Gentlemen, your opinions?

[Felix.]

The last time I posted on here I was wet behind the ears and having trouble with my switch to wet shaving. But that was a long time ago.

Since then I've come to enjoy wetshaving with my Merkur DE, Edwin BBB and Truefitt & Hill 1805. I received 1805 as a Christmas gift last year and I've just now run out of it!

Back when I was new to the B&B world I purchased a shaving cream/soap sampler pack. Since I ran out of my daily cream, 1805, I've returned to some creams that found their way to the back of my shelf after sampling. To my surprise, I am impressed with some finer details of the creams, such as "latherability" and "cushioning"—even if I am still disappointed by their scents.

Castle Forbes Lavender is one that comes to mind as a very cushioning cream. It is a bit more difficult to lather than 1805 and I absolute loathe the scent (no offence to lavender lovers), but actually gives me a superior shave.

Taylor Rose is another cream that offers some more cushioning when compared to 1805 (although not as much as the Castle Forbes), but one that smells like, in the words of a friend, "an old lady."

So I turn to you, my confrères, to help with my next purchase.

Are there any creams that perform like Castle Forbes Lavender but have a similar scent to 1805? I'd be especially interested in other creams by the Three Ts, or other big names like Castle Forbes; I don't mind spending $30 on a tub if it will last as long as 1805.

I've tried Avocado, St. James, Mr. Taylor by Taylor and I was not especially impressed by the scents. I haven't tried anything outside of 1805 by Truefitt and Hill, so if you have experience with the other commonly used creams, Trafalgar and Grafton, please share. I enjoyed GFT from Trumper, although I have not sampled widely from their catalogue.

Any help would be much appreciated, as I am quickly running out of samples, and may soon have to turn to Colonel Conk's Bay Rum.

 

[BroJohn]

Felix --

If you like the 1805, why not just buy the 1805? Or you could try soome of the other Castle Forbes offerings.

Every brand and offering is unique, so it's hard to say that a non-1805 is like the 1805, if that makes any sense. You'll find that there are a lot of fine shave creams.

-- John Gehman

 

[Boba Fett]

Felix --

If you like the 1805, why not just buy the 1805? Or you could try soome of the other Castle Forbes offerings.

Every brand and offering is unique, so it's hard to say that a non-1805 is like the 1805, if that makes any sense. You'll find that there are a lot of fine shave creams.

-- John Gehman

Agreed. Every product is unique in its own way, and in most cases, don't deserve to be compared. I would suggest try other creams or soaps from the T&H line, then go ahead and try the other T's, too.

My experience with the TOBS Eton College is minimal, but I really like the scent (though the aftershave, which I also use, seems to be a little different.can't put my finger on it) and the latherability of the cream is pretty good for only having used it for the first time a few days ago. I also recently started using Trumpers rose and Musgo Real, both of which lather well, and smell great. Two superb creams for a cheap price.

I wish you luck in your search for great creams--I am sure you have already learned you don't have to look too hard!

 

[40boy]

I've enjoyed the Trafalgar and Grafton scents from T&H, but they perform similarly to the 1805. Good but not great. T&H offers cream samplers on their website for a very reasonable price.

There are so many creams to try, it's difficult to recommend one to suit your description.

I'd add that you owe it to yourself to try the DR Harris Arlington and Marlborough offerings. They are very nice in both scent and performance.

Others I've tried and liked in non-floral, more "masculine" scents are Speick, Musgo Real, and LaToja.
Another one that performs great, but the scent is not for everyone is Trumpers Coconut.

Good luck in your search!

 

[Felix.]

Felix --

If you like the 1805, why not just buy the 1805? Or you could try soome of the other Castle Forbes offerings.

Every brand and offering is unique, so it's hard to say that a non-1805 is like the 1805, if that makes any sense. You'll find that there are a lot of fine shave creams.

-- John Gehman

John,

Thanks for the reply. I do like 1805—but I am finding its weaknesses more apparent now and I'm ready to try something new. The reason of my post is that I'm looking for something with more cushioning without the bad scent that sometimes accompanies that. I certainly know every brand is unique and there are many that are unknown to me. I've enjoyed some of the properties of 1805 and I'm using it as a reference for those who might have suggestions, have tried 1805, understand its strengths and its weaknesses, and might make a suggestion based on that experience.

Thanks again

 

[kingfisher]

This is your answer: Penhaligon's Endymion.


It's a little more compex scent than 1805, but it is sort of in the same family. I think most people who like 1805 would like Endymion. The quality of the cream is probably better than T&H, and on par with Castle Forbes.

Another idea would be to go with Mama Bear's Acqua di Gio shaving soap; the Acqua di Gio is in a similar vein to 1805 (albeit not as nice) and Mama Bear's soaps lather up really well and provide a good shave.

 

[Crazy Dave]

I have not tried a lot of the products you have, but I have been very impressed with AOS soaps. If you like sandalwood, AOS is a very good one. If you want to go one step further, make a super lather with KMF and AOS.

Dave

 

[Sueto]

Get a couple of them. I am sure someone on the BST section would buy the one you didn't go with. I havel also seen a few sampler packs from vendors. Might be a good oppurtunity to do some exploring. I am currently enjoying TOBS Almond. I ended up getting a tub of it after getting a sample with an order I got from Bullgoose.

 

[Cookie_Junkie]

So, you seem to be the cologny creams kind of guy...

Two creams come to mind if I were to advise you:

1)TOBS Eton College. If you like fresh and distinguished colognes and will stick to the 3Ts, then it's your thing. And TOBS quality to boot...

2)Godrej Deluxe Shaving Cream. This suggestion may well surprise you, but I swear I'm serious here. Of course, it is a bargain for such a price, but believe me, quality's here. Godrej has Lanolin and a cologne scent. It is slick with a great cushion and I find the perfume to be "of its own", just like the ones from T&H are... Dare to try?

C_J

 

[Felix.]

Thanks for the responses so far. I haven't made a purchase yet so there's still time to chime in if you have been longing to extol your favourite cream .

 

[RoyalKooparillo]

Well, if you enjoy the way CF lathers, but dislike the lavender scent, why not try one of their other scents? Many gentlemen here enjoy the Lime, and that might be closer in some respect to your 1805 than the lavender.

Other than that...you might consider Santa Maria Novella. A truly top-notch cream with a slight hint of menthol. Slightly similar in scent to Proraso, if you've smelled that before. Acqua di Parma is another very good performer, but its scent is love-it or hate-it. Penhaligons creams are also worth a very close look. The scents are extraordinary and they perform beautifully. My favorites are Blenheim Bouquet and Endymion. Best of luck on your search!

 

[Kevan]

2)Godrej Deluxe Shaving Cream. This suggestion may well surprise you, but I swear I'm serious here. Of course, it is a bargain for such a price, but believe me, quality's here. Godrej has Lanolin and a cologne scent. It is slick with a great cushion and I find the perfume to be "of its own", just like the ones from T&H are... Dare to try?

C_J

Godrej rocks. And its cologne-like scent is really nice.

 

[Hughies_online]

godrej rocks. And its cologne-like scent is really nice.

+1

 

[Felix.]

Does anyone know of a Penhaligon's reseller? I'd prefer to get something from a domestic (Canada) seller.

If I can't get a Pens, I might just opt for Trumper's GFT or another tub of 1805, since I'm getting desperate.

 

[superpacker]

T&H Grafton all the way! I decided to take the wetshave plunge when at the trufitt and Hill store in Chicago (talk about a proper place for a first go). I had my wife pick my first cream and after going over all the tubs carefully, she picked Grafton. I love the smell more than 1805, although that was her/my second favorite, Its a deeper fragrance, IMO. Now no matter what soap or cream I select, to this day my wife says, "That smells nice, but not as good as the one you bought in Chicago."

 

[Felix.]

Thanks Superpacker. There's a T & H store nearby, so I might check out that scent. I wonder if the moisturizing properties are the same throughout the T & H line, though.

Anyone else have thoughts on Penhaligon's and know of any resellers?

 

[Sterling Cooper]

Thanks Superpacker. There's a T & H store nearby, so I might check out that scent. I wonder if the moisturizing properties are the same throughout the T & H line, though.

Anyone else have thoughts on Penhaligon's and know of any resellers?

If by "T & H store" you mean the actual Truefitt store in Chicago, they'll have all of the Penhaligon's line (creams, balms and colognes) available. I got into wetshaving due to a visit there three months ago. I wanted to stick with one of their products to start off and went with the Grafton which I love and just added the rose.

 

[valmara1971]

I picked up my T&H limes creme in the shop in London, I like it but it's not as good as my DR Harris almond which I bought from just the street. I adore it and find it much more rich than my T&H. Sorry my experiance is not wider.

 

[Felix.]

I didn't know Truefitt sold Penhaligons as well. Is this true for all Truefitt stores?

 

[Sterling Cooper]

I can only speak for the Chicago location where they had the full range of Penhaligons, Castle Forbes and Floris among others.