Soap cutter

[penelopejane]

Years ago I bought a bud haffner wooden soap cutter which is fabulous. He now makes metal ones. Find him on Etsy. I would recommend anything he makes. You can choose any width for your soap bars mine are 1 1/4 inch as they shrink in curing and I find 1 inch too thin.

https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/budhaffner?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=707304672
Buy the widest cutter you can afford for ease of use. Use any length mold you want. When you get a cutter work out a piece of timber or something the right height to sit a soap longer than the cutter on. If you’re making a lot of soap 18 inch molds are great. But nurture silicone ones are the best.

A cutter will last you forever don’t stint on it.

 

[johnnyusa]

oh yea that one looks real neat, @MelissaG
huh i would've never thought to look on Etsy for a soap cutter a ss soap cutter on Etsy made by an artisan metal worker w/ a soaper daughter
knock me over w a feather i don't really have the cash either, but... it's a long story but dad wants me to set up a soap company and since i work for a family company it's not so easy to tell him no and that the soap biz no less competitive than farming.

My soap is just for personal use so i don't have to buy dr bronner's from the grocery store, & also xmas presents intended for people who have largely never, ever used real soap their entire lives, so when i give them soap made the way God intended w/ oils'n lye it actually blows their friggin' mind, which let's be honest is a source of no small amusement for most if not all soapers- but now he's asking me for a business plan.

The biggest reason I went with ED and their multi-cutter, was that I could store it upright. I had very little space for equipment and it fit very nicely with the arms "up".

you like it?
is cleaning the base a pain?
storing a cutting machine upright IS a huge plus

 

[Nicolesica]

I'm considering buying a soap cutter too since my farm went out of business recently.
I need a Long Loaf cutter so I'm thinking either Essential Depo or SoapEquipment.com.
I think i like ED's cutter and ED's stackable molds to fit the cutter bc

ED cutter $263 (w/ member discount):
Soap Cutter - Long Loaf - Perfectly Cuts 1 Inch Bars: Essential Depot

SE cutter $398
-------------- Long Loaf Cutter

$263 vs $398
plus soapequipment's molds i'd have to buy to fit the cutter would also more pricey

should Brambleberry's cutter be in consideration here?
------ Multi-Bar Cutter

Just wanted to mention that I like ED's dolly w stackable drying system but I've always cured on ss or glass, rather than plastic, which has a less favorable electrical charge.

I have ED’s long loaf soap cutter and I absolutely adore it. I needed a log splitter so went with the Hercules, but my cutter is an absolute breeze to use. If that’s what you end up going with, I think you’ll be happy you did.

 

[TheGecko]

I must be missing something (talent and skill for starters) - I got a Hercules for Christmas and I’m struggling with it. Maybe I’m making the wire too taut? Maybe I’m not holding the soap properly against the side wall? Or my tongue on the right side of my mouth?

A clean bra. I generally set the girls free when I'm soaping, but clean bra is like clean sheets.

I'm considering buying a soap cutter too since my farm went out of business recently.
I need a Long Loaf cutter so I'm thinking either Essential Depo or SoapEquipment.com.
I think i like ED's cutter and ED's stackable molds to fit the cutter bc

You don't HAVE to buy molds to fit a cutter or a cutter to fit the mold. In fact, it's better that you don't so you are not limited. I have a Bud's Original Single Bar Cutter...I can use it with my BrambleBerry Molds, my Essential Depot Molds and my Nurture Soaps. It should be noted that I'm speaking about loaf/logs. I was gifted a BB Wire Soap Slicer; I have a couple of slab molds that I haven't been able to use because I wasn't about to attempt to cut slabs into loaf/logs. Or try some other designs that require a different kind of cut.

When it comes to picking a Multi-Bar Cutter...the sky is pretty much the limit. Wood, Plastic, Metal. 9" and 18" are the most common. The most common spacing between the wires is typically 1", but a lot of places will customize if you want a wider bar.

Like so many other things in soap making, it comes down to personal preference. Had I stayed a hobby soap maker, I'd still be using my modified cheese slicer that I paid $13.99 (they now sell for $29.99) for. But for business, I knew I would need something more professional and when the Bud's crossed my path via a destash, I jumped on it. And I love my Single-Bar Cutter...I will never sell it as it is very versatile, but I also know (hopefully) that there will come a point when I will need a Multi-Bar Cutter to make more efficient use of my time.

 

[janesathome]

Hmmm, do you have botanicals or other decorations on the soap tops? If so, turning the loaf so the botanicals face sideways instead of up will eliminate the drag marks.

Nope- no botanicals, embeds, chunks or bits - just a wee bit of oat flour and kaOlin clay j,

 

[janesathome]

A clean bra. I generally set the girls free when I'm soaping, but clean bra is like clean sheets.


You don't HAVE to buy molds to fit a cutter or a cutter to fit the mold. In fact, it's better that you don't so you are not limited. I have a Bud's Original Single Bar Cutter...I can use it with my BrambleBerry Molds, my Essential Depot Molds and my Nurture Soaps. It should be noted that I'm speaking about loaf/logs. I was gifted a BB Wire Soap Slicer; I have a couple of slab molds that I haven't been able to use because I wasn't about to attempt to cut slabs into loaf/logs. Or try some other designs that require a different kind of cut.

When it comes to picking a Multi-Bar Cutter...the sky is pretty much the limit. Wood, Plastic, Metal. 9" and 18" are the most common. The most common spacing between the wires is typically 1", but a lot of places will customize if you want a wider bar.

Like so many other things in soap making, it comes down to personal preference. Had I stayed a hobby soap maker, I'd still be using my modified cheese slicer that I paid $13.99 (they now sell for $29.99) for. But for business, I knew I would need something more professional and when the Bud's crossed my path via a destash, I jumped on it. And I love my Single-Bar Cutter...I will never sell it as it is very versatile, but I also know (hopefully) that there will come a point when I will need a Multi-Bar Cutter to make more efficient use of my time.

@TheGecko BAHAHAHA! I will do a special laundry and report back to let you know if the state of my lingerie was the problem

 

[AliOop]

Nope- no botanicals, embeds, chunks or bits - just a wee bit of oat flour and kaOlin clay j,

My bet would be on the oat flour as the culprit (right behind the clean bra, I mean).

 

[Nicolesica]

@TheGecko I almost choked on my coffee reading that little tidbit of unexpectedness

 

[therealshari]

oh yea that one looks real neat, @MelissaG
huh i would've never thought to look on Etsy for a soap cutter a ss soap cutter on Etsy made by an artisan metal worker w/ a soaper daughter
knock me over w a feather i don't really have the cash either, but... it's a long storydad basically wants me to set up a soap company and since i work for a family company it's not so easy to tell him no and that the soap biz no less competitive than farming

my soap is just for personal use so i don't have to buy dr bronner's from the grocery store, & also xmas presents mostly intended for people who have never, ever used real soap their entire lives. When i give them soap made the way God intended w/ oils'n lye it actually blows their friggin' mind, which let's be honest is a source of no small amusement for most if not all soapers, but now he's asking me for basically like a business plan.


you like it?
is cleaning the base a pain?
storing a cutting machine upright IS a huge plus

yes, I like it very much. to clean it, I wipe it down with a paper cloth, paying special attention to the wirew. If there is some soap dried on, I put it in my sink and run warm water over it. After all that, I get a dry paper towel to dry it all off. Then I wipe the strings with a light oil and put the machine into a tiny 6" space.

 

[Nicolesica]

I'm considering buying a soap cutter too since my farm went out of business recently.
I need a Long Loaf cutter so I'm thinking either Essential Depo or SoapEquipment.com.
I think i like ED's cutter and ED's stackable molds to fit the cutter bc

ED cutter $263 (w/ member discount):
Soap Cutter - Long Loaf - Perfectly Cuts 1 Inch Bars: Essential Depot

SE cutter $398
-------------- Long Loaf Cutter

$263 vs $398
plus soapequipment's molds i'd have to buy to fit the cutter would also more pricey

should Brambleberry's cutter be in consideration here?
------ Multi-Bar Cutter

Just wanted to mention that I like ED's dolly w stackable drying system but I've always cured on ss or glass, rather than plastic, which has a less favorable electrical charge.

If I would have had an extra $100 I would have bought this cutter from one of my all-time favorite Etsy sellers. I have his molds and they are all top notch and he is just the sweetest man. Takes so much pride in what he does… and he does it very well. He’s not cheap, but he’s truly a master at his craft. Make sure to watch the video of this cutter in action. Soooo cool. Sliding Table Soap Bar Cutter - Etsy

 

[TheGecko]

my soap is just for personal use so i don't have to buy dr bronner's from the grocery store, & also xmas presents mostly intended for people who have never, ever used real soap their entire lives. When i give them soap made the way God intended w/ oils'n lye it actually blows their friggin' mind, which let's be honest is a source of no small amusement for most if not all soapers, but now he's asking me for basically like a business plan.


you like it?
is cleaning the base a pain?
storing a cutting machine upright IS a huge plus

If you are just a hobbiest, then I would buy a cheese slicer and then modify it like I did. I marked the size of soap I wanted from the wire. I then bought a round dowel, sanded it in half, then sanded part of the board on the long edge and glued it down. This way I had something to keep my soap steady when I cut it. I think my total cost was around $16-$17.

I have a friend's husband who refuses to even try my soap because it has "lye" in it.

As for MY soap cutter...I wash it with warm water and let it air dry. It sits on top shelf of my curing rack when not in use. I also loosen the wire...hubby and I argued about this...he's a musician. I explained there is a big different between a bass and a soap cutter, that it was closer to a fishing pole. A little bit of tension is good to keep the line from kinking, but not so much than you put the pole under pressure.

 

[melonpan]

If I would have had an extra $100 I would have bought this cutter from one of my all-time favorite Etsy sellers. I have his molds and they are all top notch and he is just the sweetest man. Takes so much pride in what he does… and he does it very well. He’s not cheap, but he’s truly a master at his craft. Make sure to watch the video of this cutter in action. Soooo cool. Sliding Table Soap Bar Cutter - Etsy

I love those sliding table soap cutters. I've bookmarked a similar one from a different vendor (I'm in Europe) for if and when I decide to splurge on a cutter, but then I'd be torn between that one and more compact multifunctional cutter (like the Hercules or Caterpillar soap cutters already mentioned in the thread). For now I'm just dreaming I guess, so I can't offer any feedback

If you are just a hobbiest, then I would buy a cheese slicer and then modify it like I did. I marked the size of soap I wanted from the wire. I then bought a round dowel, sanded it in half, then sanded part of the board on the long edge and glued it down. This way I had something to keep my soap steady when I gut it. I think my total cost was around $16-$17.

I've been looking at some options prompted by your comment, I had always seen cheese slicers with wires only (so no guided cut) but I see now that there are also ones with a handle that could work well for soap. Thanks for mentioning it.

 

[Nicolesica]

I love those sliding table soap cutters. I've bookmarked a similar one from a different vendor (I'm in Europe) for if and when I decide to splurge on a cutter, but then I'd be torn between that one and more compact multifunctional cutter (like the Hercules or Caterpillar soap cutters already mentioned in the thread). For now I'm just dreaming I guess, so I can't offer any feedback


I've been looking at some options prompted by your comment, I had always seen cheese slicers with wires only (so no guided cut) but I see now that there are also ones with a handle that could work well for soap. Thanks for mentioning it.

The man who crafts that lovely sliding table is actually in Greece—so your shipping would be much, much cheaper!

 

[TheGecko]

I've been looking at some options prompted by your comment, I had always seen cheese slicers with wires only (so no guided cut) but I see now that there are also ones with a handle that could work well for soap. Thanks for mentioning it.

Necessity is the mother of invention you know. No matter how well I marked my soap or what size knife I used, half of my bars were always crooked. Now customers weren't too overly upset about it...it being handmade soap and all, but it was a PITA because I had to weigh each and every bar. But I had just gotten into soap making in 2019 and decided to turn it into a business just in time for the pandemic and simply couldn't afford to spend a lot of money on a good quality soap cutter (I wanted a Bud's). So the next best thing was a cheese slicer...nice size board, wire slicer, indent for the wire so the wire would go all the way through, handle on the cutter, had really good reviews. It was a simple matter to measure 1" from the wire with a black Sharpie.

The bars came out a lot better, but I had a bit of a problem with holding the loaf steady as I cut through it...soap is a bit slippery...so I needed to butt it up against something. Hubby had some dowels left over from another project...so I measured it, cut it, sanded it flat, then sanded off the finish of the board to bare wood and glued it down. Is it as good as a Bud's...no. But if I was still a hobbiest or was still making 10" loaves...I'd still be using it.

 

[johnnyusa]

I have a friend's husband who refuses to even try my soap because it has "lye" in it.

I used to know somebody who's wife was very anti-lye soap when I first met them after moving clear across the country. They kept my cat when I first moved while I was waiting for a house that took longer to gut for asbestos than expected. After grudgingly admitting she liked my 100% coconut ls alot and that it was great for getting out stains, she kept asking for more soap, which I readily gave until I actually ran out of the stuff and couldn't make more bc I didn't have a kitchen. This lady basically threatened my cat if I didn't give her more soap, so I just gave her my entire bucket of 100% coconut paste and told her that was all I had and how to melt it into the water, etc- even bought her a stickblender. She had great fun 'making' soap after that for awhile and her husband quit working for us n stole some stuff before she ran out of paste.

 

[Jennsmith097]

My husband was a little shocked that I use lye to make soap. He thought people stopped using lye to make it. I explained how soap is made, but I think it's time for him to actually watch me make a batch.

 

[TheGecko]

My husband was a little shocked that I use lye to make soap. He thought people stopped using lye to make it. I explained how soap is made, but I think it's time for him to actually watch me make a batch.

That comes from labeling what comes OUT of the pot instead of what goes in. And from clever advertising/marketing.

 

[CreativeWeirdo]

My husband was a little shocked that I use lye to make soap. He thought people stopped using lye to make it.

I thinks it's more about people stopped using homemade lye from ashes, and just started buying from a supplier.