Thread: Art of Shaving

Yes, I've seen Yardley Lavender - for $5-6 or so. Next time I'll grab one.

I thought it won't lather much because it's so old? I already had one high-end soap not perform as well as expected, which I thought was due to aging... But at this price I guess I can use it as a bath soap...

Cheers
Ivo

The Yardley Shaving soap is not lavender. The lavender is their bath soap. The soap I'm speaking of is in a natural wood bowl - no lacquer or coloring. It has a green and black sticker on the lid. I have one of these bowls with the Prince of Wales sticker (from before George VI ascension to the throne). It's from the mid to late 40's I think. You get ones made right on through to the 60's if you wait patiently for them to pop up on ebay.

I, and others I have read, have had no trouble lathering these soaps. Just used it this morning in fact and it lathered like there was no tomorrow - a rich and excellent lather. If you can find them for $5 to $6 then grab them. There is usually a fight over them on ebay unless they are used. The unused bowls go for 4 to 5 times that price. The used ones go more for the money you quoted. I think the reason is that you really can't tell how much is left plus the gross factor of using someone else's used soap.

The AOS soaps are the equivalent of this stuff. If you want to know what the old Yardley shaving soap was like and you don't want to wait for an unused one to pop up on ebay, then use the AOS soap. The lathers are just about identical.

Regards,
EL

LOL EL - that's why I probably didn't buy any that I saw - if I decided it was used I'd have been grossed out for sure.

I'd be willing to throw a low bet that Yardley had a Lavender shave soap, because I think this is what I saw... But may be wrong, of course. Not that I'd be buying from AOS, but what scent of its line-up matches the Yardley? - this way I can check it out, and if I like the AOS scent I *may* decide to buy the Yardley...

Cheers
Ivo

Ivo, I stand corrected, the Yardley shave soap IS English Lavender. It's the same one I described in my post - with the green and black sticker on the lid. None of the AOS soaps smell the same, they only perform the same. The lavender AOS is a very nice scent but not the same as the Yardley. The Yardley is very nice and more fougere to my nose but it's hard to tell as the scent is faint after all these years.

Yardley also made a Black Label shaving soap which I believe would be from the early 60's on. It's closer to Penhaligon's English Fern from what I can gleen but I've not smelled it myself. Some say it's not as good as the older Yardley but it's still very good quality. Dunno about that claim either, just throwing it out there.

Well, may you one day be gifted with a puck of the AOS soap just to give it a try. I'll back off the next bowl of Yardley shaving soap I see on ebay.

Regards,
EL

EL - that's so nice of you, I really appreciate it!

But please don't back off - in my luck I'll probably miss it If you get it it will go to someone who really appreciates it. If I see one I'll try to remember to ask you if you are bidding and if you are - I'll hold off. But if you get too many of these and decide to sell one unused - you could send me a PM maybe

Cheers
Ivo