Colonel Conk Shaving Soap Review

Colonel Ichabod Conk was a guy that moved to New Mexico in the 1860’s after the US Civil War had ended. When he got to New Mexico, he started dating a woman that was making a living by shaving men’s faces. Well Colonel Conk ended up marrying her, and the two of them started a nice little family business barbershop.

Well Colonel Conk was quite the entrepreneur though and eventually figured out there was a market out there for men to buy his in-store shaving products and use them on their own. So Ichabod decided he would hit the western frontier and essentially became a traveling salesman and brought all his shaving goods to men west of New Mexico.

Ichabod eventually passed away in late 1800’s and his company ceased. But fast forward a century later and Colonel Conk 2.0 was founded when some new entrepreneurs discovered his legacy and wanted to revive his legacy and start bringing high quality shaving products to men under his name. And that’s exactly what they have done.

Today, Colonel Conk Shaving Company is known for making high-quality shaving supplies and accessories. I think they are definitely best known for their shaving soaps, which we are taking a look at today, but they also make straight razors, safety razors, mugs and bowls, aftershaves and balms and even flasks.

Alright, let’s dig in and see what makes Colonel Conk shaving soap so popular and highly regarded among wet shavers.

Key Features of Colonel Conk Shave Soap

Bay Rum Scent Is Beloved By Many Wet Shavers

I personally have only ever used Colonel Conk’s Bay Rum scent, which is incredibly popular in the wet shaving community. So while I’ve heard good things about the other fragrances, bay rum is the only one I’ve had personal experience using. And it is awesome.

Conk’s bay rum is definitely a masculine, old school scent. It’s not overwhelming, but it is a little stronger than mild. And what does “bay rum” smell like? Well according to Colonel Conk, it’s a combination of tropical bay leaves and Jamaican rum. Bay rum soap was one of the first products Colonel Conk introduced, and it was a home run because it is still their most popular years later.

If bay rum doesn’t sound like something you want to try though, Conk also makes soaps in lime, almond and amber scents.

Still not sure which scent you will like? No problem, because Colonel Conk sells their soaps in variety packs as well. The variety pack comes with 4 smaller pucks of soap (1 of each fragrance) that way you can figure out which scent you like most.

I'm a big fan of variety packs and always recommend beginner wet shavers get a razor blade variety pack when starting out. Lots of men think they know what they like, but until you actually try some different options, you’ll never really know. You just might be surprised that what you think you’ll like and what you actually like are not the same.

Glycerine-Based Soap, So You Know It’s Slick

One of the key ingredients in Colonel Conk’s shaving soap is definitely glycerine. Why? Well glycerine is what makes it such a slick lubricant when applied to your face.

So what is glycerine? Well it’s not just a great Bush song... Glycerine is a humectant, which is a fancy word that means it retains or preserves moisture. And because glycerine retains water so well, it is widely used in all kinds of skincare products. 

But really all you need to take away from all this is that the presence of glycerine is what makes Colonel Conk soap a slick lubricant. And a slick lubricant is exactly what you want from a cream or soap because that is what protects your skin and helps prevent, or at least minimize, razor irritation. 

Recommend Reapplying Lather If You Make Multiple Passes

Colonel Conk soap is definitely a slick lubricant, but I don’t think you can really get away with multiple passes without reapplying additional lather. It’s easily generated into a thick, dense lather, but it does dissipate some (like all soaps and creams) and it doesn’t leave much residual slickness after a pass with the safety razor.

So yeah some soaps you can get away with residual slickness after one pass, but I always reapply with Colonel Conk and would recommend you do too. Adds a little extra time, but well worth it to help prevent razor burn.

Not The Cleanest List of Ingredients

Colonel Conk makes a very high-performing soap during a shave, but it does tend to dry my skin out a little more post-shave than some other all-natural soaps I’ve used. I believe there are some preservatives in the ingredient list and think this might be why.

Like I said, Conk soap does a great job of protecting against razor burn during a shave, my skin just feels a little dry after using. It’s not bad, and once I apply some nice moisturizer or balm it’s not a problem, but it doesn’t hydrate like some other soaps and creams do.

So if you have really sensitive or dry skin, you may want to take a look at something with all-natural ingredients or find something that will hydrate and moisturize your skin better.

Puck Is Smaller Than Average, But Still Lasts A Long a Time

Colonel Conk shaving soap comes in two sizes: 2.25 ounces and 3.75 ounces, both of which are smaller than most other shaving soaps. However, it still holds up for a long time and you should get plenty of shaves out of 1 puck. One puck should easily last you at least a couple months, even with everyday use.

Who Do We Recommend
Colonel Conk Shaving Soap For?

Colonel Conk is an excellent shave soap for any wet shaver that wants a good old fashioned soap that is a slick lubricant, will provide great protection during a shave and whips into a lather in no time.

One of the reasons Colonel Conk is so popular is definitely their fragrances. Conk users really rave about how great their soaps smell — particularly the Bay Rum soap. So if you’ve always used a sandalwood scent or some other “traditional” scent, but now you want to try something new, then I would definitely recommend trying Colonel Conk bay rum soap.

What Are Some Other Soaps and Creams To Consider?

Proraso Shave Soap

Proaraso shave soap is one of the most popular shave soaps on the market. Why? Well it’s got a great, convenient design. It’s made with high-quality ingredients. And it’s incredibly slick and hydrating. Yeah it’s pretty awesome.

Another great thing is that Proaraso offers their soap in four different product lines depending on what your needs are with each product line varying a little in ingredients and scent. I don’t want to get into the details, but checkout their website for more information.

Bottom line though, Proraso shave soap is an excellent, excellent option for a wide range of wet shavers. It’s particularly great option for everyday shavers. Affordable, lasts a long time and very easy on the face.

Henry Cavendish Shaving Soap

Henry Cavendish is a little more of a premium shave soap, but it’s still really affordable. It does not come in or with a bowlines bough so you will have to buy a kit or bowl separately.

I really like Henry Cavendish shave soap but personally don’t think it’s quite as slick as either Colonel Conk or Proraso, but it’s not far off. One great feature though is that it is made with all-natural ingredients, which is ideal for men with sensitive skin.