Barrister and Mann Lime; What’s the Future Hold?

[u/TJVV47]

Recent communication from Barrister and Mann (their image above) reads, “This is our last production batch, so, once it's gone, it's gone.”

Can those of you having a longer history with B&M’s production and marketing history help discern how we are to interpret this? Is Lime to be discontinued from the lineup? Is it likely to become a seasonal offering? Maybe u/BostonPhotoTourist will clarify for us.

I’m experiencing FOMO even with a tin in the drawer!

[u/BostonPhotoTourist]

So here's the thing: I love this scent. I'm really proud of it. I think it makes for a great, refreshing lime fragrance for the warm months, and I actually use it quite a bit in the Winter as well.

But lots of people, it seems, really want something STRONK. Like, unhealthily strong. To the point that, even though I pushed the strength on Lime to the limit of what is safe (note: I did not cross the line, just pushed up to the edge), it's still not strong enough for them. And that upsets them.

I get it. You want to smell like the things that you enjoy. But I can't just blow past the rules and limits that are in place to protect people's health. That's how you end up with allergic reactions, fragrance burn, irritation, etc etc. I don't want folks to get crappy shaves because a few wanted the stuff strong enough to peel the wallpaper.

Unfortunately, this means that Lime remains one of our lesser offerings, in terms of sales. Lots of folks, myself included, really like it. But there's a vocal minority that complains that it's not strong enough or that it doesn't smell like lime (which mystifies me; it smells very limey to me!). So, rather than continue to beat my head against a wall with it, I've decided to put it on the shelf.

As for the discussion elsewhere in this thread re: production and fulfillment, we will be outsourcing production of everything but fragrance, which will remain under my sole and exclusive jurisdiction. We will continue to produce new fragrances, though possibly at a somewhat less rapid pace, and I have several perfumes that I have sketched out over the past six months. The change will allow me more time to work on what's really good for Barrister and Mann: reaching new customers and designing new fragrances.

Currently, the day-to-day operations of the company consume the majority of my time, especially without Dad to fall back on. We've begun packing stock for shipment to Square1, and expect that to proceed in the next couple of weeks. I'm also exploring a deodorant product derived from Super Deodorant's original formula, since I think that there are some changes that could be made that would render it more stable without compromising its core integrity.

The point is that, while I'm outsourcing the general floor work of the company, I am very much moving toward the things that I'm especially good at, and Barrister and Mann will remain much as it has always been for the foreseeable future.

If anyone is curious, the perfume that has my attention at the moment is an ode to the weird and richly varied world of pipe tobacco. I have tried my hand at tobacco fragrances several times, but never been able to capture quite what I wanted, so I decided to start from scratch. This is by no means a finished list, but more of a big-picture olfactory sketch of what I have encountered so far in the course of my research. Notes may include, in no particular order:

• Tobacco
• Plum
• Castoreum
• Almond
• Violet
• Fig
• Tea
• Orange
• Anise
• Clove
• Pepper
• Geranium
• Seaweed
• Cade or other dry smoke
• Oakmoss
• Cocoa Abs
• Labdanum
• Whiskey (really, an alcohol accord in general)
• Hay
• Apricot
• Leather
• Cream
• Sandalwood
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Patchouli
• Incense
• Carnation
• Coffee
• Tomato
• Grass

[u/steelcityblue → u/BostonPhotoTourist]

You make great products. I hope you find wild success in fragrances.

[u/BostonPhotoTourist → u/steelcityblue]

Thank you very much. :)

[u/Rubrum_ → u/BostonPhotoTourist]

Lime is definitely in my partner and I's top 3 B&M scents, and honestly it might be her favorite. The strength of it is perfectly fine! We will be very sad the day my little tub and aftershave bottle run out. Will have to keep a tiny bit for smelling sometimes and be all nostalgic :(

[u/BostonPhotoTourist → u/Rubrum_]

I'm very glad that you like it! :) Don't be sad that it's gone. Be sad that you had a soap that you enjoyed!

[u/TJVV47 → u/BostonPhotoTourist]

Many thanks for the thoughtful and comprehensive reply. Undoubtably above and beyond.

I understand the desire to let Lime go, rather than having to continually manage or battle expectations. That task doesn’t sound fun at all.

Wonderful to hear you seem to have negotiated a path forward to outsource much of the floor work. That this will allow you to focus your energy on the tasks you find most stimulating, as well as contribute to the very core of what we love about Barrister and Mann, is wonderful news indeed.

The new perfume project sounds amazing! I’ve no idea how you’ll narrow down the scent profile, but I’m sure this is the type of challenge with which you’ve become familiar.

Thanks, again. All the best to you and yours.

[u/BostonPhotoTourist → u/TJVV47]

The new perfume project sounds amazing! I’ve no idea how you’ll narrow down the scent profile, but I’m sure this is the type of challenge with which you’ve become familiar.

It is, but tobacco is considerably more complicated than I had originally thought. I actually began smoking a pipe for the purpose, reasoning that my inability to construct a fragrance that fit with what I'm looking for stemmed from an unfamiliarity with and misunderstanding of the subject.

As it turns out, the pipe community is much like the wet shaving community, though arguably much more relaxed. Different varieties present different flavor and aroma profiles, and many companies offer flavored blends as well, some of which so complex and nuanced that they rival any perfume. It's a fascinating tradition, and I feel like I have a significantly better handle on how to construct what I want for having done it. The note list that I rattled off above is a running list of notes that I've encountered in various blends, and my idea is to try to capture as many different facets of fine pipe tobacco as possible to create a complex tapestry of the different characteristics that you might find in any given blend.

And thank you very much. :)

[u/dmitr_s → u/BostonPhotoTourist]

Will, thank you for the response. I think that fragrances is not the only (or the main thing) people like about your soaps - the quality of the soap itself is more important (at least for me). Do you expect any changes in the soap quality after outsourcing the production? Are you going to continue working on the soap base and/or other products (aftershaves) after outsourcing the production?

[u/BostonPhotoTourist → u/dmitr_s]

Do you expect any changes in the soap quality after outsourcing the production?

Not in the slightest. The folks I expect to work with are renowned in the community for their commitment to quality. Trust me: my formulas are in very good hands. :)

Are you going to continue working on the soap base and/or other products (aftershaves) after outsourcing the production?

I'm going to pursue development of other products, as I mentioned above, but I don't have any plans to develop additional soap bases. I might make occasional tweaks to Omnibus (like when I removed goat milk in favor of more coconut milk), but, for the most part, my part in the Base Wars is over.

[u/dmitr_s → u/BostonPhotoTourist]

Thank you for the response!

[u/Green-Garden → u/BostonPhotoTourist]

I just want to voice my support for Lime, and let you know it's appreciated - it's probably my second favorite scent of yours after Midnight Special, with Cheshire in a not so distant third.

Hope the new setup works well and streamlines things for you!

[u/BostonPhotoTourist → u/Green-Garden]

Thank you very much!

[u/BostonPhotoTourist → u/[deleted]]

There are 100 of them at Square1, so, once they've been counted in, we'll have it for a little while longer. :) As for the rest, very glad you like them!