Thread: If It's English Leather, It Must Be Christmas

Gentlemen:

I have a tradition of buying English Leather aftershave lotion every year at Christmas. How many years I don't know. Many years.

The nearby pharmacy offers a special gift package of it and scores of other aftershaves and colognes at a good price. Subsequently, while rotating about a dozen or so aftershaves and colognes, I make the English Leather last through the year.

I have a warm spot in my heart for this fragrance. A friend introduced me to it in my early twenties in Chicago. That is almost as far back as the 14th century. My friend and I shared a basement apartment on the north side, and we had good times. More like wild times, really, to which my two lovely and dynamic daughters say, "Way to go, Dad."

Since those early days, I don't think I have ever been without English Leather.

The fragrance blends leather, wood and soap into a clean and pleasant experience after the shave. Old fashioned, some would say. Yes, thank you.

I like old fragrances, not because I am old, which I am, but because they had character and did not all smell alike. Like an old car compared to the modern box on wheels. Find something today that comes anywhere near the 39 Cadillac, for instance.

Whereas today's designer fragrances, especially those named after movie stars and sports figures, all small alike. To me, anyway.

Yes, my favorite fragrances today are Truefitt & Hill's and Trumper's Spanish Leather, Woods of Windsor, good old Pinaud, and Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet. There are others.

And, yes, English Leather. I especially like the warmth of English Leather. It reminds of me of my youth. It is an unpretentious fragrance that says, "Ah, yes, we had a good shave today, didn't we?"

Yes, we did. The straight razor and the luxurious lather pampered my old face with soft kisses and the English Leather assured me that life was good.

Merry Christmas.

Regards,

Obie

I can only afford one AD at a time here. Sheesh.

Due to what you wrote in another thread I have purchased T&H Spanish Leather. Love the scent! I am more of a balm person so I should get back to finding one.

excellent post obie.. i feel the exact same way about old spice..

perhaps i need a bottle of english leather for next year's rotation.

Ok... I've always wanted to pick up one of those at Wal-mart (really inexpensive), and I think I'll have to pull the trigger.

Hello, Richmondesi:

I have seen the English Leather at Walmart, but I am not sure it that's the original one. If I remember, the bottle at Walmart has a dark label. The one I have bought through the years has a lighter label. They could be the same aftershave but in different labels, I suppose. That I can't be sure about.

Regards,

Obie

Obie,

Ah yes, good ol' English Leather. I can not remember a time that my grandfather did not have a bottle in the medicine cabinet (beside the Old Spice, of course). Still does, I'm sure. As a consequence I have not been without either brand since I was old enough to shave. Perhaps even before that.

There is something about that scent though that evokes memories of youth, even if it is an "old-man" scent. Yes, many of us may have graduated to more expensive, sophisticated brands. But there will aways be a special place in my shave den for English Leather.

Have a merry Christmas and enjoy your annual treat. I know I will

PS- The walmart "black label" edition is indeed different, AFAIK. I can't remember off the top of my they call it.

There's something to be said for the old school scents, e.g. Old Spice, English Leather, Aqua Velva. It seems that every other month, the big labels (Dolce & Gabanna, Christian Audiger, and many other names I can't pronounce/spell) come out with something new, yet the stalwarts are still around, mostly unchanged. BTW, anyone remember British Sterling?

My father was very disappointed when the deodorant line was discontinued.

Not sure how long its been back but I think Dana Fragrances now owns EL.
I sent the old man a years supply of the deodorant for the holidays, he had no idea they were making it again.

The rest of the line can be found here
English Leather | Dana Classics
They also have British Sterling, California, Canoe, Navy, and No Limit.
Oh and the stuff with the Black label is a different line called English Leather Black...

It was my first bottle of cologne and AS from my folks in one of the gift boxes 20 years ago. I think i still have it some where as well might have to dig it out and see what SHMBO thinks of it.

Sorry if posting the link here was inappropriate, I do not work for Dana Frag. nor have I benefited in any way

That's a nice tradition, Obie
I a couple of weeks ago I perused the shops along 5th and Madison Avenues, and I'm afraid my eventual pick (still hesitating among several) will be in a completely different price range. Of course, that doesn't matter much, it's just a means to the enjoyment.