Thread: AOS vs Castle Forbes vs Truefitt?

OK, I have some Art of Shaving cream (sandalwood) and it feels pretty nice.

I am looking to get some more cream, and I was lookin' into Castle Forbes or the Truefitt & Hill Ultimate Comfort stuff.

I got a sample of the T&H and it was OK, not as good as the AOS stuff, but I never got a chance to experiment with the mix before it was out.

There's a significant price difference between the creams, and I was wondering, is the Castle Forbes worth the cost over the T&H and/or the AOS?

Edit: And by worth it, I mean: does it feel/protect/perform better than the AOS or T&H. Smell is not an issue.

I havent tried the AOS products but I do have T&H Ultimate Comfort SC, Lemon Lime TOBS SC, both the Violet and Rose Trumpers SCs and now both the Lime and Lavender Castle Forbes SCs.

The CF products really are lovely. Very slick shave, lather well and a little dab goes a long way. I can definitely say that the CF tubs will outlast the other products just because you use it so sparingly. Besides that, the fragrances are just wonderful. I additionally own the CF Lavender after shave balm and I think I like that even more than the shave creams. Just wonderful products and I dont think you will regret it.

Oh yeah? Do you think it's worth an extra 10-15 bucks? Like I said in my edit, smell is no big deal...

My wife makes soap so she has tons of different essential oils and makes me custom preshaves and aftershaves and such. (props to the wife for reverse engineering both the AOS & T&H ultimate comfort preshave oil)

Originally Posted by joke1176

There's a significant price difference between the creams, and I was wondering, is the Castle Forbes worth the cost over the T&H and/or the AOS?

In a nutshell: Yes. See if you can find some samples, give them a try. IMVHO CF is the standard. Wouldn't touch AOS with a barge pole. YMMV.

Castle Forbes really IS that good.
I will say in its defense, AOS has (strangely) improved since they moved manufacture of their creams to the US. I don't know if they are making it or if it is made under contract, but it is noticeably better IMHO than the original tubs of AOS I tried a few years back, which were still good, but not quite *as* good.

T&H is an old name and I like their creams. In the past I would have easily rated them above AOS, but the newer AOS is pretty much on a par with T&H IMHO.
I would rate them: CF by a large margin, then, depending on which cream you selected, AOS or T&H.

Not that this helps.
Buy them all. You know you want to.


John P.

I haven't used AOS cream in a long time, but they're all good products. Considering how long it lasts, I'd say the the extra $ for CF is worth a try. Then pick up the other along the way. Enjoy!

Jordan

I have never tried CF... with the shipping they are really expensive for me... but I really like the AOS unscented (I haven't try the other one) and T&H ultimate comfort, 1805, Grafton and lavender (I prefer the 1805 for summer and the Grafton for winter).
Having heard only good think about CF, I think that - if you have the money - it would be worth the purchase

I have to agree that the AOS is vastly better than I ever expected it to be, the mother in law bought me the sandalwood and the lavender.... However Castle Forbes is still the best I have ever tried, scent is always a personal issue so leave that out, the CF outperforms the rest for Cushion, Lather, and Glide, it is worth the difference... The only bad thing I can think of about it is that you will be always comparing everything else to it from the moment that you get some..... and nothing really can compare, that I have found,,,, YET..... I forgot to add IMHO

Originally Posted by Ockham

Having heard only good think about CF, I think that - if you have the money - it would be worth the purchase

Ah yes. The money one can spend on shaving paraphernalia... Personally, I am thoroughly grateful that Jens Pönitzsch of The Different Scent provided me with a lot of samples. AOS did some rather interesting things to my skin, even during the first application. None of them I found desirable. That rash only went away after three hours. Human skins vary wildly, and apart from the objective facts (latherability, lubrication, etc.), there is always the question whether any product will play nicely with your skin. For me, CF does, and better than anything else I have tried so far.

That said, a friend of mine is using their full range of products, and is very happy. Horses for courses, as they say. Which is why I would strongly recommend trying to obtain samples before investing into something in the price range of AOS or CF.

Another point in defence of CF: While quite pricey, their creams last very long. Therefore, comparing the price per ml will not really work well. I believe that in the long run, CF is actually cheaper than e.g. T&H. As always, your mileage my vary.

CF is the best shaving prep in the Universe. Comparing it to the next best is like comparing a BMW 3 series to a Ferrari.