Thread: Cella

The “Italian Barber” describes Cella thusly:

There is no better test of greatness than “standing the test of time” and Cella Crema Sapone passes with flying colours. As far as I know, the formula for Cella is virtually unchanged since it's introduction in 1899. In Italy, you will find many master barbers and experienced wet-shavers that consider Cella to be the greatest shaving soap ever produced and after personally usually Cella dozens of times, I certainly share the same opinion.

And as you know, there are a lot, and I mean a lot, of people who tow that line. So I didn’t buy a sample, I bought a tub of it sight unseen (along with the aftershave balm). Bring on the Cella!


Love the packaging!

When I opened the tub, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven!! That sweet almond/cherry combo just gave me the warm fuzzies! Moreover, it’s a tallow soap! I generally love me a tallow soap! I couldn’t wait to shave with that 119 year old recipe and get on the bandwagon!

You can see where this is going can’t you?

Yeah total bummer really. Everything is just so right. The packaging is great, the scent is to die for, it lathers ok... but it just provides so little “cushion” or protection or whatever you want to call it, it kills the whole shave for me! Total bummer. From a tallow soap I was expecting more.

So the verdict was to put it in the, “Give to someone else” drawer. And there it’s hung out until today, when I needed to work in my new boar brush. Man I love that scent, but I just can’t get a “thick” enough, or rather, a lather that’ll protect enough.

Am I alone?

I wasn't a big fan of Cella, like a lot of soaps/creams I really want them to be great performers but they just dont deliver. Even though it's more of a crop I found a tiny bit of warm water added to the bowl whilst I'm having a shower helps.

I was the other way around with Cella in that the scent was off for me but the performance was OK. Then I tried Boellis Panama 1924 and found it's almond scent very much to my liking and it's performance was excellent.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

I was the other way around with Cella in that the scent was off for me but the performance was OK. Then I tried Boellis Panama 1924 and found it's almond scent very much to my liking and it's performance was excellent.

Bob

Hey now that’s a soap I’d love to,try one day!

The horse and buggy must be superb as that mode of transportation withstood the "test of time" for several millennia. However, unless you happen to live in Amish Country, you won't find many people who avail themselves of that "superb" conveyance in the 21st century.

Some things do survive the test of time, but there are many more that outlive their usefulness. How many of you have an ice box (not an electric refrigerator) in the kitchen to keep your food cold? How many of your wives wash clothes using a wash board and wash tub, only to hang them outside on the clothes line to dry? How many of you still wear a watch that has to be wound every day? Even the incandescent light bulb developed by Thomas Edison is becoming a relic, being phased out in favor of more energy efficient fluorescent and LED bulbs.

Whether you consider traditional shaving soaps like Cella to be great, having withstood the test of time, or consider them to have outlived their usefulness, is based solely on your personal needs and preferences. I am glad to see that many traditional soaps and creams are still available for use by anyone who believes traditional wet shaving should be done using traditional methods and traditional products. However, I am also glad there are modern products available as well for those who would rather drive an automobile than ride in a horse and buggy. Options are wonderful; it is a great time to be a wet shaver!

Originally Posted by earcutter

Hey now that’s a soap I’d love to,try one day!

And I thought the PannaCrema was expensive

Yea I wasn't impressed with the stuff. To me it was kind of like the Italian Williams as Williams used to be many years ago.

I find Cella to be a Tier 3 soap, at best. There are many other fine Italian soaps that perform much, much better than Cella, including Antica Barbieria Cola, Boellis Panama 1924, Saponificio Varesino, Carthusia, Santa Maria Novella, and Proraso Single Blade cream.

I'll reiterate what others have said that it isn't the best soap available, nowadays. There are just so many better options with much better scents, in my opinion.

Originally Posted by DZEC

And I thought the PannaCrema was expensive

At least it is a 250 gr block of soap to ease the sting a bit. One of the very few expensive soaps I'd buy again when I run out.

https://www.italianbarber.com/produc...ving-soap-250g

Bob