Don't break out the pitch forks please.

[Foyle]

I've decided that I don't like Arlington. There, I said it! :mad5: I really wanted to love this soap. The scent is amazing but I always get iffy performance and protection from it. I've used 40% of the puck and I give up. I'm done. Today was the last straw. I had to rinse out my brush and lather up some Tabac to finish my shave.

Maybe I just don't like English soaps. I didn't like Mitchell's Wool Fat either. I loved the scent but again, iffy performance. I'm tempted to try some Trumper's soaps but I fear I'll be in for the same disappointment.

As always, YMMV.

[EL Alamein]

In general the hard soaps don't do as well in hard water, especially as they get older. If you're willing to experiment with using distilled water you should be able to dial in a hard soap much easier and experience the fullness of it's capabilities. Hope that helps.

Chris

[demaro]

Everyone is different. I love Arlington and all the other Harris soaps , always getting a smooth comfortable shave. I get very mediocre results from Tabac.

[ouch]

It's amazing how much variation can exist even within a single company's product line. I find the Harris lavender soap performs better than their Arlington, although I prefer the scent of the latter.

Use whatever you enjoy, and never feel a need to apologize- you're the world's leading expert on your own opinion.

[Foyle]

Tabac is king of my den. I just sold some soaps including the Arlington and used the proceeds to order two more pucks of Tabac. I was tempted to try IK but I already know Tabac does everything I need a soap to do. I know I'll be satisfied with it.

[goatee]

so whats going to happen to the rest of the Arlington????

[Optometrist]

Try using a wet brush on the hard pucks. It takes a good minute of loading to eliminate the initial suds but that works best for me in this hard water area. As to Trumper's soaps. Well, I'm not a big fan with any other than the rose.

[Foyle]

I always load for about a minute with any soap, hard water you know. I've tried every method known on Arlington including a very wet brush. It's just not the soap for me. :crying:

[rockviper]

so whats going to happen to the rest of the Arlington????
Already on its way to a new home via BST.

[gundog]

Might want to try TOBS Sandalwood. Of the English soaps, this is my favorite and I prefer it to Tabac. I do have soft water and that may be a factor. Have yet to try MWF but it is on my list to get.

[Easttexasman]

I bought a puck off the b/s/t and I do not care for it either.I think Arko performs better.

[BigRich]

I don't like it either but I don't actually like the scent. However, I've been known to be an olfactory pariah over the years here so my opinion isn't really worth much.

[demaro]

Might want to try TOBS Sandalwood. Of the English soaps, this is my favorite and I prefer it to Tabac. I do have soft water and that may be a factor. Have yet to try MWF but it is on my list to get.

TOBS Sandalwood , an awesome performer and the scent is incredible !!

[djh]

Embrace Tabactober!

[Foyle]

Embrace Tabactober!

I was just about to but we are going to have a few warm days this week so I'm breaking out the Mamma Bear's Grapefruit Ice for some nice frosty shaves during our little warm stretch.

For me though most days are Tabctober.

[QuarkVI]

Have you tried Irisch Moos ? - same formula as Tabac though it feels better on my skin for some reason - scent is similar to Arlington but a bit stronger and less subtle.

[gash]

*Snip* I was tempted to try IK but I already know Tabac does everything I need a soap to do. I know I'll be satisfied with it.

Go ahead and try the IK. I get high-quality results when using it with hard water; very slick and smooth. I use it like a shave stick. There's a good chance you'd enjoy it.

[Luc]

Uberlather

or... Superlather with an unscented soap or cream... (I know, I know, if it's good, you shouldn't have to do that... That's what I would do if I would love the scent but couldn't use it... Actually, that's what I did with another soap)...

[Phog Allen]

Hi Foyle. I am glad to see Chris(EL Alamein) mention the degradation of lather quality. I have experienced it myself but never really mentioned it here because I thought I must be imagining things. After reading his post it is exactly what I experienced with Harris Marlborough. It was spectacular for me but as I approached the last 3/8"(10mm or so) thickness of the cake it took a noticeable drop in lather quality. Now I realise you had issues with Arlington from the start and I have to say, it is the poorest of the three Harris soaps I have. Still, there is an issue with English soap and hard water in my estimation. I have a cake of the vaunted Trumper almond tallow based shave soap and it is mediocre at best.

Cheers, Todd

[chuckr9]

I really like the scent of Harris Arlington, but other soaps perform better for me (but I still keep a puck in rotation for the scent!).

[TallyShave]

Have you tried meditating for an hour or so before trying it? Seriously though, no soap is going to be worth this much work. It just doesn't work for you. No big deal.

[Stubblefield]

I've decided that I don't like Arlington. There, I said it! :mad5: I really wanted to love this soap. The scent is amazing but I always get iffy performance and protection from it. I've used 40% of the puck and I give up. I'm done. Today was the last straw. I had to rinse out my brush and lather up some Tabac to finish my shave.

Maybe I just don't like English soaps. I didn't like Mitchell's Wool Fat either. I loved the scent but again, iffy performance. I'm tempted to try some Trumper's soaps but I fear I'll be in for the same disappointment.

As always, YMMV.Same results here. Never had any issue lathering it or any other English soap, but I just . . . don't like British soaps. I get much better results from German and French soaps.

[Marco]

Use whatever you enjoy, and never feel a need to apologize- you're the world's leading expert on your own opinion.

+1 The best possible answer.:thumbup1:

[Wrangoleer]

I've decided that I don't like Arlington. There, I said it! :mad5: I really wanted to love this soap. The scent is amazing but I always get iffy performance and protection from it. I've used 40% of the puck and I give up. I'm done. Today was the last straw. I had to rinse out my brush and lather up some Tabac to finish my shave.

Maybe I just don't like English soaps. I didn't like Mitchell's Wool Fat either. I loved the scent but again, iffy performance. I'm tempted to try some Trumper's soaps but I fear I'll be in for the same disappointment.

As always, YMMV.

I'll PM you my address and you can send it to me to try.

[takeshi]

Don't break out the pitch forks please.

I've decided that I don't like Arlington. There, I said it!
No pitch fork needed. No single product appeals to every single person out there.


I really wanted to love this soap.
Never understood this sentiment. Either the product works for me or it doesn't. As you say, YMMV.

[Optometrist]

Hi Foyle. I am glad to see Chris(EL Alamein) mention the degradation of lather quality. I have experienced it myself but never really mentioned it here because I thought I must be imagining things. After reading his post it is exactly what I experienced with Harris Marlborough. It was spectacular for me but as I approached the last 3/8"(10mm or so) thickness of the cake it took a noticeable drop in lather quality. Now I realise you had issues with Arlington from the start and I have to say, it is the poorest of the three Harris soaps I have. Still, there is an issue with English soap and hard water in my estimation. I have a cake of the vaunted Trumper almond tallow based shave soap and it is mediocre at best.

Cheers, Todd

Living to the south of London, the water here is hard to say the least. I have Arlington, Marlborough and Lavender Harris soaps, and they always produce excellent lather. I have no doubt the almond would also perform just as great. It's funny how such variation is had. MWF is also considered to perform better with softer water, but yet again, here, no problem.

[oc_in_fw]

My pitchfork is out for honing :)

[Phog Allen]

Living to the south of London, the water here is hard to say the least. I have Arlington, Marlborough and Lavender Harris soaps, and they always produce excellent lather. I have no doubt the almond would also perform just as great. It's funny how such variation is had. MWF is also considered to perform better with softer water, but yet again, here, no problem.


Hi David. Glad to see you post. Interesting. I suppose I should qualify the hard water comments. We have extremely rich calcium/lime deposits in our water. Every water line in the state is white inside from the calcium deposits. Treated city water or not. It wreaks havoc with basins, faucets, and the bowl in the loo. The people around here on well water also deal with rust issues. As in their toilet bowls are always rust coloured. Iron deposits are horrid. And the Arlington being the 'poorest' of my Harris soaps makes it better than a good many other shave lathers I have tried! Still, I have noticed a thinness of lather in my English soaps. Less in the Harris, a LOT in the MWF. I have the same three Harris soaps you do and have no intention of selling or trading them. I just notice the issue a bit more in my English soaps. Thank you for the comparisons.

Cheers, Todd

[Absolute Mustard]

It is hard to use anything else after Tabac :w00t:

[Alraz]

Preferences....

Al raz.

[Foyle]

It is hard to use anything else after Tabac :w00t:

Exactly!

[Optometrist]

Hi David. Glad to see you post. Interesting. I suppose I should qualify the hard water comments. We have extremely rich calcium/lime deposits in our water. Every water line in the state is white inside from the calcium deposits. Treated city water or not. It wreaks havoc with basins, faucets, and the bowl in the loo. The people around here on well water also deal with rust issues. As in their toilet bowls are always rust coloured. Iron deposits are horrid. And the Arlington being the 'poorest' of my Harris soaps makes it better than a good many other shave lathers I have tried! Still, I have noticed a thinness of lather in my English soaps. Less in the Harris, a LOT in the MWF. I have the same three Harris soaps you do and have no intention of selling or trading them. I just notice the issue a bit more in my English soaps. Thank you for the comparisons.

Cheers, Todd

Todd, is it really that bad?!!!!! I thought we had it bad!

[DaveNJ74]

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8p9hOI4HIio/TXXTIwi1nyI/AAAAAAAAAR8/ds-YKHJVmlU/pitchforks+torches+mob.jpg

[Foyle]

No, no,no...... I said, don't break out the pitch forks.