I am hoping to learn from someone who uses their vintage Yardley soap daily or at least regularly --- what are your consistent results? Some people say better soaps are available, and others say the old stuff is better than anything else. How does it compare to Penhaligons (tallow of course!), Martin de Condre, Fitjar, Harris, Trumpers, C&S, Floris, etc? (Fragrance and performance-wise.) I am hoping to get as many responses as possible. Thanks guys.
Question for regular users of vintage Yardley soap
- Thread starter brothers
- Start date
I have several pucks of vintage Yardley. It's a soap I use on a fairly regular basis.
The short story? IMHO, this soap -- along with some other, also vintage (read: extinct) soaps -- is the best. Hands down. And yes, sadly that means better than (tallow) Pen's, Harris, Trumper, C&S ... and certainly better than a non-tallow soap like Martin de Candre. And when I say "better" I mean distinctly, noticeably better. Better lather, better protection, better moisturizing, all of which lead to an easier, better shave.
None of this means the above-mentioned soaps are bad. Hardly. They're just different, is all. I use those soaps on a semi-regular basis as well, along with non-tallow soaps. For me, it's all about mixing things up.
Re scent: while the quality of a Yardley shave is supreme, sometimes the scent is non-existent. This often happens with vintage tallow soaps. The scent is gone with the passage of time, which means the lather just smells lightly soapy (or faintly reminiscent of a box of crayons). However, if you're lucky enough to cop a vintage puck that still retains its scent, the lavender aroma is quiet but most definitely present, and beautiful.
My 2¢. Take it as such.
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks a million Evbo. I get your message loud and clear. I'm inclined to hold onto it and use it with enthusiasm. I appreciate the benefit of your experience, that's what I was looking for! Best regards,
I agree with Evan on this - entirely.
I'm moving toward using vintage soaps almost exclusively - Yardley has become the baseline. It is creamy, rich, slippery... just lacking in the scent (except for the rare Yardley English Lavender shave sticks - which are redolent and beautiful) in most of the examples I have.
Pen's English Fern and BB (tallow versions - and I've only used the BB, tallow fifth) are wonderful - great soaps - but I think the scents really distinguish these.
I have used a few extinct soaps that are quite better than Yardley in my opinion - even creamier and provide better cushion (and have retained a little scent as well) - and these really really blow away contemporary soaps.
It's weird, incidentally, to remember that Pen's tallow soaps are now among the extinct! That really sucks... I like Pen's better than AOS, Harris, C&S.
I'm moving toward using vintage soaps almost exclusively - Yardley has become the baseline. It is creamy, rich, slippery... just lacking in the scent (except for the rare Yardley English Lavender shave sticks - which are redolent and beautiful) in most of the examples I have.
Pen's English Fern and BB (tallow versions - and I've only used the BB, tallow fifth) are wonderful - great soaps - but I think the scents really distinguish these.
I have used a few extinct soaps that are quite better than Yardley in my opinion - even creamier and provide better cushion (and have retained a little scent as well) - and these really really blow away contemporary soaps.
It's weird, incidentally, to remember that Pen's tallow soaps are now among the extinct! That really sucks... I like Pen's better than AOS, Harris, C&S.
Considering I only have one Yardley shave stick, I'm not in the same club as Evan and Jon. However, I'd add that I've used several (unknown brand) shave sticks that I pried out of Gillette combination set canisters and they perform just as these gentleman have described. Wonderful stuff.
I'd also say that some of my modern soaps - AOS, Speick, Valobra to name a few - perform just as well as the vintage stuff (again, my vintage soap collection is very small). And although I love English Fern (tallow), the ones I named give me more consistent lather and moisturizing properties.
I'd also say that some of my modern soaps - AOS, Speick, Valobra to name a few - perform just as well as the vintage stuff (again, my vintage soap collection is very small). And although I love English Fern (tallow), the ones I named give me more consistent lather and moisturizing properties.
I've scraped the bottom of a Yardley bowl for a shave. Gotten a half puck of Yardley I use a bit, and gotten a nearly full Wrisleys I used a few times and put aside.
I'm thoroughly in the unimpressed camp. I have a half dozen varieties of Vintage Williams, two different Vintage Avons, and another three or four vintage soaps, as well as Tabac and Moo's that I find better than it. It's a good soap. It's not the best there is for me. There are others who swear by it. There are people that like tequila shots.
I'm thoroughly in the unimpressed camp. I have a half dozen varieties of Vintage Williams, two different Vintage Avons, and another three or four vintage soaps, as well as Tabac and Moo's that I find better than it. It's a good soap. It's not the best there is for me. There are others who swear by it. There are people that like tequila shots.
Trying to compare taste in soap to taste in beverages. I'm not a big fan of tequila shots, but a lot of people love them.
thats what I figured...but you gotta finish the sentence...."some people like tequila shots...some dont" Otherwise its just hanging out there like. "I like Basset Hounds"
Basset hounds are cute.
Until they drool on your feet...I have a 9 year old Basset whose drool and jowls only a papa can love!
I have one NOS sealed bowl of Yardley Lavender. From all the praise I imagine it will shave fine when I get around to trying it but I gotta say. The sent-and mine has plenty-comes off as synthetic to me. It's not like the pure Lavender EO products that we can buy today. Scent is a big part of the shaving soap experience and in my opinion vintage Yardley is lacking in that department.
Wow, evidently the price of Wrisleys has fallen. I just picked up a half full bowl for $17 on the Bay. Wasn't hidden either. Listed as Wrisleys wood container shave soap in the shaving section. Hell, at $17 a bowl, I'll take it.
