I'm interested in finding old soap. I know, it is kind of odd. Who keeps soap for 50 years or longer? Where is that stockpile of old shave soap? And what would you be using if you could live in 1920 or earlier? I understand the Arko and Williams discussion. Anyone still use Colgate? Yardley? What are some of the old brands worth seeking out? And would you dare use the stuff your great great great grandparents used? Where to source this kind of thing?
OLD OLD OLD soaps
- Thread starter nickm
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EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
I use exclusively vintage soaps including Yardley Lavender, Yardley Black Label, Yardley English Blazer, Goya Cedarwood, Goya Corvette, Shulton Old Spice, Cussons Imperial Leather, Fabergé Brut, and others. I own several pucks/sticks of each, use matching aftershaves and colognes, and in some cases have them in sets. I also own and use Shulton Old Spice and Yardley shave creams.
Here are some of my Corvette sets:
And a few of my others:
Here are some of my Corvette sets:
And a few of my others:
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Here is my vintage soap collection. Some really excellent old soaps can be found either at local antique stores or online.
I've found a few old 40's, 50's Palmolive shave sticks intact in old shaving travel kits. They work really well.
You guys are grossing me out.
A fresh puck of Tabac or MWF is about as close as I would like to get to the vintage shaving soap experience.
A fresh puck of Tabac or MWF is about as close as I would like to get to the vintage shaving soap experience.
I've used vintage Erasmic sticks as found in old grooming kits. Both from the 80's 70's and 60's. They've all produced great lather but with very little in the way of scent. No ill effects though.
Got a nice collection of Yardley soaps, all were never used; some are from the late 50's early 60's. Now I also count stuff like Pen's EF Tallow and Trumper's Rose tallow as old soaps. Also got few Old Spice. All great stuff and not gross at all.
EclipseRedRing .... What a site to behold , I'm in awe of this bevy of beauties ... you are one lucky shaver !!!
I do miss Colgate and went looking for some old pucks. Found a bunch on Ebay but was a little leery of how they would perform. How well DO they perform?
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
A few more from my collection:
Goya Cedarwood:
Cussons Imperial Leather:
Yardley Cream/Soaps:
Old Spice Cream/Soap/Mug:
If I find any more I will post a picture
Goya Cedarwood:
Cussons Imperial Leather:
Yardley Cream/Soaps:
Old Spice Cream/Soap/Mug:
If I find any more I will post a picture
That is a beautiful Old Spice mug you have @EclipseRedRing. You don't see those anymore, even when you try, let alone with the lid. Mighty fine collection, this guy is a lil envious. Lol Thank you for taking the time to share.
I received that Royal London shave soap for Christmas about 35 years ago.
great memory!
great memory!
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
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- #16
Colgate used to have a plant near New York in the early 1900's. Still old barns with the COLGATE word and had to ask my parents what it was from. There was an old trading post in 2015 where people could go in and buy old stuff, and I think there were a few hundred Colgate soaps from 7 years ago. Sadly, I think the trading post has closed down for a bit. It was once a few pennies for a cup of soap.
@EclipseRedRing thank you for posting about shaving mug!
Here is what I could find from eBay today. I was too young to shave though there were many of these wood bowls as a child I remember. Wood barrels and wood bowls.
Hershey's Cocoa Butter
Wrisley's Lavender
Tally Ho
Royale
Wrisley
@EclipseRedRing thank you for posting about shaving mug!
Here is what I could find from eBay today. I was too young to shave though there were many of these wood bowls as a child I remember. Wood barrels and wood bowls.
Hershey's Cocoa Butter
Wrisley's Lavender
Tally Ho
Royale
Wrisley
Attachments
How about this? Shave stick from a hundred years ago?
If I were to guess, I’d say the decades old soaps had no scent left and might be difficult to lather because the moisture would be (mostly) gone.
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
You are correct, in my experience if the soaps are sealed/unopened then some scent remains but it is slight. If opened then there is often no scent at all or simply a generic neutral soap scent. I find vintage soaps of any age to be very easy to lather with no blooming, and certainly no soaking, but I do have very soft water which I suspect helps a very great deal. As the soaps were triple milled to begin with then I am not sure how much moisture would have evaporated over the years and the difference that would make. The performance is excellent but tallow Tabac is every bit as good as any of my vintage soaps in my opinion.
