A Review, and an Ode...

My search...Nay, my QUEST, for some of the best of what wetshaving has to offer comes to an end. And my oh my, was it worth it.




The name Penhaligon's is, to some, hallowed above all others. The English scent house, like Truefitt & Hill, Geo. F. Trumper's, Taylor's of Old Bond Street and others, is known for producing toiletries of all kinds that are at the very height of "gentlemanliness". A venerable old name, I had never even heard of them until I won a sample of their English Fern Eau de Toilette. I fell instantly in love, and decided I must have more. I was glad to find they also made an aftershave, a Talc and a Shaving Soap in this scent...and pretty sad when it turned out the soap and talc were out of stock. (They have been out of stock for months; according to the shop, they planned to be back in stock in April. It's May now...in case you weren't keeping track. Still out of stock.)

So, I threw myself into the search for the shaving soap, having sated my Talc thirst with Bronnley's English Fern...no substitute, but a nice talc nonetheless. The soap, however, proved elusive. The shaving fora were awash with rumors...of discontinuation, reformulation, production problems...and as more and more shops ran out, people got desperate. The situation was worsened by the fact that only the refill pucks were gone--the shaving soap bowl was still available. At a cost of $50+. Mad though I may be, I REFUSE to pay that much for soap. Nope, not gonna do it.

Finally, though, my WTB ad on Shave My Face proved fruitful. A very generous member (I leave him nameless, out of respect..but he is a true gentleman) DONATED a used puck to the cause. DONATED. As in FREE. Even now, the generosity brings me to tears...So I got the soap. And all is right with the world.

So, of course, the important part. Is it worth it? Is it worth the price, the search, the hunt?

In a word?

Yes. Oh, yes indeed.

Here's the thing. This soap, on first use, brought no surprises. It was EXACTLY what I thought it would be...which is to say, a superb soap in both shave and scent. The scent...oh, what can I say about English Fern? This is perhaps the most masculine scent I can think of...but it's a particular kind of masculinity.

There are, of course, different kinds of masculine. There's the Tabac masculine, all unbuttoned shirts and chest hair, little gold chains and moustaches. Then there's the Mitchell's Wool Fat masculine--grizzled, work hardened but still appreciative of the tender care received at home from good women, women with names like Margaret, or Hazel, or Opal.

The masculinity of English Fern is that of oak paneled Men's Clubs, where men sit and discuss the latest adventures of that mad fool Byrd, and the sorry state of the colonies...where you are shaved by your manservant James, who's been with the family for years and has an impeccable hand with the blade; no worries about nicks or burn marring your grooming with James. Though he's not one to pamper, not James, a real man has no time to worry about gentleness or "moisture".

And that's the shave you get. Flawless, smooth, full of confidence. It's not got that extra touch of skin care, that little bit of love that you get from MWF, nor does it have the arrogant sass of Tabac, but it has solid, unimpeachable lather that comes with just the right amount of effort. It has a great balance of cushion and lubrication, and it puts your whiskers right where they belong--in the sink.

I love it. It's great. I'll use it till it's gone, and buy another if it's to be had. But....

But it's not MWF. It's not La Toja. It's not Valobra, either. It's not magical.

It's just exactly what a classic, time-tested shave soap ought to be, which is probably too good for me.