Castle Forbes Sample

Thanks to a recommendation from a B&B member, I just got my sample of Castle Forbes Cedar Sandlewood from http://colonialdrug.com/

Based on all that I have read here I had high expectations, but I have to say that I am a little let down.

The scent is almost nonexistant - not like cedar or sandlewood, but more like a simple soap base. This is not a problem for me because I prefer the smell of soaps to perfumes.

The consistancy of the cream right out the jar is much thicker than any other (7) I have felt - like wax paste rather than a cream. This is also not a problem.

The letdown comes from the quality of the lather - definitely middle of the road in comparison to the other seven creams that I own.

My question to those who use this cream: is the scent, consistancy, and lather that I describe in accord with your experiences? Could I have received a bad sample, or do I need to do something different as far as technique?

Castle Forbes is regarded as one of the best creams in the market. However, sandalwood/cedarwood scent is not a favorite among most people but scents are very personal. I do have a tub of this cream and it took me awhile to get used to the scent, I do like it but I have weird taste for scents. The cream is thick and dense and so is the lather that it produces without being dry; definitely top notch. If you post a description of the lather you are getting, perhaps I may be able to help you with it, likely, the problem is due to the ratio of cream:water. How long did you spend lathering?

Al raz.

I guess the lather was not as slick or coating as some other creams.

I used a dollup about the size of a blueberry, smeared it on my wet face, and face-lathered for at least two minutes.

Just started using Castle Forbes myself. I purchased lime and got a sample of the cedarwood sandalwood as well. I don't mind the scent of the cedarwood sandalwood but prefer the lime personally. The CF Lime has quickly become one of my all time favorites in the scent and performance department.

Most people recommend loading your brush by twisting it in the tub of cream like you would a soap but you only need to load it with a couple of twists of the brush. I prefer not to do this as I am constantly buying/selling/trading on B&B and wouldn't purchase or sell a cream that had been used this way due to my own OCD hygiene issues

My method, as stolen from someone else on B&B , is to scoop out a peanut size amount of cream and put it in my lather bowl with a couple spoon fulls of hot water. Let the cream soak, soften and melt for a few minutes, the longer the better. I start lathering with a pretty dry brush since there is already some water in the bowl. I try to hook the largest clump of cream in the brush and swirl that around in the bowl. It usually only take a few more drops of water added to the mix to give me an amazing slick thick lather.

Maybe it was because you got a sample. I got a sample of Castle Forbes lime shaving cream from the same place and that lather was awful and the smell very muted.

mretzloff said:

Maybe it was because you got a sample. I got a sample of Castle Forbes lime shaving cream from the same place and that lather was awful and the smell very muted.

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This was my initial thought, as well. "Almost nonexistent" scent is the last way I'd describe my tub of the stuff. Lots more cedar than sandalwood to be sure, and Al is right about the scent being perhaps #3 on the pan-member preference list, but you should definitely smell plenty of cedar in there!

Squash said:

I guess the lather was not as slick or coating as some other creams.

I used a dollup about the size of a blueberry, smeared it on my wet face, and face-lathered for at least two minutes.

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Just realized you were trying to face lather. Instead of smearing the cream on your wet face try planting the dollop of cream inside the middle of your brush and swirl that around your face. Also, try using more product. Not really sure I can help you with this any further as I never did get along with face lathering.

My first time with CF was with those little "pancake" samples you get from Colonial Drug. I just opened it up and lathered on top of it like I would a soap to get the cream on my brush and then face lathered from there.

I certainly would not base liking on a shave cream sample either. Very rarely do I get a sample that gives me the true feel of a cream.

gaj90027 said:

My method, as stolen from someone else on B&B , is to scoop out a peanut size amount of cream and put it in my lather bowl with a couple spoon fulls of hot water. Let the cream soak, soften and melt for a few minutes, the longer the better. I start lathering with a pretty dry brush since there is already some water in the bowl. I try to hook the largest clump of cream in the brush and swirl that around in the bowl. It usually only take a few more drops of water added to the mix to give me an amazing slick thick lather.

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This. When I first started using it I struggled and started wondering if it was a lot of hype. IMHO Castle Forbes takes a different technique, plus more water and a little more elbow grease.

Hope this helps. The price sucks but when you get the sweet spot, CF can really spoil you.

another thing you could try is taking a chunk of the cream out of the tube and then smearing it all over your face; let your stubble break it up. then face lather.

In other words, I am suggesting using a cream the way you would use a shave stick. It sounds crazy, but this cream is thick enough that I think you would like the results.

IMO cream samples are a bad idea. They inevitably arrive with the cream dried up and the scent mutated. I hated all the cream samples from the Trumper sampler pack, probably because they were all stale.

Castle Forbes gives an amazingly thick lather, although it is harder than your average cream. I have the tub of lime essential oil, which smells like oven cleaner.

My ideal cream would have the performance of CF and the scent of EJ sandalwood.

I have only tried CF lime and i get an amazing lather from the smallest amount. My problem is I load too much on the brush and end up with enough lather for 10 passes!
I have to admit though the consistency is like no other cream I have tried and it needs a bit more mixing with the brush than say TOBS does.

Cheers

"My method, as stolen from someone else on B&B , is to scoop out a peanut size amount of cream and put it in my lather bowl with a couple spoon fulls of hot water. Let the cream soak, soften and melt for a few minutes, the longer the better. I start lathering with a pretty dry brush since there is already some water in the bowl. I try to hook the largest clump of cream in the brush and swirl that around in the bowl. It usually only take a few more drops of water added to the mix to give me an amazing slick thick lather."
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Garry

As Garry mentioned above, I feel the key to generating a great lather with CF is to let it soak and soften. I've found it needs perhaps a tsp more water than other creams.

What an interesting thread...

Squash, as a converted face latherer, I use the same method you describe with pretty much every cream. In the past or when I test, I use a bowl and the method that most people have described in this thread. I do not like dipping the brush into the container because I am always afraid of getting "cooties" growing in the tub, this danger increases if: 1) the cream does not contain preservatives; or 2) if the water content in the product is high.

I also second the opinions of other posters regarding the requirement of extra mixing and water to obtain a good lather. Once you pass that point, the lather, in my experience, is superb. I think that if you are not used to lathering this sort of products, you tend to leave your lather to dry, which would give you the impression of shaving on concrete .

A good way to test for this is: put a bit of the lather on your thumb and let the index finger touch it; then separate the thumb from your finger slowly and see how far you can separate them before the lather breaks. Usually, if you can go over 1", your lather is fairly good, see this:

View attachment 117258

I also agree with the general perception of using samples to evaluate a product, this is often a risky business. I think that samples are only good to get an idea of the scent and the general features of the product but nothing else.

Al raz.

When I open my CF Cedar/Sandalwood I have to make sure I'm not at the lumber yard. The scent, to me, is that powerful (which is ok if you want to shave with a product that smells like fresh cut cedar boards). I found the quality of the cream to be very good. I cannot say best as my only experience with creams are limited to Bigelow, EJ, and Em's Place.