TOBS, Truefitt & Hill, or D.R. Harris???

After reading a couple of threads about English creams, I decided o break down and try some. The question is, which brand and which scent?

I like sandalwood. Proraso red is a favorite and pared with Aramis after shave always pleases.

I like lavender too. My only experience is with the AoS cream and post shave balm. It's OK, but doesn't thrill me.

The descriptions of "Trafalgar," "Marlborough," and Eton College" frankly leave me perplexed. :thinking:

So, what do you recommend for my first foray into English creams?

Try Castle Forbes, not English but close enough. Though I'm sure plenty of Scotsman would not like that. No perplexing scents either. Top notch performance.

I'd go with DR Harris Marlborough. It's my go to soap and cologne. I love it. The scent is strong of cedar wood.

DRH Marlborough is a great soap not too heavily scented!
TOBS Sandalwood has a great scent that lasts a good while. It has a hint of pine with sandalwood!

Out of those three, Truefitt & Hill is hard to beat. It is simply a stunning shave cream, though DR Harris isn't far behind. If you like lavender DRH would be a good choice. TOBS is good but not quite in the same league.

If you are considering TOBS, it's worth looking at the Grapefruit. It's a nice soap with a fresh, but not overly fruity, scent.

I would second what Ryan said, Truefitt & Hill is premier cream. I would also add Castle Forbes. They are the shaving creams I have no problem spending money on, because I know I'm buying a great cream. I have Truefitt & Hill's 1805, Almond, Grafton, Rose, Sandalwood, West Indian Lime, and Castle Forbes Lime.

My 17 old Son has been wet shaving for about two years and recently started with a straight. The Sandalwood, West Indian Lime, and Almond are constantly disappearing from my bathroom into his bathroom, along with my Castle Forbes Lime. I've pretty much given up on trying to get them back.

And my Wife shaves her legs with a DE and a synthetic brush in the shower, which is usually where I find my Truefitt & Hill Rose. I doubt I'll get that cream back either.

Which leave me with the 1805 and Grafton. Which I absolutly love.

I have other soaps and creams but it is the Truefitt & Hill and Castle Forbes creams that keep disappearing. You know they're good creams when everyone in the house keeps taking them.

Once my Daughter starts shaving her legs I wont have any shaving creams left:boohoo:

Thanks, guys. I wanted to include Castle Forbes, but everywhere I looked was out of stock.

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Originally Posted by GeauxLSU

Thanks, guys. I wanted to include Castle Forbes, but everywhere I looked was out of stock.

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Classic Shaving has Cedarwood & Sandalwood and Lavender in stock - no lime
looked at a bunch of places as saw the same thing - lots of places out of stock of all three flavors - weird

Good Luck

Depends what you want...if you want a soap, go for Harris (I have both lavender and marlbourough and prefer the lavender), if you want a mid range cream with nice scents, go TOBS (I have st james plus a sampler of everything else), if you want a higher end cream get a Truefitt and Hill (I have their sandalwood).

I have all of 3 T's and my fav is truefitt and hill. I really like the sandalwood and the 1805. Whips up nice and thick. Blade glides off

The DR Harris Windsor is superb...very distinguished smelling. I'd imagine, if you were to go to a very nice English Barber shop, and have a shave, the DR Harris Windsor is what you'd smell. IMO, a very unique scent that I've found nothing really resembles. IOW's, you've got your sandalwoods, your lavenders, your florals, etc...but the Arlington stands on it's own in my opinion...now whether that's any good is up to you...YMMV.

I'll give it a try

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Originally Posted by RDbeefmoney

I'll give it a try

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Or you end up doing what most of us do who have realized resistance is futile -you try them all....:o

Yes I'm scent crazy!!! My wife says I'm outta control.

There is a seemingly infinite number of quality soaps and creams to try, tis only a matter of which to try first

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Originally Posted by kwlfca

There is a seemingly infinite number of quality soaps and creams to try, tis only a matter of which to try first

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That's very true. Once you start down this path you have an entire lifetime to sample the best products the world has to offer. It's just that some of us get impatient and try to get them all at once :roflmao

Try getting some samples of several creams and soaps

I concur with some of the first few responders - IMHO Marlborough is a fantastic, light scent... but it has no sandalwood in it, only cedar wood. To my recollection, Eton College also has little sandalwood in its scent composition (hard to remember though - it was a long time ago).

Of the 3 you specifically listed, that leaves T&H Trafalgar - IMHO also a fantastic scent. Definitely has sandalwood in it, but mixed with other scents as well. Nice woodsy, spicey fragrance without any overbearing sweetness behind it.

All in all, Cobre's suggestion is a good one - for $10-$20 you can pick up over a dozen samples to get an idea of what you really like for committing to a full tub or tube of shaving cream...

Truefitt & Hill samples can be gotten directly from Truefittandhill.com. You can also pick them up at place like The Shave Den Shop... and Garry's Sample Shop.

Plus, extra/left-over sample packets/tubs are great for traveling.

Good luck with your hunt and enjoy the journey!

I haven't tried the others yet, but I use DR Harris Marlborough and man I love that scent. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who strays from the musky or wooden scents and prefers lighter or more citrus tones, but to those like me who enjoy something that makes you feel like you are deep in a cedar forest I'd give it a try. At the same time though I don't think it's overbearing.
Took a while to learn to lather though, seems to need a lot of water. I might pick up the cologne. Haven't tried the other DR Harris soaps yet, but the Windsor sounds great as well.

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es I'm scent crazy!!! My wife says I'm outta control.

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I'm the same way..to be honest, the scent and lather experience is one of my favorite parts about wet shaving. Even the pure soap scents are great...like MWF (my fav over all), that scent can melt away the stress of a rough day in seconds.

With D.R. Harris Marlborough I smell more sandalwood than cedar. I am still trying to figure out Truefitt & Hill Trafalgar. I can say it is the most masculine-scented product in my shaving arsenal.

I like the trafalgar. But the sandalwood is my fav in the truefitt arsenal

It is very difficult to buy a soap without being able to smell it. The preference in perfume is something personal. In the shaving shop, where I try not to go to often, I can smell different the different soaps. For me, that is very important, not because I'm picky or very difficult(as some in my family claim) but I'm a very smell sensitive person. IMo a good reason to own a few and keep them in rotation not to dull he smell of just one soap :p
I would like a soap from MDC as well, but I think it will result in a trip to their shop in France.

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Originally Posted by Phrank

The DR Harris Windsor is superb...very distinguished smelling. I'd imagine, if you were to go to a very nice English Barber shop, and have a shave, the DR Harris Windsor is what you'd smell. IMO, a very unique scent that I've found nothing really resembles. IOW's, you've got your sandalwoods, your lavenders, your florals, etc...but the Arlington stands on it's own in my opinion...now whether that's any good is up to you...YMMV.

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I agee, I'm a DR Harris Windsor fan as well. I smelled them all and it appealed the most to me, just close my eyes when smelling it and feeling uber gentlemanly, ready to travel back in time
:D

Maybe it's an idea to look for someone near you, who has different soaps and is willing to let you smell or maybe even try them?

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Originally Posted by Leatherstockiings

With D.R. Harris Marlborough I smell more sandalwood than cedar. I am still trying to figure out Truefitt & Hill Trafalgar. I can say it is the most masculine-scented product in my shaving arsenal.

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That's funny, I find marlborough smells almost like....nothing!

She's not alone among wives.

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Originally Posted by RDbeefmoney

Yes I'm scent crazy!!! My wife says I'm outta control.

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Personally, I like DR Harris Arlington cream. Smells clean and refreshing, but doesn't linger post-shave....shaves great, with a nice glide....alittle goes a long way. Let's you follow up with a different aftershave.

Dr Harris by a long shot. I prefer soaps over creams due to superior performance.

This is the ultimate YMMV issue!

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Originally Posted by Haroldg48

This is the ultimate YMMV issue!

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Not when it comes to DR Harris. Just kidding.

I like TOB Eaton College. Pure badger brush, and 3 drops of glycerin. Now if i could figure out a way to get that to work in a hot lather machine it would be pretty close to HEAVEN. ;)

I have question please, recently got a sample from The Shave Den, and the scent is wonderful as everyone said. But the protection was between mediocre and inferior. No where near the creamy smoothness I get from MWF, Tabac, or a GFT coconut. Nothing line what I've read about it. So my question, did they send me something that just smells like DR Harris Windsor is it the real thing and I'm just paranoid? My Q is are these Shave Den people trust worthy??

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Originally Posted by 47Ronin

I have question please, recently got a sample from The Shave Den, and the scent is wonderful as everyone said. But the protection was between mediocre and inferior. No where near the creamy smoothness I get from MWF, Tabac, or a GFT coconut. Nothing line what I've read about it. So my question, did they send me something that just smells like DR Harris Windsor is it the real thing and I'm just paranoid? My Q is are these Shave Den people trust worthy??

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A sample of what? And no, they would not send you a fake lol

I'm finishing up a tub of TOBS Sandalwood and will not buy it again. It's just OK as a cream to me and the scent to my nose is artificial. I like the Proraso Red tub (not cream) better for performance and smell. I have an unused tube of G Trumper Rose that I've liked in the past better than the TOBS but Im not particularly looking forward to using it and would sell it or trade it actually.

That said, the only cream I'm even tempted to purchase is the Castle Forbes.

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Originally Posted by GC7

I'm finishing up a tub of TOBS Sandalwood and will not buy it again. It's just OK as a cream to me and the scent to my nose is artificial. I like the Proraso Red tub (not cream) better for performance and smell. I have an unused tube of G Trumper Rose that I've liked in the past better than the TOBS but Im not particularly looking forward to using it and would sell it or trade it actually.

That said, the only cream I'm even tempted to purchase is the Castle Forbes.

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Sandalwood greatly varies in scent depending on who's making it

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Originally Posted by 47Ronin

I have question please, recently got a sample from The Shave Den, and the scent is wonderful as everyone said. But the protection was between mediocre and inferior. No where near the creamy smoothness I get from MWF, Tabac, or a GFT coconut. Nothing line what I've read about it. So my question, did they send me something that just smells like DR Harris Windsor is it the real thing and I'm just paranoid? My Q is are these Shave Den people trust worthy??

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They would not send a fake. If you're talking about DR Harris, their cream is my favorite. It does take more water than you'd expect, but I can whip up a good lather and get a very smooth shave.

I think with creams, it's harder to just the "mix" of water and cream than it is with hard soap, which won't really lather unless you have enough water.

Thank you for your responses, I was referring to a sample of DR Harris Windsor cream, I'll try it again and take my time to whip up a good lather.

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Originally Posted by 47Ronin

Thank you for your responses, I was referring to a sample of DR Harris Windsor cream, I'll try it again and take my time to whip up a good lather.

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I have the DR Harris Windsor in the wood bowl, it is absolutely a, truly British shaving experience, after I shave with that luxurious soap I feel like I should go Fox Hunting and oppress the working classes....great stuff!

;)

? Is the best DR Harris fragrance? And soap or cream version?!

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Originally Posted by RDbeefmoney

? Is the best DR Harris fragrance? And soap or cream version?!

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The scents are subjective, but if you're getting a Harris product, get a soap. I personally have marlborough and lavender. Eventually I'll grab a windsor.