Inspired by the recent discussions on Haslinger shaving soaps and their latest reformulation to a tallow-free formula, I decided to buy a few pucks of the Schafmilch, one of my all-time favourite, and test it myself.
But before going on I want to give some info on this historic brand to the new members or to those new to wet shaving. Haslinger is a very well-recognised and respected Austrian company based in Vienna, manufacturer of top-tier and low priced soaps since 1890. In particular their shaving soaps are famous for their excellent quality, reasonable cost and creamy dense lather. The experienced wet shavers know very well how fantastic these little pucks of soaps are... The reason or the secret? Their powerful formula combined with almost 130 years of wisdom in the soap making process. A unique formula so effective that ensures maximum ease of use, maximum glide to the razor and maximum protection to the skin, thanks to its highly nourishing and moisturizing agents. In other words a winning formula that allows to get a very close, clean, comfortable wet shave.
One of the key ingredients in the old formulation was... tallow. Or not? In all honesty, I have never considered tallow a "magic ingredient" and never thought that a soap was great just because containing tallow (or that a soap was poor just because not containing any).
Therefore, as said above, I pulled the trigger and purchased the new pucks.
From the very first shave it was clear to me that the new soaps were absolutely amazing. To be fully sincere, I was not even able to tell any difference with the old tallow pucks. I repeated the shaves and, again, got only exceptional results.
I also must admit that it was awhile that I hadn't used Haslinger and I just had great memories of the previous tallow soaps.
But why not test the old formula Vs the new one in a direct comparison with a head to head shave? I did, using exactly the same prep, same brushes (almost), same razors, same blades and same post-shave treatment to keep things 100% equal and fair.
Here is how I proceeded: I applied hot water to my beard, massaged a few drops of Floid pre-shave oil for about one minute, lathered the left side of my face with the old tallow Schafmilch and the right side with the new tallow-free one. The brushes I used were respectively a Simpson Duke 2 Best and a Duke 3 Best. The razors were two Merkur 34C HD loaded with a brand new Israeli Red Personna (one razor plus new blade for each side). The aftershave was an Alum Block, followed by a simple cold water rinse.
The shave went on magnificently on both sides. Again, I was not able to tell any important difference in the quality of the wet shave. If I really want to split hairs I can say that the tallow lather felt somehow heavier and "wetter", while the tallow-free lather felt a bit lighter and slicker. Both lathers were thick and provided wonderful cushion and a super moisturizing post-shave feel, even without any balm, milk or skin food!
But the final results were exactly the same.
The new tallow-free Schafmilch is a sure winner in my book and Haslinger simply continues to be a top-tier shaving soap in my arsenal.
But before going on I want to give some info on this historic brand to the new members or to those new to wet shaving. Haslinger is a very well-recognised and respected Austrian company based in Vienna, manufacturer of top-tier and low priced soaps since 1890. In particular their shaving soaps are famous for their excellent quality, reasonable cost and creamy dense lather. The experienced wet shavers know very well how fantastic these little pucks of soaps are... The reason or the secret? Their powerful formula combined with almost 130 years of wisdom in the soap making process. A unique formula so effective that ensures maximum ease of use, maximum glide to the razor and maximum protection to the skin, thanks to its highly nourishing and moisturizing agents. In other words a winning formula that allows to get a very close, clean, comfortable wet shave.
One of the key ingredients in the old formulation was... tallow. Or not? In all honesty, I have never considered tallow a "magic ingredient" and never thought that a soap was great just because containing tallow (or that a soap was poor just because not containing any).
Therefore, as said above, I pulled the trigger and purchased the new pucks.
From the very first shave it was clear to me that the new soaps were absolutely amazing. To be fully sincere, I was not even able to tell any difference with the old tallow pucks. I repeated the shaves and, again, got only exceptional results.
I also must admit that it was awhile that I hadn't used Haslinger and I just had great memories of the previous tallow soaps.
But why not test the old formula Vs the new one in a direct comparison with a head to head shave? I did, using exactly the same prep, same brushes (almost), same razors, same blades and same post-shave treatment to keep things 100% equal and fair.
Here is how I proceeded: I applied hot water to my beard, massaged a few drops of Floid pre-shave oil for about one minute, lathered the left side of my face with the old tallow Schafmilch and the right side with the new tallow-free one. The brushes I used were respectively a Simpson Duke 2 Best and a Duke 3 Best. The razors were two Merkur 34C HD loaded with a brand new Israeli Red Personna (one razor plus new blade for each side). The aftershave was an Alum Block, followed by a simple cold water rinse.
The shave went on magnificently on both sides. Again, I was not able to tell any important difference in the quality of the wet shave. If I really want to split hairs I can say that the tallow lather felt somehow heavier and "wetter", while the tallow-free lather felt a bit lighter and slicker. Both lathers were thick and provided wonderful cushion and a super moisturizing post-shave feel, even without any balm, milk or skin food!
But the final results were exactly the same.
The new tallow-free Schafmilch is a sure winner in my book and Haslinger simply continues to be a top-tier shaving soap in my arsenal.
.
