I agree about TOBS soap....expensive nicer smelling Williams in my book.
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I agree about TOBS soap....expensive nicer smelling Williams in my book.
Good review. I also love the D.R. Harris soaps. I have a Trumpers Violet and it is also very nice. LIke you, I tried the TOBS Sandalwood and then disposed of it. MWF takes some work to learn to lather, but once you have that down. It is great.
Spot on with my experience! I haven't tried C&S yet, though, and I
like rose...
- Scott
Nice review,
I love my D.R Harris Almond soap, and MWF lathers easily for me, and it's performance is just fantastic!
Agreed, great informative post.
I haven't tried the C&S88 soap myself because of it's price and availability (last I checked). But I did break down last year and got the C&S88 cologne, and if you like rose, it's a pretty incredible dark, wintery, masculine rose. A little goes a long way, but it stays close to the skin, and it lasts forever. You will NOT smell like anybody else, if you're looking for a unique scent. So complex, the undertone scents mix and change all day long, with the prominent rose always out front.
Here is my favorite English shaving soap! :)
Jeff
Sorry to be the voice of disagreement guys, but I have the Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandelwood soap and have found it to be top notch. Lathers thick and rich and provides a nice comfortable shave for me. Now before everyone tries to say I'm completely off the mark (and I think comparing TOBS to Williams of all things is totally off the mark) I should point out that there are many factors in making the perfect lather; anything from water hardness to the individual technique of the lathermaker himself (or herself to be fair). I am usually in agreement with my fellow members, but not this time.
Hey, it's not a discussion until someone disagrees! :)
How do you like TOBS compared to DRH?
Different people react to scents in very different ways. Most people say that Harris Almond has a subtle soapy scent, but for me it's like someone shoved a blowtorch up my nose. I can't even sniff the puck much less lather it on my face. I gave my puck away to another member because it stunk up the bathroom so badly. He loved it and thought the scent was so subtle as to be almost nonexistent :shrug:
I have your issue but maybe a little less extreme - that's why I use Arlington more. The DRH almond for me was almost painful to the nose at first but has gotten better - I think the scent has just faded a bit. It felt to me like someone used pressured air to ram pepper and nutmeg up my nose. But man it performs! Arlington is very mild and fruity for me so all the upside with none of the downside.
Among the English soaps, I have DR Harris Marlborough, Arlington and Almond as well as Trumpers Rose. The Harris soaps provide the best shave in terms of closeness and comfort. The Turmpers Rose is the best scent. The cushioning and slickness of Harris is what makes it so good. It lathers better than any cream as well. The scents are unique. I wish they had a Rose. The Trumpers Rose also is a great lathering soap.
As my cream collection diminishes, I think I will migrate to soaps exclisively.
The only one of these I have tried (would like to try mwf one of these days) is Trumpers Coconut Oil. I find the aroma pleasant and also it moisturizes really well. Along with Ogallala Bay Rum and TGQ's Cavendish Black it is one of my go to soaps..
Hmmm, Iv been planning on getting some MWF, mostly cos i heard it was good (as you have confirmed, thanks) but also cos I wanted a ceramic bowl:D I was using CREW brushless cream (not English i know) because my lady loved the scent. But quite frankly I thought it gave a poor shave. Even experimenting with different amounts water it was like having half set cement on my face. It was so bad in fact that I actually switched back to nivia shave foam while I chose my next product.:o
I wonder if my girl will like the smell of the MWF as much, I have never smelt it. But hey I can always get a new aftershave right?!
Also have any of you guys used a Simpson brush? I am gonna need one seeing as Im finally moving up to soap. i really like the look of the "chubby" brushes and definatly want badger hair. But Im not sure I can justify the £100 price tag for a first brush.
Any thoughts?
OK - I was just curious if you had tried DRH and preferred TOBS, because sometimes people really do have different reactions to different soaps. For example, I don't really like TGQ [I've been working up the nerve to say that here] but love QED, and really really dig MamaBear and HBS - others here LOVVVVEEEEE TGQ. Who knows why we sometimes react so differently to the same great products.
I agree the Williams analogy was probably unfair - I have a puck of Williams but haven't worked up the nerve to try it yet - just sitting there stinkin' up the closet. :shrug:
If you try DRH (and I heavily recommend it!), I'd start with arlington or marlboro. The almond is a classic to some but violently abusive to the sinuses of others, so I wouldn't start there.
As for TGQ I currently have two pucks and three samples; love the scents, but I can't get it to lather in a bowl worth a damn. If I lather directly on my face it is great, but I am primarily a bowl lather maker. I know what you mean about bad-mouthing Colleen's soaps around here though.
Back to DRH, don't worry loueedacat, it is for sure on my list of soaps to try..... and Tabac, and Truefitt & Hill, and MWF, and Mamabears', and........................ :rofl2:
I'm sticking to my guns!
TOBS lavendar is simply lavender scented Williams in blue disguise!";" slightly thicker lather perhaps, but still lacking cushion...
Actually, perhaps if I gave the TOBS another go-round I would rank it a notch higher than Williams, but I can't say that for sure. My first ever soap was TOBS, and as soon as I then aquired the Tabac and the Valobra, the TOBS was SOL, and soon went AWOL...
Loudee, can you give any more feedback on the C&S 88? That one has peaked my interest!
Not that I need it, as I just placed an order for MWF and some HArris, but just for the sake of knowing:w....
and some days I may just feel like a rosey scent...is that so wrong?:shrug:
I'll use it again this weekend and get back to you. Been playing aournd with my glycerine soaps alot lately, but its timely to go back to Mr. Powdery Rosey Tallowey. In my tries so far it has been different from my other 20 soaps, so you really may have to try it just to be scientific and all. :eek: I mean, you wouldn't want to wonder if that was the one and you hadn't tried it......
Let's see....in the last 24-36 hours I've placed orders for MWF (with dish), DR Harris Arlington(in bowl), Irish Moos (stick in plastic tube)......
Do I wait and see how these fine soaps do me, and then go out and get the C&S 88? Or strike while I'm on a roll?
BTW, I just noticed that Vintage blades is having a sale on the DR Harris for anyone interested...I'm tempted to go and get the Marlborough!:cry:
Looking forward to more on the 88....unless I just go and buy it anyhow!
Oddly, some scents that I did not like at first I later came to like a year or so later. Go figure.
So I wouldn't toss anything out without giving it some time.
OK, I used the C&S 88 both days this weekend, with my DD GE which is sharp but I think could use a little more work, and my PUMA which is the ideal cutter (after the chronik of course).
Two great shaves. Didn't bother to use AS or ASB and more importantly, it didn't dawn on me to use them. That's how comfortable the sahve are with this soap - you really don't reflexively turn to the AS or ASB. Leaves skin feeling very soft and moisturized (ie it's really not drying - I dont' think it adds moisture). ON my puma, just great close shave. Very very good shave on DD, but didn't get that feeling I get after QED that a martian wouldn't know if I'd ever had hair on my face. Then again, the glycerines may get you too close.
So I'd say this is a great soap, and if there is a tradeoff it's that you get a 20 out of 10 on comfort in exchange for dropping to 9 out of 10 on closeness, and the lattter is less an issue with a great cutter in hand. The scent is what it is - very powedery subtle rosey thing - I like it but I'm not a rose a holic, but to put this in context, I'm sometimes happiest after my HBS Pina Colada, so YMMdefinatelyV with me on scent. QED Wild Orange is one of my all time favorites.
But C&S 88 is a winner, the comfort is unprecedented for me, the closeness is very solid but below say AOS shaving soap and Valobra stick and the glycerines but above say GFT. Between the comfort and the powdery scent, it's defiinitely different, so you won't feel like you added another difference with no distinction to your rotation.
Just buy the refill. That's expensive enough, and put it in an anchor hocking or something esle that will give you plenty of room to work your brush.
So, in relation to "closeness" can that also mean that C&S does indeed have quite a bit of cushion?
I think I'll wait until I give my other three recent purchases a chance to actually arrive, and to shave with each at least one time, before dropping the dime on the 88.
But I'm not promising anything!:w
Okay, the Harris and MWF just arrived (So did a new Friodur, and an Ebay find, but pay no attention to those....:w)
I was underwhelmed by the faint scent of the Harris Arlington.:shrug: I was expecting some sort of discernable fragrance, but could hardly find any. Other than that, the beech bowl looks quite nice, and I'm looking forward to shaving with this stuff...As a bonus, the town I live in here in Massachusetts is also named Arlington, so this purchase is somehow justified:rock:
The MWF came packaged up in pure class. Boxed, dish wrapped up, soap inside the dish wrapped up with a pleated little wrapper...all very nice. Nice, subdued, soapy scent, as has been descrribed many times before. Also quite looking forward to trying this one out!
I purchased both soaps from Connaught Shaving in England and got them delivered priority for less than $60 total. You can't find MWF ceramic dished itself for less than $50 delivered Stateside, so I consider this an excellent deal.
My soap collection has dramatically increased. I used to have just Tabac and Valobra. I've now added MWF, DR Harris, and Irish Moos to the mix, and am itching to get also either the C&S 88, or an AOS offering.
I'm intrigued that the arlington doesn't have enough scent. I hope yours picks it up on scent when it's wet, as sometimes happens. It is a bit subdued but certainly not faint, so I hope you don't have an old soap that lost it's mojo. As for the name mating your town, all I can say is I don't buy Fig Newtons, so I think you just have SSAD my firend. Cannought does seem to have good prices.
I just checked my arlington and it is fairly mild when dry. Also, I've found wooden bowls often mute scent, whereas glass anchor hockings don't, for whatever that's worth.
I've been sniffing it on and off since last night, and I agree, it is not without scent, it's just very subdued.
Probably due to a weekend spent with the Irish Moos, whose scent as faaar from subdued!
BTW, Fig Newtons were named after your town, Newton, MA. So I'm sticking with my original story of just rooting for the home team by buying Arlington. I don't have SSAD, I can quit anytime I want to, I just don't want to just yet. Maybe tomorrow....yeah, that's it, I'll stop tomorrow......:w
I agree that the 3 Harris scents are weak though pleasant. It must be about being understated British.
I have Floris Elite soap on the way. The cologne and shaving cream are stronger than Harris. Looking forward to trying the soap.
I re-milled the soap (i.e. used a cheese grater on it) back into the wood bowl, as I didn't like that small void around the edge, which would allow the water to run down off the top of the puck and do nothing besides make the soap soggy.
Anyhow, after grating it up, I certainly got a full nasal boquet of the Arlington citrusy/fern goodness!:nj
My Floris soap came last night and I gave it try this morning. Its the Elite scent which has a subtle citrus quality. The lather works up quickly in this vegetable based soap. The shave was very comfortable and close. It provides good cushion and lubrication. The scent is subtle in the lather and not pervasive.
This is definitely a keeper.
Hey guys that have DR Harris soaps...do you guys feel they are water hungry or relatively low water...I just got Arlington and Tabac and the tabac seems really easy going...but Im not sure about the harris not sure if i need more water or less...any thoughts or suggestions.
Did you try it yet?
I found the Arlington to be super easy lathering.