After a full year of DE shaving I can confidently say Saponificio Varesino 70th Anniversary is the absolute BEST soap / aftershave combo I've tried. It might possibly be the best in existence, but I haven't tried every other product yet to confirm. I also like other SV scents, but there's just something special about 70th. It loads in about 15-20 seconds with a sopping wet Semogue boar and it produces mounds of pillowy wet lather (not sudsy). It stays wet throughout each pass, is super slick, and the aftershave leaves my face feeling baby-butt smooth all day.
For reference, I've tried the following brands (often multiple scents of each) over the past year: Proraso, Arko, Pre de Provence, Stirling, Wholly Kaw, Barrister & Mann, Noble Otter, Tabac, Palmolive, Haslinger, Taylor of Old Bond Street, The Art of Shaving, and about a half dozen other things I can't remember now.
I'd love to hear how others rank SV soaps, and if there's any consensus about which other soaps might be better. I'm always open to trying new things.
For reference, I've tried the following brands (often multiple scents of each) over the past year: Proraso, Arko, Pre de Provence, Stirling, Wholly Kaw, Barrister & Mann, Noble Otter, Tabac, Palmolive, Haslinger, Taylor of Old Bond Street, The Art of Shaving, and about a half dozen other things I can't remember now.
I'd love to hear how others rank SV soaps, and if there's any consensus about which other soaps might be better. I'm always open to trying new things.