Classic 24 v. (Wickham Soap Co. 1912)
fruity musky
This is the smell of the morning commute into the City of London, when thousands of bankers, brokers, and civil servants, all perfumed for success, don their super 120 suits and take to the Tube. Wickham calls Classic 24 a barbershop scent from the 1950s, but their label gives it away. The general on horseback as much as the fragrance itself helps us recognize this soap as an homage to Creed's Aventus.
When Aventus debuted in 2010 it had a noticeable leather note. Thanks to IFRA restrictions, its birch tar (the ingredient we associate with leather) has now been toned down considerably so that modern Aventus is not nearly as leathersome as it used to be. Classic 24 seems to be based on this paler formulation. You won't confuse this soap with a bomber jacket, but its fresh musky notes make for a great shave, and it's a whole lot cheaper than a bottle of Creed.