Penhaligon English Fern Shave Soap

Penhaligon's Tallow English Fern is somewhat bittersweet for me:

I coulda had 4 pucks of this stashed away now but rookie mistakes led me to sell the first three pucks. I thought it was irritating to my skin but it turned out to be the top layer of soap (All three of the first three pucks were new)

I woulda pulled the trigger on a bowl of tallow English Fern I saw on the B/S/T last week but I was about 20 minutes too late

I shoulda purchased a few bowls of this when it was on clearance for $55 shipped at the TESC last year.

This is by far my favorite soap. Unfortunately, I only use it once every few weeks because I only have one puck. The rotation I've settled on is AOS, PdP, Santa Maria Novella, and Pens Tallow English Fern. I rank my soaps in this order 1. Tallow English Fern 2. SMN 3. PdP 4. AOS

Price - $65 + shipped on the B/S/T if someone is generous enough to part with one that they've stashed away. It could be argued that the price is ridiculous or it can be argued that it's reasonable considering the quality and lack of availibility. I can see both sides.

Quality - Awesome. The bowl is beautiful, the soap is well made, and even the box is cool. This is the definition of quality.

Scent - Scent is subjective. I happen to love the scent of this soap. It's a manly scent that is there the entire shave.

Lather - Out of all the other soaps I've tried, this one and Santa Maria Novella were the only two that made the stubble so soft that it was like slicing through butter. All shave soaps make stubble soft but this one seems to do a better job and encourages the razor to slice and dice effortlessly. I understand that's a weird explanation but it's true. It's easy to make lather with this soap and the lather excels in every category.

Efficacy - Perfect shave after using this!

Moisturizing - I'm indifferent about soaps being moisturizing. I see a drying soap as an opportunity to use my favorite balm. This one is fairly moisturizing for me though.

This soap is the total package. It excels in every functional category. It's a shame that it's no longer easilly available. Would the moderators or others that can stop this confusion please contact Penhaligons and ask that they bring back the tallow?

These reviews are for the Tallow based soap version that Penhaligon's phased out in the fall of 2009-

For the review of the "new" version see HERE

This classic shaving soap tops all others in all categories valued by wet shavers, whether you be of the straight or double edged razor stripe. And besides the basic criteria by which all shaving soaps are measured, this soap is delivered in a well made wooden bowl -- substantial and so well-crafted that it will be esteemed on its own, long after the soap has been exhausted.

Price: It is priceless so any price you will pay for this soap is worth it and more!
Quality: 100 years of shaving soap experience allows the manufacturer to claim and achieve a reputation well-deserved. The quality is without compare or rivals. Once I thought the Trumpers original tallow-based soap would be a competitor in quality, but after using them on alternate days, Penhaligon's is the clear winner.

Scent: May not be a totally natural aroma, but it is quite pleasant, not over-powering, and really distinctive and quite wonderful.

Lather: This is where the soap shines brightest. The lather is rich, easy to generate, bountiful, cushioning, rich, and thick. What more could you ask for or expect. Really puts Tabac to the test & wins hands down!

Efficacy: Works just as advertised. Close, comfortable, nick-free shaving with this thick and rich shaving soap.

Moisturizing: The soap is not at all drying, and is in fact quite rich and moisturizing. It is fine to use an after shave, but it is truly unnecessary due to the rich and moisturizing nature of the Penhaligon soap.

Highly recommended.