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The Sandalwood Shaveoff

I think the results of any review are highly susceptible to YMMV. Everyone has a differing opinion on the various qualities that each Cream has, so I have devised a few questions to take that into account.

Question #1: You're the Minister of Creams, and have the final say for any Cream that is branded in Britain. Which single quality, of each cream, would you change to make the product better? Scent, glide/slickness, cushion, post shave feel, etc. Feel free to comment on each aspect of each Cream, but remember that you can only change one of the aspects.

Question #2: If you haven't, would you buy/try a different scent from either Brand? If you have tried a different scent, which is it and how does it rate to the Sandalwood version?

That's pretty easy for me.

Question 1: For TOBS I would like to see it a bit slicker. I do not find that changing the water amounts one way or the other adds much to the slickness. For T and H I would like to see a bit more pronounced of a scent. I'm not commenting on the scent itself, because that is completely preference, but I would like to see a bit more of it.

Question 2: I would put T and H into my cabinet based off of performance, but would want to sample first. I am not a "cologne-y" scent guy, in general. TOBS has a ton of scents to choose from, and I would definitely look into sampling, and then buying full tubs.

I would really like to thank both of these companies for letting us do this. It was a lot of fun. Just their being willing to participate gives them a big leg up in choosing product going forward.

A special thanks to Dane for putting it all together. It had to have been time consuming, and I appreciate it.
 
I had considered TOBS almond cream my favorite for several months until I stumbled onto a couple of other creams I like better: L'Occitane Cade and Taconic Bay Rum. But I would rate the performance of the TOBS sandalwood better than the TOBS almond, even though I might prefer the almond scent.
 
OK, so here is my comparison of the two creams.

Both are high quality, for sure. Both are easy to lather. Both produce a nice, thick, cushiony lather. But there are also some fine differences between them.

In lathering, I found there was a big difference in performance with regards to water amounts. When adding very little water, TOBS performed better. T&H, on the other hand, is very thirsty and performed better with lots of water. In order to get the optimal shave from T&H, I had to add water to the point that it was on the edge of breaking down and becoming soupy. I kinda give the edge here to TOBS.

Post shave feel. TOBS left me feeling a little dry, and left me with a burning sensation. Not sure if it's from the cream or from the scent. I suspect it has to do with the fragrance. T&H left my face feeling very soft, and nice. Definite edge to T&H here.

Scent. Man this is kind of a sore spot with me. I really didn't like either. Neither was a straight pure sandalwood like I expected. TOBS was the first one I tried, and didn't like it at all. It smelled harsh, and was one dimensional. A supposed fougere, but I couldn't detect that. By the end of the week I could start to distinguish that scent. SO I had high hopes coming from that to T&H, but was again disappointed. The cologney scent was extremely disappointing. I's not that it was bad, It's just not a scent that I like. After a week of T&H, I opened the TOBS again and had a sniff.... and surprisingly, I liked it better than before. So, edge TOBS.

Both had aspects that I did not really like, and found them to be not as good as the soaps that I use on a regular basis. But, barring any scent, I think I would prefer T&H over TOBS.


Question #1: You're the Minister of Creams, and have the final say for any Cream that is branded in Britain. Which single quality, of each cream, would you change to make the product better? Scent, glide/slickness, cushion, post shave feel, etc. Feel free to comment on each aspect of each Cream, but remember that you can only change one of the aspects.
Well, I started drafting my review right before you posted this, so I think I kinds covered it, but here goes. Just one quality to change?

TOBS - Post shave feel. If It didn't leave my face feeling dry and burning, it'd be great.

T&H - Scent. This was about the only thing I could not stand about this cream. What I thought was really crazy, is I loved the scent of the T&H balm. No cologney scent at all, just a nice mild sandalwoody scent. I know many said they detected no scent at all. I t was light, and I'd prefer more scent.

Question #2: If you haven't, would you buy/try a different scent from either Brand? If you have tried a different scent, which is it and how does it rate to the Sandalwood version?
I might possibly try a different scent from each. If the dryness/burning in TOBS is coming from the Sandalwood, then another scent might be good. And I liked T&H aside from the scent, but if all of their scents have that cologney vibe, then I'd need to pass.

I guess what I'd really like it to try a sample of each scent from each maker. Just enough for one shave would do it. That would be enough to tell me if it'd be worth getting a full tub of in the future.



This trial has made me want to go through my stock of creams and try them all again. And see if there is anything that warrants regular use in my rotation. (I seldom used them before) It'll be tough for them to beat out my top soaps, But I'm hoping I can find a couple top performers and get rid of the rest. Here is what I have up ahead of me:
$ImageUploadedByTapatalk1447610207.936805.jpg
 
OK, so here is my comparison of the two creams.

Both are high quality, for sure. Both are easy to lather. Both produce a nice, thick, cushiony lather. But there are also some fine differences between them.

In lathering, I found there was a big difference in performance with regards to water amounts. When adding very little water, TOBS performed better. T&H, on the other hand, is very thirsty and performed better with lots of water. In order to get the optimal shave from T&H, I had to add water to the point that it was on the edge of breaking down and becoming soupy. I kinda give the edge here to TOBS.

Post shave feel. TOBS left me feeling a little dry, and left me with a burning sensation. Not sure if it's from the cream or from the scent. I suspect it has to do with the fragrance. T&H left my face feeling very soft, and nice. Definite edge to T&H here.

Scent. Man this is kind of a sore spot with me. I really didn't like either. Neither was a straight pure sandalwood like I expected. TOBS was the first one I tried, and didn't like it at all. It smelled harsh, and was one dimensional. A supposed fougere, but I couldn't detect that. By the end of the week I could start to distinguish that scent. SO I had high hopes coming from that to T&H, but was again disappointed. The cologney scent was extremely disappointing. I's not that it was bad, It's just not a scent that I like. After a week of T&H, I opened the TOBS again and had a sniff.... and surprisingly, I liked it better than before. So, edge TOBS.

Both had aspects that I did not really like, and found them to be not as good as the soaps that I use on a regular basis. But, barring any scent, I think I would prefer T&H over TOBS.



Well, I started drafting my review right before you posted this, so I think I kinds covered it, but here goes. Just one quality to change?

TOBS - Post shave feel. If It didn't leave my face feeling dry and burning, it'd be great.

T&H - Scent. This was about the only thing I could not stand about this cream. What I thought was really crazy, is I loved the scent of the T&H balm. No cologney scent at all, just a nice mild sandalwoody scent. I know many said they detected no scent at all. I t was light, and I'd prefer more scent.


I might possibly try a different scent from each. If the dryness/burning in TOBS is coming from the Sandalwood, then another scent might be good. And I liked T&H aside from the scent, but if all of their scents have that cologney vibe, then I'd need to pass.

I guess what I'd really like it to try a sample of each scent from each maker. Just enough for one shave would do it. That would be enough to tell me if it'd be worth getting a full tub of in the future.



This trial has made me want to go through my stock of creams and try them all again. And see if there is anything that warrants regular use in my rotation. (I seldom used them before) It'll be tough for them to beat out my top soaps, But I'm hoping I can find a couple top performers and get rid of the rest. Here is what I have up ahead of me:
View attachment 615679
Dibs on the Moos and Speick! ;)
 
#1 If I were Minister of Shaves I'd have to go with Truefitt & Hill. The cream's performance and amount of lather per fingerful used were outstanding. I am, and would be, satisfied with TOBS, but T&H was the clear winner for me.
#2 I'm tempted to pick up a sampler pack of TOBS, just to try the different varieties (just what does Mr. Taylor smell like?) I'd be interested in T&H Trafalgar and the West Indian Limes, but I'm not a big lavender or almond fan.
 
Great cosmopolitan collection of creams you have there! A couple of pages earlier I saw a bottle of Amway Dynamite AS splash in one of your reviews. I liked the scent of the cream, does the splash smell similar?




I have followed this thread with great interest. Some lovely photo's and in depth reviews by all involved. I was interested most in the scent as I already enjoy the performance of both TOBS and T&H creams. It seems that neither cream is a true sandalwood, but a more complex one with more cologne/perfume like takes on the scent?
 
Photos? This set up looks really interesting?

I had become so disillusioned with the T&H I had given up photos, but here's the gear, including the G20 scuttle I had not mentioned in this round, taken after the fact:
 

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Great cosmopolitan collection of creams you have there! A couple of pages earlier I saw a bottle of Amway Dynamite AS splash in one of your reviews. I liked the scent of the cream, does the splash smell similar?

Same scent. The AS is a bit stronger. But the pairing is perfect. Pretty much exactly what you'd hope to expect from a product line.
 
I'd like to answer these questions a bit later.

Shave 4 with T&H
Filarmonica 14 especial 13/16
Finest 19mm

I figured id go with a smaller brush to get a different take on the lathering.
I can tell this product is slightly irritating to my skin as light lather on my face brough a decent tingling sensation.
Scent is still pretty good and enjoyable.

Shave was two easy passes and the lather was ok. Definitely left my skin feeling a bit drier than usual.

I'd like one more t&h and one more tobs shave to make my thoughts more clear.
 
Question #1: You're the Minister of Creams, and have the final say for any Cream that is branded in Britain. Which single quality, of each cream, would you change to make the product better? Scent, glide/slickness, cushion, post shave feel, etc. Feel free to comment on each aspect of each Cream, but remember that you can only change one of the aspects.

Two week's ago, I would have answered this question by saying that both of these shave creams need to warp back into thee real sandalwood scent orbet. However over the past two week's, I've adjusted to the "Sandalwood-Like" or "Sandalwod, inspired..." scents of these both these creams and come to appreciate these hyubrid scent shave creams.

I enjoyed both of these shave creams. After a week of Truefitt & Hill's Sandalwood, I revisited TOBS Sandalwood this morning and enjoyed the scent this time - something I was not thrilled with last week. I also realized, as others have pointed out, that Taylors does not have the same degree of slickness that T&H does. It is however a fine shave cream that I would use again (as I would T&H).

Although I have been mostly a shave soap user the past 4-5 years, I've picked up a new appreciation of shave creams.

Question #2: If you haven't, would you buy/try a different scent from either Brand? If you have tried a different scent, which is it and how does it rate to the Sandalwood version?

I have used - but not completed a tub of TOBS Mr. Taylor, which I enjoyed very much. I have read more than one post where the author has mentioned how much T&H Grafton resembles Mr. Taylor.

From T&H, I would like to try Trafalgar, Grafton (to see how close it to Mr. Taylor, and perhaps West Indian Lime. Taylor of Old Bond Street has Grapefruit and Jermyn Street that I'm interested in - Oh yes, and also the new Cedarwood sounds interesting.

Again a big thank you to Taylor of Old Bond Street and Truefitt & Hill for so generously making this shave off possible. Speaking of making our shave off possibly - where would be be without our facilitator, cheerleader and chief shave bowl washer - Dane Thank You for doing Yeoman service as Mr. Sandalwood!

Finally, Thank you to all of the participants who faithfully shared their Sandalwood shave cream experiences. As with threads at B&B, you shared your experiences, thoughts and concerns. Yet for this thread, folks really stepped it up - I am humbled to be a part of this group.
 
Hating to see the the shave off wind down. Excellent question Dane posed to spice things up. I am looking forward to the answers. As well as pondering my own.

Today's' shave was a blast, I really like how well the T&H protects, which allows me to be quicker and go after the problem areas a little more. The setup was a Kelvin head matched with an Ikon Tuckaway handle with a Rapira Swedish and a Semogue Texugo.

I like the protection of the T&H, which allows a bit more work without getting burn. I have also enjoyed the simple finish of the balm alone. My skin has been in much better shape sans alcohol, and my colognes are getting more attention.

$IMG_0410.JPG
 
Question #1
For Tobs there only thing I think I would change is the way the lather dissipated on my toward the end of the shave. I prefer a lather that is still creamy and full after my final pass so I can cost my face while I clean my area once I finish my shave.
For T&H I don't know that I can really find any fault in the cream. It does everything well and impressed me on every level.

Question #2
I really don't think I will try another scent from TOBS unless it is free, the cream simply didn't blow me away and the T&H did. I'm actually going to purchase more T&H when I finish this cream, I'll be ok without the TOBS. It's a fine cream, just not the incredible value I look for.
 

tankerjohn

A little poofier than I prefer
So just to reiterate my conclusions, I declare T&H the winner. For me, it was just a step above TOBS on every level - scent, performance, post-shave. Having said that, TOBS wasn't a bad cream, and it gave me some great shaves.

On to Dane's questions...

Question 1. If i could change one thing about each cream, it would be the same thing for both - eliminate the irritation they caused. TOBS was a bit worse, but both burned me a bit. Don't know how to do that - magic wand maybe. I know irritation is probably the No 1 YMMV thing, except maybe scent. Otherwise, they were great creams.

Question 2. I'm a fan of the "barbershop" fougere style scents, so I would really like to try Mr. Taylor and Jermyn St. from TOBS and Grafton from T&H.

This morning I shaved with Proraso Blue, which I consider my favorite cream, to reevaluate how it stacks up against these creams from the "T's". I must say that the post-shave feel was not as good as I got from T&H. I still like the scent better and the lack of irritation. But I think I got a elevated appreciation for T&H. I need to try Proraso Red as well, though mine is the croap, not the cream. As I recall, Proraso Red is a bit drying to me, though "in-shave" performance is quite fine.

Thanks again to Dane for setting up the shaveoff and to TOBS and T&H for their very generous contributions. And thanks to everyone who participated for posting such fantastic reviews and SOTD pics. I had as much fun reading all the reviews and checking out everyone's setup as I did shaving and posting myself.
 
Sunday Nov 15.
My final shave with the T&H Sandalwood shaving cream.
The lineup is exactly the same as Friday's, I liked it so much.

$SOTD.jpg

Prep: cold water splash to the face
Brush: Omega boar
Razor: Merkur 33C
Blade: Gillette 7 o'clock yellow
Soap: Truefitt & Hill Sandalwood shave cream
AS: Clubman Pinaud
Finisher: Wild Country cologne + Wild Country talc + Clubman Pinaud styling gel

Performance wise, this shaving cream has been great. After I face-lather, my brush looks like this, while my face looks like the man on the Cella soap brick.

$After first lather.jpg

Enough for a three-pass shave for me and a soccer team.
It's a DFS which leaves my face feeling great.
I follow up with my Clubman aftershave, as well as the Finishers.
It smells great in my cave, and my face feels amazing. Taut, smooth, lovely to the touch (SWMBO approves).

Another great shave. I too am sad this shaveoff has come to an end. It was fun to work with this two creams, each for one week.
I want to thank Dane (@fordfather) for putting this together.

I will answer the two follow up questions tomorrow.
Cheers to all you gents as well, and thank you for participating in this awesome shaveoff.
 
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If I were the Minister it would be a hard thing to pick just one thing to fix with the TOBS Sandalwood. However it would not be hard to tweak it into a lead performer. I would have to go with the lack of moisturizing of the TOBS. This would be a root cause solution that may fix a couple of the problems with the cream , not that it was a bad performer. The cream was drying and I had some skin irritation with it. making it more moisturizing may not address the sensitivity issue i had, but may make it slicker. I found the scent to be one I realy did not get used to and the talcyness, new word, also an issue. Not that I do not like a powdery feel, but it was an issue linked to the lack of moisturizing, I could see it just looking at the cream. I have never tried the Veg, but this cream had to be the Veg of creams as far as scent to me.

As for the T&H, I can live with it as is. Maybe bump the scent, add a note or a tweak, but I could let it ride.

As for how I felt about the creams, well the TOBS is a bottom feeder in the line, I like many others over the sandalwood. I have been wanting to say this all along, but I felt the sample was stale. Not that it mattered after the first few shaves, but then it could have lost some qualities on the shelf, Or it could have just been lacking the moisturizer all along.

Thank You for hoisting the Sandalwood Shave off!!

$tobs.jpg
 
Well instead of typing a whole long spiel, I'll just say +1 to TheVez. His assessment was just about the same as mine. Although it seems that there are many here with similar things to say.
 
so i went i did 2 more shaves with a shick hydro power select razor (i haven't used this razor in a long time and may have only used it 2 or 3 times if that), one with the T&H and TOBS each.. I used a medium/large silvertip (AdP brush).

Both creams definitely irritate my skin (i don't believe i have overly sensitive skin) and cause a slight sensation, the T&H moreso than the TOBS, neither did i run screaming to get it off, but it was noticeable and i don't think i would want to to have that feeling for a shave.

the scent of both is nice, i think depending on my mood would i have a preference.. i enjoyed both scents and was really coming around to the TOBS, i like the way the TOBS lather smells versus the in the tub, the T&H stayed consistent from tube to lather, since i am not after the in the tub/tube scent, but the lather, A-OK for both! I will say i do not like tubes, and this has solidified my opinion, glad T&H has a tub version.

Question #1: You're the Minister of Creams, and have the final say for any Cream that is branded in Britain. Which single quality, of each cream, would you change to make the product better? Scent, glide/slickness, cushion, post shave feel, etc. Feel free to comment on each aspect of each Cream, but remember that you can only change one of the aspects
.

whatever was irritating my skin in both would be the first thing i would look at...

Question #2: If you haven't, would you buy/try a different scent from either Brand? If you have tried a different scent, which is it and how does it rate to the Sandalwood version?

i would definitely try another scent from either brand, i really haven't at this point, but i am fearful i will end up with a scent that is too "traditional" for me (imho too floral & musky... i don't want to smell anything like an american-style barbershop). for example i tried Mr. Taylor briefly and i was very unhappy, but i can see how the traditional wetshaving afficionado would enjoy that scent.

Having looked through their catalogues, i see one or two that I would love to give a try out..
 
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