Penhaligons hard shaving soap. Thoughts?

Canuck

Canuck

Messages
3,074
Location
Hitchin, Herts
My wife bought me a Blenheim Bouquet shaving soap the other day, I've now shaved with it twice but it's not very good so far. Thin, frothy lather that doesn't last. (This is despite the usual hard soap tactics of pre soaking and loading for a good half minute).
I'm not overly concerned yet as I'm kind of used to this with hard soaps, I tend to find they can be crap for a short time until they bed in... as if they have a wax coating on them or something. T+H hard soap is always like this initially, maybe the surface needs to roughen up, I don't know.

Anyway, what do others think of this soap? Does it get better and perform well?
 
I can't say personally but Pen's BB new formula soap gets a particular pasting across the pond. I'll definitely try Pen's EF new formula when my old one is gone just because I love the scent.
 
I have a puck of the Blenheim Bouquet, not sure if it is old or new mixture as I bought it from a fellow member off here, but he thought it was the new mix.

My experience is like your own and I find that you can't leave it alone for a long time otherwise its performance deteriorates until you use it for a couple of times and then it is fine.

After realising this my tactic with it has been to use my SOC brush on it first when it has been left alone for a while to help break through that waxy surface that builds up on it and knocks its performance.
 
I've the new English Fern formulation. I've only used it three or four times. The performance wasn't great although it did seem to be getting better. Like Tony says the BB gets a particularly bad press, apparently the EF is supposed to be better than it.
 
Hi . You might want to try a thin slice pressed into your shaving bowl. I find it gives a "fresh" surface to lather each time you use it. Once pressed I float the bowl in hot tap water to soften the soap and warm the lather.
 
Thanks everyone. Third try today and the same thin, bubbly rubbish. I'm going to give it a right old go tonight after a long soak, this theory of a "skin" building up seems to be a theme so we'll see.
 
You tried 'Marco's Method' with this?

I read it over on B&B as a method he uses with Italian soaps. It works fantastic with those. Quite recently I've been doing it with TOBS sandalwood and Trumpers Almond with great results.

I almost piffed the almond but with this way, followed by palm lathering for a few secs to get things going then face lathering, I get fantastic results.
 
Dipesh said:
You tried 'Marco's Method' with this?

I read it over on B&B as a method he uses with Italian soaps. It works fantastic with those. Quite recently I've been doing it with TOBS sandalwood and Trumpers Almond with great results.

I almost piffed the almond but with this way, followed by palm lathering for a few secs to get things going then face lathering, I get fantastic results.
Click to expand...

what method is that?, where can i find on badger and blade?
 
Here you go:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/199887-My-lathering-technique-with-Italian-soft-soaps?s=afbeb5784abff02074ad79f19f9968db

Only thing I change is step 3. As badgers hold much more water, I let the brush drain and then give the brush a pump. With boars, it's a light pump that works for me.

You'll get the hang of it after a few goes.
 
Dipesh said:
Here you go:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/199887-My-lathering-technique-with-Italian-soft-soaps?s=afbeb5784abff02074ad79f19f9968db

Only thing I change is step 3. As badgers hold much more water, I let the brush drain and then give the brush a pump. With boars, it's a light pump that works for me.

You'll get the hang of it after a few goes.
Click to expand...

thanks, i did that and the trick of holding the brush and soap upside down and that worked for me, thanks
 
Thanks Dipesh, I had to look up "Marco's method" and then found out it's pretty much what I do with hard soaps anyway. It shall now be known on TSR as "Canuck's method"! :icon_lol:

(To me anyway, if no-one else).

Well this has got better. I gave it a right bashing last night (a minute's hard loading) and palm lathered and it produced a much more useable lather. I'm sure it was just a bedding in thing, I'll use it for a week now and see how we get on but I can't see that I'll have any significant problems. Ta!
 
Does anyone know why when i use my silvertips brush that all the lather stays in the centre of the brush and never seems to get out onto my face? I don't have this problem with my pure badger.
 
Do you maybe not push down on the brush as much when you load up and apply the lather? Being a more expensive knot might make you subconciously push a bit lighter to avoid damage. It probably has less backbone than a pure knot too, so maybe you're not picking up enough soap. Either way I think the problem there is not enough soap being loaded.

You might want to post the question as a new thread by the way, not everyone may see this, being buried in a thread about Penhaligons.
 
I have the new formulation EF, it's very good if you ask me, only (sort of) complaint is that it could be more slick [applies especially for those who straight shave].

I also have BB (new formulation) but haven't got around trying that thoroughly yet. However I agree with what others said earlier re the general consensus in other forums on the new formulation BB.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom