Wickham Soap Testers

I've used the hard soap about 5 times, and felt like I'd found the best way to use it.
Today, I went back to super smooth and BOOM - great lather straight away.
Now I used to always prefer a hard soap, feeling like the lather was a bit more luxurious than creams, and I used hard soaps exclusively for about a year. But the problem with Darron's super soft is it's too damn good. This hard soap feels like a poor relative.
That's not a criticism of the hard soap, more a comment on the super soft.
Since using the super soft I've fallen out with proraso green, TOBS sandlewood, and pretty much all the creams I have.

You don't want lemonade when you've been drinking champagne. Even if it's Harrods lemonade.
 
I've finally freed up a container and pressed the coconut hard soap into it. Not really "hard", but easy to press into the container.
Unfortunately, the 8oz tub I've pressed it into is fairly large diameter and the sample barely covers the bottom.
I have a feeling I'm going to go through this fairly quickly. Smells great though, and I'm not a fan of coconut! :icon_razz:

*Edit
OK, I had a go this morning. I tried loading the brush in the same way that I do when using SS. This hard soap is NOT Super Smooth. It definitely takes more work to get a decent lather. Post-shave face feel is very good though. I'll keep at it.
 
i received my samples today - Thank you Darron :) - a good corner of the Spice Trade hard soap and a splodge of English Rose Super Soft. I decided to try the SS 1st as the scent was amazing. It's definitely a stronger scent that the first release of SS. I can't say i can distinguish between types of rose but this was very impressive - it lasted through the shave and stayed on the skin for a while after too. Reminded me of the Czech and Speake Rose EDTs which I love. I feel Darron is really developing his skill with scents and this would be a worthy addition to the SS range. Performance was top notch as usual - i was using my new Tubby 2 and added too much water but with a bit of extra whipping generated enough lather for 4 passes or more (i stopped at 2 as i'm still getting to grips with my futur). Good work Fox!

I'll try he hard soap next and be back wih my review
 
Spice Trade hard soap and English Rose Super Smooth arrived ...

Spice Trade tomorrow. With Old Spice Aftershave. It's a super scent - compared to the Super Smooth sample, it holds its scent a lot better in the hard soap variety. I'm used to the Super Smooth formula, but looking forward to a new scent. The hard soap will be a new experience, so that one first.
 
Received a sample of the English Rose super soft and the sugar rice hard. Tried the SS this morning and found it terrific, certainly beating TOBS and BodyShop maca creams that I've been using recently. A couple of licks of cream and face lathered very easily with a best badger. Excellent shave with an Ikon loaded up with an Astra green blade: good protection and moisturising. Lather lasted well for 3 passes and BBS with ease. The smell lasts well throughout the shave and didn't compete with Tabac ASB. Rose is probably note my ideal, I'd probably try something spicier, but the soap would definitely be on my shopping list.
Nice work Darron. I'll report back when I've tried the hard.
 
Got my Sandalwood Super Smooth and Spice Trade hard soaps yesterday. Thanks Darron, very generous.

Sandalwoods Super Smooth tried today (see my SOTD). The Super Smooth soap is a great performer, as always. Opening the container I only got the faintest whiff of sandalwood which was surprising as I was expecting a kick from the soap itself.
The soap is very soft. I've found out that this SS solidifies after a few months which I find weird. I wouldn't say dries out as the containers seem fairly airtight. It'd be interesting to find out if others have found their soaps dry out in the full-size tubs. I guess if you load the soap onto a wet brush this added moisture may keep the soap hydrated. I always scoop out a bit. The solidifying doesn't seem to affect its performance but I was just intrigued.

Back to this soap. Lathering was a piece of cake, the best selling point IMO. I bowl lathered and had no issues, I have slightly hard water. I actually prefer a creamier lather than this that I find in soaps like Stirling due to tallow etc. but this lather was perfectly fine.

The big bugbear I have with Wickham's soaps is the lack of scent (although I think Garden Mint is just right). This soap just didn't have any. I tried to detect any during the shave but I just couldn't smell any sandalwood, or anything really. Just a kind of neutral scent. The other sandalwood soap I have is TOBS and that is just a wonderful aroma, this I expected and just didn't get with Wickham's.
To confirm it wasn't just me I let SWMBO sniff the full lather bowl and she couldn't smell anything either.

As this test was mainly all about the scent I have to say I felt robbed of a scent, surely no-one would be satisfied with this scent. Has anyone else tried the sandalwood? It'd be interesting to hear their opinion.
So, sorry Darron, this didn't do it for me, but with an increased scent you could have a winner.

The Spice Trade hard soap is for tomorrow's shave and I have to say I'm excited to discover how this performs. I already have an earlier Spice Trade soft soap so I can compare.
 
My first go with Wickham's latest hard soap formula, scented with his Spice Trade blend. Compared to the same as the softer 'Super Smooth' formula, the hard soap most definitely seems to carry and hold the scent better.

Pressed out into a flat receptacle, which happens to be a finished tin of Tabasco chocolate, five or six twirls in either direction with warm soft water and we're loaded! Several twirls on the face later, a dip into the water and another several twirls, we're ready to shave and already well cushioned with a thick (like whipping cream thick) lather.

The scent is lovely! Very reminiscent of Old Spice. Shaving, it slips well, does not catch or judder and washes out leaving firmed and conditioned skin, not dry nor greasy. Second pass was so much better as the soapy lather had matured on the brush. I often find this. So much enjoyed, I made a third application which sat on my face while I washed up the brush and the razor.

This is my kind of soap.

I'm struggling to find anything constructive to say by way of improvements. I like it. I think that'll do.
 
Ok, time to test the hard soap. (my SOTD here)
This time Spice Trade, the scent of which I've tried the Super Smooth soft soap in the past. I squished the soap sample into the bottom of a tupperware container and loaded up my brush for a fairly short time. I used a synthetic because I know I won't be able to blame the brush as they don't "eat" any of the lather themselves.
This soap is weird. At first it looks thin and foamy but after a minute or so lathering in a bowl it all at once changes to a thick creamy consistency. I must have overloaded the brush because it generated mountains of lather. You can see the lather explosion in my SOTD pics.

Soap scent was a little less than I would like but it was not too far off the mark and it stayed throughout the shave. Lather seems to cover much better than the soft soap and provide a more protective layer.

Another weird thing about this soap is that it matures. By the third pass the lather had settled to be denser and more creamy than the first pass. I thought by the third pass the consistency was excellent. I wonder if this lather would improve by waiting a few minutes before using it.

I found the skin conditioning to be about the same as the soft soap, just moisturising a little but not overdoing it and so no problem using your favourite ASB on top.

So in summary I rate this hard soap above the soft soaps. It takes a little more work lathering but you're rewarded with a creamier lather.

Well done Darron.
 
I enjoyed the new scent tonight. English Rose, as Super Smooth cream.

I'm a face latherer now. I'm well versed in the Super Smooth formula in a bowl, where slow and steady is the key and then drop a decent glob of water in and whip like the clappers! On the face, a large pea-sized amount rubbed between palms and applied to a wet face to be massaged in with a damp brush, gradually wetted is just great! Easy to do, thick lather resulting and a smooth shave.

For me, I much prefer the hard soap that I've tried. I do like the Super Smooth, but the hard soap floats my boat.

No direct criticism of the Super Smooth - it's good, it's nice, it's straightforward. Perhaps it lacks that certain je ne sait quoi but it's certainly a good soap.

The scent is the key difference here. Again, subtle, but rose should be. Wafting throughout, it made a great shave ... not quite gone by the end, but most certainly won't get in the way of an aftershave. Well pitched!
 
Like fancontroller I received the sandalwood Super Smooth and the Spice Trade hard soap samples. I've previously had samples of the garden mint and lavender SS and, having been impressed by the scent and performance, gone on to buy a tub of the latter.
I gave the sandalwood a whirl this morning. My impressions: I genuinely wondered if my sample had been mis-labelled. I thought I could smell coconut; certainly not much, if anything, in the way of sandalwood or similar. I smoke and have done for more than 35 years, so it's possible that I've ruined my olfactory processes; however sandalwood is pretty distinctive. I couldn't fault the performance - lather and glide that I've come to expect and respect; top class.
I've not tried the Spice Trade yet but the smell is smashing - far better than the Shulton Old Spice shaving cream I recently bought from India. I've pressed it into a ramekin dish for another day. I do think it's soft for a hard soap - a potential concern for longevity.
I'll try the Spice Trade later this week. In the meantime thanks, Darron, for all of your hard work - it's much appreciated.
 
LOL Sandalwood, I knew it! My wife, my chief sniffer has pulled a joke on me. For the last two weeks I have been telling people that I am scent blind to Sandalwood, that I can't smell a thing when it comes to that scent. I even told my toxicologist who said, yes it's common, you suffer from anosmia.

The reason I believed it was me is that my supplier reasured me that its the best Sandalwood they have ever had available. REALY! I need a new supplier then.

LOL it doesn't smell of anything! OK, don't despair chaps, I do oddly have a new supplier lined up so will get a new Sandalwood from them and get it out to fancontroller & Geofnay, stand by chaps. :D


---------

mikebrownington said:
Not had mine yet, liking the sound of the Spice trade and the coconut though!
Click to expand...

Hi Mike I am sorry and I do have your details but I made a mistake. I do have samples here of English Rose Super Smooth and the new hard soap Spice Trade, would you like me to send this out or would you like to hang on for the new Sandalwood and Spice Trade hard soap?

Thank you again chaps for the feedback.

D. :D
 
I had another try with the coconut hard soap this morning, but this time I used a synthetic brush.
I must have loaded up the brush a lot because I soon had a bowl-full of thick glossy lather.
Unfortunately, the slickness and glide are not up to the standard set by the Super Smooth range.
I got a 3 pass dfs, but also a few weepers from the blade skipping.
I hope this is only a problem with my particular sample and not indicative of the hard soaps as a whole. Because the price / performance ratio is great.
Sorry Darron, it doesn't work for me.
I'm looking forward to testing your new samples though.
 
mikebrownington said:
Not a fan of sandalwood so the English Rose super smooth and Spice trade hard would be great :)
Click to expand...

Hi Mike I will get that out today for you. :)

Mr_Smartepants; Thank you for the feedback, tweaking the slickness is now on my list to do for the hard soap. :D

Mrs Fox tells me she didn't play a trick and that the Sandalwood smells strong. That is one strange scent, it seems some people can smell it while others smell nothing, most odd. :s
 
Just wanted to stop by to let Darron know I received his package yesterday (I was out of the office last week). I'll start sampling them from tomorrow. Going to disappear over the long weekend to go camping with the family but I should start having some meaningful feedback next week.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom