Italian shaving soaps for all budgets

I like the Tcheon Fung Sing soaps (TFS) which are, despite the name, Italian. An awful lot of soaps sold by names such as RazoRock and others are, in fact, made in Italy, and the containers usually state this.

Most of these soaps I'd classify as "mid range" in price, but all have performed well for me. In the more run-of-the-mill end of things, the Vitos Red and Green are in still my bathroom cabinet, but if you don't like almond scents, then they're probably not for you.

I haven't really explored the upper reaches of soaps like Saponificio Varesino, but many come in fairly large containers, and if they last as long as their lesser (in price) brethren, then I think they're pretty good value for money. The names are mouth-watering, for sure.

I must confess that my interest in Italian soaps has waned somewhat. The reasons are these. Not that many years ago, the range of scents available in British soaps wasn't that great, and the Italians were much more varied and exotic (and even more so now). Then UK artisan makers came on the scene with some interesting and nice-smelling soaps with exceptional performance, and rather pushed out the others, in my preferences. Having said that, there are some scents, like tobacco, which I adore, and which I can't find in anything other than Italian soaps.

I'm not sure I should have seen your post, as I will no doubt be perusing the Italian offerings for a day or two now, and, as Hoagy had it, "my resistance is low".
 
There are a lot of Italian soaps out there and they fall into the following categories

Budget - Cella, TFS (budget lines), Proraso, Vitos, 3P, Razorock, Goodfellas Smile, Via Barberia, Omega
Mid Range - TFS (mid range and above), Extro, Saponificio Bignoli, Antica Barberia, Valobra (if you can find it),
Higher Range - Saponificio Varesino, Antica Barberia Colla, Pannacrema Nuavia, Mondial
 
I am actually going to Italy, fingers crossed on Saturday and will try and hunt out some the soaps referred to above. My thinking is if I don't like them there's always the BST where maybe someone else can enjoy them
 
Doti B said:
I am actually going to Italy, fingers crossed on Saturday and will try and hunt out some the soaps referred to above. My thinking is if I don't like them there's always the BST where maybe someone else can enjoy them
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As @donnie_arko said if you can find Valobra buy it, wonderful stuff and now discontinued, very hard to find in the UK if at all! P.

Enjoy your trip :) P.
 
Blademonkey said:
That's the Valobra hard puck of soap not the croap. :) P.
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Agree. The Valobra croap wasn't amazing, but the hard soap/stick is fantastic. I really hope Proraso haven't consigned them to history.

As for buying shaving products in Italy, I've read Proraso products are quite common but some of the other ones less so, a few shops might have Omega boar brushes for not too much.

There could be some good splashes available, again I imagine Proraso might dominate proceedings, but they'd be a fraction of the price.
 
donnie_arko said:
Agree. The Valobra croap wasn't amazing, but the hard soap/stick is fantastic. I really hope Proraso haven't consigned them to history.

As for buying shaving products in Italy, I've read Proraso products are quite common but some of the other ones less so, a few shops might have Omega boar brushes for not too much.

There could be some good splashes available, again I imagine Proraso might dominate proceedings, but they'd be a fraction of the price.
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I fear if Proraso did bring back Valobra it will have been reformulated and on the whole reformulated soaps are never as good as the original's.
It's a real shame because it was an outstanding soap, I managed to buy up some of the last remaining stocks from here and there so I have a small stock of it as well as Czech & Speake soaps that were also made by Valobra :) I may never use it all but I would rarther have too much than run out of these wonderful soaps. P.
 
Blademonkey said:
I fear if Proraso did bring back Valobra it will have been reformulated and on the whole reformulated soaps are never as good as the original's.
It's a real shame because it was an outstanding soap, I managed to buy up some of the last remaining stocks from here and there so I have a small stock of it as well as Czech & Speake soaps that were also made by Valobra :) I may never use it all but I would rarther have too much than run out of these wonderful soaps. P.
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From what I gathered Valobra's bath soaps are really highly rated in Italy (and elsewhere) and I'm not sure if I am repeating it from somewhere I read but they bought the brand to enter this market and I'd be surprised if Proraso spent money on acquiring the Valobra brand/factory with the intentions of resigning them to history, but with the Covid bomb hitting Italy it's difficult to imagine what any company might do. There still is a Valobra website, I have sent them a message but I doubt I'll hear anything back.
 
donnie_arko said:
From what I gathered Valobra's bath soaps are really highly rated in Italy (and elsewhere) and I'm not sure if I am repeating it from somewhere I read but they bought the brand to enter this market and I'd be surprised if Proraso spent money on acquiring the Valobra brand/factory with the intentions of resigning them to history, but with the Covid bomb hitting Italy it's difficult to imagine what any company might do. There still is a Valobra website, I have sent them a message but I doubt I'll hear anything back.
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Time will tell and yes the Valobra hand / bath soaps are very nice indeed, I have a couple left from when Connaught Shaving were selling them.
I really do hope these soaps come back unmolested and still full of tallow but I'm a pessimist by nature so I don't hold out much hope! :) P.
 
Blademonkey said:
Time will tell and yes the Valobra hand / bath soaps are very nice indeed, I have a couple left from when Connaught Shaving were selling them.
I really do hope these soaps come back unmolested and still full of tallow but I'm a pessimist by nature so I don't hold out much hope! :) P.
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I'm in agreement. Reformulations seem to be defacto with Haslinger have switched to Palm Oil, and Vitos are supposed to be switching to a vegan formula but the stocks for now are still tallow.

The few non tallow soaps I've used in recent years seem to dissolve far quicker than their tallow counterparts.

(sorry for going off topic!)
 
Doti B said:
What's the scent profile of the hard soap pucks ?
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Valbora did a Cologne, a Fougere , a Patcholi and an unscented one.
Not very strong on the scents.

Czech & Speake (also made by Valobra) do / did a dark woody rose scent (88) and a lavender and Oakmoss ( Oxford & Cambridge) these scents are from C&S both very nice indeed. P.
 
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