Item Description
It seems I am not alone in my use of soaps that were readily available in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Since these soap’s are still around in shops and on eBay it seems appropriate to have a review of them. Lets be clear that this review is based on my current usage of the product, not my recollections of how it performed when I first began using it 30+ years ago. I am currently shaving with a puck of Old Spice, from the 70’s, which I purchased in its original packaging about a week ago.
First Impressions – As noted above, the soap I purchased was in its original packaging. No box but had the red cover they came with in the early 70’s. It had darkened a little bit but there were no cracks or shrinkage in the puck that I could see. It still had its distinct fragrance. Not unlike Old Spice AS, from the period, but with a soapy note. It was very dusty so I gentle removed the puck and ran the mug through the dishwasher. You could still see the Old Spice logo in the soap.
Price – I paid $5 for the puck and mug I am currently using. I see prices on eBay in the $10 to $25 range. At $5 I think it is a steal and I think $10 to $25 still very reasonable with the mug included. Refills are in the $10 to $12 range on eBay, which I feel is still reasonable for a good soap.
Quality – I have to rate it very high. This soap is 30+ years old and still retains its shape, logo still clearly impressed in the center of the soap. It’s a large soap I would guess in the 4 oz range. I am guessing it is a tallow based soap. Like a few other high quality soaps the puck feels slick in my hand. The center depression is molded very deep into the puck and makes a very nice starting point for your first shave.
Scent – Like I noted above the scent is clearly Old Spice AS of the period with a soapy note. It is a light fragrance, which is pleasant and doesn’t linger after your shave. This maybe due to the age of the bar, but again it points to the original quality of the product.
Lather - Lather is outstanding. The manner in which it loads on to my brush is very similar to Tabac. I can load my brush in 4 to 5 swirls and have lather starting to foam out of the mug. It loads heavy enough for me to face lather a complete three-pass shave. The lather I built is not as thick as Tabac but richer than say my C&E Sandlewood.
Efficacy – I rate efficacy as a value of slickness and smoothness, which allows the blade to glide across my skin. Old Spice performs well in this category, above average, I would say similar to a Ogallala Bay Rum.
Moisturizing – Again this soap is very strong in this category. I rinse my face after each pass, before I re-lather, and my face feels like I have used a lotion. Since I have very oily skin I feel it almost has too much moisturizing for me.
I would recommend anyone to try this product who enjoys exploring the traditions of shaving in the US.. I guess that would be most of you. Overall I would rate it a buy. It seems to be easily available on eBay at a reasonable price point. I will be ordering a re-fill puck this afternoon.
First Impressions – As noted above, the soap I purchased was in its original packaging. No box but had the red cover they came with in the early 70’s. It had darkened a little bit but there were no cracks or shrinkage in the puck that I could see. It still had its distinct fragrance. Not unlike Old Spice AS, from the period, but with a soapy note. It was very dusty so I gentle removed the puck and ran the mug through the dishwasher. You could still see the Old Spice logo in the soap.
Price – I paid $5 for the puck and mug I am currently using. I see prices on eBay in the $10 to $25 range. At $5 I think it is a steal and I think $10 to $25 still very reasonable with the mug included. Refills are in the $10 to $12 range on eBay, which I feel is still reasonable for a good soap.
Quality – I have to rate it very high. This soap is 30+ years old and still retains its shape, logo still clearly impressed in the center of the soap. It’s a large soap I would guess in the 4 oz range. I am guessing it is a tallow based soap. Like a few other high quality soaps the puck feels slick in my hand. The center depression is molded very deep into the puck and makes a very nice starting point for your first shave.
Scent – Like I noted above the scent is clearly Old Spice AS of the period with a soapy note. It is a light fragrance, which is pleasant and doesn’t linger after your shave. This maybe due to the age of the bar, but again it points to the original quality of the product.
Lather - Lather is outstanding. The manner in which it loads on to my brush is very similar to Tabac. I can load my brush in 4 to 5 swirls and have lather starting to foam out of the mug. It loads heavy enough for me to face lather a complete three-pass shave. The lather I built is not as thick as Tabac but richer than say my C&E Sandlewood.
Efficacy – I rate efficacy as a value of slickness and smoothness, which allows the blade to glide across my skin. Old Spice performs well in this category, above average, I would say similar to a Ogallala Bay Rum.
Moisturizing – Again this soap is very strong in this category. I rinse my face after each pass, before I re-lather, and my face feels like I have used a lotion. Since I have very oily skin I feel it almost has too much moisturizing for me.
I would recommend anyone to try this product who enjoys exploring the traditions of shaving in the US.. I guess that would be most of you. Overall I would rate it a buy. It seems to be easily available on eBay at a reasonable price point. I will be ordering a re-fill puck this afternoon.
