DirtyKnuckles
Active Member
So I went to visit a friend and fly hawks on wild desert jackrabbits and I brought her a couple bars of deer tallow lye soap. I figured a rough and ready outdoorsperson like her would be a good candidate for a serious soap, and I was right.
At the end of the day our hands were well annointed by things like dirt/soil, raptor mutes (nice way of saying poo), rabbit feces/urine, blood, animal fats, and in at least my case some of my own blood. After the hawks were put up and before feeding them we went to wash up. I introduced the soap to her and I got a raised eyebrow. I explained superfatting and the glycerin naturally occurring in the soap, and how every last ingredient (water, lye, deer fat) were as straight up natural as the day is long. I had her attention.
She went to soaping up with scalding hot water and took a brush to her dirty knuckles and fingernails. After drying her hands on a towel she continued to rub her hands and inspect closely. I got a classic western nod indicating appreciation and she allowed her hands felt good and clean, even admitting they felt a little softer, too!
We discussed how it was a low lather soap and how she could easily see any spot that was not coming clean whereas she usually needed to lather up several times because she had missed a spot. I asked her usual choice of soap for this situation and she didn't hesitate....1970's era Lava back with it had more grit to it before political correctness or penny pinching made it less effective.
Now I am thinking I need to work on a recipe for working hands that includes pumice or other mild abrasives.
At the end of the day our hands were well annointed by things like dirt/soil, raptor mutes (nice way of saying poo), rabbit feces/urine, blood, animal fats, and in at least my case some of my own blood. After the hawks were put up and before feeding them we went to wash up. I introduced the soap to her and I got a raised eyebrow. I explained superfatting and the glycerin naturally occurring in the soap, and how every last ingredient (water, lye, deer fat) were as straight up natural as the day is long. I had her attention.
She went to soaping up with scalding hot water and took a brush to her dirty knuckles and fingernails. After drying her hands on a towel she continued to rub her hands and inspect closely. I got a classic western nod indicating appreciation and she allowed her hands felt good and clean, even admitting they felt a little softer, too!
We discussed how it was a low lather soap and how she could easily see any spot that was not coming clean whereas she usually needed to lather up several times because she had missed a spot. I asked her usual choice of soap for this situation and she didn't hesitate....1970's era Lava back with it had more grit to it before political correctness or penny pinching made it less effective.
Now I am thinking I need to work on a recipe for working hands that includes pumice or other mild abrasives.
