EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
De Vergulde Hand, is it a shave soap or is it a tub of margarine? It is very inexpensive in Europe and performs very well for the price. 
Question: What is the oldest shaving soap still in production?
- Thread starter Rusty Blade
- Start date
Well, first I have to say Cella is a wonderful performing soft soap, in the Italian tradition, with a very short list of simple ingredients.
It reminds me of an Italian almond cookie -- a sweet, buttery almond. Some people smell cherry, but I think they associate almond with maraschino cherries.
When you first open a new container the scent is a bit too strong. Once you lather Cella up the scent tones down, then fades away when you rinse it off. If you can air the soap out for a few days and the scent becomes less strong.
Cella pairs up well with barbershop type scents.
Oldest existing soap is De Vergulde Hand.
Oldest shaving soap is Williams.
Oldest shaving soap is Williams.
Great points!! There are layers and layers to the question!
Not only layers and layers, but lathers as well.
Caswell-Massey produced a scented soap in 1752 that was used by many to shave (including one Geo. Washington), so could be defined as "shaving soap." Still in production today, at least the same fragrance, but perhaps not the same formulation.
It used to be detailed on the product page of that soap in the Caswell-Massey catalog. I believe the product is called #6. Very powdery scent. In fact, I just checked, and the info is available on their website.
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Their catalog, reference their fragrance....
Number Six | 88ml EDP
Shop Caswell-Massey's Supernatural Number Six Eau de Parfum from the original handwritten recipe, introduced as America's First Fragrance in 1772. It's exceptional & long-lasting, with notes of Citrus, Neroli, Bergamot, Rosemary, a strong Amber influence & a complex dry-down to Rose, Musk...
And their current soap, no doubt considerably different....
Number Six Bar Soap
Number Six Bar Soap is a plant-based, triple-milled luxury soap infused with the iconic Number Six fragrance, the very first scent made in America, worn by President George Washington. A sophisticated blend of Neroli, Rosemary, Bergamot, Musk, Amber and Dry Rose make each use special. Made in...
Interesting. Caswell-Massey has enlisted The Holy Black to make their artisan shave soaps, including VI.
Williams Was a good soap when I first started shaving in '61.
Cella has a nice Almond Cherry scent. Used my Star DE this morning, works well with Cella
Cella has a nice Almond Cherry scent. Used my Star DE this morning, works well with Cella
Williams was probably the first real shaving soap but its formula has changed a few times and I haven't seen it on shelves for a couple of years. I'm not sure the oldest current formula but some of the older ones are likely Klar, Cella, Valobra, MWF, MdC, Col Conk, and Tabac. I think I read that Haslinger was the oldest but that was the tallow version.
I wonder if there are any soap historians.
I wonder if there are any soap historians.
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Let me help. MWF uses chelating agents, tetrasodium EDTA tetrasodium etidronate, which were invented decades after 1893. Maybe they had a time traveling De Lorean ;-)
I don’t shave with soy sauce often but it sure does tenderize my face, uh Steak. I couldn’t help but notice how long they’ve been making this stuff... hard to beat 1645!
I don’t shave with soy sauce often but it sure does tenderize my face, uh Steak. I couldn’t help but notice how long they’ve been making this stuff... hard to beat 1645!
Do you use the soy sauce as a pre-shave or after-shave splash?
Probably are stretching the definition of "original" since the main ingredients are the same. Do we have any judges to make a ruling on that?
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