What is Amber?

[dbreimhurst]

Howdy,

I am new to wet shaving and have only used a few soaps. My favorite so far has been the PPF Amber scented soap. Although I love this soap, it has come to my attention that there have been some shady business practices surrounding PPF and HTGAM, which lead me to question whether I want to support such a company. While I mull over my moral dilemma, I could use some advice.

What is this "amber" scent?

Can I find this scent, or a similar one from other brands?

Lastly, and off topic, how do you avoid spending all of your disposable income on shaving products?

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[speas]

I dont really know what all is in the fragrance but I like that one as well - used it this morning. It does have a musk component to it. Its not a soap but Royall Muske cologne has a scent that is in the ballpark.

 

[robk]

http://www.fragrantica.com/notes/Amber-54.html

From wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber

Scent of amber and amber perfumery

In ancient China it was customary to burn amber during large festivities. If amber is heated under the right conditions, oil of amber is produced, and in past times this was combined carefully with nitric acid to create "artificial musk" – a resin with a peculiar musky odor.[SUP][44][/SUP] Although when burned, amber does give off a characteristic "pinewood" fragrance, modern products, such as perfume, do not normally use actual amber. This is due to the fact that fossilized amber produces very little scent. In perfumery, scents referred to as “amber” are often created and patented[SUP][45][/SUP][SUP][46][/SUP] to emulate the opulent golden warmth of the fossil.[SUP][47][/SUP]
The modern name for amber is thought to come from the Arabic word, ambar, meaning ambergris.[SUP][48][/SUP][SUP][49][/SUP] Ambergris is the waxy aromatic substance created in the intestines of sperm whales and was used in making perfumes both in ancient times as well as modern.
The scent of amber was originally derived from emulating the scent of ambergris and/or labdanum but due to the endangered status of the sperm whale the scent of amber is now largely derived from labdanum.[SUP][50][/SUP] The term “amber” is loosely used to describe a scent that is warm, musky, rich and honey-like, and also somewhat oriental and earthy. It can be synthetically created or derived from natural resins. When derived from natural resins it is most often created out of labdanum. Benzoin is usually part of the recipe. Vanilla and cloves are sometimes used to enhance the aroma.
"Amber" perfumes may be created using combinations of labdanum, benzoin resin, copal (itself a type of tree resin used in incense manufacture), vanilla, Dammara resin and/or synthetic materials.[SUP][44][/SUP]

Then, there's this (sperm whale feces):

Ambergris

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ambergris



Ambergris (/ˈæmbərɡriːs/ or /ˈæmbərɡrɪs/, Latin: Ambra grisea, Ambre gris, ambergrease or grey amber) is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey or blackish colour produced in the digestive system of sperm whales.[SUP][1][/SUP]
Freshly produced ambergris has a marine, faecal odour. However, as it ages, it acquires a sweet, earthy scent commonly likened to the fragrance of rubbing alcohol without the vaporous chemical astringency.[SUP][2][/SUP] Although ambergris was formerly highly valued by perfumers as a fixative (allowing the scent to last much longer), it has now largely been replaced by synthetics.

Applications

Ambergris has been mostly known for its use in creating perfume and fragrance much like musk. Perfumes can still be found with ambergris around the world.[SUP][8][/SUP] It is collected from remains found at sea and on beaches, although its precursor originates from the sperm whale, which is a vulnerable species.[SUP][9][/SUP]
Ancient Egyptians burned ambergris as incense, while in modern Egypt ambergris is used for scenting cigarettes.[SUP][10][/SUP] The ancient Chinese called the substance "dragon's spittle fragrance".[SUP][11][/SUP] During the Black Death in Europe, people believed that carrying a ball of ambergris could help prevent them from getting the plague. This was because the fragrance covered the smell of the air which was believed to be a cause of plague.
This substance has also been used historically as a flavouring for food and is considered an aphrodisiac in some cultures.[SUP][12][/SUP] During the Middle Ages, Europeans used ambergris as a medication for headaches, colds, epilepsy, and other ailments.[SUP][11][/SUP]

 

[robk]

Bond No. 9 makes this:

http://http://www.bondno9.com/shop/eau-de-parfum/midtown/view/new-york-amber

Really expensive. A salesperson assisting my wife was kind enough to give me a sample vial. Good stuff. They also have an Amber oil that goes for something like $300/oz. Same general scent. The sales lady dribbled a microscopic drop of it onto the back of my hand. After numerous handwashings, the scent was still there and still very pleasant.

 

[dbreimhurst]

Wow who knew that sperm whale feces could smell so great...and cost so much

Kinda makes you wonder how perfumers decided to test that ingredient in the first place.

I am guessing that my significant other would not approve of the purchase of oil at $300 an oz.

 

[August West]

A great stage name.

 

[Shiloh]

Amber ALE for me!

 

[robk]

the Bond No. 9 EdT can be had for less than the EO (about $150 if you shop around), but it's still in the mortgage-a-kidney range for me.

the amber ale works well as a splash, though I prefer a good hoppy IPA myself. my acid reflux/GERD is about as happy with the hoppy stuff as our wives would be to see a $150 cologne on the Amex bill, so I'll leave the amber imbibing & amber perfuming to others for now.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/troegs-hopback-amber-ale/17495/

FYI, that http://www.fragrantica.com/ website is a good place to find out who makes fragrance in a certain scent family. Probably, you can find something in a reasonable price range with amber aroma.

 

[flat-top]

Coincidentally, the Strop Shoppe has just introduced a new amber-scented shaving soap, "Via dell'Ambra", w/tallow & lanolin.

I received mine yesterday; very nice!

 

[dbreimhurst]

Thanks for the tip off on the Strop Shoppe. Off to Maggard I go!

 

[Musikmann]

Colonel Conk makes a shave soap and an aftershave called amber but I've never smelled either one.

 

[thomc1980]

I have the Colonel Conk in amber and it smells very nice.

 

[PGHChris]

WSP Black Amber Vanille is a very nice scent. Not a pure amber, obviously, as it has a vanilla component to it but a good one nonetheless. Additionally, the WSP soaps are pretty good performers to boot.

 

[john parker]

Thought one of the artisans other than Strop Shoppe just recently brought out an amber offering, as well. But I do not remember who it was!

 

[dfoulk]

Howdy,

I am new to wet shaving and have only used a few soaps. My favorite so far has been the PPF Amber scented soap. Although I love this soap, it has come to my attention that there have been some shady business practices surrounding PPF and HTGAM, which lead me to question whether I want to support such a company. While I mull over my moral dilemma, I could use some advice.

I won't turn this into a debate about HGTAM/PPF as this thread will be locked and this post will get deleted. I've noticed a no tolerance policy has been in effect recently as far as drama goes with this whole thing. Plus, honestly I'm tired of the drama myself.

Once you know both sides of what happened it's certainly not a serious as you'd think it is. You've heard one side of it and what you've heard isn't entirely true. Have they made mistakes?, absolutely but not large enough ones to justify this mess.

Like my wife told the parents of the kindergarten kids she taught. You believe half of what they tell you and I'll believe half of what they tell me because the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle.

Sure some mistakes were made but I think I'm one of the few people that has actually heard both sides of this and my main concerns have been completely explained. You could always try doing what I did and send them an email asking for an explanation of what went on. They replied and answered all of my questions honestly and to my satisfaction. Surprising after about a week of this drama I'm apparently the only person who ask them to explain their side of what happened.

I'll keep buying the soap without hesitation and recommend you do too if you truly enjoy it.

 

[cvargo]

I have col. conk's Amber as it was my first ever shave soap. It gets used about once a month.

 

[eyebright]

Just to be clear, ambergris is not whale feces. It's a waxy substance produced in the whale's intestines to protect them from irritation. It might come out the same end, but it's not digested food. And amber fragrance has nothing to do with fossilized amber, it's a blend of many resins and oils that, all together, make a scent that is expansive, warm, musky and sweet.

 

[SliceOfLife]

It's basically whale rennet.

 

[dfoulk]

Just to be clear, ambergris is not whale feces. It's a waxy substance produced in the whale's intestines to protect them from irritation. It might come out the same end, but it's not digested food. And amber fragrance has nothing to do with fossilized amber, it's a blend of many resins and oils that, all together, make a scent that is expansive, warm, musky and sweet.

Michelle, it's funny to me that you even have to clarify this.

 

[eyebright]

David, you'd be surprised at how many people ask me if amber fragrance comes from infused pieces of yellow amber. And at the risk of being totally geeky here, ambergris isn't whale rennet. Rennet is from baby ruminants...the earliest form of cheese was animal milk stored in a lamb's stomach and hung to dry. Nasty stuff...it's amazing how many wonderful kinds of cheese developed out of that.