Great question @cytus , just about every major brand of shave soap will work great, hence the reason they are still around. At the same time, the tried and true artisans produce a product that will work great as well. There are differences between them all, and really it's all about finding what you enjoy. We've all come to this place for different reasons in addition to simply shaving.I for one am a collector when it comes to my hobbies, and so I have a tendency to go a bit overboard with whatever I become fascinated with. I have quite a few razors, soaps and brushes. I've only run into two soaps that I did not enjoy, and frankly it's not worth naming them, because there are plenty of people on this board who enjoy using them. Hence the abbreviation "YMMV" being used so often.One of my favorite soaps is the Arko shave stick, which is super affordable, lather's like an absolute champ and is an absolute joy to use. At the same time I've been using Haslinger since November, and I've come to really appreciate that soap as well. Yesterday I decided to switch things up and used my Declaration Grooming soap and again was extremely happy. I honestly had a better lather with the Declaration Grooming soap, but it wasn't much better than what I can create with Haslinger of Arko.Once you get into the esoteric aspect of any hobby, you run into the law of diminishing returns. Don't expect the difference in performance to equal the difference in price. I would definitely recommend trying some of the higher end brands, because why not? Life's short and there's nothing wrong with dabbling in some of the finer things in life as long as they are within your means. Worst case scenario, the soap doesn't impress you and you don't buy it again.Happy Shaves!-Pete