Australian Private Reserve Soap

[Southsider]

yeah real nice soap hey.. what did you think about the florian scent?

I just got back to home base today after being on the road for 3 months and have not had a chance to use it. Upon arrival, I loaded up Ozymandias in my new Captain's Choice copper bowl and shaved for the first time with my Game Changer .84-P. I had a number of new soaps to choose from, including Florian, but APR Ozymandias got the call. If Florian is anywhere near as good as Ozymandias...I will be a very happy camper indeed.

 

[steffenapelz]

My wife gave me "Alfredus Choice" as an early Christmas present. I got to use it for the first time today and the gist of it is that the lather doesn't really "feel" like a typical tallow soap lather. It is fluffy rather than yogurty and it feels slightly lighter as a result. It actually reminds me of Saponificio Varesino in that way.

Where this soap SHINES is in its slickness and post-shave. It is without question the slickest soap I have ever used. And the gap doesn't seem particularly close either. The post shave is VERY similar to the post shave I get from Oleo...maybe even better, which would make it one of my two top post shave soaps.

The scent is solid strength but not obtrusive and I enjoy the rather earthy, woody and herbal chypre scent although it is not one of my favorite scents in my collection.

One word of caution...this soap was SO SLICK that I started rushing through passes because I felt like I could...but I did give myself a tiny weeper on the chin because I was "slamming" the razor head onto my skin for the beginning of each stroke. So it is easy to make a mistake with a soap this slick...that is an issue of inexperience I won't have happen again.

 

[sealer]

My wife gave me "Alfredus Choice" as an early Christmas present. I got to use it for the first time today and the gist of it is that the lather doesn't really "feel" like a typical tallow soap lather. It is fluffy rather than yogurty and it feels slightly lighter as a result. It actually reminds me of Saponificio Varesino in that way.

Where this soap SHINES is in its slickness and post-shave. It is without question the slickest soap I have ever used. And the gap doesn't seem particularly close either. The post shave is VERY similar to the post shave I get from Oleo...maybe even better, which would make it one of my two top post shave soaps.

The scent is solid strength but not obtrusive and I enjoy the rather earthy, woody and herbal chypre scent although it is not one of my favorite scents in my collection.

One word of caution...this soap was SO SLICK that I started rushing through passes because I felt like I could...but I did give myself a tiny weeper on the chin because I was "slamming" the razor head onto my skin for the beginning of each stroke. So it is easy to make a mistake with a soap this slick...that is an issue of inexperience I won't have happen again.

Just to mention, Alfredus Choice belongs to the old formula of APR. Current one is a bit thirstier, and may take more time to lather if you want to add water slowly, but it have improvements on its functionality.

cheers

 

[steffenapelz]

Just to mention, Alfredus Choice belongs to the old formula of APR. Current one is a bit thirstier, and may take more time to lather if you want to add water slowly, but it have improvements on its functionality.

cheers

Interesting. Will need to try the new base sometime.

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[Mango]

They are awesome. I bought La Violetta at Pasteur’s last week. Great barbershop scent

 

[timah083]

Have Bombora a go tonight. Splendid.


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[steffenapelz]

Shaved with APR Alfredus again this morning and was able to get a better lather by picking up more product and taking more time to face lather. Still a touch fluffier than most of my other soaps, but I am getting close. That said, the slickness is so off the charts that my GC68 could be barely felt while mowing. Great soap (although I would prefer a wider and shallower container).

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[gmdnk]

Highly, highly recommend APR's Bombora, for an exquisite Summer scent. Just fantastic.

 

[StratMan]

I just got back to home base today after being on the road for 3 months and have not had a chance to use it. Upon arrival, I loaded up Ozymandias in my new Captain's Choice copper bowl and shaved for the first time with my Game Changer .84-P. I had a number of new soaps to choose from, including Florian, but APR Ozymandias got the call. If Florian is anywhere near as good as Ozymandias...I will be a very happy camper indeed.

@Southsider just wondering how you got on with the Florian? i am looking at getting another APR and have Ozymandias in mind... i currently have the florian and do love it, just wondering how they compare in your view

 

[Southsider]

@Southsider just wondering how you got on with the Florian? i am looking at getting another APR and have Ozymandias in mind... i currently have the florian and do love it, just wondering how they compare in your view

I am a bit embarrassed to tell you that I have not gotten to Florian yet so I cannot give a comparison. I can tell you that Ozymandias is top tier and appears to be disappearing from the shelves here in the States. I really like the scent on that one.

 

[StratMan]

I am a bit embarrassed to tell you that I have not gotten to Florian yet so I cannot give a comparison. I can tell you that Ozymandias is top tier and appears to be disappearing from the shelves here in the States. I really like the scent on that one.

nothing to be embarrassed about, quite a good endorsement actually

 

[chibi]

I've been on the fence about trying this for a long time and am very tempted after reading this thread but...it's a lot of money when adding overseas shipping

 

[timah083]

The next LE soap coming in March. I don’t want to have to wait that long!!


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[tim33z]

I've been on the fence about trying this for a long time and am very tempted after reading this thread but...it's a lot of money when adding overseas shipping

Where are you living? I see your profile says japan/Australia so you should get some when your in Australia next (assuming your not here right now).

 

[58RW]

My minor experience with APR was it failed and I had at the time comparison with A&E- Mondial & Fine which turned out to be a lot better. I found APR to sub par in terms or lather & performance. Now one I have found if you want to test an Australian Soap would be from Whispers From The Woods I grabbed there Parmelo Orange Grapefruit Lemon Shaving soap and have found it to be awesome.

 

[timah083]

My minor experience with APR was it failed and I had at the time comparison with A&E- Mondial & Fine which turned out to be a lot better. I found APR to sub par in terms or lather & performance. Now one I have found if you want to test an Australian Soap would be from Whispers From The Woods I grabbed there Parmelo Orange Grapefruit Lemon Shaving soap and have found it to be awesome.

Which APR did you try?


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[steffenapelz]

My minor experience with APR was it failed and I had at the time comparison with A&E- Mondial & Fine which turned out to be a lot better. I found APR to sub par in terms or lather & performance. Now one I have found if you want to test an Australian Soap would be from Whispers From The Woods I grabbed there Parmelo Orange Grapefruit Lemon Shaving soap and have found it to be awesome.

One thing about APR is that the lather isn't easy to get right (with the old formula at least). I was gifted a tub of APR Alfredus Choice and first used it right around Christmas. My very first attempt yielded a slightly thin, unusual and bubbly lather that was very slick. So the outcome was great slickness but minimal cushion.

I added more product the second time around and lathered for a longer time and got a substantially creamier and more cushiony lather without losing slickness. I am up to about 6-7 uses now and I have steadily improved the lather quality with each shave (although the biggest "jump was from shave 1- shave 2 or 3).

My puck of APR is on the harder side among all my soaps, so picking up a fair amount of product can be challenging even in a standard container, so if you tried from a sample, it may have been even more difficult.

With me having gotten the "hang" of this soap, APR is now slowly moving into the very top soaps for me. But this one takes some work. It doesn't nearly as easily as Eufros for example (because that soap just explodes into a beautiful lather with minimal effort), so the question is whether one cares enough to put in the extra work to get the lather to be just right. To some, that will understandably be a no. To others like me, it will be worth it because the slickness and post-shave of this soap really is outstanding.

If you still have the tub, I encourage you to re-try lathering it with more soap, gradual add of water and LOTS of swirls in the bowl or on the face...I am confident this base can compete with most of the other top artisans.

 

[chibi]

Where are you living? I see your profile says japan/Australia so you should get some when your in Australia next (assuming your not here right now).

Oooops. I need to update that! I'm in Japan.
I haven't been in Australia for many years.

 

[58RW]

The soaps of APR I have had to try were for sure Ozymandias & Fenchurch and I'm sure one other I have to concur with points made by steffenapelz on the points it takes some work, can easily be thin, short on cushion. On many other soaps over a number of years it does not suit the extra effort and then only to be for me weak.

 

[Southsider]

So far I have used Ozymandias and Florian, both of which are in the new formula as I understand it. I have had no problem whatsoever in lathering these soaps. I used Florian yesterday so it is fresh in my mind. The lather I was able to achieve with normal effort was thick, creamy, very slick and, IMHO, top tier. Definitely not short on cushion. I have used both boar and badger and have achieved excellent results with both--yesterday I did it with my SOC boar brush which I am now in the process of breaking in.

The soaps of APR I have had to try were for sure Ozymandias & Fenchurch and I'm sure one other I have to concur with points made by @steffenapelz on the points it takes some work, can easily be thin, short on cushion.

Both Ozymandias and Fenchurch are in the new base while the comments made by @steffenapelz relate to Alfredus Choice which is the old base not the new one--my experience with the new base is exactly the opposite of what you describe. I have no idea why you are getting the subpar results.

BTW, the individual who requested the Alfredus scent, @alfredus, participates on this board and you can ask him directly about the soap.