RocketMan
Gem Star
RazorAddict
Welcome To The Sharp Side!
Posts: 4,167
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Post by RocketMan on Feb 3, 2012 20:05:25 GMT -6
Ok, so I am a wee bit of a Paris Hilton when it comes to soaps. I am partial to those old English brands - Truefitt and Hill and Trumpers. I have yet to find a Taylors of Old Bond that has a scent I like - too artificial really - but the other two - I am in love!!!!! I am a HUGE fan of the creams from my fav two. But, I struggle a bit with their soap pucks. I find that the lather itself is richly delicious and a nice clean razor glides ever so happily on top, leaving my skin thrilled for the ride. Sigh..... But, with these soap pucks, I find that they gum the living cr*p of the razor unit. The underside of the blades build up soap quickly as it is so rich and sticky. This leads to the razor blade actually becoming unable to effectively shave. Drives me nuts. Aggressive rinsing does lessen this buildup - but why should I spend so much time rinsing to get rid of a soap I had to pay a Schwack just to get??? Not sure. Some days I just grab the VanDerHagen Deluxe and go for it. So, the Paris in me is undecided. T&H creams - to friggin die for. Trumpers Rose and Coconut creams - absolutely top notch. But I am still trying to decide about the soaps. That said, Crabtree and Evelyn produces a lovely sandalwood soap that might just qualify for the Inexpensive roster - but really delivers in the 'high end' list of things. The high end British products are all I have really tried so far. Any thoughts on the 'Expensive' end of shaving products???
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nate
SE Super Freak
Natenabler
Posts: 72
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Post by nate on Feb 3, 2012 20:24:55 GMT -6
My Martin de Candre just arrived today. Does that tell you everything you need to know? Haven't shaved with it yet thought.
As for the creams, Truefitt's are among my favorite. In fact T&H Lavender perhaps being my favorite cream period. Truly great stuff. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better cream produced today. Some come close, surprisingly on the other end of the price spectrum is my Fraser's Polar Ice. Great price and great performer (in my top 3) with its characteristics very closely related those of the Truefitt, which is probably why I like it.
Expensive, cheap, hell, I like em all. Its about the performance. (Although, if I were to take a census of my current rotation, I think the "expensive" products might outweigh the "cheap")
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Post by wchnu on Feb 3, 2012 20:45:17 GMT -6
I like TOBS Rose. I do not know about the others been way too long since tried them.. I do have some of the C and E sandalwood that I love.. I need to break that out here soon.. Maybe for tomorrow 1912 shave..
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RocketMan
Gem Star
RazorAddict
Welcome To The Sharp Side!
Posts: 4,167
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Post by RocketMan on Feb 4, 2012 1:00:07 GMT -6
My Martin de Candre just arrived today. Does that tell you everything you need to know? Haven't shaved with it yet thought. As for the creams, Truefitt's are among my favorite. In fact T&H Lavender perhaps being my favorite cream period. Truly great stuff. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better cream produced today. Some come close, surprisingly on the other end of the price spectrum is my Fraser's Polar Ice. Great price and great performer (in my top 3) with its characteristics very closely related those of the Truefitt, which is probably why I like it. Expensive, cheap, hell, I like em all. Its about the performance. (Although, if I were to take a census of my current rotation, I think the "expensive" products might outweigh the "cheap") Looking forward to hearing how the Martin de Candre works out for ya. You have my interest up for the Fraser's Polar Ice. With a name like that it must be loaded with menthol??? My skin doesn't seem to get along with the menthol products.
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ShadowsDad
Gem Star
None boring shaver!!
"It's not the bow, it's the Indian"
Posts: 4,534
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Post by ShadowsDad on Feb 4, 2012 2:06:20 GMT -6
The last I've read of F's Polar Ice is that it's just a name and contains no menthol.
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nate
SE Super Freak
Natenabler
Posts: 72
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Post by nate on Feb 4, 2012 16:17:43 GMT -6
I'm curious too, regarding the Martin de Candre. I always thought it was funny how I could get something in the mail, even something highly anticipated as was the case here, and for some reason, not use it to shave when I get it. Today being the perfect example. I have been waiting for that Candre for two weeks from France, didn't bother checking the mail the first week, but man was I there every day the second. My Post Lady gives me the slip and tells me that I have to go sign for it at the actual office and yadda yadda, two weeks is by far the longest I have have to wait for a shave product. It might be worth pointing out that I ordered a DE from an English Vendor on the same day and it got here in 1 week so, go figure as they say. So I picked up my soap from the PO and then... see its right there, in those three little dots, something happened. It was as if after the two weeks wait, and for the time being, my curiosity had said "Ok, yep thats good enough for now, come back in a little bit."
Just an observation not quite pertaining to creams but, I am glad I finally took the time to explain it. This happened to my NOS Gems except, well its still happening and they're still NOS. A total anomaly. Especially so when considering I am extremely impatient when it comes to this shaving stuff.
Back to the creams. Yea you would think right, Polar Ice? Not quite though. Before I got it, I had always read that it was a "peppermint" and that was the main tag that I associated with it. I guess I see that, but there is no menthol. Which I actually see as a plus, the fact that there is a mint-y cream that isn't mentholated. Scent-wise though, I am no expert and its been a while since I have used it, but I actually think its scent most closely resembles, at least to me anyway, Proraso Red.
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Post by Trout Whisperer on Feb 4, 2012 18:18:33 GMT -6
The only one mentioned so far that I have tried is C&E Sandalwood. I found it needed a bit of glycerine, but otherwise it was great.
I have a puck of D.R. Harris Marlborough, if you would consider it "expensive". It is my weekend/special-occasion soap, otherwise I'm a Van der Hagen-er. The performance is excellent in my experience, but perhaps I'm too much of a "mountain man" to truly appreciate the scent, which is likely targeted at British gentlemen.
The sample of Taylor's Lavender was as good as I expected, except for the purple. I could do without all the purple.
One of these years I'll get around to trying the Martin de Candre and the other English classics.
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