BEST of BATH BARS

malocchio · Post by **malocchio** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:41 pm

I am not a fan of "bodywash"...I like a good solid chunk of real soap in my hand when I bathe or shower....here are 3 really superb soaps,roberts and borotalco tallow bars from italy , and heno de pravia vegan bar from espana....all three of these classics have been around for a very very long time...big point to soap is lather ,and in first place is the heno de pravia,it just simply puts out more lather and a creamier thicker lather,probably due to it's inclusion of palm AND palm kernal oils,a real good partnering for rich lather.....for scent it is a 3 way tie..they all smell great,and each one is unique...the heno smells like fresh green forest-flowery-herbal ,the roberts is very light,powdery and airy.....the borotalco is supremely masculine,loaded with sandalwood and spice.this is the only one that really lets the scent linger on the skin,even after a thorough rinsing...price wise heno wins by default,at least in the u.s.a.,and only because some walgreens have it at a very low price,and they are the genuine spanish bars,the matching talc is made in tijuana....if you are lucky enough to visit sunny italy,load up your carry on with several bars of roberts and borotalco,they are not liquid,so they are legal in your carry on....

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ATLpr8head · Post by **ATLpr8head** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 5:01 pm

I might have to pick up some of the Heno. It is at my local Rite Aid in a 3 pack for cheap! (Thanks for the heads up btw!) If it smells good then I might pick some up. I have been working through a bar of Cussons for over a month now and need a change of pace.

jww · Post by **jww** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 6:30 pm

Imperial Leather bath bar -- it's massive.

malocchio · Post by **malocchio** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 6:35 pm

yes,I love that cussons original as well...when I go to tanzania I always bring back a dozen of the jumbo size bars,and a couple of the new varieties to try...they are made in nairobi (kenya) to the original british formula,and are well loved by most all east africans and tourists alike...

SmallTank · Post by **SmallTank** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 7:40 pm

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/inde ... d=11319040

I was thinking these bar soaps would be interesting as a shave soap..nahh..I pictured myself shaving with em and felt my face a fire

but they smelled n looked heavenly!

ST

malocchio · Post by **malocchio** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 11:32 pm

I have tried those south of france soaps,they were really nice,especially the lavender...claus porto of portugal makes great soaps also...

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 4:40 pm

That Heno stuff I can sometimes find locally in the 'Latin American' section of stores and supermarkets and occasionally at T J Maxx. I don't recall ever trying it however. I have a cake of the Borotalco bath soap but am reluctant to try it as Phil found it somewhat drying to the skin. Now that the original Vinolia is gone and the other bath soaps that I really liked ( Floris, Claus Porto, etc. ) have all gone to a palm oil base, I have been using the Mitchell's Wool Fat bath bars. So far, I have not had the issue with the lanolin that I thought I was having in the past. They are, of course, very high quality and VERY good to the skin. I've gotten compliments even on how soft my skin feels. Nice stuff.
Regards,
Gordon

Post by **Sam** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 5:19 pm

I cant remember if I have used a lanolin bar. I have 3 cakes of Caswell Massey #6 I got a couple weeks ago in TJ Maxx, I have two cakes of Valobra Fern soap, one Tallaba pine soap, one small handsoap of Caswell Massey sandalwood (the lighter color and not wood grained), one Castle Forbes I am saving as a face soap and one bar of Chargrin Valley in some oatmeal honey base.

malocchio · Post by **malocchio** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:09 pm

I love that tallaba pine,it's hard to find unless you order online..the price is up there as well...any good source with a good price ?? I did not get good lather with the lightfoots pine puck,and even as a bath bar it was not very good,a dud....surprisingly I got good bath (but not good shave) lather out of very cheap marvy pucks...

Craig_From_Cincy · Post by **Craig_From_Cincy** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:28 pm

Sam, I was going to order some of the Valobra Fern soap when I place my next order. What do you think of it?

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 2:44 am

Luckily i didnt know the original, but the new and improved vinolia is addictive. bv i was a huge yardley fan.....a few weeks ago, just for a change (as good as a holiday rumour goes) i went back to a bar of yardley cucumber (best of them all i think) and i only can tell you this: it was very unpleasant. of course it could all be a becks induced moment, but still that vinolia is something else to make even yardley look bad

clive

Post by **Sam** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 6:11 pm

Craig, I lathered up one of the two bars I have, and I love the smell but the lather was not impressive. I used it twice as a face soap. I may try it tomorrow morning in the shower. If I decide to trade the other new bar, I'll give you first dibs if you want.

Post by **Sam** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 6:13 pm

Malocchio, I have not used the Tallaba. I got it, and the Valobra, from Chris Fisher on a thread he started. I know Gordon does not like the Casell Massey bars as much, but I have gotten about as much from them as from the reformulated Claus Porto bars, and just nailed 3 cakes of the No. 6 for like $13.00. It does have a most interesting scent, and I was thinking of using up my Roberts Borotalco bar, then hitting the Valobra Fougere bar that might take me into November/December and then the Tallaba.

edit: used the Valobra Fougere this morning. As far as smell, very, very nice. In fact, imagine coming in from a hot afternoon, maybe having done yard work, and wanting to shower before dinner. This is the stuff you want, nice smell, just get you in the mood. Lather is medium, not like the creaminess of Floris Rose Geranium nor the old Claus Porto bars, but is not all that thin either.

malocchio · Post by **malocchio** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 9:07 pm

Sam wrote:Malocchio, I have not used the Tallaba. I got it, and the Valobra, from Chris Fisher on a thread he started. I know Gordon does not like the Casell Massey bars as much, but I have gotten about as much from them as from the reformulated Claus Porto bars, and just nailed 3 cakes of the No. 6 for like $13.00. It does have a most interesting scent, and I was thinking of using up my Roberts Borotalco bar, then hitting the Valobra Fougere bar that might take me into November/December and then the Tallaba.

.............the borotalco is marvelous,what a nice lingering sandalwood scent it gives your skin...claus porto bars were once really high quality,I have not tried the new formula bars,but I hate to hear they don't hold up to the originals...

Ouchmychin · Post by **Ouchmychin** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:36 am

Barclay Crocker is currently running a sale on Borotalco bars for $1.95 a bar. I snapped up 8 bars today.

Post by **Sam** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 9:47 am

Columbus Washboard Company, on Amazon, has three bars of Violia for $19.50

Post by **Sam** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 6:32 pm

Gordon 6 bars of Mitchell from Connaught Shaving was $32.79 shipped.

Craig_From_Cincy · Post by **Craig_From_Cincy** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 9:24 pm

I tried BoroTalco soap for the first (and last) time today. I bought it on clearance from Barclay Crocker for $2 per bar, so no big loss. It lathered exceptionally well while I was showering, however later in the morning I found that it had dried my skin out very badly. I know this to be an individual reaction and that some gents love this soap, but it's not for me.

My daily soap continues to be the inexpensive USA produced Yardley Lavender, and when I can find it the excellent UK produced Yardley English Rose and/or Sandalwood soaps (Sandalwood has apparently been discontinued by Yardley UK)

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:18 pm

Craig, Yeah, I had a similiar experiance with the Borotalco bath soap when I tried it several years back. I kept trying to remember if the soap I'd tried was exactly the same one that Barkley Crocker is currently discounting, but from your post I suspect that it was. Oh well. I gave up the hunt today; as far as I can tell, NO one is offering the kind of soap that I really want anymore ( high quality, triple/hard milled, tallow based ). I went ahead and ordered three more cakes of the Mitchell's as it is about the only thing left that really works for me. To be honest, I wish they made a version without the lanolin...everything else the same..but they don't.
Regards,
Gordon
Edit: Okay, fine....SMN and Rance DO but that's too rich for my blood.

Craig_From_Cincy · Post by **Craig_From_Cincy** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 11:10 pm

Gordon, I ordered several bars of the Italian made Atkinson soaps from Italian Barber tonight, in county musk (a fougère/oak moss scent), Sandalwood & lavender. These are allegedly tallow based. I'll post about them after they arrive and I've bathed with them. Ordered a pot of Trumper Sandalwood Cream while I was at it.

SMF

BEST of BATH BARS

BEST of BATH BARS

good soap

french

pine

borotalco