logs/loafs verses cut bars

[Jooniper]

I am sure this has been discussed but damn if I can find it. So here goes. Does anyone sell bars that are cut from the log? I was thinking of putting out several logs and cutting them per request at a festival we are scheduled for in September. I have very little festival/craft show experience and sell mostly out of my retail store. In the store, I sell wrapped soaps. I thought it would look cool and obviously more ecomical to cut them "on the scene" and wrap in something functional. What is everyone doing out there....if you don't mind me asking....Thank you!

[dee263]

I sell wrapped single bars and have never tried the "cut as you go" method at a show or fair so I may be of no help I've thought about it though and here are some of the drawbacks that I can see:

1. Cutting consistently, especially if you're busy. I cut my logs with a TOG cutter (soon to be replaced by a tank, but that's another story) I have a hard enough time cutting even, consistently sized single bars by hand when I'm not rushed, even with single bar cutter. I think it would be worse if I was trying to hurry.

2. Sort of solves that problem but brings on another - cutting random sized slices and selling by weight. Makes the cutting easier since you don't have to be precise, but then you need a good battery operated scale and calculator. Again, do I want to be messing with a scale and adding different numbers on the fly? Not me! I'm not a numbers person and especially when I have multiple customers waiting, I like the fact that there are only so many totals that result from different combinations of my products.

3. What happens if you have a formula that gets really hard? After a few months it might be too difficult to gracefully cut slices. My soap does get rather hard and the few times I've left a log uncut, it gets a little tough to cut easily. Again, you'll be trying to do this in front of customers, trying not to waste time and slice a nice bar of soap. I can just see a ridiculous disaster (the log flipping up and hitting me in the head, cutting my hand, the slice of soap flying off the table and hitting a passerby) occurring because of the public situation. My fears are probably unfounded but you never know.

Having said all of that, I do plan to bring a few uncut logs to my next farmers market so people can see a little bit more of the soap process. They'll be logs of scents that I already have wrapped and cut so I won't have to worry about cutting them. I may even offer them for sale rather than just use them as decoration but it will depend on whether their fully cured.

Just some ramblings for this morning! HTH

[kidsngarden]

I have one recipe I can cut by the slice and I am planning on bringing logs to cut to my market in that recipe. I will sell them by the inch, not by weight. they will be put in prelabeled glassine bags with a general "soap by the inch" on them with my company name, etc. Then I will have address labels with ingredients for individual varietys to slap on the bags.

I still will sell wrapped bars as well, only offering a few logs to cut.

[Jooniper]

Thanks! I dare say I am not good at cutting a straight and perfectly the same bar of soap anyway but I think it adds to the "handcrafted" part. However, I had not really thought out the possiblity of it being a really hard one to cut! I always cut after making them in the store. I have made up some logs and may try taking both! Thanks for the comments and feedback! Would love to hear more!

[SherriLynn]

Something I wouldnt' attempt. My booth is too full as it is with buyers,,, there just wouldn't be time to cut, wrap etc.. and still make a good days profit. You need both hands to rake in the cash.. LOL!! When your making $2,000 - $3,000 a day, there's just not time to cut soap...

If you take someone with you, who can only hand cut soap, that might work, but it will still backlog people, waiting in a line.. Instead of moving buyers through allowing others to get in the booth and purchase.

Just my two beans...