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What makes Blind Pirate Trading Co. different?

Every bar we make is crafted in small batches using grass-fed tallow, organic oils, and pure essential oils, steam-distilled or cold-pressed, documented by batch number and traced back to country of origin. No fragrance oils, no shortcuts. We use certified organic ingredients including plant-based colorants like beetroot powder and turmeric. Our bars cure for a minimum of 8 weeks, allowing for a hard, long lasting bar. Most report at least 6-8 weeks of regular use. Every Captain's Bar is Braille-labeled by hand, and any order can be Brailled for free: just tick the Braille box in your cart. We didn't set out to build an accessible company. We set out to build a good one. It turns out those are the same thing. Five generations of seafaring runs through everything we do, from our scent profiles to our values.

Can I get Braille on everything in my order?

Yes, and it's free. In your cart, on the cart page or in the slide-out cart, tick the box to add Braille labels to every item. Every product in your order is then Braille-labeled before it ships, so you can identify each one by touch and know exactly what to reorder.

Captain's Bars always come Brailled, box or no box. The Captain's Bar is our signature piece, and it never leaves us without its Braille label.

Why a box instead of Braille on everything? Because Braille matters most to the person who reads it. Asking lets us put our hands and our time where they count: on the orders of the people who need it.

Is your website accessible for blind and low-vision users?

Yes — fully and intentionally. Every product image has descriptive alt text. Every page is navigable by screen reader from top to bottom. Our accessibility widget is available on every page, in the top right hand corner. The site has been thoroughly tested by a real blind user using a screen reader, and we act on every finding. Accessibility isn't a feature we added — it's the standard we built from.

Can I complete a purchase independently using a screen reader?

Yes. A blind tester using a screen reader was able to browse products, select variants, add and remove items from the cart, and complete checkout independently without assistance. If you ever encounter a barrier, please contact us immediately — we want to know and we will fix it.

Who Brailles the labels?

Dolton hand-Brailles every Captain's Bar label on his Perkins Brailler. Every one, every order. And as we've grown, so has our team. Our first hire was a fully blind Brailler — a young man from our Camp Leo community — who now hand-Brailles every Welcome Aboard insert that ships with our mailing boxes. We didn't set out to build an accessible company. We set out to build a good one. It turns out those are the same thing.

What does the Braille on the label say?

Every Captain's Bar carries a full Braille label, hand-pressed by Dolton. When you tick the Braille box in your cart, every other item in your order is Braille-labeled too, so each one can be identified by touch.

What is grass-fed tallow soap and why does it matter?

Grass-fed tallow is rendered beef fat from grass-fed cattle. It's one of the most skin-compatible fats on earth — rich in vitamins A, D, E, and K, and structurally similar to the oils your skin naturally produces. The result is a bar that cleans without stripping, lathers beautifully and leaves skin genuinely nourished rather than just moisturized. Read more about tallow here.

Are your products vegan?

Our soap bars, shampoo bars, lip balms, and beard balms all contain grass-fed tallow, so they are not vegan. Check individual product pages for full ingredient details.

Do you use fragrance oils or synthetic scents?

Never. We use only pure botanical essential oils in every scented product. You'll never find "fragrance" on our ingredient list. We use pure essential oils, steam-distilled or cold-pressed, and choose certified organic wherever we can source it. Every essential oil we use is sourced from suppliers who provide full GC/MS testing, batch lot numbers, and country of origin documentation. We keep those records.

How long does a bar last?

Our bars are built to last — and we mean that. Every bar is cold-process crafted and cured for 8 weeks, which is what gives them their exceptional longevity. A Captain's Bar (full size) typically lasts 6-8 weeks with daily use, and that's being modest. To put that in real terms: Kyle, my eldest son and a yacht captain in the tropics who showers twice a day, received five Ballast Bars (4.7 oz) at Thanksgiving and was just opening his last one the following June.

• 6 to 8 weeks per Captain's Bar with daily single-person use.
• Why it lasts: Grass-fed tallow is high in hard, saturated fats (stearic and palmitic acids) that create low solubility, meaning the bar resists melting down in wet environments. Coconut and castor oils balance the cleansing and lather, while the extended 8-week cure creates a tightly bound crystal structure.
• How to maximize life: Keep the bar on a well-draining soap dish so it dries completely between uses.

Do you offer wholesale?

Yes — we work with select retailers who share our values. Visit our Wholesale page to learn more and apply.

Do you ship internationally?

We currently ship within the United States and Canada. More international markets are coming soon. For wholesale inquiries, please visit our Wholesale page or contact us directly.

What is your return policy?

A well-loved bar of soap isn't something we can put back on the shelf, so we don't ask for it back. If it's your first order with us and a scent isn't right for you, contact us within 30 days of delivery and we'll exchange it for a different bar of your choosing — no need to send the one you have to us. This exchange is available once per first-time customer. If your order arrives damaged, defective, or incorrect, contact us immediately and we'll make it right with a replacement or a full refund.

How should I store my soap?

Keep your bar in a cool, dry place away from direct water. A draining soap dish is your bar's best friend — standing water is its nemesis. See our accessories for some options that may work for you.