Art of Shaving Sandalwood tallow NOS soap

[brothers]

Received mine this morning, just now used it, and regarding lather, fragrance, performance, slickness, it's excellent in all regards.

[J T]

Gary ...all the AOS Tallow Soaps were quite extraordinary in all aspects (except the wet cardboard smell of the scentless), that includes the price - a puck cost more then a tub oF S C. I have a number of Lemon pucks sitting in my closet next to the NOS (ITA)Noxzema Lather S C. l

[TheMonk]

Gary ...all the AOS Tallow Soaps were quite extraordinary in all aspects (except the wet cardboard smell of the scentless), that includes the price - a puck cost more then a tub oF S C. I have a number of Lemon pucks sitting in my closet next to the NOS (ITA)Noxzema Lather S C. l

Not that expensive, at the moment.

[EL Alamein]

Gary, yeah it was really nice stuff. I have a few cakes squirreled away somewhere for when I want to go back. I found it nicer than the Valobra stick if only because the scent in the stick seems to irritate me. Otherwise the performance is the same.

Use it in good health.

Chris

[brothers]

After a hundred shaves with some other soap, today was the beginning of a new and hopefully not overly long fling with AOS tallow Sandalwood soap. Creamy and tight lather. It requires more water than my recent soap, and not as prone to make huge billowy clouds of lather. Slick too. They're currently selling a reformulated Sandalwood version, but this one suits me very well. What I have on hand will serve me for a very long time.

[brothers]

I got too much water in my mix this a.m., also switched to the Edwin Jagger STF XL Synthetic brush, following 3 days of the Plisson. I was able to make a very usable lather, even though it was a bit thinner than usual due to the water. The shave was great, this stuff is slick. Love the scent.

[EL Alamein]

I got too much water in my mix this a.m., also switched to the Edwin Jagger STF XL Synthetic brush, following 3 days of the Plisson. I was able to make a very usable lather, even though it was a bit thinner than usual due to the water. The shave was great, this stuff is slick. Love the scent.

Victory from the jaws of defeat!

Chris

[woodsrider]

That's a great soap, Gary. I stocked up on the sandalwood and lavender right after news of the P&G acquisition dropped. I'm glad you found some.

[John Parker]

What size (weight) are those AOS pucks? The link doesn't show that (or I missed it).

[TheMonk]

What size (weight) are those AOS pucks? The link doesn't show that (or I missed it).

95gr, like the current AOS pucks.

[John Parker]

I got too much water in my mix this a.m., also switched to the Edwin Jagger STF XL Synthetic brush, following 3 days of the Plisson. I was able to make a very usable lather, even though it was a bit thinner than usual due to the water. The shave was great, this stuff is slick. Love the scent.

Gary, how do you compare the AOS scent and shave to the D.R. Harris Sandalwood you just received? Thanks!

[brothers]

That's a question that's been on my mind for a while, John. I lathered up and shaved with the DR Harris currently produced tallow Sandalwood made in England this afternoon, just a few hours after having done the same with the AOS discontinued tallow Sandalwood made by Valobra in Italy. Everybody's perceptions and expectations are different, so I'm not going to say this one's different than that one because of this or that. What I will say is that I believe everybody who uses them both will more than likely (my opinion) place both of them in the 95th percentile. A year ago, the AOS tallow was simply extinct (still is) but just a few months ago someone discovered a massive cache of NOS, and I was very fortunate to salt away a moderately ample supply, as did a number of other guys. A year ago, Harris was not selling a Sandalwood soap. I've only got one of those. I find them both agreeable in terms of whatever my nose tells my brain about how they smell. Again, the 95th percentile.

[brothers]

I got too much water in my mix this a.m., also switched to the Edwin Jagger STF XL Synthetic brush, following 3 days of the Plisson. I was able to make a very usable lather, even though it was a bit thinner than usual due to the water. The shave was great, this stuff is slick. Love the scent.

Gary, how do you compare the AOS scent and shave to the D.R. Harris Sandalwood you just received? Thanks!

John, thanks for the PM. AOS is stronger, and as has been reported, Harris is subtle. Maybe AOS is closer to sandalwood than the Harris, which, as you say, is warm, spicy and a bit woody. My only frame of reference is the now discontinued Greenpond shaving cream that was a sandalwood made by Harris a few years ago. That one was too sharp for my nose, and it was not the same as the unobtrusive and pleasant smelling current DRH Sandalwood. I have a tube of the new DRH Sandalwood Cream and it is (maybe similar) but not the same fragrance as the Greenpond cream, but it is probably a bit stronger than the soap. Just my thoughts. Others might have different opinions and observations.

[John Parker]

Thank you for the additional comments, Gary. I appreciate it!

[brothers]

This morning will mark the 26th shave (since January) with the excellent but discontinued AOS Sandalwood tallow-based soap. It's not productive to rave about something whose original formula has been tossed away by the manufacturer and replaced with an inferior clone, so I won't. No point, right? Anyway, I'm happy to have it, for whatever that's worth. It'll be almost a year before it comes back up in the rotation. Next one up starting tomorrow will be Cella, a current production tallow shaving soap. There are 3 other discontinued products in the drawer, Coates, Domenico Caraceni 1913, and tallow Penhaligon's. At least Penhaligons has redeemed itself with a new formula that works about as well as Taylor's Lime and Sandalwood soaps. If the Lavender Taylor soap were to be resuscitated, well . . .

[TheMonk]

This morning will mark the 26th shave (since January) with the excellent but discontinued AOS Sandalwood tallow-based soap. It's not productive to rave about something whose original formula has been tossed away by the manufacturer and replaced with an inferior clone, so I won't. No point, right? Anyway, I'm happy to have it, for whatever that's worth. It'll be almost a year before it comes back up in the rotation. Next one up starting tomorrow will be Cella, a current production tallow shaving soap. There are 3 other discontinued products in the drawer, Coates, Domenico Caraceni 1913, and tallow Penhaligon's. At least Penhaligons has redeemed itself with a new formula that works about as well as Taylor's Lime and Sandalwood soaps. If the Lavender Taylor soap were to be resuscitated, well . . .

Let me know how the Domenico Caraceni 1913 works, Gary, I never had a chance to try that one (I secretly hope it sucks, so I'm not tempted to pay $1 MIillion for one ).

[brothers]

Domenico Caraceni 1913 was quite possibly the best performing and best scented cream I've ever used, or could ever have hoped to use. I had an extra and foolishly sold it. Made in Italy. I have a bit over half a jar left, and will try to stretch it out indefinitely.

[TheMonk]

Domenico Caraceni 1913 was quite possibly the best performing and best scented cream I've ever used, or could ever have hoped to use. I had an extra and foolishly sold it. Made in Italy. I have a bit over half a jar left, and will try to stretch it out indefinitely.

Damn! Now I need to try and get my hands on a tub, or at least a sample of it.

[czbeme]

I have the new non tallow and have had very poor results.
I would love it if the NOS was an easy lather like Tabac.

Has anyone here had both the old tallow version and the reformulated to compare??

Thanks,
Curt

[brothers]

Curt, I've been wondering the same thing. I haven't used the new recipe AOS, but I've heard others report the same results you've had. Welcome to the forum.