Member
The launch announcement from Tallow & Steel proved too enticing and I’m weak, so I ordered all four soaps and matching aftershaves. I’ve had a chance to use each of the soaps and aftershaves several times and have used razors including a straight, several DE, an adjustable injector wide open, and an Artist Club SE. The summary verdict: this is an excellent product and can hold its own against offerings from other top tier artisans. At this point in the explosion of skilled artisans, asking which artisan soap is “best” can feel like someone asking which of your kids is your favorite—each has a particular “best” trait, but you love them all.
Performance is top shelf. It is very easy to load and to lather (if it matters, I have hard well water and a whole-house softener.) The lather is very creamy and has a wide tolerance for water. I shaved with it underwatered and dense, where it understandably was not as slick. I also shaved with it overwatered and thin, as well as in my sweet spot. In all cases, I had a fantastic shave (my typical three-passes): BBS, no weepers, no irritation. My skin is oily, so I don’t often get post-shave tightness and found the post shave fine here as well. One thing I did note is that this soap rinses off very clean--so clean I could make my skin squeak by rubbing my hand over it. This is in contrast to some (especially tallow) soaps that feel like there is a coating on the face even after rinsing. Initially, I was concerned that this might mean residual slickness and buffing might be an issue, so I deliberately buffed to excess in a few of my problem areas and had no problems. As long my face was not rinsed clean, so that some trace of wet lather remained, buffing worked fine. Every shave with this soap was a great start to the day.
Scent is not an area where I have a good nose or vocabulary. Interestingly, I was surprised that all of the scents to me shared an underlying family resemblance despite the large differences—a woody, earthy undertone. I found all of the scents to be enjoyable and pretty different interpretations of their respective genres. When ordering, I expected Rainforest to be my favorite, but that’s not what happened. I like it, but wish the cedar was less prominent and the citrus moreso. Grog is a great take on bay rum, one that replaces the cinnamon and clove with wood and earth notes. Similarly with Classic—not powdery, but anise and wood forward, and perhaps the strongest scented of the four. Dark is…well, intriguing. The cocoa is there, but it isn’t sweet or gourmand, and is blended with other earthy notes kind of like a hardwood forest in the fall after rain has dampened the ground. I will be using it a lot in the cooler months. In general, I found the scent strength to be moderate and wished for a bit more. The scent is noticeable during the shave, but didn’t fill the bathroom or linger after the shave. Because the scents are so unique, I do wish they hung around a bit more.
The aftershaves are quite nice. With oily skin, I’m usually an alcohol splash guy, but these aftershaves work well and agree with my skin. I intentionally made some irritation on my neck; the aftershave soothed it instantly. The aloe vera was not sticky; the aftershave dried non-tacky and left my face refreshed, smooth, and smelling good.
Overall, I’m impressed and look forward to more products from Tallow & Steel.
Performance is top shelf. It is very easy to load and to lather (if it matters, I have hard well water and a whole-house softener.) The lather is very creamy and has a wide tolerance for water. I shaved with it underwatered and dense, where it understandably was not as slick. I also shaved with it overwatered and thin, as well as in my sweet spot. In all cases, I had a fantastic shave (my typical three-passes): BBS, no weepers, no irritation. My skin is oily, so I don’t often get post-shave tightness and found the post shave fine here as well. One thing I did note is that this soap rinses off very clean--so clean I could make my skin squeak by rubbing my hand over it. This is in contrast to some (especially tallow) soaps that feel like there is a coating on the face even after rinsing. Initially, I was concerned that this might mean residual slickness and buffing might be an issue, so I deliberately buffed to excess in a few of my problem areas and had no problems. As long my face was not rinsed clean, so that some trace of wet lather remained, buffing worked fine. Every shave with this soap was a great start to the day.
Scent is not an area where I have a good nose or vocabulary. Interestingly, I was surprised that all of the scents to me shared an underlying family resemblance despite the large differences—a woody, earthy undertone. I found all of the scents to be enjoyable and pretty different interpretations of their respective genres. When ordering, I expected Rainforest to be my favorite, but that’s not what happened. I like it, but wish the cedar was less prominent and the citrus moreso. Grog is a great take on bay rum, one that replaces the cinnamon and clove with wood and earth notes. Similarly with Classic—not powdery, but anise and wood forward, and perhaps the strongest scented of the four. Dark is…well, intriguing. The cocoa is there, but it isn’t sweet or gourmand, and is blended with other earthy notes kind of like a hardwood forest in the fall after rain has dampened the ground. I will be using it a lot in the cooler months. In general, I found the scent strength to be moderate and wished for a bit more. The scent is noticeable during the shave, but didn’t fill the bathroom or linger after the shave. Because the scents are so unique, I do wish they hung around a bit more.
The aftershaves are quite nice. With oily skin, I’m usually an alcohol splash guy, but these aftershaves work well and agree with my skin. I intentionally made some irritation on my neck; the aftershave soothed it instantly. The aloe vera was not sticky; the aftershave dried non-tacky and left my face refreshed, smooth, and smelling good.
Overall, I’m impressed and look forward to more products from Tallow & Steel.
