I just missed being able to buy a tin of this, and I'm really disappointed because I was looking forward to buying a tin (I was, however, able to get one of the last batch of Arctic Hydra for a while). Although I'm unable to offer a first-hand review of this probably excellent vegan soap, I wanted to start a discussion of some of the ingredients listed on the web site. The company boasts: The addition of slippery elm bark, aloe, soy wax, jojoba oil and sunflower oil allows us to make an amazingly slick soap that leaves your face feeling soft and so moisturized it you don't need any post shave treatment. Well, being familiar with slippery elm from an herbal tea I used for my throat earlier this year (I had a long and extended bout of congestion from a viral infection over the winter), I don't doubt for a moment that its use in the soap would provide for extra slickness. But what are your thoughts? Has anyone tried this?
Well...! I remembered that a more local retailer in Ohio (Straight Razor Designs in case you're curious) carries this soap, and fortunately, was not sold out on its web site. So naturally, I couldn't resist and ordered it. It should arrive in a couple of days, so I will give a review when I get and use it.
I hope this doesn’t imply that 1803 is being discontinued. I really like Dr. Jon’s soaps and the scents I find to be really good. 1803 is my favorite scent he makes, so I’ll need to go buy some pucks from other online retailers if it’s no longer in production.
I think it's just sold out on its main web site. Other retailers who carry it still seem to have some in stock. Maggard Razors and Straight Razor Designs still have some on hand.
Jon got back to me and let me know they just put out another batch for sale on the web site, so looks like it just sold out for a bit. Good to know!
Alright, I got the soap in the mail the other day and tried it out. This is my review. The site's description is thus: We wanted to transition from making a high quality vegan shaving soap to making the absolute best vegan shaving soap available and after months of testing we finally settled on a new ingredient list and method of production that we felt was worth making the transition. The addition of slippery elm bark, aloe, soy wax, jojoba oil and sunflower oil allows us to make an amazingly slick soap that leaves your face feeling soft and so moisturized it you don't need any post shave treatment. 1803 is our most complex scent to date. It is a soap that most people find hard to describe with musky, floral and fruity notes combing do create something clean and distinctly masculine. The top notes include pineapple, guava, peach and green apple; the middle notes include bamboo, teak wood, blue gardenia, white rose and jasmine; the whole fragrance is tied together with a base of musk, cedar, sandalwood and bergamot. Based on my own nose's experience, I got a strong impression of soy candle with a woodsy, floral scent. It's actually difficult for me to pin down any particular aroma, but it's pleasant. The lather itself is incredibly slick, owing to the addition of slippery elm bark. In fact, when I used it in conjunction with a Shark blade in my Merkur 34c, I found that although the blade itself was dull and gave a fair degree of pull-and-tug, I only received two weepers that closed up fairly quickly and I attribute the lack of more cuts to the slickness of the soap's lather. I plan to use it again tomorrow with my Ladas blade (I had to change out the Shark as I wasn't impressed with its performance), assuming my Oleo duck-based soap arrives today and I get to try it out for my evening shave. All in all, I like this soap and I hope it sticks around on Dr. Jon's lineup for a good long time. It's a great vegan alternative for those who have issues using tallow or who simply want to try something different.
I love this soap and the scent. I’ve used both the old and new formulation and the new version really is great. Not only does this soap lather easily, but I find the tins last several months.
This was one of the first soaps I bought. I don't really use my soaps at all anymore but Dr. Jon's soaps are exceptional. 1803 is a very intriguing scent. I have the first batch and I always got a guava and gum scent from it. After lathering up, the scent changes a bit and I can smell something a bit more herbal, like thyme. I'm not too crazy about the post-shave smell but it is interesting how the scent changes during different phases of the shave. I don't think that I'll be going back to soaps but this thread has motivated me to start using my old 1803 tin a bit more. I might also keep at least one Dr. Jon's soap around in the future. The soaps are excellent - the lathers are thick and rich, and the post-shave leaves my skin feeling softer than any other soap or cream that I have used.
Imperial shaving.com still has them in stock. Online and in there store. There in Medina Ohio. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Soap made in Dover Ohio that’s why the State Bird ( cardinal ) on label. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
