Thoughts on Savon Le Pere Lucien
Gentlemen,
Le Pere Lucien is a superb artisan shave soap. I have lathered with it the past week, using Thater, Simpson and Rooney brushes, with face and bowl lathering, and cannot compliment this soap enough. It is superb, indeed. From the scores of artisan soaps I have tried through the years only two have impressed me: Mike's Natural Soaps and Mama Bear. Le Pere Lucien makes it three.
Le Pere Lucien is often compared to Martin de Candre. I dare say it compares well — generally. Remember Martin de Candre is a hard soap and Le Pere Lucien soft. Martin de Candre is celestial. What is Le Pere Lucien, then? Is one soap better than the other? The question is moot, really, because opinions will differ and we'll end up chasing our tail. Let's say Le Pere Lucien floats in its own orbit.
I try not to compare soaps just for this reason. Is Martin de Candre better than, say, Mitchell's Wool Fat? I have no idea. Some will say yes and some no and we're back where we started. So I take each soap for what it is. That is not to say I do not have my preferred soaps. of course, I do. They are Martin de Candre, Czech & Speake, D.R. Harris Arlington, Mitchell's Wool Fat and Tabac. And now also Le Pere Lucien.
At the same time I like and use many other soaps, preferring some over the others for various reason. For instance, I love Klar Kabinett, the old German barber soap. It's an inexpensive soap, but an absolute delight for its lather, cushion and glide. I love its rose fragrance, too.
In the Le Pere Lucien shave soap I have used I detect a mild French lavender fragrance, which is deep and earthy. Don't expect a big and fluffy lather from this soap; rather, one that is dense and heavy. That's why it needs water. For the straight razor, I generally keep my lather on the watery side, because it provides better glide. This is easy to do with this soap. Load your brush well and then play with the water ratio, whether face or bowl lathering.
What I have found astonishing in Le Pere Lucien is the cushion. My Assyrian beard is heavy and my skin sensitive. That is not a good formula. The lather from this soap pampers my skin like an angel's kiss. I dare say no shave soap has ever given me such comfortable cushion, not even Martin de Candre. That comparison I dare make. Pair that with an exceptionally slick glide and you have the making of a superb shaving experience. At the same time, the rich lather stays moist throughout the shave.
The final test of a good soap is how it leaves the face after the shave. In Le Pere Lucien silky and comfortable say plenty.
The soap is difficult to get and the shipping a whopper. I was fortunate enough to receive the soap from a dear SRP friend. Thank you and bless your heart. Perhaps a U.S. vendor will offer this soap with a reasonable shipping charge. Soon, too, I hope, because the amount I have will run out — and I am already getting nervous.
