Crumbles in the end when cutting

by Sheba
(India)

I made one CP batch with Rice Bran, Coconut, Olive and Castor and another HP with the same ingredients. And poured it into a pvc mould, lined with silicon baking sheet. It came out real easy but as I cut the soap (with a cold knife,guilty!)it stared to crumble at the bottom. Hoping it was just the pressure that was causing the crumbling I started cutting around and coming to the center but that didn't help either. I had chunks falling out the center! The edges of the soap cut beautifully. There is no waxy/powdery feel. Help.

Answer:

I believe it's the knife you are using. Sometimes, a knife has too much surface and the soap suctions to the knife just like cheese will do. This results in a disfigured soap.

A very good method for cutting round soaps is to remove the soap cylinder from the round pipe. Unwrap the silicone sheet and allow the cylinder of soap to dry out for a day or so.

Once the outside is less tacky to the touch, slip the soap cylinder back into the round pipe. Since it had silicone around it before, it should easily slip in. Gently slide the soap one inch (or however thick you want the bar to be) out of the round pipe.

Here is the most important part...take a length of fishing line or heavy duty thread, wrap the ends around short pieces of dowelling or around the pieces of a pulled apart wooden clothes peg and tie securely. This will give you handles on your newly created "cutting line".

Using the cutting line, cut the soap cylinder by holding the line against the opening of the pipe and pulling the line slowly down through the soap taking extra care at the end of the cut.

This should give you a nice clean cut and the soap will not stick to it.

Good luck,
Cathy