Vermont Country Store

[Big Jim]

I was in Southern Vermont last week checking out the fall color and dropped it to the Vermont Country Store. Delightful place. Full of new products that are less common today. I asked if they had any shaving stuff and was directed to two places in the store where I found a nice looking but overpriced boar brush, a double edge razor, a few different shaving soaps, and several after shaves.

What caught my attention was one of the soaps. The only one with their own brand and identified as lime musk shaving soap. The name didn't catch my attention as much as the shape of the puck. It looked like they used the same mold as the original Old Spice. For less than $4.00 I bought it to try it out.

When I got home I compared it to my reserve new old stock Old Spice and indeed the shape of the puck was identical. Same depression in the top. Same treatment on the top, same treatment on the side, particularly the upper part of the side.

I plugged it into an Old Spice mug and shave with it this morning. The scent was very mild and very pleasant. I'm not usually a fan of musk, but for all I could tell all it did was take the edge off the lime. It lathered beautifully. The shave was exceptionally slick and smooth. I'll definitely be buying it again. Thankfully I don't have to return to Vermont. They have an on-line catalog.

Had it not had the same shape as the original Old Spice I probably would not have bought it. I wonder if they found the original mold.

Has anyone else encountered it?

 

[Grundi]

I was in Southern Vermont last week checking out the fall color and dropped it to the Vermont Country Store. Delightful place. Full of new products that are less common today. I asked if they had any shaving stuff and was directed to two places in the store where I found a nice looking but overpriced boar brush, a double edge razor, a few different shaving soaps, and several after shaves.

What caught my attention was one of the soaps. The only one with their own brand and identified as lime musk shaving soap. The name didn't catch my attention as much as the shape of the puck. It looked like they used the same mold as the original Old Spice. For less than $4.00 I bought it to try it out.

When I got home I compared it to my reserve new old stock Old Spice and indeed the shape of the puck was identical. Same depression in the top. Same treatment on the top, same treatment on the side, particularly the upper part of the side.

I plugged it into an Old Spice mug and shave with it this morning. The scent was very mild and very pleasant. I'm not usually a fan of musk, but for all I could tell all it did was take the edge off the lime. It lathered beautifully. The shave was exceptionally slick and smooth. I'll definitely be buying it again. Thankfully I don't have to return to Vermont. They have an on-line catalog.

Had it not had the same shape as the original Old Spice I probably would not have bought it. I wonder if they found the original mold.

Has anyone else encountered it?

We get their catalog and my wife ordered a badger brush for me from them. The handle was nice but the knot wasn't. Oh, well, hard to tell from a catalog page.

I've been impressed that they do carry some supplies and have wanted to order the soap pucks. I'm interested in your opinion on how they perform.

 

[Big Jim]

The brush I saw which seems to be the same as the one in the catalog is not badger. They say "bristle" which is boar.

As for the soap it certainly fights above its class. It is comparable to soaps selling at much higher prices. It lathers as easy as Tabak and shaves on par with Mitchell's Wool Fat.

 

[Ad Astra]

I was in Southern Vermont last week checking out the fall color and dropped it to the Vermont Country Store. Delightful place. Full of new products that are less common today. I asked if they had any shaving stuff and was directed to two places in the store where I found a nice looking but overpriced boar brush, a double edge razor, a few different shaving soaps, and several after shaves.

What caught my attention was one of the soaps. The only one with their own brand and identified as lime musk shaving soap. The name didn't catch my attention as much as the shape of the puck. It looked like they used the same mold as the original Old Spice. For less than $4.00 I bought it to try it out.

When I got home I compared it to my reserve new old stock Old Spice and indeed the shape of the puck was identical. Same depression in the top. Same treatment on the top, same treatment on the side, particularly the upper part of the side.

I plugged it into an Old Spice mug and shave with it this morning. The scent was very mild and very pleasant. I'm not usually a fan of musk, but for all I could tell all it did was take the edge off the lime. It lathered beautifully. The shave was exceptionally slick and smooth. I'll definitely be buying it again. Thankfully I don't have to return to Vermont. They have an on-line catalog.

Had it not had the same shape as the original Old Spice I probably would not have bought it. I wonder if they found the original mold.

Has anyone else encountered it?

I have three of their lime musk soaps, still wrapped in plastic.

Came with a good apothecary mug; what I actually wanted, off the bay.

Stuck a Stirling soap in the mug ... Still have their soaps wrapped!

So I've encountered them - just haven't tried it yet!

Thanks for the report.


AA

 

[SHAVEWIZARD420]

Have heard about this artisan a while back but have not had the pleasure of trying it yet. Would be curious to see/read about the lather capabilities of this soap. Opinions/reviews can make a world of difference in helping people decide which soap to choose and bring more attention to lesser known artisans.

 

[BigJ]

Thanks for the trip report! We get their catalog, but I have yet to try their shaving items.

 

[Grundi]

The brush I saw which seems to be the same as the one in the catalog is not badger. They say "bristle" which is boar.

As for the soap it certainly fights above its class. It is comparable to soaps selling at much higher prices. It lathers as easy as Tabak and shaves on par with Mitchell's Wool Fat.

It was last year, had a butterscotch handle, and I received it as a Christmas gift from my Dear Wife.

 

[FL shaver]

I have used two pucks. I like using them in my old timey Burleigh scuttle. The light fragrance is pleasant. I found the lather to be middle of the road. There is much better available at the price. The pucks were gifted me and I would not purchase one. I think I have posted about them in the 3017 thread.

 

[FL shaver]

My Guess... 3017

I used the Arlington again this morning (first time since Christmas) and loaded for 20 seconds instead of 10, getting a fantastic lather. All remains well in the house of DR Harris. Glad to see this method still works and I don't need to go take a 3y University Infinitesimal Calculus class to...

www.badgerandblade.com

Actually, I used the second puck in an Old Spice mug, too. The first review was a little better than I remembered, too, but subsequent lathers were underwhelming.

 

[EL Alamein]

I've known about the Vermont store for years. They a bastion of long discontinued items and thus they are always more expensive, on everything.

I've bought Dominica Bay Rum from them when it was unavailable everywhere else. Good service and great place to get those no-longer available products of yore.

Chris

 

[Big Jim]

I did notice that all the after shaves were priced much higher than I have seen elsewhere. But their own brand soap performed much better than other soaps that sell for under $4 a puck.

I shaved with it again this morning, this time with a Silvertip brush. It responded more quickly yesterday with the Finest but that might simply be that the puck hastened softened much yet. It still didn't take long and provided a rich and slick lather. I'm still impressed.

 

[john parker]

I've known about the Vermont store for years. They a bastion of long discontinued items and thus they are always more expensive, on everything.

I've bought Dominica Bay Rum from them when it was unavailable everywhere else. Good service and great place to get those no-longer available products of yore.

Chris

Most of my experience with the Vermont Store has been for "vintage" scents. I think they are largely knock-offs and haven't been worth the expense.

 

[jesseix]

For informational purposes, this looks like the ingredients list of their shave soap from the website:
Made from Sodium Cocoate, Water, Glycerine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Fragrance, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Propyl Glycol, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Chloride, Coconut Acid, Dimethicone Copolyol, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Pentasodium Pentetate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Palmitate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimomium Chloride

 

[EL Alamein]

Most of my experience with the Vermont Store has been for "vintage" scents. I think they are largely knock-offs and haven't been worth the expense.

John, excellent information. I've never had any experience with any of those and now we know.

Chris

 

[Ad Astra]

Have the Lime Musk on deck for tomorrow!

AA

 

[Ad Astra]

Ok, shaved this Vermont Country Store soap today.

Though wrapped in plastic, scent has faded but discernible.

Undoubtedly an old-school tallow soap, it was neither the best nor worst. Got great lather, but apparently I have good water, 'cause I can usually get lather from anything (except Buff City, Dr. Bronners, Joshua Tree and Herban Cowboy - not that I'm keeping a list of dogs, yo).

Glad I have three of these and the apothecary mug. I'll do a thread if there's interest.


AA

 

[Grundi]

Ok, shaved this Vermont Country Store soap today.

Though wrapped in plastic, scent has faded but discernible.

Undoubtedly an old-school tallow soap, it was neither the best nor worst. Got great lather, but apparently I have good water, 'cause I can usually get lather from anything (except Buff City, Dr. Bronners, Joshua Tree and Herban Cowboy - not that I'm keeping a list of dogs, yo).

Glad I have three of these and the apothecary mug. I'll do a thread if there's interest.


AA

Nice. I've been tempted to buy their soap/pucks but haven't yet. Do you know what the scent was supposed to be?

 

[Big Jim]

Lime / Musk. It is very faint though.

 

[Ad Astra]

Lime / Musk. It is very faint though.

Yeah. An odd combo, really.

The soap is truly not bad; need another shave or two with it.


AA

 

[Grundi]

Lime / Musk. It is very faint though.

Thank you.

Sometimes these odd combinations work. (I guess it's like salted caramel or spicy chocolate; you don't know till you try it)