Penhaligon's?

P

ProphetNoir

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28
Well Gents.
I have to ask this question because, while we on this side of the pond are all oohs and aahs over Penhaligon's shaving soaps and creams, I can find not a single thread in this forum about them. The very name of Penhaligon's is conspicuous in it's absence.
Are we being sold something that is held in low esteem by the English and being laughed at for buying it?
Does anyone here have an experience, good or bad, with Penhaligon's products?
I joined in the recent rush to acquire some the remaining English Fern soaps before the reformulation which will not include tallow in the ingredients.
It wasn't cheap either!
So? What's all this then?
 
No idea - I made a point of heading in to Penhaligon's shops in both Edinburgh & Glasgow with SWMBO and the first thing I noticed about both was being outnumbered 10 to 2 by staff, despite being in both stores for more than 20 minutes each on a busy Saturday afternoon, we remained the sole customers. The scents didn't set my heart a fluttering either.
 
I have some Penhaligon's English fern shaving soap, and some bath soaps. I *think* that the shaving soap is tallow, but to be honest, I just bought some as I do like the scent.

The performance is good, but not as good as the price suggests. It's not in the same league as something like Tabac, but I've found it better than Trumpers, but maybe not as good as the D.R. Harris soaps that I have tried. Essentially, I think you're paying for the scent, and the EF edt and soap is one of my favourites.

Ian
 
Ian,
I purchased three pucks of English Fern, all in wooden bowls since refills are no longer available, because tallow is the first ingredient listed. I haven't tried any yet, but the scent is lovely and I am looking forward to trying it.
Over on B&B the sun rises and sets on Penhaligon's soaps, creams and EdTs.
I was just wondering if they were somehow considered a lesser brand in the mother country. I didn't really expect that to be the case, but it seemed curious that I had seen no mention here.
 
Hi Prophet,

I was a scent man before finding this lather producing fraternity and diving in.

As such I can only add that fragrance wise they’ve got some bloody good ones, I have Endymion, Racquets Formula and English Fern. The first purchased blind on recommendation from source, the remaining from a reputable source for half the asking price (genuine).

My hang up with their shaving goods is that for just over a third of the price you can pick up Cade or Tabac refills. And having both I think taking a punt on a £20 puck is just disappointment waiting to happen as they are pretty much bench mark soaps. Although having smelled the EF soap it beats all other impersonations.

There creams being only a few £’s more than the Floris offerings are probably easier to swallow (not recommended). But you are only getting a choice of three.

Do you think it might have anything to do with that being right on the doorstep, so to speak, that there the last to try. My first shaving purchases were French and German.

All comments, recommendations etc, etc, are solely this posters opinion, which are as such and without forward notification liable to change *DAILY* and be totally *CONTRADICTED* in further posts.

Especially considering price wise I’m desperately suppressing the urge to purchase Acqua di Parma Collezione Barbiere – Shaving cream.
 
That's the way forums work.

Someone posts something and then everyone thinks "must try" and then the shave-snob in them comes out and they start posting "Oh, you simply have to try this".

There's a lot of cult/hero worship for some English products and people which isn't justified.

Oh, and don't get me started on that drunk, war-monger Churchill who seems to crop up from time to time linked to Penhaligon's.
 
I used to have some Penhaligon's shaving soap, Blenheim Bouquet. It was a top notch soap, up there with Harris and Tabac IMO. The scent was nice, but not that spectacular. Expensive and not better than the others.
 
Nape sent me some Penhaligon's samples recently and I (and SWMBO) really like them, though we're not Basenotes types so have not a lot to compare the scents to. Blenheim Bouquet is very nice.
 
ProphetNoir said:
Ian,
I purchased three pucks of English Fern, all in wooden bowls since refills are no longer available, because tallow is the first ingredient listed. I haven't tried any yet, but the scent is lovely and I am looking forward to trying it.
Over on B&B the sun rises and sets on Penhaligon's soaps, creams and EdTs.
I was just wondering if they were somehow considered a lesser brand in the mother country. I didn't really expect that to be the case, but it seemed curious that I had seen no mention here.
Click to expand...

Penhaligon's is nice stuff. As well as the EF shaving soap and bath soaps, I also have EF, Endymion, Opus 1870 and Douro edt/colognes. I thing the cost of this stuff is a little prohibitive, and I've only bought the Opus and the soaps from Penhaligon's themselves, the rest came via ebay or from forum sales.

Ian
 
Give the York or Bicester outlet stores a ring. They deliver, and the prices are so cheap it's rude not to.

They sometime have deals. I know I have picked up 2x100ml bottles of Opus for £40 for the pair and they often have the EF shaving soap in the bowls for about £20.
 
joe mcclaine said:
That's the way forums work.

Someone posts something and then everyone thinks "must try" and then the shave-snob in them comes out and they start posting "Oh, you simply have to try this".

There's a lot of cult/hero worship for some English products and people which isn't justified.

Oh, and don't get me started on that drunk, war-monger Churchill who seems to crop up from time to time linked to Penhaligon's.
Click to expand...

We have a fair share of shave snobs here in the States and we are definitely influenced by English products to a point where U.S. manufacturers are largely thought to be good only if they can deliver at bargain prices. There is a small company in San Francisco, CA that produces a shaving cream that has a huge following here and is thought to equal or surpass the vaunted "Three T's" in terms of quality. Unfortunately Nancy Boy does not ship overseas, so many outside of the U.S. have not had an opportunity to try these products for themselves. There is also Art of Shaving whose soaps and creams are also held in very high regard, but it is believed that they import these items so they are still made by "olde world artisans". The impressions that many here have of Europe and the UK are that everything looks as described by Dickens and Dumas. All things from Europe are considered better by default. Sort of a "grass is greener" type of thinking that is used to justify paying the premium prices. To a degree, I am as guilty as the man next to me of that thinking.
I am glad to know that my Pen's EF soaps are as good as their reputation, if pricey. I look forward to several years of enjoyment from my three pucks as I am not likely be buying any more, especially once the old formula is completely sold out.
 
Hi Prophet

I first became aware of Penhaligon's through basenotes, where I lurked for a while (I like my smellies). It was basenotes that led me to B&B, which in turn led me to TSR and an epiphany.

I was surprised at just how popular British (though mainly English) products, including the 3 Ts, actually are on the US boards - names I'd never even heard of until relatively recently. I do wonder, however, how much of their cult status your side of the water is down to the 'English' factor: if it's got a Royal Warrant on it, and it hails from the birthplace of the gentleman (debatable), it's gotta be good - a common perception that I'm sure these companies gleefully exploit across the North American market. Rave reviews about fantastic English customer service (lol) add further weight to my suspicions (the fella I spoke to at DR Harris could have done with a slap). But perhaps I'm just being cynical.

After all that ranting and raving I have to admit that I've yet to try Penhaligon's shaving soaps and creams. Though I do rate some of their exorbitantly priced colognes highly: English Fern (I bought Trumper's cheaper but identical version), Opus 1870 and Racquets. As for the 3 Ts, I think Trumper's Coconut oil and TOBS Rose creams deserve all the praise heaped on them - whichever side of the Atlantic it comes from.

N
 
Hi NakedApe,

I wonder if there are equal amounts of national pride and self loathing on both sides of the Atlantic. The U.S. and the U.K. are very much alike in just about every meaningful way, both good and bad. Before I got interested in shaving the correct way I knew nothing of the brands I now stand by. Within the shaving community it probably stems from the fact that there simply was not a lot available from U.S. manufacturers. Things here are so corporate driven that the big conglomerates control what we purchase by denying us what we want. I would have bought a razor from Merkur had I not found Edwin Jagger.
That the British (and the rest of the world) exploit their perceived image in America is understandable when you consider that there are more than two hunderd million of the most conspicuous consumers on the planet in one conveniently concentrated area. We get Rolls and Bentley, BMW and Mercedes while Vauxhall and Opal aren't brought over because they might compete against Ford and Chevrolet.
Still, when it comes to men's grooming products, we had Gillette and ... Gillette to choose from. Suddenly I was hearing names like Penhaligon and Floris and Castle Forbes and Creed. I was reading that there were centuries of tradition behind these "houses". Yes I had to get in on this.
After all, I got class, don't I?
I won't be cynical about it though, I am something of an Anglophile and I like the perception of quality that is associated with the high prices of some English products. It seems that a small company can survive and flourish ... with enough American dollars coming their way.
 
This is so, so, interesting!
With part of my family in The USA I visit regularly New York and now Dallas. There is great affection for the English among those people I meet. My daughter has long appreciated the value of retaining her English accent over the past 20 plus years. Enthusiasm for British shaving products surprises me not at all. As to customer service, the standard in the USA is excellent, the standard here is generally appalling. So it amazes me that it could be a factor in the popularity of British goods.
 
You have to take into consideration that most of the larger cities, and New York in particular, are more international than domestic. Similarly London, Paris, Hong Kong and a few others entertain huge numbers of visitors from around the world. We are accustomed to their patronage at the large shopping areas and we are somewhat conscious that we represent the town and the country by our interaction with them. It may not be the same level of courtesy shown to people that live here. I think that people are courteous in response to courtesy. I tend to smile first, as it has been said that a smile can be disarming. Particularly, being that I am a Black man who grew up during times that were never kind to Black men, I tend to extend myself a bit further. Times may have changed, but they haven't changed enough.
Still I don't play the "R" card because a basic education and an open mind are all that one should need to recognize that commerce is enhanced by good customer service.
It is amazing that staffs who might not even use the products they sell, can deem to be rude or condescending to those upon whom their livelihood depends. Could it be jealousy, or perhaps having to deal with rude customers that makes them callous?
At any rate, I have found some satisfaction by taking a proactive approach and choosing to be the customer that tried to make performng their duty a bit less stressful.
 
I visited their Covent Garden shop recently and the service was dire. Saturday morning and the only person to help was a young lady who knew naff all about shaving soaps and less about the ingredients, past and future, of English Fern soap. I emailed their customer services to pass comment and received no reply. What does that tell you? I know what it tells me.

A wander down to Trumper' and I felt like a million dollars with the attention and knowledge - same at Taylor's - sublime, professional service that knew when and how to make the move and say the right things.

Less so at Floris, but their EdT sells itself.
 
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