Item of the Week 8/26 - VDH Deluxe Shave Soap

[Toothpick]

Hello to all.

This will be the twenty-seventh in a series of "item of the week" threads that I am promoting in the general shave discussion forum.
The rules:

1. It is very simple. Use the item of the week for the week that it is scheduled and post your thoughts on that item in its thread.
2. Everything else in your shave line-up may be rotated at will, but keep the featured item of the week as part of each shave.
3. The weeks will start on Monday and end on Saturday. Sunday could be a free day, or an overlap day for the next week or whatever.

The twenty-seventh featured item of the week will be VDH Deluxe Shave Soap.

 

[Toothpick]

This ought to be a good week.

Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, all sell Van Der Hagen Deluxe shave soap. (in my neck of the woods at least)

and better yet it's cheap!

 

[sarimento1]

Sounds interesting. I think I had a puck once of nondelux VDH, but it got chucked and replaced with the Colonel. I'll have do do some shopping when we get home Monday .

And I have to wonder....just how did VdH get all that retail distribution, versus the myriad of so many other soap brands? Maybe some 'industry insider' has the story?!

 

[Chaloney]

Headed to target soon. I'll see if they have any, otherwise ill have to find tome to go to cvs or Walgreens in the next couple days. My previous puck did not survive an attempt to scent it with aftershave and add some cream and glycerine in the microwave. Ended up with shave soup. If I get some ill keep it pure, at least for the week.

 

[FL shaver]

More profit per puck for the retailer compared to Williams, I'll bet. The real shame is that canned goo is favored over all of the great soaps and creams that we could be purchasing here in the US.

 

[SocalRick]

I'll be sitting this one out. Just not a fan.

 

[TonyJoe]

This will be an interesting contrast to last week's Item of the Week.

 

[nymtber]

Had I known this, I would have whipped up my lather with VDH instead of Proraso today!

VDH Deluxe has always worked for me. I shave every other day, and a puck will last 3-4 months! Better shave than canned goo!

Tues and Thurs shaves will be VDH, but the weekend is travel, so KMF it is.

 

[james23p]

Monday VDH Deluxe Soap.

I used my 1968 Gillette SS with a Personna Med Prep, my brush was my cheap VDH Deluxe Boar hair brush(white handle) that I'm really starting to like. I find my Boar brush is average with creams but with puck soap it's a lather monster and today was no exception. The VDH soap and brush lathered up nicely(I'm a face lather) and gave me a DFS shave, leaving my skin soft with little irritation.

Jim

 

[viper16]

Cool. I'll have to pull mine out of the drawer with all of the samples I have waiting for my current sample to get used up. Mike's and Mystic Waters samples seem to last forever. Seems like I can easily get a couple months out of a sample, since I only shave 2-3 times a week.

 

[bmilcs]

Without knowledge of this incoming IOTW, I purchased two pucks for 1.58 each at Walmart for breaking in new boar brush restores a week ago.

My first shaving soap was the tallow based VDH and so i'm impressed with how good this version is for the money. I could easily use it daily. Sure it's not as protective or thick as Mikes, Tabac, MWF, etc. However, it gets the job done for pennies a shave. I liked it so much, I grabbed a third puck over the weekend. Melted and poured them into a cool candy dish with a silver lid ($0.25 at a tag sale).

Middle class, blue collar shaving setup for around $6. Not too shabby.

Modern Williams is nowhere near as good as VDH Deluxe. No competition IMO... Hence the shortage of Williams in brick and mortar stores.

I look forward to using VDH Deluxe a few times this week. I received my first few full pucks of Mikes today so it's going to have to hold off at least a day.

 

[Khelben]

My first day back online after the move, and I find this gem. Used it this morning with no issues, even after a moderately hellacious sunburn from the beach on Saturday. For all you active duty or retired military types, this wonderful item will only set you back about $1.50 at your local exchange, so give it a try!

 

[TonyJoe]

I used VDH Deluxe yesterday. The lather is a little less stable than more expensive soaps, but not by much. It's very slick, having lots of glycerin in it. I got a nice shave with my '65 Slim and an Israeli UK Personna (4).

 

[bmilcs]

Used VDH as a practice lather and preshave yesterday. In conjunction with Mikes... Wow! Fantastic shave with a Weber PH Bulldog. Can't wait to buy my own because it was lent to me.

 

[Toothpick]

A cheap but great soap!

3 pass shave today with a P74 loaded in a red tip followed by Neutrogena post shave lotion.

feels like a DFS to me!

 

[SteveWY]

VDH is probably the best value soap out there. I pif'd my last puck and have so many soaps in rotation now I will sit out this IOTW.

 

[Haggises]

I think I only have VDH Luxury.
While it dries my face, and I don't care much for the slightly metallic scent it has, it produces real easy lather.
Not one of my favorites - still working on the puck I bought 18 months ago
I think I might be one and done on this week after this morning's shave.

 

[sarimento1]

IOTW, VDH Deluxe soap, Tuesday, Aug 27th
Prep with shower and Musgo Glyce
VDH soap with T&H (Rooney) silvertip brush
NOS Dorko 6/8, nicely honed and prepped by Doc226
Touchup with the DE
After, cold washcloth, DR Harris Arlington A/S
and spritz of GIT
Comments...like shaving with an old, shy friend.
The VDH is a thirsty soap, almost cannot overwater it.
It had a slight tendency to dry out for me, and I dabbed some warm water on the face to keep it moist.

 

[viper16]

Very quick 1 pass shave this morning, just to try knocking down the growth for some comfort.
VDH
Gillette Red Tip
Feather
Vulfix 2233 Super Badger

Forgot how respectable of a job VDH does. Probably the smoothest and most comfortable shave I have ever had with a feather blade. Normally they don't really irritate me, but I do seem to feel them more during the shave, but not today, it was effortless and smooth pulling the razor and blade across my face this morning.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

...all great reply's / reviews of the merits & performance of VDH!
Looks like we could possibly have new members of The Van der Hagan (VDH), Society (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...ety?highlight=)!

Happiness is the [shaving soap]...that sweeps away the cobwebs of your heart”. Mort Walker