Thread: DR Harris Windsor shaving soap

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

+1. I was under the impression that they reformulated with the non tallow a few years ago. I haven't messed with it since so I don't know what the story is now. Same with Trumpers IIRC.

I recall reading on this forum (??) a long time ago that Harris was reformulated but tallow remained in there as a major ingredient (hence first or second on the list). Someone even suggested the tallow was not of an "animal sourced product" but I'm not sure how true that is. The Arlington that I owned a year ago seemed to perform very well, just like any other top-quality soap.

Originally Posted by HARRYWALLY

I told my wife i was picking some stocking stuffers for her to give to me at christmas and she said sure.
So i ordered a bunch of soap/cream I wanted to try. I ordered Tabac refill soap, 12 scent TOBS sampler, and a travel tube of D.R. Harris windsor. Out of all of them, I cant wait to try the windsor!! Now I know its not the soap like the thread says but I had to try it and the travel tube seemed like a good start. The only bad thing, I have to wait until Christmas to try it.

The cream can't be far off from the soap at least in terms of scent... so that's a good place to start IMHO. Not that I've tried the cream though...

Originally Posted by Optometrist

Trumper and Penhaligon's reformulated from tallow to vegetable soaps some years ago. The Pen's soaps have always been diabolical since then, Trumper did a pretty fine job of it until 2 years ago, when I believe the manufacturer was changed. Harris soaps, with the exception of the Naturals(which is veggie appalling too), still contain tallow as the 2nd ingredient, and it is these 5 soaps that perform excellently as Arlington, Marlborough, Windsor, Lavender and Almond. MWF is the only other tallow UK soap I know of, all others deciding to go down the veggie route.

The Trumper's soaps was the first that I tried when I first started this 'hobby' back in 2005. I still have the original bowl. The soap quality back then was superb. I hadn't noticed the ingredients as I had thrown the box away shortly after purchase. I remember comparing my face after using the canned goo and a female relative describing my face as a "pepperoni supreme" pizza... After using the Trumper's soap for just a few months, the same people were saying how clear and "handsome" my face looked!!

There has been a definite decline in the quality of the Trumper's soap, although it seems to lather up about the same as before. I use the Rose in the summer but it's not a regular one in my rotation. I've gone off it quite a bit recently. Obviously I've used and tried other soaps since 2005 (too many to list!) so my comparison is probably slightly biased.

"Someone even suggested the tallow was not of an "animal sourced product" but I'm not sure how true that is. "
Last I checked, tallow was, by definition, an animal sourced product.

I believe that DR Harris did reformulate a few years ago, and even went through a short period where some of the new formula soaps were pretty poor, but they fixed it some time ago, and their current soaps are excellent.

I know this thread is old but I started it

Just wondered if people's opinions about D R Harris soaps have changed in the last few years. Do people see them as being of the same top quality as before? Are other brands better out there?

I've used a lot of different soaps, but DR Harris hard soaps are my favourites. The Almond particularly (which has no almond scent, but rather the scent they're anachronistically calling Twenty Nine (rose geranium, cinnamon, clove - no almond/marzipan at all) ).

Originally Posted by rum

I know this thread is old but I started it

Just wondered if people's opinions about D R Harris soaps have changed in the last few years. Do people see them as being of the same top quality as before? Are other brands better out there?

I stopped by in their shop and bought a soap.. Long story short : I gave it to my brother, not impressed.
I asked to see the straight razors, the guy started to show me DE's?
He said they were straights and what I was talking about are called cut throat razors.
Umm ok :/

Originally Posted by JOB15

I stopped by in their shop and bought a soap.. Long story short : I gave it to my brother, not impressed.
I asked to see the straight razors, the guy started to show me DE's?
He said they were straights and what I was talking about are called cut throat razors.
Umm ok :/

Don't you just love it when the SA's know better than their customers? I was also in their Piccadilly store last week. Didn't buy anything as the wife was with me, but I was tempted. I think nice looking bowls is not an excuse to jump in on a new soap.

Originally Posted by benhunt

I've used a lot of different soaps, but DR Harris hard soaps are my favourites. The Almond particularly (which has no almond scent, but rather the scent they're anachronistically calling Twenty Nine (rose geranium, cinnamon, clove - no almond/marzipan at all) ).

Thanks for that. Is 29 available as a soap?

I'm new to using shave soaps and SR'ing (25yr DE'er and always used hair conditioner). Being new to SR'ing, I did order a few different soaps to try. DR Harris sandalwood and almond were 2 I ordered. Personally, I don't care for the almond (just something about the scent). I do however, really like the sandalwood. It seems to lather very well, as compared to the 3 others I ordered (Van Der Hagen, which I did not care for at all. And Mama Bear, which lathers nicely, but the sandalwood has a 'different', underlying scent that I'm not sure if I like).

While I don't know how the 'old' version of DR Harris soaps performed, I really do like the 'current.'

The Windsor has been my favorite for years - easily in my top 5, Harris, along with Penhaligons hard soaps are among the best you can get IMO.

And of all the Harrs soaps - the Windsor blew me away from the first use - I've posted about it many times...epic soap IMO- going to order the Harris Lavevder to try soon.