Vintage Penhaligon's Creams

What is your opinion on fine shaving creams and hard soaps? Do you like Trumpers, Coates, Taylors, Truefitt & Hill? Post your reviews and opinions here!
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churchilllafemme
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Vintage Penhaligon's Creams

Post by churchilllafemme »

Well, I'm now waiting for vintage Penhaligon's English Fern shaving cream and Hammam Bouquet shaving cream, both in glass jars. I paid a fortune for them, but they're almost impossible to find now, and I really love the old Pen's stuff.
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Last edited by churchilllafemme on Wed May 07, 2014 2:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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John
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams on the Way

Post by EL Alamein »

John, congratulations and good luck with them. Please report back on the performance of these and especially on the scents.

Chris
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churchilllafemme
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams on the Way

Post by churchilllafemme »

I'll do that, Chris, although I don't plan to put them into my rotation right away. For awhile they'll go in the "vault" drawer.
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams on the Way

Post by EL Alamein »

churchilllafemme wrote:I'll do that, Chris, although I don't plan to put them into my rotation right away. For awhile they'll go in the "vault" drawer.
Ugh! At least smell test them when you get them and let us know. I'm curious to know how faithful the scents are.

Chris
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams on the Way

Post by JRTASTER »

John,
Nice pick-up. Hope they live up to expectations!
Enjoying wet shaving, again.
jr/John
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams on the Way

Post by brothers »

Nicely done John. I hope you find them to be outstanding. I'm glad I didn't make the mistake of bidding against you.
Last edited by brothers on Sat May 03, 2014 7:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Gary

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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams on the Way

Post by Thalay Sagar »

Lucky dog! Congratulations on some excellent finds.
Best,
Chris

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bernards66
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams on the Way

Post by bernards66 »

John, Ah!....VERY nice. I had those very creams in my hand several times; at the old Penhaligon's shop in NYC and at the NY Saks. To me, they smelled very true to the cologne scents. I never actually bought any though because, at the time, there was no particular reason to assume they'd disappear any time soon and they were so much more expensive than Trumpers or Coate's I just couldn't justify it. Now, of course, I wish I had. I'd be very surprised if they weren't excellent...providing that they're still in reasonably good shape. Let us know. I don't know how wise it is to sock creams like this away in your 'vault'...unless you never plan to use them but only admire them and gloat over having them because the English creams do not seem to keep all that long in good useable condition. Half the Coate's pots I'd hoarded eventually had to be binned because they became too dehydrated to use properly.
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Gordon
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churchilllafemme
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams on the Way

Post by churchilllafemme »

You're probably right, Gordon. There's no good reason to stash the creams away. I guess I'll go ahead and use them. And since I don't know how long my shaving days are going to last, I think I'll also start using and enjoying the vintage tallow-based Harris Lavender, Penhaligon's Lords, Penhaligon's English Fern, and Trumper Violet shaving soaps I've had sitting in my drawer. I have no one to whom I can bequeath them when my shaving days are done. Thanks for giving me a nudge on that.
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams on the Way

Post by Squire »

And do let us know John, pictures, details, that sort of thing.
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bernards66
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams on the Way

Post by bernards66 »

John, You're welcome, and...Happy Shaving! Definately get into your vintage cream stash first as the hard soaps will hold up MUCH longer than the creams. And, ditto Squire's request for details, pictures, et. al.
Regards,
Gordon
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams

Post by churchilllafemme »

My vintage Penhaligon's shaving creams arrived today, wrapped nicely in Pen's gift paper. They have dehydrated over the years to the consistency of a thick paste, but they smell marvelous.
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams

Post by EL Alamein »

John, marvelous! Keep us apprised of the shaving lather quality. May I suggest an indulgence in the Hammam first?

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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams

Post by EL Alamein »

Also, any ingredients on these? if so, what?

Chris
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams

Post by churchilllafemme »

Here are the ingredients.
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John
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams

Post by Squire »

Thanks John.
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bernards66
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams

Post by bernards66 »

John, Well, there it is you see?....kind of what I expected/feared. Of course, some members don't seem to be much bothered by creams in that state, they just lather them up as if they were hard soaps. For me, however, that somehow never seemed satisfying. The lather never seemed to be the same as it is when the creams were in newer condition. 'Re-hydrating' them never really worked that well for me either although some find it to be a viable approach. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy them one way or another and yeah, those old Penhaligon's creams always smelled superb to me.
Regards,
Gordon
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams

Post by churchilllafemme »

I'm not discouraged at all, Gordon. I bought a jar of Pen's Lords cream a couple years ago that was much drier than these, and it reconstituted beautifully with very careful addition of distilled water to get it to just the right consistency. For me it lathered as well as any modern cream, and the reconstituting also released the heavenly scent.
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams

Post by bernards66 »

Well then, it should pose no problem. My repeated attempts to reconstitute some of those pots of Coate's that I had just never seemed to work out entirely satisfactorily. Perhaps I just wasn't careful or patient enough, or just don't have the 'knack', or am too picky...or something. But I'm glad you'll be able to fully enjoy these two.
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Gordon
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Re: Vintage Penhaligon's Creams

Post by Crag »

i dropped out when the bidding climbed past $75, and I wondered who got those fine Pen's creams! Glad to know it was a friend. :D
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