Dusy Kabinett, a rose-scented lather bomb, of nearly unobtanium status.
Once upon a time, there was an iconic soap called “Klar Kabinett”; a German vegetable-based shaving soap that was sold, mostly, to professional barbers. It was packaged as two flat slabs of 250 g each, in a simple paper wrapper. Around 2010, Klar-Seifen went on record stating that they discontinued the Kabinett soap due a lack of interest in the professional community.
Due to its popularity amongst wet shavers, a great hoarding began. Klar all but disappeared from sight. At this point, 10 years later, whatever was stashed away has now been used, putting Klar Kabinett original into the unobtanium category.
A year or two after the disappearance of Klar Kabinett, another German soap called “Dusy Kabinett” appeared for sale in Europe. Many speculated that it was the same soap; the form factor was the same, but the wrapper and the ingredients lists were different. Most notably, the coconut oil in Klar was swapped out for palm oil in Dusy.
IMO, Dusy and Klar Kabinette are the same soap. I have A-B tested 100 g of each, side-by-side, I found zero differences in feel, lathering, or shave performance. Long ago, a soap maker alluded to both soaps being made using the same process, and that the disparity in the ingredient lists might only infer undetectable differences in the final products.
My opinion of Dusy Kabinette’s performance.
The lather is thick, creamy, rich, cushiony and protective. Dusy is a hard soap; you can’t squish it into a bowl, but you can grate it fairly easily. For latherability, it’s a 10 – it almost lathers on its own. Thick suds come up fast and easy without needing a chemistry degree to get there. Post shave feel is very nice indeed, I do not feel dryness or lubrication, which is how I prefer my skin to feel after a shave. There’s enough of whatever it takes to keep the skin feeling nice and healthy without leaving a trace of something that I want to wash off. The Rose scent intensity is mid-range, not overpowering or faint. I classify it as a refreshing type of fragrance, as opposed to a floral type. My preferred method for use/storage is to grate 75-100 g of Dusy into a square 10 oz Snapware container; I build a pro-lather in the tub and then I face lather with it. As noted, this is a vegetable-based soap that; for me, performs as well as or better than any tallow-based soap I’ve used. I shave with super keen straights daily, and Dusy Kabinette delivers the goods.
Dusy Kabinett Ingredients list
Potassium Palmate, Sodium Palmate, Potassium Stearate, Potassium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Glycerine, Aqua, Palm Kernel Acid, Pentasodium Penetate, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Geraniol, Benzyl Salicyate, Citronellol, Eugenol, CI77891.
For comparison, Klar Kabinett ingredients list.
Sodium Cocoate, Potassium Cocoate, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Stearate, Aqua, Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, Soyamide DEA, Parfum, Sodium Chloride, Amino-Tris (methylene phosphonic acid), Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, CI77891, Geraniol, Benzyl Salicyate, Citronellol, Eugenol.
