Customer Reviews

I’ve no idea what a bottle of genuine Creed Santal is like nor am I likely to fork out the huge amount for it when I can get several great products (I’d have to say with pretty good service too) from Artisan Arcade, including their EDTs, & STILL have change.

Got this soap a week or so back & only just added to it with matching balm & splash. Regretting not getting the EDT now. The scent like all Stirlings I’ve used is, even though it’s on your face, not IN your face. With matching splash & balm the pleasant scent, I found, should leg it through to early arvo. There are other Stirlings I like just as much as this one but this one’s very good too & nice to have on rota. The tallow soap is excellent. All the adjectives you’ll have heard before in relation to top tier shave soaps. The Stirling tallows are good to the point that I go to them now over other brands creams.

Unsure how to describe this one. The scent notes above are close-ish but perhaps more a description of the North American deciduous forests say in Colorado & parts of Wyoming. Whatever the case there are scent reminders here of something from my country Vic (nothing at all Melbourne city) early childhood that I’m still trying to pin down. Something in south Gippsland in the very early 60s maybe. It’s pleasant…& ‘quiet’. And that suits me.

Usual bowl lather for a ‘3 pass’. Have to say that to all the Stirling soaps I’ve used, by my reckoning, are just another league again. I can only assume that it’s the tallow that gives great slickness. Superb. And as always with the Stirling soaps a little goes a long way. They’re generous.

I also used the matching splash which doesn’t seem to go for long, scent wise, but it’s certainly ‘loyal’ in that dep’t to the soap. Both are very nice to use in rotation. Quite pleased with my selection of these two. Well worthy of your shelf or cupboard, whatever.

24/8/2023. Used this one with aftershave splash & balm in that order.

1. Soap.The bowl lather build from such a small quantity (less than almond size) was coming over the sides & quite possibly enough for 5 passes. The quality of this soap is top notch being faultlessly thick & slick. The scent, whilst you pick up lavender, isn’t overbearing at all. This is nice. 3 good clean passes then there’s that leftover lather. A little less next time!

2. Splash. Again very nice after you’ve rinsed off your alum. Bracing for a few seconds but the witch hazel within seems to soon sort & settle things a bit.

3. Balm. This helps things settle completely with scent from it & the splash giving a pleasant morning to early arvo. Nice to use similar scented products right through ..like that. Should’ve used the EDT. No regrets at all with lavender.

I’ve done a couple of Stirling reviews now. Bought this one, more out of curiosity, a week or so back based on the first review. Uncapped, the scent that comes to my mind is either a Christmas or wedding cake. So, curiosity aroused further, I bought the matching after shave splash about a week afterwards to so see how the day rounds out. I used both for first time today. I’m not able to pinpoint anything else like this but the as the morning progressed the scent from either the soap and/or the splash remained pleasant. And NO you won’t end up smelling like a Christmas or wedding cake. My other half’s a fan. I think the scent notes above go a tad conservative. This soap, & splash, will be an ‘easy to use’ in rotation. Message to product owners Rod & Mandy Lovan..a post shave balm & EDT, from my standpoint, would be quite welcome. Maybe even a body butter….my partner would like that too. The Stirling tallow based soaps are super reliable, great quality & value. No need to be nervous with this scent.

Been using this daily for week now for a common Melbourne winter problem – dry skin. I’m a fan of all things Barbershop (I’ve bought the other bits/pieces l) and the scent from this is spot on. This stuff should last a while; can be used sparingly (my finding). That great Barbershop scent seems to last well into the morning.This stuff can be runny so suggest you open the tub on a flat surface. A tad more expensive than your off the shelf pharmacy stuff but this product’s pretty good. It’s quite ok for blokes to use body butter. I’ll have a shot at one or 2 others in the range. Enjoy a great product.

Early yesterday morn’ I went back to Barbershop. Usual bowl lather routine. The tub scent, nice as it is, doesn’t offer too many clues as to what’s to come. The lather’s one of the nicest, smoothest tallows around; found this is common with Stirlings. Great shave experience. By arvo & I’m still getting little reminders of old fashioned hair oil that some kids used back in the mid 60s in country Vic. This, like Stirling Spice, is a firm favourite. Love going back to this one.

Used this one for the first time on Monday. The (very low) scent a little hard to discern against anything else I remember at all. It seemed to be thirstier than other Stirlings I’ve tried through the bowl lathering process but that said, Scots Pine Sheep, to my finding produces a slickness & glide at another level again. Not sure if that’s the mutton tallow at work but, whilst it may not be for everyone if you’re particularly looking for scent too, it’s nevertheless worth a second look just for the even smoother shave you’re likely to have…. my opinion only of course. Give it a try.

Had my first shot at this one this very cold wet morning in Melbourne. Stirling has turned out yet another great product. Stirling Spice, when properly bowl lathered, makes for smooth & slick shave experience. No issues. Nothing, in my experience, like tallow. The scent’s pleasantly evocative of those picked up in much earlier life. This one is to be enjoyed. Thinking of grabbing the EDT &/or after shave splash just to enjoy a little bit longer.

The razor arrived today following Express delivery which was totally unexpected :), thanks Peter. I received an email from Aus Post yesterday, saying delivery today so didn’t shave yesterday. On arrival the usual face prep, put in the Willy’s bade (55 supplied) lathered with B&M Bay Rum and set the dial to 3 and commenced my usual two face pass WTG, followed by a face rinse, re-lather and an ATG shave. Following a face wash and a splash of TOBS Bay Rum Aftershave, firstly I was very very impressed with the whole shave and best BBS ever and secondly the wife on showing was equally impressed with the smoothness. There was nice not aggressive blade feel on setting 3, no lather build up on the razor, plate glided smoothly (I believe the razor weight is a great contributing factor), no nicks or afterburn, razor rash, etc etc, impressed VERY much so!!

I usually (> 5 years) use a Gillette Slim on setting 5, it will now get a clean and well earnt rest as this is my new daily.

I will try their shave soap as impressed with “Pearl” and if “Forum” rumours are true about a S/S or black edition in the pipe line, Artisan Arcade I’ll be back for another if this happens.

Cheers

Great value samples! My favourite so far is the mountain man scent, would recommend.

I am so pleased with this atomiser. It looks great, it is extremely easy to refill, lightweight and perfect purse size.

I have tried other instant kava powders from other Australian suppliers. As a regular long time kava imbiber, I have found that Ozkava’s green instant kava is simply the best that I have found.

Two teaspoons mixed with tropical juice drink or water is all that is required. After 3 to 5 minutes a nice euphoric and relaxed kava state is attained. Extremely quick, convenient and compact for travelling compared to traditional grind kava…Highly recommended!

The scent of this is quite fruity and almost like bubblegum. I thought there would be more banana in there but I cant detect it. Its a nice smell but not really to my taste as much as I thought it might be from the scent description. Performs wonderfully and overall is a great soap. Just not the scent for me.

I got the sample puck of this soap and the smell is really lovely and soft. Its not overly sweet, I would almost call it slightly floral but not. Its an overall perfumy scent that leans feminine. Its lather is incredible and feels and reminds me of marshmallows when shaving. Overall really nice, I just wish stirling made a balm to match with this. Will be ordering the aftershave splash of it soon.

This balm is a little thicker than some others I’ve tried but spreads out nice and absorbs reasonably quickly. The smell is mostly straight vanilla but a touch of woodyness. It’s not super sweet vanilla but it does smell very pleasant to my nose. The smell lasts not super long but I do get whiffs for at least an hour or so after application

This is an excellent razor for the money with great build quality. It is smooth and efficient no matter which setting you use.

There are a few (minor) cons:

Machine marks under the top cap.

Red indicator not properly centered (apparently common across the board).

Knurling not quite straight and could have been deeper, though I did not have issues with grip.

Font used for numbers not really suited for the look of the razor, they could have used a more modern or industrial font.

Adjustment ring is a bit stiff which I don’t really mind as you wouldnt want to accidentally change the clade gap, but once you start turning it’s not the smoothest. This is the biggest con I could say about this razor, but I’m really splitting hairs here. I could still turn it in one hand with my thumb and index finger.

None of the above affects the shave at all, so if you’re looking for a reasonably priced and well built modern adjustable, this is it. Furthermore, excellent customer service from Peter at Artisan Arcade.

Finally purchased this soap maker after wanting to try for a long time. Chose the Bay Rum in honour of my grandfather (his sig scent, as I’m sure was many other Grandfathers too). Beautiful scent from the pack and excited to find a slight croap situation. As always with a new soap, felt a little tentative learning how thirsty this soap would be, but found it to work excellently with my med/hard carbonate Adelaide water. Incredible slickness straight away and excellent tight micro foam (which also never broke down during the shave). First pass felt excellent. Second pass, it was where I experienced the excellent cushion properties of this soap. Outstanding even. Post shave, skin felt moisturised/supple and zero feeling of any friction. Also, very subjective subject, but the lingering fragrance was perfect for me- am not a fan of heavy perfumes. Very happy shaver indeed. Also would like to mention the excellent service from Artisan Arcade-no fuss purchasing, extremely quick pack/dispatch and will absolutely be a returning customer. [Rockwell 6C with #4 plate, Astra green, double loaded silvertip badger]

Great scent and balance of sweet tobacco without being overpowering. My favourite Stirling product.

Peter was very helpful with tracking this down and importing. Shipment was quick too.

Purchased this tub over the weekend and had it delivered to Sydney by Tuesday. Service as always is the best. Peter is prompt to reply and is fantastic to deal with.

Margaritas in the Arctic is amazing. From the triple sec, lime margarita scent with that burst of menthol, it truly is refreshing and makes shaving a pleasure. Will be purchasing the aftershave to complete the shave process.

Absolutely bowled over and overwhelmed by just how simple and exceptional the service was from Peter at Artisan Arcade. The order was processed within hours of it being ordered and then dispatched just as quickly. The products arrived within 48hrs (Vic to NSW). The samples themselves were excellent – and the sample soap tins with the reusable ID stickers are the work of a genius. I’ll definitely be a repeat customer. Thankyou!! C

If you have ever been to India and smelt somebody’s house there or prayer room this is 100% what it smells like …it’s like a real nag champa smell…when i get to this container I’m really going to enjoy using it. I love nag champa and this did not let me down.

Even though I’m a male I really enjoy this scent a lot. This has a deep orchid scent to it. It’s almost intoxicating. I’ve come back to sniff it a few times. My partner loves the smell of it as well, so does my mother and her mother. I’d give this a try if you are a flower lover!

The scent isnt in your face ( I like that ) its there but vanishes fast so it wont mess with your cologne or aftershave…the soap performance itself is really nice ive had (3) shaves with it so far and suffice to say ive come to find stirling soaps to be as good as ive heard..pretty damn easy to lather…thick…slick and protective…. little goes a long way..for the price you pay and the size of the tubs (even the samples) it is amazing value

The name says it all…used to use proraso green and thought it felt cooling..tried this stuff and froze my face off lol…will be amazing for summer heat

Personally I don’t know of any other company offering samples of this large size, all 1oz (28gm) each, which is enough for 5-10 shaves or even more depending on your loading style. Most samples are so small you only get one or two shaves which IMO is not enough to fully evaluate a product nor the scent performance and style. I already have a number of Stirling soaps and find the lathering performance is terrific. Artisan Arcade is great company to deal with, they have a large range of Stirling products allowing the products to be readily accessible to AUS/NZ shavers and they always post order quickly.

I’ve been using Proraso shave soaps ever since switching to safety razors and I’ve always been satisfied with their performance.

After some online research I decided to order my first artisan soap and chose Executive Man based on the reviews.

The package arrived well wrapped and on time. The hand written note from Peter was a nice touch too!

The soap didn’t disappoint. It smelled nice but not overpowering. And it formed a great lather in the bowl.

The shave itself was easy and slick, and the first pass was closer than my other soaps. I used it in conjunction with a preshave oil.

My skin felt soft and refreshed afterwards, with no dryness.

It’s been an hour since my shave and I can still smell a lingering scent.

Overall very impressed with the product and will be buying more.

When it comes to Stirling soaps I’ve found they all similar in performance in that are a top performing soap that produces a very slick creamy lather. When blooming the soap (soaking in water) for 10 min prior to use I get a slightly improved lather that is more creamy and less airy. The scent has a sweetness to it that makes the soap smell edible. Delivery was through Australia Post and was quickly shipped the day after my order was placed.

I’ve been lovin the menthol range of Stirling lately. I got these to make non menthol soaps cold and also the menthol range into glacial versions.

A few drops onto the brush and we are off! Found my sweet spot at about 5-6 drops. Anymore after that the menthol smell interferes with the soap scent a bit. At lower additions it doesn’t. Gives a good chill as promised.

Great product, easy to use, should last a while and customizable. A den staple going forward.

I really like this soap it has a great scent mild not overpowering at all. I will have to try the after shave splash and balm as well. Customer service is excellent too.

Easy to whip up a good creamy lather. I hang it off a hook on the tiles and it drains dry. Will be excellent for travelling. Customer service second to none.

Easy to whip up a good creamy lather. I hang it off a hook on the tiles and it drains dry. Will be excellent for travelling. Customer service second to none.

Great soap nice aroma lathers well. Customer service is Excellent.

What an amazing barber shop scent. This soap produced a slick and cushioning protective lather which is absolutely awesome for traditional wet shavers using DE’s, SE’s, Straights and even your modern day type razors. It is way up there with other artisan made soaps and runs rings around mass produced soaps, goops and gels. Outstanding performance!

Artisan Arcade your customer service is absolutely exemplary and I look forward to purchasing from you again.

Thank you so much!

What an amazing barber shop scent and it lasts for hours. Artisan Arcade your customer service is absolutely exemplary and I look forward to purchasing from you again.

Thank you so much!

What an amazing scent, classy and masculine. This soap produced a slick and cushioning protective lather which is absolutely awesome for traditional wet shavers using DE’s, SE’s, Straights and even your modern day type razors. It is way up there with other artisan made soaps and runs rings around mass produced soaps, goops and gels. Outstanding performance!

Artisan Arcade your customer service is absolutely exemplary and I look forward to purchasing from you again.

Thank you so much!

An easy to lather soap that feels slick and creamy on the face. The scent is masculine and long lasting, and gets the nod of approval from my girlfriend. The citrus notes don’t linger, but are apparent up front while the musk and sandalwood are what make it for me. Delivery even in these times of COVID-19 is prompt. Just terrific!

The soap’s fragrance smells absolutely wonderful and pleasant. Not too strong that its sickly, but a pleasant waft of freshness that stays on my skin long after washing. Peter from Artisan Arcade is a joy to work with. Will be purchasing again in the near future!

…because I’m coming back for more. If there was just one soap I could take to my desert island, this would be it. Sniffing the dry puck, I just get lavender, but a little bit of water brings bergamot to the foreground. I just love it. Perfect for winter or summer. Buying shave soap online is always an exercise in faith, and I’ve had many more misses than hits, but this one is an outstanding success. Service from AA can’t be faulted. I’ll be back.

This is an awesome soap the aroma is spot on and the wonderful slick lather it lathers up very quickly and goes a long way 10 points

Unfortunately this shave soap had very little to no scent at all, though it still performs extremely well and i was very kindly looked after by Peter. This is the reason it still gets 5 stars, great soap and excellent customer service!

On initial opening and use it was fantastic and this is what made me like the fragrance of executive man though unfortunately after 2-3 weeks it has lost its scent, still performs as a good moisturiser though the scent left is a bit discouraging.

smell is very pleasant, needs to be a bit more on the strong side other wise its not bad

From initial spray right to the dry down it is very pleasant with light fruity smell. Last for around 3-4hrs on me.

I would give 5 stars if it lasted a bit longer

I purchased this brush after reading positive reviews online and am not disappointed. Excellent quality in every respect, great for face lathering as it has nice backbone and holds easily enough lather for three or four passes. Good communication and prompt postage from Artisan Arcade. Happy customer.

This bowl creates a lather in no time and is very effortless to use. Also as it collapses its super easy to store away! A+++

Whips up a awesome lather, very soft on skin, personally a perfect size brush with decent backbone. Would highly recommend!

Lathers an absolute charm! Scent isnt too overwhelming. Pairs excellent with the vanilla sandalwood after splash!

Great pack to keep at home or for travel, stops nicks and small cuts in an instant!

I got the soap and splash delivered earlier in the week, but hadn’t had a chance to use it until today. That being said, I found myself returning to the bathroom throughout the week just to grab a quick sniff of that wonderful Executive Man scent. Having finally used it, I can’t say enough good things about how easy the soap is to lather, and how amazingly slick and cushion-y it is. I would thoroughly recommend this product to anyone looking to buy a premium soap without the premium price tag.

Let me say this is my all time favourite scent from Stirling. (so far out 25 different Stirling soaps). It has a very strong scent release and increases as the shave goes on. This I would classify as a 9/10 for scent strength.Does it smell like cherries. It sure does. The smell is sweet cherry candy. It is so good, that I actually was tempted to try and eat it. The shave, as per standard Stirling tallow based formula is excellent. Easy to lather, I have bowl and face lathered on two separate shaves. 1st shave was DE razor face lather, and today’s was a straight razor with a bowl lather. The bowl lather produced super volumes of glossy yoghurt like clouds. 20-30 sec loading from a damp synthetic brush was able to produce enough lather for more than a three pass and touch up shave.Very slick and very cushiony. I found the bowl lather of this soap exceptional on the cushion factor. Very easy soap to lather. 10/10. Post-shave feels great as always with Stirling soaps. 8.5/10. My pairing of aftershave scent to match this soap is Joop. Joop matches perfectly with the scent of sweet cherries. (finally found a use for Joop.I normally test out new soaps for myself by first face lathering and using a DE razor. If I am happy with that shave, my next shave will be with a straight razor. I never use pre shave preparations. If the soap I am using cannot produce a good shave on it’s own merits, then it’s not up to the task.Overall this a great soap, and one I had total confidence in using a straight razor. For those into fruit based scents, this one is strong in a good way. I rate this soap top 3 all time out of over 170 soaps and creams I have.