Maybe this is a silly question...

[cerelife]

...or maybe I'm just doing something wrong?
How do you get rid of the "drag marks" from cutting your soap? I don't really know how to describe this, so I'll add a pic of some I cut today. You can see what I mean esp on the bar on the right.
This never really used to be an issue, but the more I want my soap to be 'pretty' the more this bugs me...and ironically, the addition of micas/oxides seem to exacerbate this problem for me!
I usually cut my (fully gelled) soap after 18-24 hours, but I have tried waiting 48 hours since I began using colorants. But I still have a stickiness factor when I use a straight cutter, making the cutter want to stick to the soap slices and creating these marks. I don't want to wait so long to cut them that I can't get a nice deep indention with my stamp (it seems to work best for me to stamp the day after cutting to get a clean outline) or have to up my weight-lifting routine in order to cut them...these soap logs are pretty hard, just sticky. And the bars cure to the exact soap I want, so I don't want to change my signature recipe.
Here's what I've tried so far:
Washing the cutter between slices
Spraying the cutter with alcohol between slices
Neither was very effective.
I've thought of "washing" the bars after a couple of weeks cure time, but I sometimes use rubber stamps coated in mica for decoration, and doing this would destroy the design.
Any thoughts/ideas would be very welcome!

 

[Saswede]

I'm probably not much help because I use a wire cutter (it's actually made to cut foie gras, which I won't eat or allow in my house, so the cutter has finally found use - for soap!), and the only time I get drag marks is when I have herbs or dried petals in the soap ...... So based on my (irrelevant!) experience, perhaps you have some mica or other "particles" in the soap that are causing your problem .....?


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[AKjulz]

For me switching to a wire cutter took care of that problem. They are much easier, cleaner and faster than the box cutter I started with.


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[pamielynn]

To me it looks like your soap is still sticky. Can you try to wait a little longer to cut without messing up the timing for the stamp? Or maybe try adding a bit of sodium lactate to your batter?

 

[sistrum]

I fought this for years and tried every way and every thing to get consistent and smooth cuts. I finely broke down and bought a "Tank" wire cutter. It was the best decision ever!

 

[Moody Glenn]

Hello! If your soap is a bit soft or tacky a thin wire will work fine but I have read where using a long piece of dental floss will work wonders. Also helps to prevent cavities on your soap bars. :roll: (I know - poor joke. It's early morning. :yawn: )

 

[JennH]

I've been using one of those wire cheese slices on a board...whatever they are really called. I find I get better cuts with it, although I sometimes get little bumps on the cut sides.

 

[dixiedragon]

Maybe try greasing your blade with mineral oil?

 

[osso]

My bars cut the same and I have found that planing them gives them a nice, smooth finish.

 

[kazmi]

BTW nice soap!

 

[cerelife]

Thank you all so much!!
I think a wire cutter might be my best bet...I've been after the DH to make me one based on the popular etsy guy's design (can't remember his name) for ages now. But after doing a quick search on here I think I'll just make my own rustic version of a single cutter using some of my spare strings I've got around the house...looks like a guitar E-string might be best? I play both violin and guitar; poorly and ONLY for my own amusement , but knowing all too well how easy it is to snap a violin string, the thinnest guitar string seems to be my best bet. Thanks again for the help!
@ Kazmi - thanks! I had a FO that I didn't really know what to do with (WSP Farmers Market Baby Bibb) as I wasn't enamoured with the idea of a "Lettuce Soap". Yet it smelled so fresh and green that I started thinking about early mornings in the garden and summer sunrises down here in my uber-humid South. I used yellow and orange oxides and (Conservatories) Ruby Red mica.

 

[TVivian]

I don't know a solution, but I just want to say that now I want a wire cutter haha! That soap looks awesome!


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[girlishcharm2004]

Hello! If your soap is a bit soft or tacky a thin wire will work fine but I have read where using a long piece of dental floss will work wonders. Also helps to prevent cavities on your soap bars. :roll: (I know - poor joke. It's early morning. :yawn: )

Ha ha! I appreciate your joke!!!

 

[CraftyRedhead]

Did you ever find a solution to this problem? I'm realizing I have the same issue!

 

[IrishLass]

I'm not the OP, but for what it's worth, I have excellent cutting results (i.e., no drag marks) using my very sharp butcher's knife.


IrishLass

 

[Nevada]

Difficulty with drag marks, timing the correct moment (day or night) to cut and trying to cut straight is why I went individual molds. Only surface I have to worry now is the top! Soaper's Choice makes some very thick walled silicone molds.
Roy

 

[Lbrown123]

I have found that twisting the bar against the blade in a half circle smooths the bar. And wiping with a damp towel after each cut. Mine have improved a lot since I started last year.

 

[AKjulz]

Thought I would post some examples of the difference in the cut between a blade and a wire cutter. The first one is cut with a blade (I think you can see it in the background)


This one is cut with a multi wire cutter (forgot to take a photo of it, cuts 12 bars at once)


No cleaning was done to either bar so you can see the difference in the slice.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Nice!

 

[PinkCupcake]

I get the same sticky marks from my blade. What I do is run the blade gently across the face of each bar as soon as I cut it. It seems to smooth it out pretty well. I also wipe my cutter clean with a damp paper towel in between each cut.