I agree with you about stirling being too powdery but I love the performance. Took me a while to figure it out. I’ll buy their soap again, in a different scent.
My favorite barbershop scent is Moonsoaps Union but as you say it's what you remember yourself.Thanks. I have Tabac and I like it...but again (for me) that's not what my barbershop smelled like.
+1 on Ghost Town Barber (GTB)! I ordered the Barbershop sampler from West Coast Shaving--I liked the Stirling Barbershop, but agree it is a bit baby powdery but the performance of the Stirling soap base is great, not sure I can handle a tub of it. I picked Barrister and Mann Seville and GTB as the best for last, but never got to the GTB sample. When WCS offered free shipping earlier this month, I bought a GTB tub and the aftershave--non-traditional, but great smelling on use, and paired with the aftershave is even better because it has cooling menthol that settles down and lingers faintly the rest of the day. I think it's the combination of the gunpowder and leather scents that I enjoy, and often open the tub to take a whiff every now and again...Not your traditional barbershop scent but I'm freakishly smitten with GhostTown Barber by Chiseled Face.
I'll have to check the AS out. I bought the GTB soap 'blind' just because it was like $9 on Amazon one day when I was checking out their Santa Paula after using a sample. I got lucky. I still need to grab a jar of Santa Paula.+1 on Ghost Town Barber (GTB)! I ordered the Barbershop sampler from West Coast Shaving--I liked the Stirling Barbershop, but agree it is a bit baby powdery but the performance of the Stirling soap base is great, not sure I can handle a tub of it. I picked Barrister and Mann Seville and GTB as the best for last, but never got to the GTB sample. When WCS offered free shipping earlier this month, I bought a GTB tub and the aftershave--non-traditional, but great smelling on use, and paired with the aftershave is even better because it has cooling menthol that settles down and lingers faintly the rest of the day. I think it's the combination of the gunpowder and leather scents that I enjoy, and often open the tub to take a whiff every now and again...
The Kraken was one of two or three of the barbershop samples I received from WCS--I liked it and then looked into buying some and the place is out of business and left me thinking "WTH, why let me sample something I can no longer purchase, that's a real Taco Bell move IMO; "R.I.P. 7-Layer Burrito, no one holds a candle to you..." (gratuitous methane reference/pun intended)Mickey Lee's "The Kraken" was my favorite barbershop scent until they unfortunately closed up shop. Zingariman's " The Wanderer" is actually pretty close to that same scent that Mickey Lee's achived with the Kraken profile, and Zingariman's soaps are excellent performers also, just a little too soft for me, as far as the soap goes.
If you liked the scent of The Kraken, and have not tried Zingariman's The Wanderer, I would highly recommend it. To my nose, the scents are fairly identical, plus you get the advantages of an awesome performing product.The Kraken was one of two or three of the barbershop samples I received from WCS--I liked it and then looked into buying some and the place is out of business and left me thinking "WTH, why let me sample something I can no longer purchase, that's a real Taco Bell move IMO; "R.I.P. 7-Layer Burrito, no one holds a candle to you..." (gratuitous methane reference/pun intended)
Just tried B&M Seville for the first time, and really enjoy it. I'm finding the range of what is considered "barbershop" is pretty broad. Seville hits my nose with lime scent.
I recall the barbershop I went to as a kid was next to Little Caesar's. So I guess my barbershop scent has strong notes of pepperoniThis is what I remember our barbershop smelling like when I was a kid