Vintage Soaps

I know there are some of you who really like vintage shaving soaps, as I do. Let's share some images of what have and use.
First, here are the ones in my current active rotation, from front to back (L to R): Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren Safari, Colgate Barber; Floris No. 89, tallow AOS Sandalwood, Harrods, Floris Elite; C&E Sweet Almond Oil, Penhaligon's Lords, Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet; Floris Verbena, Williams Rose, Penhaligon's English Fern, Aramis JHL; Roger & Gallet L'Homme, Old Spice, and Rawleigh's.


And these are my reserve backups: Brooks Brothers, C&E Sweet Almond Oil, Aramis JHL, Floris Verbena sticks, Ralph Lauren Safari, Floris No. 89; Floris Elite, and Floris No. 89 bowls.

I'll take better pictures of my collection next week when I have time.

For now, here's some older pics. I've got a thing for vintage soaps too.


















I've gotten a few more since taking these pictures in January...

I've got a Yardley YYY I think and a similar Lentsic in the really rad lidded container. I wonder if I would like the Lemon Verbena stick. The test lathers off the vintage stuff is awesome but have never shaved with them unfortunately.

One of my favorite vintage soap is Royal London. It doesn't get mentioned much, and information about it is scarce. I was lucky enough to find one at a antique store for $10, it comes in a cool black plastic container with ridges in the bottom to help the soap dry. No scent, but wonderful tallow lather, even better than the vintage Yardley IMO.

Cool thread John, and a nice collection. What qualifies a soap (and aftershave) as vintage? Is it age related or availability? I imagine formulation would enter into the equation as well.
Thanks,
Mark

The only vintage soap I have is Roger & Gallet L'Homme. The scent and performance are superb. I have two pucks left and shave with it only every so often so it's a treat when I use it.

Cool thread John, and a nice collection. What qualifies a soap (and aftershave) as vintage? Is it age related or availability? I imagine formulation would enter into the equation as well.
Thanks,
Mark

No doubt there are widely varying opinions about what "vintage" means, and I guess one could argue that anything that is no longer made can be called vintage. For me it generally means something that has been out of production, its original form, for 5 or more years.

Wow, Todd! That is a fabulous collection!

The only thing I have are four pucks of the AoS Sandalwood.
I much prefer the artisanal soaps as I don't care for some of the complex ingredients in the majority of vintage soaps.

Here is my vintage soap drawer:


and a few more hanging out with the badgers:

I have a few more up in my active rotation, but the shaving drawer in my master bath is not in a photogenic state.

I saw an older soap at a garage excuse me, estate sale recently. It was in a box with an old apache scarve and stapled Playboys. Some guy in dayglo tennis shoes, unzipped cargo pants with black socks and a bad combover grabbed it out from under me. He smiled and said " I was a adman, wrote copy for this stuff' and shuffled off with his jamaican nurse for a frozen yogurt at the mall. For a moment I thought it was Don Draper and shuddered. Vintage soaps are full of nasty chemicals, price stickers with unbelievably low prices we now regret not stockpiling and really cool advertising. I need a yogurt; kiwi with sparkly thingies on top.