Van Der Hagen Soap

[lint]

I noticed my local Longs Drugs had stopped carrying Williams mug soap and started carying a soap from Van Der Hagen. I had never heard of this company. They also carry a line of boar brushes from the same company. The picture on the front of the box had me less than enthused. Looked like just another plain old colgate/williams cake. However, cracking open the box in the store had me intrigued. I bought a box. $1.99

The soap is poured into an internal plastic container, and feels like a mix between a glycerine and a hard soap. Its almost has a very soft rubber feel to it. It had a nice smell as well. I dont even really know how to describe it. A VERY clean smell.
http://images5.theimagehosting.com/box1.8.jpg

http://images5.theimagehosting.com/box 2.jpg

There is no ingredient list on the back of the box. Have a read:
http://images5.theimagehosting.com/box3.4.jpg

There was no way my SMF or my SR8t was going to be able to whip up any lather in the plastic mould the soap came in, so I easily popped it out and it was a perfect fit for my Col. Conks shaving stand bowl.
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Preparing for the shave. I used my Gillette black handled DE with this...
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The Shave
I had no trouble getting this soap to immediately start lathering. The hot water from the brush instantly goes to work on the gelatin-like soap. I lathered my face up and took my first stroke.

hrmm....

To tell you the truth, something about the blade on my face didnt feel right, or at least something felt different. I cant really pinpoint it. I was able to do a perfect N-S with no nicks or razor burn. The soap lubricates well, and has a great smell to it as you shave. I think the strange feeling was just the immediate dryness of my face as the razor sheered off the whiskers. I think other soaps leave a little more residue on than this soap. I lathered up again (plenty of lather still in the brush) and my S-N was perfect and smooth. Once i touched up and patted my face dry I could feel my skin pulling taught. I applied some skin coral and what a relief. My skin relaxed and the moisture set in. I felt my face for a bit and to my surprise, I actually got a really great shave with this soap. I was as near baby-butt smooth as I ever have been. I'm normally a cream guy, however this soap will hit my rotation now.

After two passes, still plenty of lather:
http://images5.theimagehosting.com/box6.1.jpg


Anyhow, I urge you all to drop into your local Longs and have a look to see if they are carrying this soap yet. I think it's worth a try. very affordable. Their website offers a few other soaps and brushes: Van Der Hagen (http://www.vdhent.com/mensline.php)

Enjoy, Todd

[Austin]

Todd great review :thumbup1: ! I will keep my eyes open next time I'm at the store. You mentioned that the blade felt odd on your face. Did the blade skip? How would you describe the scent? Floral, cologne, etc.

Again, review and photos!

[mike]

If you like this soap, you should also try Col. Conk. It is made by the same company.

[Nick]

Awesome review Todd. I'm Contra Costa also, so hopefully that means there's a good chance that my Long's stocks it too. I'm definitely going to check it out.

-Nick

[mark the shoeshine boy]

walgreens has this and Williams for $1.59 a cake....in my area....just saw it tonight...

mark tssb

[joel]

Seems like a fair amount of guys in the Bay Area.... we should have a little meeting sometime and grab a few brews!

[Tequilero79]

I knew I wasn't crazy. I coul've sworn I'd seen those as Surrey soaps before, and they are in fact Surrey acording to the website. I picked up their boar bristle brush as a gift for my father before and it was just a piece of :9898: . Once I upgraded to my badger brush I gave him my Burma Shave brush and he loves it. Based on the experience with the brush, I've been hesitant to check out the soap, but I just might pick it up now. It sounds very promising.


Respectfully,

Schubert

[crackstar]

God, it looks exactly like the Surrey soap both in packaging and product. I tried the Surrey soap but it's drying.

Jeff

[ouch]

God, it looks exactly like the Surrey soap both in packaging and product. I tried the Surrey soap but it's drying.

Jeff

You beat me to it. It sure looks like the Surrey to me, as well.

[crackstar]

It might be good soap, but if it's anything like Surrey in lather, I'd just as soon leave it alone.

Jeff

[denys]

God, it looks exactly like the Surrey soap both in packaging and product. I tried the Surrey soap but it's drying.

Jeff

Funny enough, Hagen's website still carries pictures of their goods with Surrey brandname on (http://www.vdhent.com/detail.php?desc=31016).

[catatonic]

Yep, it's the same company....when I got into wetshaving a few months ago, I bought one of these brushes, it was so horrible I had to buy a second just to be sure if it was a fluke or they were really that bad.

I have a cake of their glycerin soap lying around, I should give it a try just to see how I like it.

The SPAD (shaving Paraphernalia AD) has kicked in smoething awful....I'm so tempted to raid the local malls now for shaving stuff, traversing the rainwater-filled streets of the tampa bay area like some kind of shaving obsessed viking, never stopping in his quest for Wonderful spam, and the perfect shave!

[Howard]

Yep, it's Surrey. I've tried it and it's good enough shaving soap. Their hypo-allergenic is supposed to be good for people with sensitive skin.

I like to buy a cake of Williams and a cake of Surrey/Van Der Hagen at the same time, drop the Williams in a mug, melt the Surrey in the microwave and pour it over the Williams.

It's my own special blend!

[1 st class mail]

I have used the hypo-allergenic soap, and it is good enough. It smells like a ordinary bar of soap, not offencive, not exciting. I seem to recall reading one of the ingerdiants was lanolin, so I wouldn't use it often with a badger brush.