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D.R. Harris Windsor, and old favorite, still shines ...

We have all benefitted from the explosion of fine artisan shaving products over the past 10-15 years. So many truly wonderful choices indeed. Getting caught up in that endless pursuit of the Holy Grail of shaving soaps, feeling the need to try a never ending introduction of new products and their improved versions, I tend to forget about some that were once highly regarded and personal favorites. As the weather turned cooler here over the past month, I was digging around in my soap drawer and found a years-old wooden bowl of D.R. Harris Windsor. Took it out, gave it a whiff, and thought "wow, this is really good" as it brought back a flood of memories. I'm sure I haven't used it in at least 5 years, but had to revisit this old cool weather favorite. I ran a little water over it, and sat it aside overnight to rehydrate. The next day, as soon as I started to swirl the brush on the puck, I was hit with that warm, woodsy-orange-pepper scent once again. I had a very rich, thick lather in no time, noticeably thicker and more abundant than most of the soaps I've grown accustomed to using. I did a one-pass shave with my Henson razor/Astra blade, and the result was outstanding. Smooth, slick, easy, and comfortable. I'm telling you, this stodgy old puck was every bit as good as any of the newer artisan soaps I've been using over the past few years. I have been using it regularly over the past month, with no letdown whatsoever. For me. it more than holds it's own, and remains a fine, luxurious soap that desrves to be appreciated amongst all of the wonderful, newer options.
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
I've enjoyed the DR Harris Windsor & Marlborough soaps over the years in soap stick form. The Marlborough is in my travel kit at present. Top quality soaps. I understand people like the artisan products these days, but I'll choose the posh British brands every time. Give me Simpsons, Harris, Trumper, and Truefitt & Hill.
 
Thanks, Sir MrMoJoe, for this post!
Indeed, Windsor also a winter (and all-year) favorite here as well!

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I’ve been on a soap sampling odyssey since starting here some years ago. I’ve now starting to condense my soap collection so that it fits back into the medicine cabinet where it belongs. I’ve been weeding things out and only keeping the best of the best. The DR Harris hard soaps fall into that category. I intend to always have a puck at home and a stick in my travel kit. One of the last, great, old school tallow soaps.

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I've never really cared to try any of the artisanal offerings, I've been using DR Harris, GFT, TOBS, MWF, T&H, Cyril Salter, Castle Forbes MdC, etc for a well over a decade to a decade and a half and I just have no desire to try anything else, as I think these are as good as it gets in the shaving world. Windsor is a classic as well as all the other Dr Harris soaps (which are the best performing of the hard soaps, IMO). They all provide the classic London barbershop experience which is what I'm after in this hobby.
 
I've never really cared to try any of the artisanal offerings, I've been using DR Harris, GFT, TOBS, MWF, T&H, Cyril Salter, Castle Forbes MdC, etc for a well over a decade to a decade and a half and I just have no desire to try anything else, as I think these are as good as it gets in the shaving world. Windsor is a classic as well as all the other Dr Harris soaps (which are the best performing of the hard soaps, IMO). They all provide the classic London barbershop experience which is what I'm after in this hobby.
Totally agree. Those gloopy, “yogurty”, artisan croaps are not for me. Of the 15 soaps that I chose to keep DR Harris, MWF, T&H, Castle Forbes and MdC all made the cut. These classics are as good as it gets.
 
Totally agree. Those gloopy, “yogurty”, artisan croaps are not for me. Of the 15 soaps that I chose to keep DR Harris, MWF, T&H, Castle Forbes and MdC all made the cut. These classics are as good as it gets.
Agreed, the gloop made in someone's garage and kitchen doesn't hold anywhere near the same appeal )if any) as those higher quality products produced by a long established barber "house" that have stood the test of time.
 
Agreed, the gloop made in someone's garage and kitchen doesn't hold anywhere near the same appeal )if any) as those higher quality products produced by a long established barber "house" that have stood the test of time.
Absolutely and you know something isn’t right if a brand has to release 20+ scents in the hope that something will stick. Windsor is an olfactory masterpiece. That kind of genius doesn’t just happen by accident.
 
I've enjoyed the DR Harris Windsor & Marlborough soaps over the years in soap stick form. The Marlborough is in my travel kit at present. Top quality soaps. I understand people like the artisan products these days, but I'll choose the posh British brands every time. Give me Simpsons, Harris, Trumper, and Truefitt & Hill.

Yes, D.R. Harris never seems to disappoint, does it?
I have their (Lavender, Sandalwood, Marlborough, Windsor, Arlinton) shaving soaps in the wooden bowl, since after retirement I don’t travel quite as much as I used to. What little need I still have for shaving sticks is adequately covered by La Toja, Lea and Tabac sticks.

With respect to so called ‘artisan soaps’ I have become a bit of a sceptic, as I found many of those wanting and probably hyped up more than they deserve by people who took pride in their ‘discoveries’.
Then again, after many years of shaving I have settled on soaps and creams that work well for me and it is probably hard to find something that is better than what I already have.


B.
 
It took me some time to fall in love with Windsor, Arlington was my first love. Now I am decidedly polysaponificic, appreciating Windsor equally as much as Arlington. I think that I've finished one Arlington and one Windsor and gave up on a Marlborough puck that seemed to have lost it's scent.

Despite this history with Harris, I have always bought the replacement puck and grated them into another container. This suited my frugal instinct and years of shaving at the local Y before work (insert Arko thread here).

When the artisan movement exploded, i realized that this was too large of a rabbit hole that would lead to a lot of hype and exaggeration, leaving he user to sort through a lot of chaff to find the wheat. I decided to try a few artisans and settle with a few. Some of them were very good, some not.

However the mass produced shave soaps and creams, are of very good quality and hard beat. NOS Art of shaving, D.R. Harris, Cyril R. Salter, Mitchell's Wool Fat, Tabac, various shave sticks are all hard to beat.
 
I have recently come back to DRH soaps. I used it many years ago and finally decided to give it a go after years of artisans. We’ll, I grabbed some Malborough and Lavendar (also found my 6 yr old Arlington that I never finished). I find DRH just as good as the artisans I use, but I bet the pucks last twice as long.

Happy to be back with some old school classics. I also just tried MWF for the first time…..another great performer.
 
I wonder how many people have had this journey as many of you have mentioned and I too have come to the same place: I no longer buy artisan soaps and I stick with the classics. DR Harris is fantastic, I have the Arlington and Windsor soaps. They smell outstanding, perform consistently and beautifully every single time, and I know when I buy refills etc that I’m always going to get the same great product.

I’ve got a long story with artisans and at the end of the day I came back to the classics that I can truly count on. Happy to see so many in this thread have the same take.
 
I wonder how many people have had this journey as many of you have mentioned and I too have come to the same place: I no longer buy artisan soaps and I stick with the classics. DR Harris is fantastic, I have the Arlington and Windsor soaps. They smell outstanding, perform consistently and beautifully every single time, and I know when I buy refills etc that I’m always going to get the same great product.

I’ve got a long story with artisans and at the end of the day I came back to the classics that I can truly count on. Happy to see so many in this thread have the same take.
Sounds similar to my story. I still use and like artisan soaps, but have come back to a real appreciation of the triple milled classics….DRH being my favorite.

I have Marlborough, Arlington, and Lavender….great performers. I also have MWF and TOBS sandalwood hard soap….both fine performers as well. I also like the nice wooden bowls they come with.
 
Windsor is simply fantastic in every regard. I just wish the matching splash wasnt so dang pricey…(doesnt ultimately stop me from buying and enjoying it, though)
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
I've been using soap and a brush for exactly 49 years but never felt the need or desire for artisan products when they exploded some 10 or 12 years ago. All the years I was exclusively using Williams and the Palmolive sticks I was looking forward to the day when I might regularly be able to get the stuff with the royal warrants. B & B introduced me to Italian products (and to Arko), for which I quickly developed an affection. But my dream was always to dress and smell like I was Lord Nectarine of Walham Green, Earl of Eel Brook Commons, and Master of Foxhunts.

I am a poseur.
 
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