SMF

I started out a few weeks ago intending to finish off the hard puck of TOBS Luxury Lime soap. It's a decent shaving soap. I am growing weary of it now after logging a total of 56 shaves with what appear to be many more in the future before it even starts to run out. I put it aside for now, but it made me curious about the other TOBS products that were hibernating in the catacombs. I dug them out and started with the Jermin Street cream. It did OK, smelled nice, but the formula is different than the other creams: Cedarwood, Sandalwood, and Peppermint. I won't be continuing with the Jermin Street cream. Today I went with the Sandalwood shaving cream and it's very good in terms of performance (slick and protective and I like the rich sandalwood fragrance). I'll probably keep using sandalwood in rotation. This leaves me with 3 more from TOBS to try. Taylor's Sandalwood soap is a different take on sandalwood than the cream. I think the soap has a rich and somewhat spicy sandalwood scent in the bowl that I am looking forward to using soon so I can compare it to the Luxury Lime soap.

I use TOBS shaving cream most of the time. In terms of price, quality and performance they are excellent value. The core of my TOBS collection are Rose and Lavender, but I like to mix it up with Sandalwood, Cedarwood and Avocado.

Gary, as you probably know I am a Taylor's man through and through. I've been using their English Lavender shaving soap for the better part of the last decade (starting in 2009). It's the old formula in the wooden bowl - no longer produced, mind you, but it's just fantastic for me.

It gives me the close, protective, comfortable, and slick lather that I need as a straight razor shaver. It also softens the beard excellently. I get the most comfortable shaves of all from it.

I say stick with it and give them all a try. Hope you enjoy!

Chris

It took a while, but I'm now focused on my aged wooden bowl of Taylor's Sandalwood soap for the next few days. Very good stuff! The performance and fragrance are admirable, and it's slick! Looking forward to the next few shaves.

Along with their creams, I also used their lavender and their sandalwood shaving soaps.
When they discontinued one of these soaps, I switched to D.R. Harris, which I found to be superior anyway.

Still have a few tubs of Taylor shaving creams that I use from time to time, which does not seem to cause any problems as the creams seem to hold up quite well.


B.

I used taylors soaps for many years and then i stumbled upon smf

Good to read that they still make good soaps

clive

I can't vouch for the age of this one. It was used when I picked it up on a shaving forum probably 5 years ago for a low price, and then ignored it until now. I sometimes wonder if the recipe has been reformulated after this one was new.

After a few days of the Taylor's Sandalwood soap, I've learned that while it does lather and doesn't disappear, the lather's not plentiful. It's more a watery slurry. I think this is a soap that would be preferred by those who don't want a thick rich voluminous lather. I place it 2 notches below Tabac and two notches above Trumper's soap in the lathering department. If memory serves correctly, I think this Taylor's is on the same lathering level as DRH soap.

brothers wrote: ↑Thu Jan 17, 2019 3:57 pm After a few days of the Taylor's Sandalwood soap, I've learned that while it does lather and doesn't disappear, the lather's not plentiful. It's more a watery slurry. I think this is a soap that would be preferred by those who don't want a thick rich voluminous lather. I place it 2 notches below Tabac and two notches above Trumper's soap in the lathering department. If memory serves correctly, I think this Taylor's is on the same lathering level as DRH soap.

Hmmm that's interesting feedback.

I have jermyn st and lavender, I get a very rich lather from both. Never slurry or watery. My pucks are 5+ years old (I got them new from a BST 5 years ago).

They both irritated my skin a little bit so I grated them, aired them out for two weeks and then pressed into containers...problem solved!

Nav, I know everyone has their own preferences and experiences. In my analysis, the Taylor's is on a par with my experiences with Harris soaps. I have learned over the years that the best way for me to get thicker lather from Harris is to overload my brush for at least one, and even two minutes of loading the soap onto the brush. It's just that I don't like to have to do that every time. These days I load the brushes for just a few seconds, anywhere from 3 seconds (Tabac and Salter's) up to around 5 to 10 or more seconds, depending on what I see in my brush and bowl as I'm loading.

brothers wrote: ↑Sat Jan 19, 2019 10:12 am Nav, I know everyone has their own preferences and experiences. In my analysis, the Taylor's is on a par with my experiences with Harris soaps. I have learned over the years that the best way for me to get thicker lather from Harris is to overload my brush for at least one, and even two minutes of loading the soap onto the brush. It's just that I don't like to have to do that every time. These days I load the brushes for just a few seconds, anywhere from 3 seconds (Tabac and Salter's) up to around 5 to 10 or more seconds, depending on what I see in my brush and bowl as I'm loading.

Fair enough.

I tend to load all my soaps, whether milled or artisan croaps, for about 20 seconds and then add water as needed. This way, I always the consistency I prefer, which is a wet paint consistency...not thick, not thin but rich and slick.

I'm really eager to try TOBS lavender soap - if some kind soul out there has a spare puck, I would happily buy it!

adhoc wrote: ↑Sat Jan 19, 2019 5:50 pm I'm really eager to try TOBS lavender soap - if some kind soul out there has a spare puck, I would happily buy it!

It's really good stuff! I wish you find some.

I would have sent you a sample but unfortunately it's not practical from where I live.

I just need clarification. Are TOBS and D.R. Harris still tallow and good soaps? Have not bought any in some time.

Re: tallow --- Harris, yes. TOBS soap, I don't think so. Re: being a good soap, yes on both.

Not only is Harris still a tallow soap, it is in its current formulation probably the best it's been since I started wetshaving in 2008. I find the current version fantastic.

brothers wrote: ↑Tue Apr 02, 2019 7:07 pm Re: tallow --- Harris, yes. TOBS soap, I don't think so. Re: being a good soap, yes on both.

Thank you, Gary.

TRBeck wrote: ↑Tue Apr 02, 2019 7:59 pm Not only is Harris still a tallow soap, it is in its current formulation probably the best it's been since I started wetshaving in 2008. I find the current version fantastic.

Thank you, Tim.

Rufus has mentioned that he has to load for a looong time. My best results with DRH come when I rub the bloomed puck on my face as if it were a shave stick. Sticks are expensive, so I rub the puck. Works for me!

As a distant reference point: Yesterday I shaved with Taylor's Sandalwood cream. It's got to be at least fifteen years old.

The cream was mostly gone maybe an eighth of a tub left. It was somewhat dried out but it gave an exceptional shave and the scent was wonderful and very intoxicating.

Since it was dried out I used it like a soap. No issues.

Chris