Truefitt & Hill Apsley - Shave Soap (quick review)

[Phunk]

Anyone used the Truefitt and Hill soaps?

Man, I've been avoiding these soaps for way too long, they are wonderful.

For anyone interested

- Slickness is definitely on-par or above most of the soaps these days, it's even slicker than the A&E new blend. Slickness I'd give a solid 7.5/10 (A&E gets 7.0, Stirling gets a 5.5)

- It foams rather than a thick lather on the brush, but once you face lather with it, it just explodes with coverage.

- Smell strength is a weaker point, I'd give it a 6/10

- Scent is hard to explain, typical masculine perfume scent - (From the site: Apsley, named after the iconic London landmark and former residence of the 1st Duke of Wellington, has been formulated to ignite the senses with a refined blend of smouldering woods accentuated by light citrus notes. The harmonious overtones of woody vertivert are lifted with a refreshing essence of grapefruit and are accentuated by notes of pepper, while its heart of cedar-wood and patchouli, which has been enriched by sensual notes of musk, gives an alluring base to this captivating fragrance. Apsley epitomises the quintessential English gentleman and its enduring name links the past with the free spirit of a modern age. )

- I'm finding little to no irritation when using the soap, the bar is extremely firm and will definitely last a long while before re-purchasing.

- Price point is on the higher side, re-fills are approx $40AUD.

Overall, strongly recommend this soap for anyone wanting to try something different.

 

[rhodes96]

Anyone used the Truefitt and Hill soaps?

Man, I've been avoiding these soaps for way too long, they are wonderful.

For anyone interested

- Slickness is definitely on-par or above most of the soaps these days, it's even slicker than the A&E new blend. Slickness I'd give a solid 7.5/10 (A&E gets 7.0, Stirling gets a 5.5)

- It foams rather than a thick lather on the brush, but once you face lather with it, it just explodes with coverage.

- Smell strength is a weaker point, I'd give it a 6/10

- Scent is hard to explain, typical masculine perfume scent - (From the site: Apsley, named after the iconic London landmark and former residence of the 1st Duke of Wellington, has been formulated to ignite the senses with a refined blend of smouldering woods accentuated by light citrus notes. The harmonious overtones of woody vertivert are lifted with a refreshing essence of grapefruit and are accentuated by notes of pepper, while its heart of cedar-wood and patchouli, which has been enriched by sensual notes of musk, gives an alluring base to this captivating fragrance. Apsley epitomises the quintessential English gentleman and its enduring name links the past with the free spirit of a modern age. )

- I'm finding little to no irritation when using the soap, the bar is extremely firm and will definitely last a long while before re-purchasing.

- Price point is on the higher side, re-fills are approx $40AUD.

Overall, strongly recommend this soap for anyone wanting to try something different.

@Phunk your review gives me hope that T&H have finally fixed up the soap formulation.
If you like the hard British soaps, Dr Harris and Castle Forbes are also worthy of a try.

 

[Gargravarr]

If you like the hard British soaps, Dr Harris and Castle Forbes are also worthy of a try.

The DRH Windsor you sent me smells lovely, it's all class. (Of course I had to stick my nose into the tub straight away, doesn't everyone?) Do Castle Forbes do hard soap? I've never heard of it. But their cream (really a croap) is top-notch, and lasts for a surprisingly long time.

 

[Ozymandias]

I don’t mind the T&H creams. I have 1805 and Sandalwood. Apsley is a great scent. Best T&H scent I’ve tried. Guess that’s why they charge a premium for their Apsley line.

 

[rhodes96]

The DRH Windsor you sent me smells lovely, it's all class. (Of course I had to stick my nose into the tub straight away, doesn't everyone?) Do Castle Forbes do hard soap? I've never heard of it. But their cream (really a croap) is top-notch, and lasts for a surprisingly long time.

Appologies @Gargravarr, Castle Forbes is a soft soap/ cream. The one you use is a very nice base. I have 2x samples and they have gone hard from age and lack of use.(Grafton & Spanish leather) Dr Harris hard soaps are the best of the St James area gentleman's brand performance wise I have used. A few years ago some of the stores changed their soap base formulas due to the so called unsustainability and ethical sourcing of palm oil and animal tallow. ( that was the corporate excuse) This backfired on them when sales dropped and complaints increased. I think some of them reverted back to close to the original formulas. At least adding the palm oil and tallow back. As @Bicep123 review indicates it seems T&H are one who have fixed their hard soap formula.

Glad your care package arrived. Thought It might have gone MIA after Launceston to be lost in the deep dark woods of Central Tasmania.
That soap is my star pick of the British big brand hard soaps. Easy to lather smells very regal, has similar more leathery fragrance to Terre d' Hermes, and love the beach wood bowl. A true gentleman's shaving soap.

 

[Gargravarr]

Appologies @Gargravarr, Castle Forbes is a soft soap/ cream. The one you use is a very nice base.

In my case, "was" is probably more accurate. I've only got a couple of shaves left in it

...That soap is my star pick of the British big brand hard soaps. Easy to lather smells very regal, has similar more leathery fragrance to Terre d' Hermes, and love the beach wood bowl. A true gentleman's shaving soap.

It certainly is And the bowl qualifies as a Thing Of Beauty all by itself

 

[Phunk]

@Phunk your review gives me hope that T&H have finally fixed up the soap formulation.
If you like the hard British soaps, Dr Harris and Castle Forbes are also worthy of a try.

Where are you purchasing the soap through? I'd definitely want to give it a go.

In regards to re-formulation, I read somewhere that they dropped using Palm oil and animal fats at one stage.. judging by the ingredients, they definitely look to be back in this current formula!

 

[rhodes96]

Where are you purchasing the soap through? I'd definitely want to give it a go.

Dr Harris is available from Men's Biz, and Castle Forbes from Vshod.

If you would like a sample of the Dr Harris PM your details. The Castle Forbes samples I am going throw them. They have no scent left and dehydrated creams tend to give you a foamy shave when adding water which kils the slickness and cushioning. I have dumped a few tubs of Tobs because of this. If memory serves me, Grafton was really nice scent. @Gargravarr uses Caste Forbes regularly in Sotd, he might be more help in the Castle Forbes department.

 

[Gargravarr]

Dr Harris is available from Men's Biz, and Castle Forbes from Vshod.

If you would like a sample of the Dr Harris PM your details. The Castle Forbes samples I am going throw them. They have no scent left and dehydrated creams tend to give you a foamy shave when adding water which kils the slickness and cushioning. I have dumped a few tubs of Tobs because of this. If memory serves me, Grafton was really nice scent. @Gargravarr uses Caste Forbes regularly in Sotd, he might be more help in the Castle Forbes department.

If you follow the guidelines Vshod give you for using Castle Forbes, you'll get a crap shave. All you have to do is load your brush copiously directly from the tub with a just barely damp brush, then work up your lather with just a sprinkle of a few drops at a time of water. Actually, the same as for any soap, hard or soft. The point is, it doesn't work so well if you don't load enough. You don't have to worry about using it up too fast, this tub of mine has been in a very heavy rotation with a massive brush for 10 months. (Almost finished now.) I finished a tub of Stirling in 7 months.

 

[Phunk]

If you follow the guidelines Vshod give you for using Castle Forbes, you'll get a crap shave. All you have to do is load your brush copiously directly from the tub with a just barely damp brush, then work up your lather with just a sprinkle of a few drops at a time of water. Actually, the same as for any soap, hard or soft. The point is, it doesn't work so well if you don't load enough. You don't have to worry about using it up too fast, this tub of mine has been in a very heavy rotation with a massive brush for 10 months. (Almost finished now.) I finished a tub of Stirling in 7 months.

"All you have to do is load your brush copiously directly from the tub with a just barely damp brush, then work up your lather with just a sprinkle of a few drops at a time of water"


Funny you mention this, it is EXACTLY how I lather the Truefitt and Hill, the normal way of loading A&E / Stirling soaps doesn't work well for this soap. if the brush is a bit too wet it gets really foamy and a thin layer on the face.