D.R. Harris v G.F. Trumper

[mbrossar]

What is your experience with:

1. Difference between a D.R. Harris shave stick and a D.R. Harris Puck with respect to the lather they produce?
2. D.R. Harris Arlington scent. Does it change over time or stay the same?
3. Other soaps with lather characteristics similar to D.R. Harris.

Okay, so I'm a relative noob to this. I started about a month and a half ago with a puck of Trumper Violet based solely on a recommendation from one person. I figure I could do worse as Trumper seems to be on the higher end of the soap scale. After joining B&B and reading several threads, I was intrigued by D.R. Harris Arlington. Putting together my travel kit, I figured a shave stick in Arlington would be a good opportunity to try it out. I find the D.R. Harris lather thicker and slicker than Trumper, but I’m not sure if it’s a simple matter of a shave stick (using this technique) versus a puck (using this technique) or is it more a difference between Harris and Trumper? I see from ingredient lists that Harris is both tallow and palm oil based where Trumper is all veggie. Not sure if that makes a difference or not.

The next thing that struck me about the Arlington was the scent. Was that citrus scent supposed to be like citrus fruit or citrus blossom? I was expecting the former but find it more the latter, kind of like wondering through an orange grove in the spring time. And it's kind of strong. I've heard that dissipates over time and the fern becomes stronger. Anyone agree with that?

Can't say that I'm a fan of Arlington at this stage, unless the scent shifts a bit over time, but I love the lather. Any recommendations on other soaps to try with similar lathering characteristics to D.R. Harris? Or maybe I should just check out Harris’ other scents. I'm a little cautious here because it sounds like Arlington is their #1 scent. If it is indeed the tallow that's agreeing with me, I’m curious about others’ experiences with some of the other major players with tallow soaps such as Penhalingons (which strikes me as pretty expensive), Mitchell's Wool Fat (what's this stuff smell like?) and Tabac (which sounds awfully popular but can anyone describe what it smells like?).

Appreciate your thoughts.

 

[markb]

Not sure what you're asking here.. The title says "D.R. Harris v G.F. Trumper".. I have both but prefer the Trumper's to the Harris.

The Arlington is nice but the scent is very subtle. The Trumper's soaps are very aromatic and I get a nice, thick, slick lather from them.

YMMV

 

[mbrossar]

Thanks Mark. Sounds like our mileage varies. While I get a good lather from my Trumper, I found I got a better lather from my Harris. I also find my Trumper much more subtle than my Harris, but I'm not sure if it's all a matter of shave stick v puck with correspondingly different lathering techniques or something else. My Harris shave stick is also brand new and my Trumper puck is a month and a half old which could explain the difference in the strength of the scent. Just looking for experiences and opinions.

Thanks.

 

[Hoos]

I've been using a puck of Arlington for the past six months. It's in an uncovered Old Spice mug. Its scent has not changed at all, as far as I can tell. But Arlington has never had a citrus scent to my nose. There may be some in there, but it seems to be more of a woodsy scent to me.

I would agree that the Harris soaps lather better than the Trumper's soaps. (Based only on my totally unscientific experience of using both over the past year.)

However, for some reason, I prefer the scents of the Trumper's soaps over the Harris soaps.

I prefer mildly-scented soaps, so avoid using Tabac. Tried it once (shaved fine) and stunk like it all day.

MWF is a nice soap, mildly scented (but longer lasting than many). Not sure how to describe it, but it's not offensive.

 

[markb]

Arlington smells exactly like 4711 to me; kinda ferny, with a wheat / grassy note to it..

 

[Confilo]

I prefer Harris soap to Trumpers MOHO (My Own Humble Opinion)

 

[The National Razor]

MWF is very good, but not sure how to describe its scent. Pleasant, and not too strong, but I wouldn't want to wear it as a cologne.

Tabac--earth-shattering. The scent is very potent, but it gets more subtle after a few uses. Hard to describe it--flowers, spices, earthiness? It's so comforting and hypnotizing. Love it or hate it.