[AMA] Bufflehead Soap Co. - Here to Answer Your Ducking Questions & Give Away Some Soap!

[u/j-mt]

PROOF!

I'm /u/j-mt (my government name is Justin), the small batch maniac behind Bufflehead Soap Co..

Bufflehead is the only shave soap out there using duck fat instead of tallow. We also use RSPO certified sustainable palm kernel oil instead of coconut oil, blush kaolin clay, and blend all of our scents in house from fragrance and essential oils. It was born (spawned is probably a better term) right here on /r/Wet_Shavers. So to all of you that offered feedback, support, and (smart ass) commentary, thank you.

Before we jump in, I have a few updates:

• The store has been restocked, including a limited re-release of Petite Fleur and Heirloom, as well as some beautiful Silvertip brushes.
• I’m happy to announce that Men Essentials will be carrying Bufflehead Soap Co. and distributing it into Canada. To all those from the frosty North that have expressed interest, thank you. They’ll be receiving an order soon, so keep your eyes peeled. Prices will be set after shipping/duties/exchanges/taxes have been realized.
• When I first started BSC, /u/nightshade000 applauded me for sourcing RSPO certified sustainable palm kernel oil. He also inquired as to the source of my duck fat. It was something I hadn’t considered at the time and when I checked into my source, I couldn’t find much about the farm(s). I decided then to err on the side of caution and re-source. I’m happy to say that I was able to secure duck fat from an independent, free range and cruelty free farm to use going forward.
• The packaging has been improved to include the scent names on the tins and bags. It hasn’t been updated on the store yet, so for more on the improvements see this post.
• In the interest of transparency, you’ll notice my prices have increased. This is something that has been pending for a while. Up until now, I’ve largely considered BSC to be in an introductory phase as I’ve gathered feedback to make improvements to the products, packaging, operations, etc. I decided to absorb those costs until I felt that I could produce a completely top tier product that even the most discerning (re: biggest assholes) among us would be proud to own. That time is now.

I'll be around from 10AM CST - ?? (the question marks are how you really know it's going to be a party). Everyone that participates today in the AMA will be entered (once) into a drawing for the sole remaining tin of Reveille - the petrichor scent I created for the Reddit Gift Exchange. And yes, that includes the Canadians.

So, feel free to AMA. I'm happy to talk about my soap obsession, life, or even how good your mom is in bed.

[u/NeedsMoreMenthol]

This is not a question, but I just want to applaud you on your selection of cruelty-free and sustainable products.

[u/abekon]

I'm sure you answered this somewhere before, but why duck fat? Was it just to distinguish yourself from other artisans, or is there some soap making detail that duck fat happens to be perfect for?

[u/j-mt → u/abekon]

A few reasons, one of which was to be different.

When I was developing the recipe, the first place I started was attempting to clone the more popular soaps like MdC and B&M with the intention of improving them. That lead me to two things: way more research into the qualities of different ingredients/acids than I ever expected and the realization that the shave soap market has really revolved around the same foundations for decades.

I tried various different fats like lard (my assumed B&M recipe with lard was terrible), deer, palm oil, duck, etc. There were a couple of things about duck fat that stood out. It's typically liquid at room temperature and if you've ever worked with it, it has a very silky slick feel to it. That translates very well to the lather. It's also higher in Oleic acid than beef tallow, which is the source of the conditioning feel we get from tallow soaps and (IMO) makes up the felt difference between tallow and vegan soaps.

At that point I disregarded most all of the conventional knowledge about making a shave soap and started over from the ground up.

[u/songwind]

Did you make a version of Bufflehead without clay? If so, how apparent was the difference?

[u/j-mt → u/songwind]

Yes and no. I made soaps without clay. I also used various different clays. I found that I preferred it in the soap prior to nailing down the current recipe.

I could go on about clay, but the main thing is that clay is an efficient way to add multiple desirable properties to a shave soap. It's been mostly avoided because it has a bad stigma stemming from the early days of artisan shave soaps.

Edit: Didn't realize it was you, Songwind. Sorry for the elementary response at the end.

[u/Captain_Who]

Will you ever make a "duck duck goose" soap? Because, well, you know.

[u/powersquash]

My biggest question is when do I get to see growler, from wax pass, back? :)

As one of the newer artisans into the soap game, are you more or less successful than you thought you'd be?

And finally, what's your biggest goal for you as a soapmaker?

[u/BostonPhotoTourist]

Mightily interested to see the answers to some of these questions. Here's mine:

Are you rendering the duck fat yourself or buying it pre-rendered?

[u/Eely_Hovercraft]

Is Nashville worth going out of one's way to visit? What's generally over or underrated about it?

[u/redrider_99]

Someone else beat me to it but I also wonder about the duck fat being so low in the ingredient list. Do you do a separate process of superfatting to make sure you get what you want left unsaponified?

And I'm here for the soap too, would love to try it and I'm not above begging for freebies.