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Susan Darnell Vitos Sapone Extra Super

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Susan Darnell is the company, Vitos is the line of shaving goods, Sapone Extra Super is the soap. Let’s proceed slowly, step by step, and discover a relatively new, fantastic Italian product. First of all the company: Susan Darnell Snc di Caserza O. & Co. This firm is specialized in supplies for hairdressers and barbers and is based in a very small city called Sori, in province of Genova. Yes, Genova, the city of Valobra, where the legendary Virgilio set his factory in 1903, over a hundred years ago. A city that has a really huge, respectable and well-known tradition in manufacturing high quality soaps. Top notch soaps that are still produced with natural ingredients and century old proven methods and, therefore, soaps that are universally recognized as some of the finest in the World. In this contest we have to consider the Susan Darnell company. An Italian firm that currently has seven lines of items. Each line is dedicated to a specific purpose and Vitos is the complete range of shaving goods. This range includes pre-shave treatments, aftershave splashes and balms, lotions, colognes, a shaving cream and two shaving soaps. The shaving soaps are presented in the classic kilo bricks, are tallow based and continue the great Italian tradition of soft soaps started with highly appreciated products like Cella and P.160. As just mentioned, the Vitos range includes two tallow based soft soaps: a regular version housed in a white and green cardboard package and an upgraded version housed in a white and red cardboard package. The upgraded version is called Extra Super and has, unlike the regular, glycerin plus tallow (the regular has only tallow). Therefore Vitos Extra Super represents the best of the two worlds put together and is the finest soap currently made by the Susan Darnell company. It is priced here in Italy around € 6/7 per kilo, essentially the same price of Cella (€ 8/10) and P.160 (€ 6/7). It is a ridiculous price for a stunning soap that performs at the same high level of both Cella and P.160. Its scent is simply wonderful. A strong, intense and pleasant fragrance of Almonds or, for connoisseurs, of “amaretto”, the most loved by Italian men. The latherability is exceptional. You can use any quality boar or badger brush with soft tips and good backbone, and you easily get a terrific lather with great slickness and cushion. Moisturizing properties are outstanding and the post shave feeling is amazing. This soap is so good and effective that many Italian Master Barbers and experienced wet shaver already consider it as one of the very best ever made in Italy. My opinion is that Susan Darnell Vitos Sapone Extra Super is not only a marvellous soap, but is much more. It’s P.160’s worthy successor.
 

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
Hey Marco, how does it handle heat? I like to float a bowl in hot water so my lather is warm, but Cella does NOT like this one bit. Do you know if this is the same with this soap? Doesn't mean I will rule it out- summer is coming and I may tire of warm lather :001_smile
 
is there a website where people in the states can order this soap? i've googled it but cant find anything.
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Hey Marco, how does it handle heat? I like to float a bowl in hot water so my lather is warm, but Cella does NOT like this one bit. Do you know if this is the same with this soap? Doesn't mean I will rule it out- summer is coming and I may tire of warm lather :001_smile

I use hot water while lathering and have no problems. But, honestly, I do not know how this soap could react using "the floating bowl".
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
is there a website where people in the states can order this soap? i've googled it but cant find anything.

The only current issue with Vitos is its availability. This soap is quite hard to find, even here in Italy. I'm sorry, but I have no answer about the US market.
 
Ahh, Marco! B&B's man of Italian enabler :tongue_sm

I think I have seen this on Italian eBay, but shipping is a killer (Though shipping a kilo international is going to be expensive regardless).

Alright......who is organizing a group buy :biggrin1:
 
You don't *have* to know Italian, just enough of the context to search for "vitos" and find the right picture.

5.50 Euro + Flat rate 15.00 Euro shipping...So buy a lot and save. I put 10 in my cart and it was still 15.00 Euro shipping.

Last time this site was not ready for foreign buyers, the rates were for Italians. 10 kilos from Italy to the US for 15 euros seems impossible to me. I had to pay 30 euros last time for 2 kilos, and I am in Europe... But it seems to give different prices for shipping this time. But still 15 euros for 10k to the US :confused1 It does name an Italian transporter with that rate...
 
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Good review Marco. I am really starting to like the Italian soaps.
I tried Cella and P160...both excellent.
Hopefully somebody will sell it here to the States.


Vince
 
I can't wait to try it, these are my absolute favourite type of soaps. I wonder how much glycerin is in it and how it'll be different compared to Cella.
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
I wonder how much glycerin is in it and how it'll be different compared to Cella.

I do not have info on the exact proportions. Anyhow Vitos Extra Super seems much more similar to P.160 rather than Cella.
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Another great review, Marco. But I am running out of room for soaps! :mellow:

Thank you, Jim. I think you would really love this soft soap. It's a super performer, it's cheap, it's Italian. How can you avoid purchasing it? :wink2:
 
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