Good evening gents. This thread will cover my recent purchase and use of two brands of shave soaps which had been on my short list of products I needed to try. Namely I Coloniali and Tcheon Fung Sing hard shave soaps. My initial posts about these soaps can be found HERE. This thread will be a bit different than typical review threads. What I normally do is post up a proper review and then start a discussion thread of the products. This time round I will be going the other way around. This will be a semi-long term thread I update from time to time. I had promised lather photos of the TFS hard soaps in the other thread but have not gotten round to it yet. When I start lathering up in the mornings I cannot be bothered with it. I need to make a few test lathers for the camera and done with it. So I will add those shortly. On to the discussion.
First of all these soaps may both be Italian but could not be further apart in scent, appearance, lathering technique, and shave qualities. Well the latter mot nearly as much but you get the point. Two very different experiences. They are both very good quality and speak of a different era. Classy packaging in both instances but for me the nod goes to Tcheon Fung Sing. The wax coated, pleated paper with affixed labels speaks of yesteryear and I noted that all three cakes were different in size and colouation. Can we say this is due to hand made variances? I think so for the most part. Very old world look. I really like it. Now mind, Atkinson's are no dunces when it comes to packaging. The I Coloniali line whilst being very new to the market in terms of age looks like it has been around for ages. Very distinctive packaging and while not as old world looking at TFS it captures an art look without being pretentious like so many 'spa' type products. It carries a hefty price tag for that packaging and the name upon it. Still, I like it quite well and feel that many of the other top shelf products with higher end pricing fall short of a class look. It reminds me of Penhaligon's. Despite their bumbling with the shave soap formula their packaging and aura bespeak class, class, and more class. I Coloniali captures a similar notion if in a completely different vein. Well done Atkinson's.
Lets start with I Coloniali. As mentioned in the other thread this is a typically soft Italian style croap. I mashed it into an aluminium tin which has proven to be a wise decision. Plenty of room to lather and it looks like it came from a factory this way. The soap smells of damp earth but mildly so. I do not get any fruit smell despite the mango in the name. If you look at the ingredients is mango seed oil. The scent is very masculine, inoffensive, and as others have noted slightly smoky. It is not overly smoky though. Do not think drift wood smoke like Latakia pipe tobacco. Think more of a remnant of smoke scent you cannot quite place your finger on. The scent itself is not weak but I find it hard to pin down to "smoke" as others have. Suffice it to say musky, mild earth, and mild smoke. How is that for a cop out on scent description? Lathering was accomplished using the same method I employ for Mystic Water Soap. Build a paste, add warm water a bit at a time, and work thoroughly over the beard. Adding water as needed. It has made a very good lather each time I have used it. Shave quality so far is very good as should be typical of an Italian soft soap. It has not quite matched my favourite Mystic Waters in that regard but is very good. I have left one aspect of the soap out of the discussion so far and to me a VERY important one. In fact it almost made me put it away after a couple of uses. That aspect is menthol. I have come to the conclusion I am the most finicky person alive when it comes to menthol. I normally do not care for any but the smallest does of it. Aqua Velva? It numbs me and makes me gag. Alt Innsbruck? One of my most favourites. And it is nothing but tobacco flower and menthol! Still, it does not overwhelm me like AV does. This soap has a noticeable amount but not in the scent. At least not till it is lathered and even then I do not really smell it. However, I feel it in the lathering. It is not a face freezer but I feel a substantial cooling effect while applying it and shaving with it. As I said, nearly enough to quit using it. I do not like 'cold' shaving lathers. We will see how this plays out as spring approaches but keep in mind it will negatively effect my ultimate review of the soap but may be a bonus for you.
Tcheon Fung SIng. These are the hard soaps. I really see very little of them on the forums but do catch discussions of the soft versions. The three I purchased were all labeled "aroma intenso". Really? I am unsure of what the milder versions were like but these are mildly scented indeed. They are not bad at all but I was expecting more a head kick than I got. Tobacco Verde was first and used on alternating days with I Coloniali. Initial lathering to me seemed very similar to Mithcel's Woolfat with much better density and stability. I thought it lathered faster as well. This may be worth exploring for you Woolies. The scent did not bloom in the lather but rather it retreated. A minus for me but maybe not to you. Shave quality was good if nothing else. It was not borderline spectacular but neither was it borderline bad. Blade glide was no where near the I Colonial or Mystic Water. Not by a long shot. Yet its skin feel was good. The lather was soft on the skin if that makes sense. Aftershave feel was better than decent and more than I expected from the shave quality. I did notice though that a/s splash application produced some burning which is not normal with my other soaps. Even though it is always good form to slow down razor speed for more comfortable results this is what I would call a 'slow lather'. Take your time with the blade and your shave comfort will go up noticeably.
The third week of testing saw the Bergamotto and Neroli cake put to use daily. Now we are getting somewhere. The scent was much more pronounced and as you'd expect was a bright orange affair. I caught more of the sweetness I think is associated with Nerolli rather than the more bitter Bergamot. I like it a lot. Again, more scent would be a plus for me but some like them milder. This one bloomed more than the TV during the lather. This cake was nearly pure white whilst the TV was more of a mottled white and yellow. I chalk this up to the variances in artisan products. It lathered slightly different to the TV as well. The former pasted up nice and thick straight away but I thought faded as water was added. It showed in the shave as noted in my comments about glide. B&N loaded slower but seems to hydrate better with little to no hint of breakage. Face feel was slightly different as well but not much. The shaves have been noticeably better as well. I think the differences may be more due to cake variations rather than scent components but I know the latter can cause discrepancies as I have experienced it. Aftershave feel was superior to TV but not in the class of the I Coloniali. In fact not close. I Coloniali is superb in that category. TFS could be a huge step up for those with softened water. I always feel like it is just on the cusp of being excellent...or not. We will see. Price is good though so you Woolies take heed of my water comments. It may be a nice alternative for your rotation.
Okay, this has gone on long enough for now. I will post back with some lather photos and other impressions later in the week. I hope this is some help for those considering purchasing these soaps.
Cheers, Todd
First of all these soaps may both be Italian but could not be further apart in scent, appearance, lathering technique, and shave qualities. Well the latter mot nearly as much but you get the point. Two very different experiences. They are both very good quality and speak of a different era. Classy packaging in both instances but for me the nod goes to Tcheon Fung Sing. The wax coated, pleated paper with affixed labels speaks of yesteryear and I noted that all three cakes were different in size and colouation. Can we say this is due to hand made variances? I think so for the most part. Very old world look. I really like it. Now mind, Atkinson's are no dunces when it comes to packaging. The I Coloniali line whilst being very new to the market in terms of age looks like it has been around for ages. Very distinctive packaging and while not as old world looking at TFS it captures an art look without being pretentious like so many 'spa' type products. It carries a hefty price tag for that packaging and the name upon it. Still, I like it quite well and feel that many of the other top shelf products with higher end pricing fall short of a class look. It reminds me of Penhaligon's. Despite their bumbling with the shave soap formula their packaging and aura bespeak class, class, and more class. I Coloniali captures a similar notion if in a completely different vein. Well done Atkinson's.
Lets start with I Coloniali. As mentioned in the other thread this is a typically soft Italian style croap. I mashed it into an aluminium tin which has proven to be a wise decision. Plenty of room to lather and it looks like it came from a factory this way. The soap smells of damp earth but mildly so. I do not get any fruit smell despite the mango in the name. If you look at the ingredients is mango seed oil. The scent is very masculine, inoffensive, and as others have noted slightly smoky. It is not overly smoky though. Do not think drift wood smoke like Latakia pipe tobacco. Think more of a remnant of smoke scent you cannot quite place your finger on. The scent itself is not weak but I find it hard to pin down to "smoke" as others have. Suffice it to say musky, mild earth, and mild smoke. How is that for a cop out on scent description? Lathering was accomplished using the same method I employ for Mystic Water Soap. Build a paste, add warm water a bit at a time, and work thoroughly over the beard. Adding water as needed. It has made a very good lather each time I have used it. Shave quality so far is very good as should be typical of an Italian soft soap. It has not quite matched my favourite Mystic Waters in that regard but is very good. I have left one aspect of the soap out of the discussion so far and to me a VERY important one. In fact it almost made me put it away after a couple of uses. That aspect is menthol. I have come to the conclusion I am the most finicky person alive when it comes to menthol. I normally do not care for any but the smallest does of it. Aqua Velva? It numbs me and makes me gag. Alt Innsbruck? One of my most favourites. And it is nothing but tobacco flower and menthol! Still, it does not overwhelm me like AV does. This soap has a noticeable amount but not in the scent. At least not till it is lathered and even then I do not really smell it. However, I feel it in the lathering. It is not a face freezer but I feel a substantial cooling effect while applying it and shaving with it. As I said, nearly enough to quit using it. I do not like 'cold' shaving lathers. We will see how this plays out as spring approaches but keep in mind it will negatively effect my ultimate review of the soap but may be a bonus for you.
Tcheon Fung SIng. These are the hard soaps. I really see very little of them on the forums but do catch discussions of the soft versions. The three I purchased were all labeled "aroma intenso". Really? I am unsure of what the milder versions were like but these are mildly scented indeed. They are not bad at all but I was expecting more a head kick than I got. Tobacco Verde was first and used on alternating days with I Coloniali. Initial lathering to me seemed very similar to Mithcel's Woolfat with much better density and stability. I thought it lathered faster as well. This may be worth exploring for you Woolies. The scent did not bloom in the lather but rather it retreated. A minus for me but maybe not to you. Shave quality was good if nothing else. It was not borderline spectacular but neither was it borderline bad. Blade glide was no where near the I Colonial or Mystic Water. Not by a long shot. Yet its skin feel was good. The lather was soft on the skin if that makes sense. Aftershave feel was better than decent and more than I expected from the shave quality. I did notice though that a/s splash application produced some burning which is not normal with my other soaps. Even though it is always good form to slow down razor speed for more comfortable results this is what I would call a 'slow lather'. Take your time with the blade and your shave comfort will go up noticeably.
The third week of testing saw the Bergamotto and Neroli cake put to use daily. Now we are getting somewhere. The scent was much more pronounced and as you'd expect was a bright orange affair. I caught more of the sweetness I think is associated with Nerolli rather than the more bitter Bergamot. I like it a lot. Again, more scent would be a plus for me but some like them milder. This one bloomed more than the TV during the lather. This cake was nearly pure white whilst the TV was more of a mottled white and yellow. I chalk this up to the variances in artisan products. It lathered slightly different to the TV as well. The former pasted up nice and thick straight away but I thought faded as water was added. It showed in the shave as noted in my comments about glide. B&N loaded slower but seems to hydrate better with little to no hint of breakage. Face feel was slightly different as well but not much. The shaves have been noticeably better as well. I think the differences may be more due to cake variations rather than scent components but I know the latter can cause discrepancies as I have experienced it. Aftershave feel was superior to TV but not in the class of the I Coloniali. In fact not close. I Coloniali is superb in that category. TFS could be a huge step up for those with softened water. I always feel like it is just on the cusp of being excellent...or not. We will see. Price is good though so you Woolies take heed of my water comments. It may be a nice alternative for your rotation.
Okay, this has gone on long enough for now. I will post back with some lather photos and other impressions later in the week. I hope this is some help for those considering purchasing these soaps.
Cheers, Todd
Last edited:
Chris
