Whoa! DR Harris is a great soap at least as good as Palmolive but with much better scents. I have several C&E soaps, mostly vintage, Sienna, Nomad, Mysore Sandalwood and others. The key with those is you want the formulation that has potassium as the first ingredient. Those perform great. If you can't find the very old tallow soaps. As far as Penhaligon, I have some old tallow English Fern and it is a fantastic performer with a HOF fragrance.
I never take posts that say "X product is crap" all that seriously, particularly if there's no explanation or evidence provided, just an ex cathedra pronouncement. In most cases the poster probably means to say that for any one of a million reasons, he doesn't care for product X. A bad experience, an allergic reaction, user failure, personal preference... I could go on all night. DR Harris is good soap. Palmolive is also good soap. In fact I use a lot more Palmolive than I do DRH, but that has to do with being able to buy them for years at 50 cents the stick at Tesco, which is apparently no longer the case. The Romans used to say 'suum cuique.' Men on shaving discussion boards say YMMV. Same sentiment.
Are you sure you're not mistaking it for Trumpers? Long ago Trumpers was a great soap but a reformulation left it a piece of crap now. Harris is universally considered one of the best available and you're the first and only person I've heard call it anything but that. But ymmv I guess.
Nope. DR Harris. I've a puck of the Arlington. In short, Naff packaging and a naff bowl which lost its veneer in a week or two. Smells like a poor man's Arko. Lathers ok, but performance is poor, particularly slickness. For the premium it demands, it's crap. If it were the price of a stick of Arko, I'd still pick the Arko. Imho. YMMV. Obv.
Something's amiss. Where did you purchase it? Sounds like a possible counterfeit. In the eight years I've been wet shaving I've never heard a complaint about Harris soap performance. If you look here and other sites it inevitably is listed in more than a few responses in threads asking what's your best soap. I've more than a couple, some for years, and the bowls are top quality. Yours is a strange and unusual experience indeed.
I happen to love the Arko scent. I think I might be in the minority. Also, for me, Arko is easier to lather than DR Harris. I still do get great performance from DR Harris. However, Arlington has a citrus scent and is nothing like Arko. Personally, I can thank Arlington for helping find out that I don't like citrus scents.
Just this morning I used a DR Harris Lavender soap stick that I probably haven't used in 18 months or possibly 2 years. Still had the mild floral scent, and after a few rubs on my wet face and a couple more on my Duke 3 quickly it created a beautiful lather that provided me with a relaxing and luxurious shave. Arguments about value and price fall flat with me. Not that I waste money on extravagant items- in fact, far from it. But I know Arko is about a buck a stick, and I imagine a DRH stick is about ten times that- it's been a while, and I can't remember. I use and enjoy both. Just as I enjoy a $1 double cheeseburger from McDonald's and hand cut filet mignon or prime rib.
No sauce, add mac sauce, add shredded lettuce. It's like a Big Mac, but the bun to burger patty ratio is way better.
Some summer Sunday evening in 1989 or 90 I was enjoying a double whopper with a splash of HP sauce in the BK just down from Belfast City Hall when suddenly the Protestant soccer boys all tanked up from watching a match got into it with an equally drunken lot of lads celebrating an Antrim win in a GAA match. It got ugly. They busted the place up around me as I sat quietly enjoying my burger and tea. I walked out just as the cops waded in. Only in Norn Iron.
I have a Harris Lavender stick from back when I was still able to get away for a short vacation now and then. They are one of the few sticks that are packaged in a smart way that makes sense. Most sticks are a pain to use and messy but the general idea is a good one, especially for travel.