Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

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!
Post Reply
brothers
Posts: 21587
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by brothers »

Thanks to DRH for the email and the offer of a sample. It'll be gone (used up) tomorrow. I loaded the brush on the soap longer today than yesterday, and it paid off. Tallow soap with an excellent classic scent. Predictably successful.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
EL Alamein
Posts: 3107
Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:55 pm

Re: Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by EL Alamein »

Excellent! Great news from the field.

Now let them open the flood gates!

Chris
brothers
Posts: 21587
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by brothers »

Bath soap, shaving cream, shaving soap in the wooden bowl, all smell delightful.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
Flash G
Posts: 1445
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:01 am

Re: Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by Flash G »

I have had two shaves with the Sandalwood cream now and the cream performes as expected from D.R. Harris, top notch.

I picked up the tube from Connaught this time round as heavily scented creams and soaps, especially the sandalwood type, tend to irritate my skin. No such problems yet :) The cream is opalescent and nice and firm out of the tube.

The scent is true to the aftershave, but tuned down in comparison. Not a bad thing in my book as it would be quite overpowering otherwise. When you start lathering your hit by the lovely scent but it quickly quiets down and lingers througout the shave, and in this the scent evolves the same way as my laveder creams from Harris. Some might find the scent to quiet compared to the three T's.

The brush smelles heavenly, though!
Eric
User avatar
Squire
Squadron Leader
Posts: 18932
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: North East, MS

Re: Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by Squire »

That sounds good, Harris Sandalwood aftershave is a beautiful scent but it certainly is potent. As much as I like it I think full strength in a shaving cream would be a bit much for me so I'm pleased to hear it's been toned down.
Regards,
Squire
bernards66
Duke of Silvertip!
Posts: 27393
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 1:02 pm

Re: Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by bernards66 »

Squire,
Check my post in that other Harris's Sandalwood thread. Their new Sandalwood Cologne etc. is nothing like their old Sandalwood A/S with which you are familiar.
Regards,
Gordon
User avatar
Squire
Squadron Leader
Posts: 18932
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: North East, MS

Re: Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by Squire »

Who was it said "There is nothing certain but change"? Some ancient Greek probably.

A tragic but instructive incident occurred when unloading my vehicle after a trip. A bottle of Harris Sandalwood aftershave fell out of a bag onto it's cap neatly snapping the neck off. Before I could swoop down to grab it about 1/3 of the contents spilled onto the garage floor. For what seemed like months afterward my garage carried a delightful sandalwood scent and that's how I learned how potent that stuff was.
Regards,
Squire
User avatar
woodsrider
Posts: 2112
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 12:43 pm
Location: Colorado

Re: Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by woodsrider »

bernards66 wrote:Squire,
Check my post in that other Harris's Sandalwood thread. Their new Sandalwood Cologne etc. is nothing like their old Sandalwood A/S with which you are familiar.
Regards,
Gordon
That's good to hear, Gordon. The "old" Harris Sandalwood aftershave was well beyond "aftershave strength..."
Lynn
EL Alamein
Posts: 3107
Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:55 pm

Re: Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by EL Alamein »

Squire wrote:Who was it said "There is nothing certain but change"? Some ancient Greek probably.

A tragic but instructive incident occurred when unloading my vehicle after a trip. A bottle of Harris Sandalwood aftershave fell out of a bag onto it's cap neatly snapping the neck off. Before I could swoop down to grab it about 1/3 of the contents spilled onto the garage floor. For what seemed like months afterward my garage carried a delightful sandalwood scent and that's how I learned how potent that stuff was.
Squire, I remember when I received my bottle (about 8 to 10 years ago). Smelling it from the bottle I realized how strong it seemed and upon first application applied a small amount to my face. I rinsed my hands and dried them on a hand towel that smelled of that scent for months - after washing several times! It was strong at first and after the first wash cycle, faint to be sure, but it endured for quite a while in that state.

Easy does it.

Chris
User avatar
churchilllafemme
Posts: 5726
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:22 pm
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by churchilllafemme »

The Sandalwood shaving soap lathers quite nicely, as do all the Harris soaps I have tried, but I wish its scent was a little stronger.
_______
John
bernards66
Duke of Silvertip!
Posts: 27393
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 1:02 pm

Re: Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by bernards66 »

John, Kind of...a....vague is it? Interesting. As I noted in another thread Harris's seems to have noticeably toned down the scent of their shave soaps. Their 'Almond' version, which used to have a distinct and crisp eau de quinine scent, now has very little scent at all and their Lavender is not as punchy as it used to be. This trend has not be noticeable vis a vis the scent of their creams but, then again, it's been awhile now since I've purchased any of those new.
Regards,
Gordon
brothers
Posts: 21587
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by brothers »

This is a follow-up regarding the Harris Sandalwood shaving soap. It waited patiently while I was working my way down to it. A couple of weeks ago, the long-awaited day in the rotation finally came. Now I'll be using this soap daily for another couple of weeks. It makes a good lather following a 20 second or so loading on the soap, and building the lather in the bowl. I do like the scent, and yes, it's not strong. We tend to forget that DRH wasn't offering a Sandalwood scent in a shaving soap for a long time, if they ever did. Others can fill us in on that, I'm sure. It's slick, and that's what I look for in a shaving soap. That and a good lather that lasts. On the startup, I can detect a bit of the dreaded suds, but some vigorous brush work will tame the bubbles down quite a bit. That's a quirk I've noticed in the other DRH soaps. Since they have stood steadfast with the tallow, I'm standing by DRH soap. No reformulations here! Hang in there boys and girls! Maybe I'll post a detailed review of this soap after I finish my month-long daily use. Now this is what I call a Traditional Classic (even though it's a new product). Thumbs up!
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
User avatar
BiffBuff
Posts: 106
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 1:54 pm
Location: Seattle

Re: Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by BiffBuff »

I've got the sandalwood shaving stick and it's wonderful stuff. The twist up is great (refillable with Speick stick if you trim it) and the soap is peerless -- It's just too expensive. I use shave sticks a lot and the cost per gram of D. R. Harris shaving sticks is high enough for me to use Arko more often. Of course part of that cost is for the dispenser -- Arko can be messy unless you have some container.

Still, really really good product. I also applaud D. R. Harris for keeping their wonderful tallow soaps available.
disengage
brothers
Posts: 21587
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by brothers »

It was a good 20 days with the Harris Sandalwood. It started out with me thinking just a couple more days and it'll really start to shine. At around day seventeen I started to realize I had seen the Sandalwood at it's peak. I give it a 7.5. I'm not here today to criticize, but to pay my honest respect for what I consider to be a true representative of the top shelf old-line traditional classics from the UK.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
brothers
Posts: 21587
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: Harris Sandalwood shaving soap

Post by brothers »

I've moved the DRH Sandalwood soap and cream tube (plus a tube of Marlborough) into the box.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
Post Reply