I'm not really loving my Arlington soap, I've read Harris soaps are great but I'm not having great luck with the Arlington. Not much cushion or protection, this is the only Harris soap I have tried I'm wondering if its just the Arlington or do I need to work it more. I love many other soaps, mwf mikes, stropshoppe, klar, tabac, and others all perform well for me. Any insight to this soap thanks
DRH Arlington
- Thread starter Charlie NJ
- Start date
How many times have you used it? Sounds like you need to use more product...not all soaps lather the same and each will use a different technique for optimal results.
Put a bit of hot water on top of the puck. Soak brush, then shake out excess water. Load brush for about a minute. Should have a wonderful, cushiony, slick lather when used to face lather (the only way I lather). Do not personally care for the Arlington scent, but D.R. Harris soaps should create a great lather. Lavender is my favorite; looking to get the almond. Oh, I use the same technique on Mike's (except more water) and Klar Kabinett (of those you mentioned).
I had the same problem that you are describing and what i found out when creating lather with a friend was that i wasn't loading the brush for long enough. a lot of people recommend 30 seconds load time which is what i was doing but i went to 60-90 seconds with the help and it made a world of difference, good luck with getting the lather to work.
Harris is one of my best performers along with GFT Rose, Ogallala and Mikes. For me, all Harris soaps perform the same so it shouldn't be an Arlington issue. I cover all my soaps with hot water for a minute or two, then pour off, before loading and I probably load close to a minute (150-200 swirls). I like a drier lather, so how much water I leave in the brush to start depends on the brush (usually the more dense, the more water), and I prefer dribbling water onto the puck occasionally with my fingers, over dipping the brush tips. I used to sell a cream or soap if I didn't like the first two shaves. Now I experiment with them a little more or put them away and come back to them later. I bought a soap last month that I tried then put away. I plan to make it my April soap and figure out if it's me or the soap.
Marlborough is one of my favorites. I just got a puck of Arlington and I am anxious to try it. Hope you figure it out. DR Harris makes great products. IMHO
Ronnie
Ronnie
- Thread starter
- #7
Ok, thanks. I will hit it harder.
Pre-soften it and load it longer.... then load more...... then some more.... and when you think you have enough.... load some more.
I find that I enjoy face lathering with Arlington more than bowl lathering.
I find that I enjoy face lathering with Arlington more than bowl lathering.
Harris = Great stuff.
Load it up and learn to love it!
Load it up and learn to love it!
ive read that DR soaps are triple milled, and as with many triple milled soaps they require a little bit more loading. i have tried a crabtree and MWF and have found that i got poor lather the first time i tried them, simply loading them as i would my tabac or arko. but later i spent a little extra time loading them and found that they yielded great lather with excellent cushion and glide. as everyone else has mentioned, just spend a bit more time loading and try face lathering instead of a bowl or mug and im sure itll work out great. let us know if your experience gets any better!
take care and happy shaving!
take care and happy shaving!
Patience is a virtue when puck-loading your brush and is usually the solution to disappointing lather.
Though I must admit that loading for a minute feels like an eternity when I'm shaking off my sleep or impatient to face-lather a new soap.
Good luck and festina lente!!
Though I must admit that loading for a minute feels like an eternity when I'm shaking off my sleep or impatient to face-lather a new soap.
Good luck and festina lente!!
Thank you for posting this Charlie! I thought I was the only one having these problems. Since everyone speaks so highly of D.R. Harris, I figured I must have been doing something wrong. Thank you to everyone for the helpful suggestions.
I would have trouble with some soaps in the beginning because I was afraid of loading too long.... and DRH soaps were some of them. Now, I just load like crazy and if there's more than I need I just wash my face with the extra lather when I'm done. I love the Arlington scent.
Ben
Ben
I recently added Arlington to my rotation and expect to use it frequently in the Summer months.
When in doubt, try more product.
When in doubt, try more product.
Wow I'm surprised you are having trouble with it . This stuff lathers up like a champ
more product!!!!
D.R. Harris is my in my top 3. always will be.
anybody who hates Harris based on performance needs to do a retake, a round 2.
I'll take it over MWF (dislike lanolin) and the new Geo Trumpers (no more tallow).
and its probably one of the easiest to lather.
D.R. Harris is my in my top 3. always will be.
anybody who hates Harris based on performance needs to do a retake, a round 2.
I'll take it over MWF (dislike lanolin) and the new Geo Trumpers (no more tallow).
and its probably one of the easiest to lather.
- Thread starter
- #17
Its been a while since I had trouble with soap, I will hit it hard tomorrow morning, and let you guys in on my progress. I will just load up twice as much and work on it thanks
I load all my hard soaps for a timed 60 seconds (except MWF which gets 90). As the saying goes - "load it like you hate it".
A puck of Harris will still last 2.5 to 3 months treated this way.
A puck of Harris will still last 2.5 to 3 months treated this way.
+1 it's a very hard soap, it will take a bit more loading.
