Review - Gustafson Shaving / Cinder & Stout

Company: Gustafson Shaving Supplies

Product: Cinder & Stout

Founder: Mark Gustafson

Location: Manitowoc, WI

A week or so ago one of my google+ members of Wet The Face told me about a shaving soap they wanted me to review called Cinder and Stout. Looking up the product I found them on ETSY, twitter and also a dedicated website as well. Here is a little background of the company as told by Mark. Gustafson Shaving Supplies was established in 2012 Today my stepson and I have teamed up to provide our customers with products that will ensure a high quality, smooth shave that will start your days out right! Our customers are so very important to us and we like to establish a close connection with every person that we meet. Each razor is made one at a time to ensure perfection.  

I asked the Mark if I could have a samples of his shaving soap for review.  A week later the parcel arrived and inside I was two shaving soaps, Woodlands and Cinder and Stout.

C&S comes in a nice metal tin with a screw on lid. The label affixed to the top is water proof so no issues with it getting wet. There is however a side label which is not. This label denotes that Cinder and Stout is manufactured by Square One Soapworks, LLC of Westview Road, Newton WI. So I asked Mark about this and he said he worked with a local artisan in the creation of a shaving soap line they both share. Mark was the tester and added his expertise and suggestions to perfect the formula. “The reason I picked them is because they use essential oils. No artificial scents. I had no reactions to their soap like some others.”  I would have to say it seems like a great partnership.

The scent is an oatmeal stout with notes of coffee and chocolate but I didn’t get that at all. I did get the oatmeal stout beer but it was followed by an ash finish. This soap has charcoal in it maybe that’s the ash I’m getting. Over all the sent reminded my of a glass of oatmeal stout beer.

I added more water to bringing up the lather up it added more time but I created a great deal of it. It was a nice creamy lather and when applied, I did notice a slight thinning in some areas but this did not effect the shave in any way. As for the slickness and glide it was fine but I have had better. So maybe a little improvement in both areas are needed. This is just my personal opinion so your going to have to judge for yourself.

Overall it was a fine shave with little to no problems. Placing this in your rotation would be a great change from the ordinary. I think any stout beer lover would raise a glass to it.  

Company: Gustafson Shaving Supplies

Product: Cinder & Stout 3oz $9.99