Like many of us, I have a cupboard full of wonderful soaps. I may put Wholly Kaw and Declaration Grooming at the top of the list, but they are just a hair above other favorites including Noble Otter, Oleo and Mickey Lee. In a manner of speaking, all of these soaps are qualitatively similar. One may get a better score (quantitatively speaking) than another but they are not qualitatively different from each other. For lack of a better analogy, all of these soaps are different brands of vanilla ice cream. I may prefer one brand over another - vanilla may be my favorite flavor - but in the end they are all vanilla.
Tallow and Steel is different.
Last week I received my first Tallow and Steel, the Orangeilla from West Coast Shaving. I have had 4 shaves with the T&S, enough to get a good feel for the soap. First off, this is an extremely thirsty soap. I face lather by applying a thick paste to my face and then adding a few drops of water at a time until I get the perfect lather. Well, if you add just water a few drops at a time with this soap, you will be at it for a long long time before the lather blossoms. I quickly learned to dunk my brush in water. Second, this is a lather that is different than all of the others. Most lathers are a rich whipped cream. Sticky enough to hold together but with a certain lightness of being that makes whipped cream so delightful. T&S on the other hand, is more like a gooey yogurt or sour cream. It is noticeably thicker and denser than the typical soap without the fluffiness found in most soaps. A little weird, but intriguing.
So, how does it shave? Because of the density of the lather, I expected a well cushioned, but not so slick shave. Boy, was I wrong. It is both shockingly slick and well cushioned. And the bonus is a first class aftershave feel. It most definitely has a WOW!! factor that separates it from other soaps.
A quick word about the scent. Orangeilla is advertised as an orange creamsicle scent. I had visions of one of my childhood favorites: A Good Humor Creamsicle ice cream. It is not that. The scent is mostly vanilla with a background of orange. The essence of vanilla is not naturally sweet and, to my nose, the scent has a little bitter, medicinal quality about it. The orange essence comes out with lathering but it is still primarily vanilla and secondarily orange. I really like it but it was not what I was expecting.
Has T&S catapulted up to the top of the list? It is certainly on par with WK and DG, and may be better. I will need a little more time with the T&S before crowning a new soap champ but it is really a special treat.
Cheers
Tallow and Steel is different.
Last week I received my first Tallow and Steel, the Orangeilla from West Coast Shaving. I have had 4 shaves with the T&S, enough to get a good feel for the soap. First off, this is an extremely thirsty soap. I face lather by applying a thick paste to my face and then adding a few drops of water at a time until I get the perfect lather. Well, if you add just water a few drops at a time with this soap, you will be at it for a long long time before the lather blossoms. I quickly learned to dunk my brush in water. Second, this is a lather that is different than all of the others. Most lathers are a rich whipped cream. Sticky enough to hold together but with a certain lightness of being that makes whipped cream so delightful. T&S on the other hand, is more like a gooey yogurt or sour cream. It is noticeably thicker and denser than the typical soap without the fluffiness found in most soaps. A little weird, but intriguing.
So, how does it shave? Because of the density of the lather, I expected a well cushioned, but not so slick shave. Boy, was I wrong. It is both shockingly slick and well cushioned. And the bonus is a first class aftershave feel. It most definitely has a WOW!! factor that separates it from other soaps.
A quick word about the scent. Orangeilla is advertised as an orange creamsicle scent. I had visions of one of my childhood favorites: A Good Humor Creamsicle ice cream. It is not that. The scent is mostly vanilla with a background of orange. The essence of vanilla is not naturally sweet and, to my nose, the scent has a little bitter, medicinal quality about it. The orange essence comes out with lathering but it is still primarily vanilla and secondarily orange. I really like it but it was not what I was expecting.
Has T&S catapulted up to the top of the list? It is certainly on par with WK and DG, and may be better. I will need a little more time with the T&S before crowning a new soap champ but it is really a special treat.
Cheers
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Like flowers on burning sheet metal!! Gross!!
