I've noticed something potentially interesting while researching Penhaligon's ...
I've been back over my sources for this several times and having initially ignored it as an anomaly, I've got to the point that I just can't. The dates just don't stack up and actually tell a different story.
Pen's (as we know) had a superb tallow formulation which at some point in the 2000s moved over to a palmate formulation, quite the drama in its day! I have dated evidence of tallow as late as 2004 but we do know that the Standard Company palmate formulation was certainly in place by 2011 when that company was acquired by Soapworks and the real drama started.
Tallow Formulation (Older?) < concurrent formulation with C&E refill box with 1978 specified
Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Potassium Palmate, Sodium Cocoate, Potassium Palm Kernelate, Aqua (Water), Parfum (Fragrance), Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Titanium Dioxide, Disodium Distyrlbiphenyl Disuphonate, Sodium Gluconate, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Pentasodium Pentetate, Citral, Geraniol, CI 11680, CI 12490
Tallow Formulation (Newer?) < from a refill box with 2004 specified
Potassium Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Aqua (Water), Potassium Cocoate, Sodium Cocoate, Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Parfum (Fragrance), Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Silicate, Magnesium Suphate, Sodium Gluconate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, CI 74160, CI 11710, CI 11690, CI 74260, CI 12480
Standard Company Formulation (pre-2011)
Potassium Palmate, Sodium Palmate, Potassium Stearate, Potassium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Aqua (Water), Sodium Stearate, Glycerine, Parfum (Fragrance), Palm Kernel Acid, Limonene, Paraffinum Liquidum, Linalool, Isoproyl Myristate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Hexyl Cinnamal, Geraniol, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Pentasodium Pentetate, Hydroxycitronellal, BHT, Citronellol, Sodium Hydroxide, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77492 & CI77499 (Iron Oxides)
Soapworks Formulation (2011 onwards)
Sodium Palmate, Potassium Stearate, Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Stearate, Aqua (Water), Potassium Cocoate, Glycerin, Parfum (Fragrance), Tetrasodium ETDA, Sodium Chloride, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionene, Linalool, Citronellol, Coumarin, Bisabolol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Evernia Prunastri (Oakmoss) Extract, Amyl Cinnamal, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Geraniol, Eugenol, Limonene, Benzyl Benzoate, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77289 (Chromium Hydroxide Green), CI 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77007 (Ultramarines)
... and dated posts from forums are full of consternation for the reformulation which is wholly accepted as terrible. In fact, it is remarked that Pen's went from great (tallow) to good (tallow reformulation) to "bad" (palmate formulation) ... I say "bad" but in time, regarded as "good" ... and then to "absolutely, most definitely bad" (Soapworks).
But here's where something interesting happens ...
c.2014 and forums are once again speaking of Pen's as being "good" again. Like Pen's have "listened to feedback and acted accordingly" and this was something I could not ignore. I've narrowed it down to both the Sartorial and Bayolea soaps which have the following formulation:
Potassium Palmate, Sodium Palmate, Potassium Stearate, Potassium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Aqua (Water), Sodium Stearate, Glycerine, Parfum (Fragrance), Palm Kernel Acid, Limonene, Paraffinum Liquidum, Linalool, Isoproyl Myristate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Hexyl Cinnamal, Geraniol, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Pentasodium Pentetate, Hydroxycitronellal, BHT, Citronellol, Sodium Hydroxide, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77492 & CI77499 (Iron Oxides)
... which looks suspiciously like the Standard Company formulation.
Okay, so how do they release new soaps using a formulation that was consigned to history by a new sodium-only formulation which caused absolute chaos and uproar across the board with our prided London names? Sartorial in 2013 and Bayolea in 2014.
What this suggests to me is that Soapworks were actually entirely capable of making a "good" shaving soap! ... did they just choose not to?
Furthermore, this perhaps explains just how TOBS Traditional manages to recapture that original Standard Company formulation as late as their c.2016? 2018? reformulation away from the Soapworks formulation that had been in place since 2011 on that line.
Perhaps it was an entirely different producer that was mixing up that older formulation ... but what is curious from this fact is: (a) Pen's seemingly chucked in the towel with shaving soaps around 2015 or 2016 despite apparently landing on a good formulation/supplier when everyone else was stuck with the crap formulation from Soapworks; (b) nobody else jumped onto this revived formulation when it was quite clear that the Soapworks formulation was a complete dud!
Maybe it was just that Pen's had been preparing for their Sartorial and Bayolea releases some years prior and had amassed a yet to be released stock before the Soapworks acquisition and so were able to appear to release a "good" soap during that period but were unable to get their other lines off the crap formulation.
Does anyone have a confirmed Blenheim Bouquest or English Fern from as late as 2013 or 2014? Confirmed, as in actually dated rather than just "bought some old stock around that time"?