Triple-milled shaving soaps

I would like to start this thread to discuss triple-milled shaving soaps. I have heard a lot about them here, especially tons of praise, so I am interested in trying them. But, I know almost nothing about them.

Please list brands and scents of triple-milled shaving soaps. Discuss why you like (or dislike) them. Explain the differences between them and other types of shaving soaps. Let us know where they can be purchased, especially online for those of us who live in the boonies. Etc, etc.

I hope this is a good idea for a thread. Please participate! I'm sure your knowledge can help others besides me.

Tim

I ran a poll over at SMF regarding preference, and the results from people who have used both triple milled and glycerin based soaps were strongly favoring the triple milled.

There are two groups of triple-milled soaps-- tallow based, like Mitchells wool fat and Tabac (and I think DR Harris), and vegetable based, like Revivage, T&H, etc. Tallow is more traditional, and I prefer it for its lathering qualities. Glycerin is actually removed from the soap in the soap making process.

The triple milled cost more than glycerines, sometimes many times more. They also last much, much longer, so cost per shave evens out. If you buy refills instead of soap in a bowl, you'll pay $15-$25 for top of the line soaps.

Mitchells is my favorite. My next buy will probably cover DR Harris (which people rave about) and or T&H, neither of which I've tried. Tabac is nice, but not as nice as MWF, and it tends to be a love it or hate it scent.

Edit: a few additions
Buy MWF at Carbolicsoap.com, especially if you want the lovely dish. US vendors for some reason need to charge $60 or more for the soap with a dish, and its cheaper from the UK, even with added shipping costs. MWF has lanolin, which not all people care for.

To use the triple milled, I find it important to get a lot of soap into the medium-wet to wet brush before trying to lather, which I do on my face.


If you're looking for scent, glycerins are the hands down favorite for strength (except for Tabac) and variety, but if you're more into the lather and the shave, you should certainly try a triple milled soap.

I have both triple milled and glycerins laying around, and I use them in about a 20:1 ratio.

Great idea for a thread, Tim. There are quite a few good ones out there such as...

Tabac
GFT-Scents are Lime, Coconut, Almond, Violet, Rose and Sandalwood
D R Harris-Scents are Arlington, Almond, Lavender and Marlborough
T&H Luxury Soap
L'Occitane Cade
Floris
Penhaligons

Why don't you tell us what creams or scents you enjoy the most and people can try to recommend something they think you will enjoy? While they are more expensive, they do last a very long time.

I just picked up a bowl of brand new unsealed vintage Yardley shaving soap, the kind in the round bowl, not the triangular bowl.

It smells pretty darn good, like a good "soap" I guess. What can I expect in regards to performance from this stuff?

The only hard mill soaps I own are AOS Sandalwood and L'Occitane Cade. But I just finished a trade for some Harris and MWF.

Get some Tabac.

Thank me later.

ada8356 said:

Get some Tabac.

Thank me later.

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Oh I will. It is on my Christmas list.

boboakalfb said:

Great idea for a thread, Tim. There are quite a few good ones out there such as...

Why don't you tell us what creams or scents you enjoy the most and people can try to recommend something they think you will enjoy? While they are more expensive, they do last a very long time.

Click to expand...

Thank you. And thanks to everyone - the quality of these replies is excellent and just what I was hoping for.

I am mostly a glycerin soap shaver. I thoroughly enjoy all the scents I have, including Mama Bear's Mysore Sandalwood, Hydrogen, Smokin', Dragon's Blood, Woodland Pear, and Giovanni's Tuscan Memory; and QED Wild Orange and Fresh Limes. My favorite creams are St. Charles Shave Bay Rum with a Twist and Proraso green tube. I probably use the soaps at least 80% of the time.

I am looking forward to try some of the triple milled soaps and I'm relying on everyone's experience to help me decide what I want and where to buy it.

Tim

ada8356 said:

Get some Tabac.

Thank me later.

Click to expand...

Thanks, I will try to find some.

Oh, I did get to see some l'Occitane Cade shaving soap in a l'Occitane de Provence store in D.C., but before I could come to any sort of a decision, my wife was rushing me out of the store to go do something else. At the time, I knew nothing of triple milled and was wondering why it was so expensive, other than the fact that it is French, which is probably reason enough.

Tim

boboakalfb said:

Great idea for a thread, Tim. There are quite a few good ones out there such as...

Tabac
GFT-Scents are Lime, Coconut, Almond, Violet, Rose and Sandalwood
D R Harris-Scents are Arlington, Almond, Lavender and Marlborough
T&H Luxury Soap
L'Occitane Cade
Floris
Penhaligons

Why don't you tell us what creams or scents you enjoy the most and people can try to recommend something they think you will enjoy? While they are more expensive, they do last a very long time.

Click to expand...

And of course we can add TOBS to the list, in Sandalwood and Lavender. I have never used, but heard of, a soap (presumably triple-milled) by Plisson. Knize 10 also makes one in a Knize 10 scent.

I have tried both triple milled and glycerin. I generally like the glycerin soaps better, but do like triple milled as well. Glycerin soaps (QED, Em's Place, Mama Bear) just work simply outstandingly well for me. The are easy to lather, the lather is dense, rich and slippery, and the shaves are excellent. Glycerin soaps are not very "dense" and you will go through them noticeably faster. I have a 5oz tub of Lime Citrus from Em's Place that I bought maybe 4 months ago and gets used probably once a week or so. This tub already has significant hollowing out in the middle simply due to the softness in the soap.

Triple milled soaps, on the other hand, are VERY dense. I have had some triple milled soaps like Pre de Provence for over a year and I can STILL read the damn imprint on the top of the soap. I could probably shave with Pre de Provence everyday until it was gone (I like it that much) and not have to buy soap for about 5 years. Exaggeration, maybe, but, man, that is what it feels like. I also must be the only person on the board who doesn't like Tabac soap. I found it difficult to lather and I was not really fond of the scent. The French soaps - Pre de Provence and Provence Sante - are slicker than snot and lather awesomely. I have not tried Mitchells or soaps from the 3 Ts.

Dennis

as others have said:

Tabac

L'Occitane Cade soap (just get the puck, much cheaper than puck and bowl)

MWF (another one I would just buy the refill puck for)

All 3 are great soaps!

I have used Trumpers Violet and Sandalwood extensively. I just picked up D.R. Harris Arlington.

I love 'em all and will replace them when they are out. The Trumper scents are subdued. The Harris Arlington packs a scent punch. For me the shave quality is pretty close but I need more flight time on the Harris to say that definitively.

If you are thinking about triple milled soaps you should try (at least) one from one of the English vendors (Trumper, Taylor, T&H, Harris, Floris, Penhaligon's)

As I've said before, my favs are the RIS family...

Floris
Joris
D.R. Harris


But the 3T's, MWF, Gold Dachs, etc are top shelf as well...

ratcheer said:

Thank you. And thanks to everyone - the quality of these replies is excellent and just what I was hoping for.

I am mostly a glycerin soap shaver. I thoroughly enjoy all the scents I have, inclusing Mama Bear's Mysore Sandalwood, Hydrogen, Smokin', Dragon's Blood, Woodland Pear, and Giovanni's Tuscan Memory; and QED Wild Orange and Fresh Limes. My favorite creams are St. Charles Shave Bay Rum with a Twist and Proraso green tube. I probably use the soaps at least 80% of the time.

I am looking forward to try some of the triple milled soaps and I'm relying on everyone's experience to help me decide what I want and where to buy it.

Tim

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GFT Sandalwood is nice. You can pick up a refill puck from Shaving Essentials for $14.99.

As for D R Harris, whatever scent interests you...Arlington is a Citrus Fern concoction, Marlborough is a Cedar/Sandalwood mix, Lavender is, well, Lavender. Almond is supposed to be good but I don't have it...yet. Shaving Essentials has a couple of them or Jim at Vintage Blades has them as well.

Tabac is great as well. You can get it at Imagination Perfumery. For $9.99 or $15.99 depending if you just want the refill or the glass jar.

Good luck!

Amongst the Trumper soaps, Coconut oil is by far the best IMHO (performance-wise, that is).

Dennis02 said:

I have tried both triple milled and glycerin. I generally like the glycerin soaps better, but do like triple milled as well. Glycerin soaps (QED, Em's Place, Mama Bear) just work simply outstandingly well for me. The are easy to lather, the lather is dense, rich and slippery, and the shaves are excellent. Glycerin soaps are not very "dense" and you will go through them noticeably faster. I have a 5oz tub of Lime Citrus from Em's Place that I bought maybe 4 months ago and gets used probably once a week or so. This tub already has significant hollowing out in the middle simply due to the softness in the soap.

Triple milled soaps, on the other hand, are VERY dense. I have had some triple milled soaps like Pre de Provence for over a year and I can STILL read the damn imprint on the top of the soap. I could probably shave with Pre de Provence everyday until it was gone (I like it that much) and not have to buy soap for about 5 years. Exaggeration, maybe, but, man, that is what it feels like. I also must be the only person on the board who doesn't like Tabac soap. I found it difficult to lather and I was not really fond of the scent. The French soaps - Pre de Provence and Provence Sante - are slicker than snot and lather awesomely. I have not tried Mitchells or soaps from the 3 Ts.

Dennis

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I’m with ya, I couldn’t stand the smell of Tabac, and I didn’t think the later was anything special. Had much better shaves with other soaps, so got rid of my Tabac puck.

OK, great info, everybody! I will be ordering at least a couple of these, soon.

Here is a new question. Last night, I shaved with Williams Mug Soap and noticed that it is very hard and slippery. Is it by any chance a milled soap? It certainly seems to fit the characteristics.

Tim

I have four milled soaps: T&H Luxury, DR Harris Arlington, MWF, and Tabac. I like them all but for the price I might be most impressed with Tabac. I also went from finding the scent just to the pleasant side of neutral to rather nice.

Well, that was quick. I have already placed an order for Mitchell's Wool Fat, D. R. Harris Arlington, and Trumper's Coconut Oil soaps. Now I'm just waiting.

Tim

Great choices - enjoy!