Truefitt and Hill

Truefitt & Hill is an English company founded in 1805. Part of the company as it is known today was founded by William Francis Truefitt, a barber and wigmaker who quickly gained notoriety because of his superior skills in both areas. He further built his reputation when King George III eventually named him the Court Hair Cutter, Court Hair Dresser and Wigmaker by Royal Appointment to His Majesty. This is where T&H term of Royal Appointment originally began.

In 1935, the newphew of William Francis Truefitt, Mr. H.P. Truefitt merged the company with a barbershop owned by Edwin Hill and Company and the result was a merged barbershop bearing the name Truefitt and Hill.

A royal warrant is a recognition that a particular business provides services or goods to a Royal Family and it is a distinguished honor to be granted a royal warrant in many parts of Europe. T&H claims to have held a Royal Warrant for barber services for the past 9 reigns which included H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the royal family.

T&H has been certified as the oldest barber shop in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. This certification was granted to T&H in the year 2000.

The main headquarters of Truefitt and Hill, including a barbershop, are located at 71 St. James' Street in London, England. In addition, T&H has a United States headquarters and warehouse based in Chicago, IL. The US location handles distribution of T&H products for North America.

The company offers various barbering services performed by Master Barbers at 4 different locations worldwide, they are:

• London, England (the original barbershop)
• Chicago, IL
• Las Vegas, NV (inside the Mirage Hotel and Casino)
• Toronto, Canada

The Master Barbers at Truefitt and Hill must be certified in their state as a Master Barber and have obtained at least 5 years of barbering experience while holding that certification. In addition, Master Barbers for T&H must complete an 18 month apprenticeship style program with the company.

In addition to offering Hot Shaves, Haircuts, Hair Coloring and other services at their barbershops, you can also peruse the vast collection of T&H products at your leisure.

T&H makes various products with several available scents. However, not every product is available in every scent. The scents are detailed here based upon the description provided by T&H on their website (some are directly taken from there). Additional information on scents can be found in the B&B reviews and by simply testing the products yourself. The scents available for each particular product are noted in the appropriate section below.

• 1805: A variety of scents, all which convey fresh, clean, and masculine.​
• Trafalgar: Combination of spice, wood, and sandalwood. Most scents of this nature have a warm, uplifting feel to them making them perfect for cold days.​
• West Indian Limes: Juicy and sweet, with lemon, lime, and other citrus scents. The sort of scent that would be very refreshing on a hot summer day.​
• Grafton: A variety of soft, floral scents, perfectly suited for warm and cold seasons. Some B&B members have said they also can detect a hint of leather in Grafton.​
• Sandalwood: The subtle classic aroma of Sandalwood. T&H Sandalwood was recently reformulated away from its original roots and less is known about the new scent. Another great scent for cold days or really any occasion.​
• Almond: This one is self explanatory. The scent of almonds.​
• Rose: Another self explanatory scent. In Victorian times, English men shaved primarily with Rose fragrant creams and soaps and while it's probably not as strong as smelling a batch of flowers, it should suit you if you like floral scents.​
• Lavender: A classic and perfect balance of fresh-cut lavender, offering a soothing and calming feeling. An ideal fragrance for sensitive skin.​
• Clubman: Equal parts of oceanic, floral, and musk make Clubman a unique scent that is refreshing, cooling, and soothing.​
• Spanish Leather: Perhaps one of the world's most manly scents. If you have a penchant for saddle shops, trees, lumber and everything else outdoors, Spanish Leather is your choice.​
• Freshman: Subtle traces of wood, amber and musk, all of which lend to the feeling of warmth and invigoration.​

T&H Aftershave products are available in both splashes and balms. However, not all of the fragrances are available in both styles.

• Aftershave splashes are available in the 1805, Trafalgar, West Indian Limes, Grafton, Clubman, Spanish Leather, and Freshman scents.​
• Aftershave balms are available in the 1805, Trafalgar, West Indian Limes, Grafton, Sandalwood, and Ultimate Comfort Scents. A Classic balm is also available in a Lily of the Valley fragrance which the is the only product T&H offers with such a scent. Samples of the aftershave balms are available for testing purposes.​

T&H offers colognes in several scents, they are: 1805, Trafalgar, West Indian Limes, Grafton, Sandalwood, Clubman, Spanish Leather, and Freshman. The colognes come packaged in a glass bottle.

T&H offers a pre-shave oil as part of their shaving preparation products. The oil is only available in one fragrance which they describe as a trio of scents that provide a blend of natural, skin-rejuvenating oils. The oil is available in 3 bottle sizes. The 2oz travel bottle and 4oz home bottle, which both have a flow control on the top to slowly dispense the product. A liter size bottle is also available with a pump top.

T&H offers shaving brushes with all the standard 3 grades of badger hair (Pure, Super, and Silvertip). These brushes are made in the United Kingdom and bear the Truefitt and Hill name which is stamped on the side. Each grade of hair has brushes in Small, Medium, and Large size which vary in knot size and brush loft. They also offer shaving brushes made by Simpson.

T&H describes their brush hair grading as follows:

• Pure Badger: Hair from the badger's back which makes for a great starter brush. A little more coarse than super badger but an excellent value.​
• Super Badger: Hair comes from the badger's belly and is very soft. There is 20% more hair than the pure badger brushes making them a great value brush for the price.​
• Silvertip Badger: Hair comes from the badger's neck and is of superior quality. The hair is super soft and the handle is densely filled with 20% more hair than the Super Badger brushes. This results in exceptional lathering ability.​

T&H offers several shave creams that cover a broad spectrum of scents. They are: 1805 (the original), Trafalgar, West Indian Limes, Grafton, Almond, Sandalwood, Rose, Lavender, and the Ultimate Comfort Shaving Cream (light lavender scent). All of the creams are available in both plastic tubs and smaller tubes with the exception of the Sandalwood cream which is presently only available in a tub. Sample packs can be purchased for those who are interested in determining which scent is their favorite.

The shaving creams are best used with a shaving brush, both to maximize the amount of use from each package and to generate the best lather possible. However, for those without a shaving brush, the creams can be lathered with the fingers.

T&H presently only offers one shaving soap. It is available in a wooden (re-usable) bowl. Refills are available for the T&H wooden bowl as well as a smaller shape and size designed to fit in a traditional style soap mug. The T&H website does not disclose what scent the shave soap is but rather describes it as a perfect blend of fragrance.

• Truefitt & Hill - Company website and webshop

Truefitt & Hill Turnback Super Travel Brush