SMF

I’ve been using Barber Shop Tallow Shaving Soap[1] exclusively for nearly two weeks now. As you can see in the picture it comes in a 4cm tall x 9.75 cm diameter tub, which is about twice the size required to accommodate its 4-ounce contents.

When opening the tub, I immediately pick up on the lemon and bergamot, with a hint of tobacco; indeed, the Web site describes the scent as a “…combination of lemon, bergamot, lavender, patchouli, rosemary, sandalwood, and tobacco.” It’s a great scent that fades quickly once lathered, and I give it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

When I first began using it, lathering posed a real challenge; I found the results to be weak and scant. It turned out that I was being too thrifty with the soap, so I increased the “dosage” to two level teaspoons, and what a difference that made! I didn’t aim for a “Santa Claus” lather in the bowl; instead, I got my best results if I did a preliminary lather in the bowl and finished by face lathering. In subsequent shaves I kept decreasing the dosage and discovered that the sweet spot for my very hard water (12.6 gpg) seems to be 1 level teaspoon (about the size of a large grape).

I’m a little disappointed that it takes so much soap to get to produce the lather I want, but at only $22CDN for a tub I’m not overly upset. If you’re lucky enough to have soft water then I think you’ll have far greater success than me, with far less soap. Still, I give it a 3 out of 5 stars for lathering – not a great grade but it’s acceptable.

With that problem solved, I find that the soap performs really well. I get a solid, nice-smelling lather that provides great lubrication, and when I wet my face before the next lathering pass I find that there’s ample slickness left over from the preceding lather/shave cycle. I give Barber Shop a 4 out of 5 for its lubricating qualities.

My recommendation depends on how much success you enjoy with hard-lathering soaps. If you have softer water and can lather “difficult” soaps with relative ease, I would give this a 4 out of 5. However, if you’re like me and have very hard water then I would give this soap a 3-½ out of 5.

It's definitely worth a try.

[1] https://firstcanadianshave.com/collecti ... aving-soap

Thanks for the review!

My pleasure!

I enjoy reading everyone else's reviews; wish I'd have done so before I spent a bunch of money on Eucris. Not that I'm bitter about it or anything.