Next soap?

[Cheech]

I'm finishing my puck of MWF, and am trying to decide whether to get another puck of MWF or try something else.

I love the MWF; the light scent, the easy lathering, the great performance.

But, I am thinking about trying DR Harris Arlington. I'm undecided about the citrus, although I like citrus generally speaking. The reviews said that, although it is glycerin, it lathers like tallow.

Sadly, they're both priced about the same. Anyone used both? Any thoughts or opinions?

 

[DSB]

I really enjoy my D.R. Harris Arlington. I would also highly recommend Tabac!

 

[Leche]

Tabac if you haven't tried it. I'm eyeing those soaps by Krissy also.

 

[deshaveman]

I hardly think you will find the citrus note in Arlington overbearing. I was recalling the scent and said to myself, "There was citrus in there?" Seriously, unless you want your soaps to be nearly scentless like MWF you will probably enjoy Arlington.

I heartily third the Tabac recommendation. You can get it just in time for Tabactober Fest next month. However, I will warn you that Tabac's scent is an acquired taste or smell or...

If however you love the soap-that-smells-like-soap scent, you can always try Institute Karite or Provence Sante. Both are French, both lather like the dickens, and both smell like, well, soap. If you have any penchant for dry skin over the winter months, IK has tons of shea butter and is super moisturizing.

Finally, in the soap-scent-that-borders-on-urinal-cake-love-it-or-hate-it category we have ARKO shave stick. Tallowy goodness wrapped in a soapy un-scent that will either bug you or send you to lather heaven. At ~$2 a pop, it's worth it to find out which it is for you.

Don't forget there are also soapy-scented creams like Palmolive Classic (European Edition), ARKO Cool (Irish Spring anyone), and many others.


Good luck on your search...and what is with this whole one puck of soap at a time? Give in to your SAD...fill up that medicine cabinet already!

 

[LayAl]

To me the Arlington scent is very subtle. I like the scent (I also have the AS) and the soap. It is so subtle that it doesn't conflict with my lime cologne.

My next soap will be Tobac

 

[Cheech]

I also have Tabac, and love it as well. I also have a stick of Irisch Moos in my travel kit (and love it!). I agree, Tabac is great!

Right now, I have two addresses: weekend and workweek. I leave a puck of Tabac at the weekend address (hard water) and have the MWF for my workweek address. There's plenty of Tabac left. So, I'm only considering the MWF replacement for now.

Now that I think of it, that's a great questionblush: how does Arlington handle hard water?

 

[beginish]

To me the Arlington scent is very subtle.

+1. It's really nice and lathers up great. You can also pick it up as a stick, so if you're hesitant, you minimize your investment.

 

[joto]

I have MWF and Harris Marlborough, so I can't comment on the scent, but I can comment on my perception of their relative performance. I found the Harris soap to be oceans easier to lather properly compared to MFW. Both give great shaves when you can get the lather right, but I have a lot of trouble hitting MWF's sweet spot with the water, plus it takes longer for me to get the lather where I like it. It is sort of falling out of my rotation because good as it is, it is basically a big pain in the butt to get it working properly. In fact, for me the Harris soap is one of the best two soaps I've ever tried, up there with Tabac and way ahead of the Trumper, T&H, and Taylor offerings I have tried. Arlington is the very next item on my 'get' list, and I have a hard time believing you won't love the performance of the soap, assuming it performs comparably with its differently-scented counterpart.

 

[thunderball]

Just to throw another idea out there: The Provence Sante soap is great.

 

[Mainecanefan]

Light scent, easy lathering, great performance...D.R. Harris soaps are great. Pre de Provence smells nice and soapy and moisturizes well. And then there is my current favorite Cella, full of tallowy goodness that will leave your face feeling amazing.

 

[SilkySmooth]

I'd try Tabac or L'Occitane Cade. They both lather and shave great.

 

[mdunn]

I'd try Tabac or L'Occitane Cade. They both lather and shave great.

my thoughts exactly

 

[SilkySmooth]

Tabac shaves slightly better than Cade, but Cade smells better IMO.

 

[Cheech]

Cella. Looks like the reviews are really good, and it has a lost price. Handmade?! Original formula from 1899?! Tallow?! Hmmm. Okay, MWF, Cella, or Arlington? SWMBO just started vet school, so maybe Cella would be a better choice? But its not that much, really, for MWF or Arlington...

 

[NewYorkBuck]

I'd try Tabac or L'Occitane Cade. They both lather and shave great.

+1. Both perform and smell great.

 

[Raffaele]

The reviews said that, although it is glycerin, it lathers like tallow.

...but it is a tallow soap!! or not??

 

[Cheech]

I think the old formula was tallow, and the new formula is glycerin. Not sure, but I think I read that somewhere.

 

[jakespoppy]

I suggest you try some soaps from the boutique vendors who participate here on B&B. After trying some samples from Sue and Saint Charles Shave (SCS), I'm seriously considering selling the new, unused back-up pucks I've accumulated from various suppliers, and picking up more of these soaps and creams from the artisans like Sue, for two reasons. 1) at any price, these soaps are equal or better than those produced by the big boys, and 2) the prices are great!

 

[The National Razor]

Just to throw another idea out there: The Provence Sante soap is great.

Why is it when you are trying to resist SSAD the thing you covet most keeps coming up in glowing terms?

 

[The National Razor]

...but it is a tallow soap!! or not??

I've never used it, but I recall reading that tallow is the 5th ingredient or something in that zone