Truefitt & Hill -- sampler diary

**noctilux** · 09-26-2011, 04:17 PM

1805

it finally arrived. rather a good deal--lots of stuff (a sample of everything, both cream and balm)!

i started out with the 1805 because someone said it was better than TOBS avocado. nice scent, though a bit stuffy in the finish, thick lather but i had issues with glide. overall, an OK shaving experience, but not among the best.

do these creams differ in terms of performance or is it just a matter of different smell?

what should i try next?

v.

**heybatter** · 09-26-2011, 05:20 PM

Of the ones I have tried they all seem to have more or less the same performance. Although I haven't gotten to the Ultimate Comfort cream, which as the name suggests, could be the one to possibly have more benefits. Although it could just be good branding too. Anyway, T&H's sampler definitely beats out Trumpers sampler IMO. I like the 1805 as well, and of the others I've dived into the Trafalgar, Lime, Grafton, and Sandalwood. All good, with maybe Lime preferred of those.

**JCinPA** · 09-26-2011, 05:22 PM

My word, another lather product purchase?? Have you ever posted a photo of your shave den stash?? Something tells me you are the shaving equivalent of this guy ...

**noctilux** · 09-26-2011, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by JCinPA

My word, another lather product purchase??

in the world of photography (where, if you can believe it, there are forums like this), i have owned (and for the mostpart still own) pentax, canon, leica, minolta, hasselblad, contax, nikon and even stuff like bessa, zorki, jupiter, tamron. in that arena, when speaking of lenses, no enthusiast was ever able to challenge me with: "well yes, but have not tried xxx". i am simply trying to get up to speed with shaving ;-)

mind you, this was simply a sampler pack purchase and a very good deal. that said, i'm already about to expand the storage capabilities of the shave den.

v.

**lowhawk** · 09-27-2011, 06:17 AM

To each his own, but I love T&H creams. Easy, creamy lather and plenty slick. Wonderful shaves with the four varieties I've owned. Their sampler is really almost a must for anyone and one of the best values around.

**Antique Hoosier** · 09-27-2011, 08:28 AM

I thought the T&H Rose was quite nice when I tried a sample of it. Maybe not enough for a full pot of cream, but it was very nice.

**FL shaver** · 09-27-2011, 05:35 PM

I thought all creams in my sampler performed equally well. I thought Grafton, Trafalgar, and 1805 (go figure) smelled old school masculine. Loved them. If not for the price, I would have at least one of them. The Rose, Ultimate Comfort, Lavender, and West Indian Limes scents are a bit more pedestrian scent wise. I don't believe I received Almond or Sandalwood.

Edit: As I think back, I recall having a problem with skipping with the Lavender. Others assured me it was too little product, but the other creams provided slickness.

**DaveNJ74** · 09-27-2011, 05:44 PM

The 1805 was my favorite, I had them all except the Almond and Sandalwood.

**FL shaver** · 09-27-2011, 05:52 PM

Onthefly.com has free shipping in the lower 48 right now. Haven't any idea how long it will last, but it'll save you $6 in shipping from the T&H site.

**noctilux** · 09-27-2011, 08:12 PM

west indian limes

chaps.

a much better effort tonight. i have a little theory. the sampler container, which one rips open, contains a bit more cream than i would typically use to build a lather. consequently, i think i was a bit too lean on the water with the 1805. with the limes, i add a few more drops and things worked out extremely well--almost to the point of thinking i'd forgotten to put the blade in. i should add that i enjoyed the smell of this cream considerably more than the 1805, though again there were some issues with the finishing notes--bass notes?--being a bit stuffy.

feeling quite good about this now--i was worried about a series of unsatisfactory shaves.

vuk.

**noctilux** · 09-28-2011, 07:43 PM

trafalgar

day 3 and another good experience. it seems that it isn't simply a matter of scent, though i will not rule out unconscious psychological effects. i really like this smell, best of all so far (how a sophisticated londoner would totally re-interpret tabac), and the lather was very good. it seemed a touch below limes in density, but the shave was extremely comparable.

this one is a shave den contender--but keep in mind, this is the shave den of an obsessive-compulsive.

v.

**noctilux** · 09-29-2011, 07:15 PM

almond

in case anyone is still interested ;-)

i understand how to work this cream and i do like it. a bit more effort involved than with EJ buckthorn, but a nice shave in the end and the scent is what i imagine the cella makers were after, but erred too far on the granny lipstick end of the spectrum.

hard to say with 100% certainty, but i think the scent is the primary factor separating the products. if not, trafalgar stays at the top. at this point, i would certainly recommend the line.

v.

v.

**BeeSeeDub** · 09-30-2011, 05:20 AM

Interesting...what samples do you have left to try?

**noctilux** · 09-30-2011, 07:38 AM

Originally Posted by BeeSeeDub

Interesting...what samples do you have left to try?

all the other ones ;-) i got the full set, but i don't know all the names. grafton, rose, lavender, sensitive plus a few more, i think.

v.

**darkwing1** · 09-30-2011, 07:49 AM

Go with the Grafton next....you won't regret it!!

**noctilux** · 09-30-2011, 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by darkwing1

Go with the Grafton next....you won't regret it!!

i took your advice...

as i've confessed before on B&B, although i love fragrances and have a rudimentary understanding of simple concepts like top and bottom notes, my vocabulary fails rather quickly and i prefer more symbolic or metaphoric descriptions. in line with that, grafton opened very much like being suckled by venus at dawn on a fresh feather bed. it ended with the feeling of having become the sort of refined aristocrat you only read about as a 14 year-old. if that doesn't do it for you, then you need to find another enabler buddy.

the scent is now in the spectacular division, alongside ej sea buckthorn. the performance was very good again and i am going to have to do a retest against the ej (my top performer in this area too) once these samplers are finished to provide a fair verdict. it is extremely likely i will be purchasing a tub of this.

vuk.

**noctilux** · 10-03-2011, 07:24 PM

in my attempt for the B&B record number of postings to a thread nobody seems particularly interested in, let me follow up. yesterday i took a break. today i was back...

lavender

as i started building the lather in my bowl, i knew this was not going to work out. i just could not get on with the scent. after a minute of swirling and sniffing, i aborted the effort and rinsed everything clean.

2nd try and i pulled out the...

sandalwood

oh yeah! i really liked this, though i am detecting some kind of hanging powdery note in all these creams, which is perhaps the T&H signature. i am hoping this note is an acquired taste and my perception will blossom. right now, however, there are good and bad things about it.

anyhow, just a hair's breadth away from an epic shave tonight. well done T&H sandalwood! this one is a contender for the den alongside grafton.

v.

**FL shaver** · 10-03-2011, 08:21 PM

I've been subscribed and have enjoyed your scent descriptions! You're the first to express as much enthusiasm as I have for the Grafton, Trafalgar, and 1805 scents. They are superb and they are in great performing creams.

**Wildalaska** · 10-03-2011, 08:42 PM

I would do the grafton just to get some of that venus chick

**aceinyerface** · 10-03-2011, 08:57 PM

I love T&H!!

Trafalgar was the scent I purchased, but they all performed well. Oddly the Unscented smells nice. Some scents I wasn't too fond of, Limes, Almond, and Lavender. Others were worthy of purchase, Sandalwood, Rose, 1805, Grafton, and Ultimate.

I an going to eventually get a T&H brush (comes with the sampler) and pick another scent.