I am an extremely neurotic individual and have very strict rules that I have to follow all the time. One of them is that I can not have anymore stuff than I can fit into the shave den (see avatar to left) at any one time. This rule does not apply to my Dopp kit. So, practically speaking I am limited to three or four shave soaps/creams at one time. I usually have one for each season: Winter=Cella; Summer=F.A. Italian Citrus; Fall and Spring =A&E Kaizen. Now, I am beginning to see daylight in the center of my Kaizen, and the Italian Citrus is getting small but Summer is basically over and I can wait 'till next year to replace it. FYI, didn't like the A&E base at all(the soap stinks-can smell the tallow and fish oil) and the performance wasn't up to Cella. Just one of many "artisan" disappointments. So looking ahead I probably need a good Fall/Spring soap. Oh, and one more thing: I am not comfortable using "fancy pants" stuff-too self indulgent-but anything that might be or might have been sold in a drugstore here or in Europe is fine, or anything that is in that price range. That means no "artisan" stuff. In that vein I have tried and enjoyed VDH Duluxe, Clubman, Gillette Pure (but kind of leaves behind a mess). Tried Prorasso green in the tub and was very unimpressed. New Williams is not the old Williams, Tabac stinks, don't like anything Old Spice (all of it has a stench). For aftershave pairings I have Pinaud Clubmam (big bottle), VIBR, Whiskey Woods, Lime Sec, Lilac Vegital, F.A. Italian Citrus and Pino Silvestre. So, any ideas on a respectable Fall/Spring soap or cream? Maybe a sandalwood? A vetiver? MWF or just back to VDH?
I'm not sure if this classifies as artisan, but have you tried Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood shaving cream? It's one of my favorites in terms of scent and performance, and the price is reasonable.
Pre de Provence no. 63 is an awesome warm scent. I'm not sure about drugstores specifically, but you could probably find it locally. They do have some retail distribution.
I have been thinking about that. The biggest disappointment with the green was the scent, or lack thereof to be specific. The menthol/eucalyptus effect was quite strong, if you are into that, so in that respect it met expectations. Performance was OK but maybe not much better than VDH. Does the red have a more pronounced scent profile? Also, haven't all the Proraso products been reformulated and are now tallow free? Anyway, it is certainly worth thinking about.
I dunno, twenty bucks is kinda pricey. The pedigree bothers me a bit too. I am not seeing anything Williamesk, Pinaudesk or even Prorasoesk about these folks. Are they just some Pierre come latelys eating brie and cashing in on the wet shave fad? Do they have any history? I mean even VDH used to be Surrey.......
OK, one question about Speik's pedigree: does it predate the National Socialists? Would it have been used by then in the 30' and 40's or does it pre or post date them?
I would second (third?) a few of the suggestions. Speick (maybe a stick…that way it wouldn’t last as long just in case you might be disappointed with it) Proraso Red. A personal mass produced favorite. Tub for super longevity, cream/tube if you just want to try it. ToBS sandalwood. Another mass produced favorite. And the tub could be short lived, if you brush load. I suggest a scoop for making it last though. ToBS and Proraso, I don’t know that I’ve specifically noticed they are not tallow based. They create a nice thick full cushiony slick lather, and the subtle but present barbershop sandalwood is quite nice. HTH.
So let me see if I got this straight. 1. Cheap. Under $20. 2. It must be "old" or have a vintage link. 3. Tallow. 4. It is of grave importance to know if Commies, Nazis, or Facists touched the formula 80 years ago. 5. Must be non-Artisan. 6. Good for fall/spring. I see you've found the Mitchell's Wool Fat already. If you were willing to spend a tad bit more, and be a bit more open minded, I would recommend Barrister & Mann. They have built their business entirely on reproducing old and long discontinued scent profiles. They are one of the few companies that absolutely nail the birch tar note that gives Russian Leather it's distinctive and masculine odor. It's found in B&M's 'Cologne Russe' and to a lesser degree, their seasonal scent, 'Leviathan.' I think you would appreciate this particular shop's respect for the past, and enjoy their various homage offerings.
I like the scent although I don't find it particularly strong or long lasting which is fine with me. By comparison I find Taylor of Old Bond to be so strong that the scent seems to linger for days. My wife wasn't a fan of that one at all so I stopped using it.
Yes, exactly. You have diagnosed my neuroses perfectly. Believe me, if I could be more open minded I would be-it would have saved me a lot of trouble in life. As far as discontinued scents and resurrections of old brands I am sort of open to that. I mean wasn't that the original idea behind Fine Accoutrements before they lost their soap making factory in the Netherlands? Maybe Stirling Soap's resurrection of Seaforth!? I will check out Barrister & Mann-have to make sure that they were not collaborators in WW II, or part of the New World Order in the 90's. Again, thank you all for your excellent suggestions!
