhyped.

Have you tried them?

[Brigadier]

I am not really a fan of glycerin soaps but to each his own. ;)

As you said, to each their own.

[Austin]

Have you tried them?

Nope. And don't plan to.

[Brigadier]

Nope. And don't plan to.

Figures....

Then how can you say they are overpriced and overhyped?

[Austin]

Figures....

Then how can you say they are overpriced and overhyped?

I get my information from other experienced gents that have tried them. I intentionally have avoided these soaps.

[Jack Bauer]

$15 is a bit expensive for a glycerin soap. The only other glycerin soap in that range is QED which is expensive due to the large amount of EOs used. So much EO in fact that I have had a problem with all of the QED soaps I have tried. $15 could get you like 5 Honeybee Spa Soaps which are probably just as efficacious.

Chris

[TraderJoe]

I received a "Permafrost" Shave Stick with a recent order, and since I have been weaning myself off menthol lately, I am expecting an ice-cold blast :cool:

As to the price of soaps at Barbieria Italiana, I certainly wouldn't consider them "cheap" and my guess would be that if the price were lowered people wouldn't have anything left to complain about........Gio's service is exceptional and he stands behind all his products carried in the store whether he makes it or not.

As to the performance of the shave soap, the lather is excellent and comes easily....... and they always leave my face feeling very moisturized.

[Mottern Man]

I have 2 Tryphon soaps. smell great, work great but so dose Mama Bear, QED, The Gentleman's Quarter, and of course The Shave Den for less cash.

15 bucks is a high price. I would have more of his soaps if they were lower in cost.

Sure 4 for 40 is an ok deal but what if I only want to spend 20? I could get 3 soaps form TSD or 1 from Tryphon.

In the all fairness Gio did give me a discount after some Email Haggling. ::

[Mottern Man]

I find it interesting that when members make posts in other languages such as German or Dutch, for example, no one comments. But as soon as there are posts in Spanish comments soon follow.


Gracias a Jeff,Bobby y a Andrew por sus comentarios. Me da un gran placer de saber que tengo amigos con los cuales puedo hablar en mi lengua nativa.

Raf

Hablo, pero no puedo detallar las obras, puedo ser su amigo?

Please note I am not fluent by any means but I can order food, beer and find a shoe store in Arizona ::

[Baloosh]

...and since I have been weaning myself off menthol lately...

??? Why are you cutting out the Menthol bro? :confused:

[Scorpio]

Hablo, pero no puedo detallar las obras, puedo ser su amigo?

Please note I am not fluent by any means but I can order food, beer and find a shoe store in Arizona ::

Will,

No tienes que preguntar...tu eres mi amigo::

Raf

[msandoval858]

...and amigos don't let amigos use overpriced menthol soap ;)

[crackstar]

I have a Permafrost stick on the way, I sure hope I enjoy it!

[TraderJoe]

??? Why are you cutting out the Menthol bro? :confused:

Thats a whole other thread in itself, but I am finding that my skin most favors:

1) Shave Soap
2) Bay Rum
3) Olive Oil & Shea butter

I'm not done with menthol, shave creams, or other aftershaves..... but I am certainly using it much less frequently

[Baloosh]

Thats a whole other thread in itself, but I am finding that my skin most favors:

1) Shave Soap
2) Bay Rum
3) Olive Oil & Shea butter

I'm not done with menthol, shave creams, or other aftershaves..... but I am certainly using it much less frequently

That's what I figured... glad to hear it's not because you decided to drink the Hydrolast Kool-Aid. ;);)

Dibs on your Menthol stashes if you decide to thin the herd one day. :1respect

[crackstar]

I became a real menthol freak--more so than a lot of guys here! :rofl :rofl

[Scorpio]

Have you tried them?

Just curious...Have you tried them?

I recall one of your posts stating your face does not tolerate soaps. If so, I find it unfair of you to make an assesment of someone else's opinion when you can't even use soaps. I happen to know that Austin is very experience when it comes to wet shaving products and many around the wet shaving community highly respect his opinions.

Raf

[Brigadier]

Just curious...Have you tried them?

I recall one of your posts stating your face does not tolerate soaps. If so, I find it unfair of you to make an assesment of someone else's opinion when you can't even use soaps. I happen to know that Austin is very experience when it comes to wet shaving products and many around the wet shaving community highly respect his opinions.

Raf

The soaps work great. Unfortunately, my face can not handle using glycerin soaps, of any brand. I learned that the hard way. Doesn't mean they don't work, and at least I tried them before I made a judgment. Others have not done so.

[Queen of Blades]

Alright, boys. Play nicely.

Opinions are opinions. And everyone is entitled to their own.

[Issy]

From what I understand, Giovanni's soaps are outstanding, and very well worth the extra couple of dollars. I plan to buy a couple of them in the very near future. Perhaps some of the ingredients he uses are imported from Europe, so he has to figure the cost of them into the price, which I could understand.
They maybe GREAT but I would not say the cost is from anything in Europe, the oils and butters I use in my bath soaps come from around the world.

Issy

[Mottern Man]

That's what I figured... glad to hear it's not because you decided to drink the Hydrolast Kool-Aid. ;);)

Dibs on your Menthol stashes if you decide to thin the herd one day. :1respect
Get in line bub, I know people. :rofl

[Baloosh]

Get in line bub, I know people. :rofl

I bought extra thumbs for just such an emergency.

::kar::sesel:transport024