Cella revisited

Hey guys , I haven't ever done anything like this before , but I felt compelled. I travel a lot for my job around 265 days a year in the oilfield, so I bring the necessities for straight shaving with me. Mostly I carry the Proraso , Stirling soaps for the travel part . Now soon I will be home full time and then I will be using my finer soaps all the time( I'm a big fan of my MDC and Castle Forbes) but on the road I just didn't make a point of bringing these. As I was packing for my last trip I seen the old tub of Cella I started with and gave up on it. Well I,m using it now out in the field, and my lather technique must be better , because I really like this cream! Inexpensive and very smooth shaves ,, so if any of you guys has an old soap or cream laying around and haven't used since you began , Pick them up and try it out , I won't be giving up my good stock , but this Cella will get used from here on out on in my travel bag. Tc

Cella is a great soap. I find myself using it alot of times over my other soaps/creams. It is easy to lather and does an excellent job of what it is supposed to do, plus I like the smell.

Yep, it should probably be in everyone's line up. A staple.

I run counter to the swell of men who enjoy this product. Tried a sample years ago and thought Meh. Had a tub gifted to me by my soon to be ex wife and tried to love it....but no.

Yes, Cella does the job well unfortunately I find the scent off putting. Classic YMMV.

Bob

I do like the Cella as well and bring it with me to work as well. I work in the marine industry and also spend a lot of time away. Soap I don't like shaving with become shower soaps though, it's a little more awkward with creams though.

I like the Cella properties as does my daughter-in-law.
We agree it is an excellent shaving soap.
The almond scent is a bit on the strong side but not off putting.


Dave

I had the same experience as Tcrideshd; I put it aside for a while and though of giving it away; after a while I picked it up again and it was love at second sight.

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Now I need to get one of these:

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So if you like the Red Tub Cella may I suggest that you try a sample of the Cella Block (1KG)
Well worth a try...and a great value - sort of the "Arko" of Italian style soft soaps...

And Smooth Shaving...

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Originally Posted by MJC

So if you like the Red Tub Cella may I suggest that you try a sample of the Cella Block (1KG)
Well worth a try...and a great value - sort of the "Arko" of Italian style soft soaps...

And Smooth Shaving...

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1kg is a lot of soap. That would last a very very long time.

I did get it May of 2013, I cut it into squares for a Pyrex dish,,, use it all the time,,, only have used 2 squares. I still have 8 more squares in the refrigerator wrapped in wax paper & then in zip locked freezer bags.

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

I did get it May of 2013, I cut it into squares for a Pyrex dish,,, use it all the time,,, only have used 2 squares. I still have 8 more squares in the refrigerator wrapped in wax paper & then in zip locked freezer bags.

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John

I have my unused in the freezer.

Does it matter?

Dave

I don't think it matters,,, I took out the 2nd block after 7 months & it had a nice fresh scent.

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Originally Posted by RezDog

1kg is a lot of soap. That would last a very very long time.

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That it is...I believe I read 2 years of steady use - perhaps Hirlau could fill us in.
I have a 75-100g slice that came as the Lagniappe/Gift with purchase for something else.
Enough to tell me that I am either going to have to bite the bullet and explain to the SWMBO that no, that is not white cheddar on the bottom of the freezer or be the lead-out on a group buy...

Why - oh why - are there so many great soaps and creams and even more unapologetic shills for each and every one of them?

Smooth shaving...

Cella is a magnificent soap! As a matter of fact it has been my replacement soap when they quit making the super glorious P.160.
Add to this it has the classic Italian almond scent - although as not intense as other Italians - it makes a good soap for the ones loving this scent, including me, of course.
Very easy to mount, it gives a luxurious lather in few seconds. As for keeping, it virtually lasts forever, in particular if you keep it in the refrigerator, something I do with all of my soaps.
The 1kg pack is bargain: its price, here in Italy, is about 10 euros.

Cella was the first soap I tried so had nothing to compare it with but I thought it was great.

Hello to All,

I split my 1kg of Cella into 125g dollops in KlipFit tubs and out them in the freezer.

That was over two (2) years ago, and the tubs still are fresh when I come to use them.

For me, Cella is still the best lather product I have used :)

Have fun :)

Best regards

Russ

As it is an Italian soap I tried getting hold of it in Tuscany last year: impossible. I asked a few barbers and they didn't even know it. They all use Proraso.

I am sure this is very likely to happen in many parts of Italy. Tuscany is the land of Proraso and so are many other Italian regions, in particular those in Central Italy, including mine.
Cella is common in Northern Italy - this soap is produced in the outskirts of Milan - and in Lombardy is very common and easy to find. It is however a sure fact Proraso is the leading brand in Italy and most of the Italian barbers use their products.
I usually buy Cella in Milan: in Perugia - the city where I live - it is almost impossible to find it and I am sure it is the same for Tuscany as well.

Cella is a superb product but I would only buy it in the red pack; 1 kg is too much given that its unrefrigerated shelf life is probably not much more than 12 months. I've found that 6 or 7 month old examples of the red pack start to show some deterioration. Cutting up the 1 kg block and freezing the divided pieces would probably keep them in top condition.

.....or you can buy a partial brick in a tub: Cella (Brick in a tub) Extra Extra Purissma Shaving Soap / Shave Ready

I got mine this way from Joe at Italian Barber, but he is no longer cutting up the bricks. I was glad to see that Shave Ready is now doing it.

http://images.cdn.bigcartel.com/bigc...0/IMG_8617.jpg

Is the brick the same as the tub? I have considered getting one.

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Originally Posted by Grazor

Is the brick the same as the tub? I have considered getting one.

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They are not the same.
YMMV - but for me the Brick is mo better...

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Originally Posted by Maladroit

Cella is a superb product but I would only buy it in the red pack; 1 kg is too much given that its unrefrigerated shelf life is probably not much more than 12 months. I've found that 6 or 7 month old examples of the red pack start to show some deterioration. Cutting up the 1 kg block and freezing the divided pieces would probably keep them in top condition.

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I buy a kg every 5 yrs,Keep it in a ziplock in a cool dark place,It has never gone bad.

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Originally Posted by MJC

They are not the same.
YMMV - but for me the Brick is mo better...

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Same ingredints. More likely a different cure time or process. The words "extra extra purissima" imply superiority.
Into my 2nd kilo. :)

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Originally Posted by onimaru55

Same ingredints. More likely a different cure time or process. The words "extra extra purissima" imply superiority.
Into my 2nd kilo. :)

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Thanks - they seem so different side by side. May be that my red tub cella was old(er) / off (how do you know/tell that it has gone bad BTW?)

Cella from the 1kg is one of my favorites, have not tried the Tub in a while since the results were "meh" - now I'm wondering if my Tub is old/off.

And since the tub is deposited like soft serve ice cream (from appearance) and the blocks are...blocks...? There might also be a difference in proportions in ingredients.

Hopefully razorguy our SME (Subject Mater Expert) on all things Italian - Shaving can help out.

Many folks, including me, prefer the brick by a hair.

I bought half share in a 1kg block with another British guy on B&B. I love the stuff! Bunged a lump in a Tupperware type small round tub leaving enough depth to go at it with the brush. Perfect!

The rest is in the freezer. The brick does seem to last a long time considering it is quite soft and malleable.

If you think 1kg is too much, ask around and find someone to share with. You know it makes sense!

Gareth

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Originally Posted by MJC

Thanks - they seem so different side by side. May be that my red tub cella was old(er) / off (how do you know/tell that it has gone bad BTW?)

Cella from the 1kg is one of my favorites, have not tried the Tub in a while since the results were "meh" - now I'm wondering if my Tub is old/off.

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When it's off, colour will change, scent diminishes & lathering is meh. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MJC

So if you like the Red Tub Cella may I suggest that you try a sample of the Cella Block (1KG)
Well worth a try...and a great value - sort of the "Arko" of Italian style soft soaps...

And Smooth Shaving...

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Certainly more pleasing smell than Arko; but exceptionally good value and the performance is not much off Valobra, one of my favorite soaps.

The 1kg block lasts a long time and will not deteriorate if properly stored.
Like many Italian soaps, consistency is like putty and I use a butter knife to cut off the required amount and press it into a apothecary shaving mug or plastic (e.g. Tupperware) tub that seals tight and is perfect for traveling.

You could partition some for home, some for your travels and top-up the mugs whenever you need.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MJC

They are not the same.
YMMV - but for me the Brick is mo better...

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Agree; the list of ingredients may be the same, but the soaps are not the same.
Also agree that the brick is the better soap.

Anyone wanna go halvies then.

I may have asked this in another thread about Cella before but does it actually have almond oil in it? Can anyone post a pic of the ingredients it would be much appreciated!

Definitely smells like it. I am not a fan of eating anything with almond in it but the scent is very nice and not too overpowering.

Well,

After 30 months or so, I am just coming to the end of a 1Kg block of Cella. I found it to be a great soap, I liked the smell and the performance was great.

I kept a small amount in a ceramic pot for daily use, the remainder was in a Ziploc bag in the fridge, there were no storage problems. I did find however that the Cella in the pot would smell a bit fatty/tallow if I didn't use it for a while. This was not an unpleasant smell, just noticeably different than when it first came out of the Ziploc bag (then it would smell like fresh marzipan).

The dilemma is, do I buy another 1 Kg block ? I feel that whilst I would like to continue using it, there's so many other soaps that I have yet to try. I think I will leave the replacement for a while, tyhen when I get nostalgic for it, perhaps just buy a small tub of it.

Pulled out the red tub of Cella this evening. It had been a while, but it makes a good lather, well priced, and I'm pleased to be reminded it needs a place in my rotation along with Mitchell's Wool Fat. Still looking for something else to add to it...

This fellow sells tubs of the brick. He also posts here, TucoRamirez IIRC. So if you want the brick but not so much of it, problem solved.

Products / Shave Ready

Cheers, Steve