Tags
9/10, shaving soap, soft soap, strop shoppe, teak, vanilla, wood
The Strop’s Shoppe Teak Wood is a perfect example of a soapmaker knowing the difference between a light scent and a weak scent. When you lather it up, bam, it’s there. Not really what I would call strongly, but it’s there. None of the straining to detect it that I often find with other soaps that try to pull off a “light” scent. It’s there, unmistakably so, and lasts throughout the entire shave without any fading that I noticed. Anyways, I suppose I might have liked it a fraction stronger, but this is definitely one of the few soaps that I’ve seen try for a “light” scent that doesn’t just fall flat IMHO.
It also helps that the aroma is quite pleasant. A bit hard to describe, it’s sort of a sweet woodsy scent. I can’t pinpoint the woody portion, but I think the sweetness could be vanilla? Hard to say. Heck, maybe it’s just the actual scent of the shea and/or cocoa butter used. I’m not sure. Anyways, I rather enjoy it.
And the lather. This is the first of the Strop Shoppe’s Special Edition soaps that I’ve tried, and wow, I can see why people seem to be raving so much about it. It lathers up extremely easily; a lot of volume, not too much water needed, as I find is often the case for soft soaps. It’s luxuriously thick and slick. And it left the face feeling just great, likely due to the extra Shea and Cocoa butter used.
- 9/10 Scent Pleasantness
- 9/10 Scent Strength
- 10/10 Lather Quality
Overall, a rather strong 9/10. The Strop Shoppe’s products started out rather strong when they first started out last year, and they certainly seem to be improving upon that as they go. Now only if we could convince them to offer samples! Anyways, I’d say this is easily within my top 5 favourite soaps / creams.
- Cost: The ~8.0 oz tub pictured (and no, I’m not sure why it’s mislabelled as 2.0 oz, it’s definitely far more than that) ran me $17.99, and is also available in a non-tallow version. Edit: If you want to avoid their website (as there are semi-frequently significant delays in shipping / customer service issues I’ve heard reported), 6 oz and 3 oz tubs are available in Canada from Men Essentials for $19.50 and $9.50 respectively.
Gear used:
- Brush: Ecotools Kabuki Finishing Brush
- Razor: Vintage Bakelite Slant
- Blade: Bolzano Superinox
- Scuttle: Robert’s Feats of Clay #4
Ingredients: Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Glycerin, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Butter, Fragrance.
Palpz's Shaving Soap Reviews 
Have you ever thought of doing a “greatest hits” or a “Top Ten” list? You could even update it for changes later on.
I’ve considered it; I think one of the main barriers to that would be that I’d probably want to go back and re-compare soaps as I do so. Considering how much I rely upon samples, which I may or may not have enough left of for another shave, I might just have to go on memory for a number of them, to sort out the differences between all the 9/10s.
But, hell. Why not. I’ll at least put it on the to-do list if it’s something people would like.
“Greatest Hits” or “Hall of Fame” would be nice. There’s only so many samples any of us can try. Eager to try some Strop Shoppe!
Question…….Which blades to you like to use most in your Bakelite, if any?
Thus far I’d say the Bolzano Superinox, and Gillette Silver Blue. Although of course, your mileage may vary, especially in this.
Just received two 3.oz tubs. They are supposed to be tallow-based formula but do not list this on the list of ingredients. One says with tallow on the label, the other does not and tallow or tallowate is not listed in the tub ingredients.
Huh. I had not noticed that.
You should try her 1887 limited edition, with lanolin. It has the same thick yet slippery lather, but leaves my skin feeling as soft and smooth as mikes natural. Also, the scent is fantastic like all I’ve tried from the strop shoppe.
I’ve actually got some incoming. I’m looking forward to trying it; that scent description sounds like it could either be just wonderful, or absolutely rank. 🙂
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You can’t get Strop Shoppe in shops in the UK but I keep hearing a lot of good things about it. Maybe I should make some inquiries to see if they wholesale….
Perhaps. It does sometimes seem like keeping up with demand is one of their main issues.
You can now!! http://www.shavingstation.co.uk/the-strop-shoppe/