I recently sold a razor that hadn't been getting much love. Naturally, I had to invest part of the proceeds into more shave soap.
You know that soap you've had your eye on for some time? Me too. I had been real curious about Abbate Y La Mantia 'Don Jose'. Free money was burning up my wallet, so I pulled the trigger.
After all of two shaves, I'm here to report early impressions and observations.
The Don Jose (DJ) came very nicely packaged. It shipped in a box wrapped with twine affixed with wax seal. Very handsome actually. The soap comes in a screw-top metal can. The metal is soft, and would ding easily.
The soap is a very soft croap, even a bit softer than Declaration's bison tallow base soaps. It is almost a cream, and could easily be treated as one.
The lather is pure pleasure. For the sake of context, here's my recent soap rotation:
The scent you say? Just what it says on the tin: banana and coconut, with methol. For me this combination does not evoke edible fruit, but rather, suntan lotion. I say this with the greatest possible affection. I grew up in Florida, and spent my childhood on the beaches. Suntan lotion is wondrous scent, laden with fragments of remembered pleasures from many fine days. DJ takes that scent, refines it, and gives it depth. The scent does not linger for hours, though I wish it did. The menthol cools but does not freeze. It refreshes. The menthol is felt, but it does not assault the nose, nor irritate the eyes. Spot on.
My bottom line criterion for shaving soaps: if I ran out tomorrow, would I re-order? I have about 25 soaps in house, not counting samples. As of last week, only Fougere Gothique passed the immediate reorder test (it is, sadly, not in production).
I think with my next order of Don Jose I'll pick up the aftershave too.
You know that soap you've had your eye on for some time? Me too. I had been real curious about Abbate Y La Mantia 'Don Jose'. Free money was burning up my wallet, so I pulled the trigger.
After all of two shaves, I'm here to report early impressions and observations.
The Don Jose (DJ) came very nicely packaged. It shipped in a box wrapped with twine affixed with wax seal. Very handsome actually. The soap comes in a screw-top metal can. The metal is soft, and would ding easily.
The soap is a very soft croap, even a bit softer than Declaration's bison tallow base soaps. It is almost a cream, and could easily be treated as one.
The lather is pure pleasure. For the sake of context, here's my recent soap rotation:
- Nuavia Verde
- C&Z #88
- B&M Fougere Gothique
- Declaration TSM Fougere
- Wholly Kaw Monaco Royale
The scent you say? Just what it says on the tin: banana and coconut, with methol. For me this combination does not evoke edible fruit, but rather, suntan lotion. I say this with the greatest possible affection. I grew up in Florida, and spent my childhood on the beaches. Suntan lotion is wondrous scent, laden with fragments of remembered pleasures from many fine days. DJ takes that scent, refines it, and gives it depth. The scent does not linger for hours, though I wish it did. The menthol cools but does not freeze. It refreshes. The menthol is felt, but it does not assault the nose, nor irritate the eyes. Spot on.
My bottom line criterion for shaving soaps: if I ran out tomorrow, would I re-order? I have about 25 soaps in house, not counting samples. As of last week, only Fougere Gothique passed the immediate reorder test (it is, sadly, not in production).
I think with my next order of Don Jose I'll pick up the aftershave too.
