Tallow-Based Soap: A Compendium

I am coming to the same realization as the original premise of this thread. The tallow based, triple milled soaps really do provide fantastic shaves. I have several glycerin based soaps, and I do like the scents and the prices. Also to be fair I do receive DFS's from them, but it takes a little more time and effort. Plus which, adding more after market glycerin seems to help. For some reason I'm always left w/ stubborn stubble that requires a bunch of blade buffing and J-hooking to resolve. I don't know why that is. I think one problem is I have very coarse whiskers.

As I've dedicated a new guy thread to the benefits of cheap soaps and creams (which tend to be glycerin based though not always), I will stand by my assertion that for the money they do provide great shaves. However I do seem to get a close shave quicker using the hard soaps. Fortunately Tabac does fit into the cheap (er) category and is one of my favorites.

EDIT: I should mention I'm referring the the glycerin based soap pucks above. Glycerin creams really perform quite well for me.

Paris said:

I am a bit confused - not unusual - So the Floris/Penhaligons we can buy today tallow based?

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There is no current production of tallow based soaps from either firm.
If you are lucky enough to locate a stash, it is old stock.

I checked the AOS homepage and they list the ingredients of their soaps as glycerin and coconut oil based. No mention of tallow or triple milling. Are those factors just implied so they don't list them or have they changed their formulas maybe? Anyone made a recent purchase and checked the ingredients?

Eagle said:

I checked the AOS homepage and they list the ingredients of their soaps as glycerin and coconut oil based. No mention of tallow or triple milling. Are those factors just implied so they don't list them or have they changed their formulas maybe? Anyone made a recent purchase and checked the ingredients?

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The AOS website is not showing the correct list of ingredients for the shave soap-
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Paris said:

I am a bit confused - not unusual - So the Floris/Penhaligons we can buy today tallow based?

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I believe that current-run Floris is tallow-free.

The current-run Penhaligon's is probably still the one with some tallow in it ... about the 5th ingredient or so. The OLD Penhaligon's was the 'talow-based' one. Some recent e-mails with Penhaligon's informed me that they will be going to tallow-free shave soap in the very near future ... probably by year's end or early in 2009.

Oldhope said:

Gotta keep PETA happy.

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People for Eating Tasty Animals?

Confilo said:

People for Eating Tasty Animals?

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People Eating Tallow Aggressively

Colleen of TGQ uses tallow in shaving cream. I wonder why she uses glycerin in her shaving soap.

I have also found that the tallow soaps are the best lather for me. I especially notice this with a straight razor, although they are great soaps for a double edge as well.

After reading your posts I bought AOS lavender soap (tallow, ingredient #1), and it is definitely one of the best soaps I've used.

I also tried Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet shaving soap (tallow ingredient #5, I believe), and this was also excellent, perhaps a notch down from the AOS.

Today, I checked the boxes of my GFT soaps for ingredient comparison. Most of these I've had for a couple of years. To my surprise the rose and coconut stated 'shave soap base' (=the old tallow formula), whereas my sandalwood, almond and limes start with 'potassium palmate' etc. (=newer palm oil based).

Of these soaps, I always found the almond to be the best performing one of the bunch... So maybe the inclusion of almond fragrance oil more than compensates for the dissappearance of tallow...?

Conclusion: although I've considered myself to be a 'tallow believer', today I'm inclined to think the tallow versus veggie formula doesn't always make a difference.

(although that old formula Penhaligon's BB and the mighty Tabac, maybe they are still just a teenie weenie little better than the veggie stuff...?)

I would agree that veggie and tallow based Trumpers perform similarly.

TstebinsB said:

Colleen of TGQ uses tallow in shaving cream. I wonder why she uses glycerin in her shaving soap.

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you and me both Telly... someone talk to Colleen!

scoopster said:

I would agree that veggie and tallow based Trumpers perform similarly.

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To a certain degree, I have to agree with Dave in that it mostly depends on your technique, water, brush usage et cetera...

For the tallow hunters:

Hey folks, I was doing some cleaning and found the original box my Roger and Gallet L'Homme soap came in. First ingredient listed is Sodium Tallowate. This has got to be older stock because I rasied this question once before and I'm pretty sure it was Jim that responded with a R&G L'Homme ingredient list that was all veggie based. So "tallow as first" R&G is out there but probably older stock.

Jim said:

There is no current production of tallow based soaps from either firm.
If you are lucky enough to locate a stash, it is old stock.

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Isn't the Penhaligon English Fern Tallow based? At least everything available in North America seems to suggest it is Tallow based.

prometheus said:

Isn't the Penhaligon English Fern Tallow based? At least everything available in North America seems to suggest it is Tallow based.

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I believe that is the case but plans are in place for Pen's to reformulate in 2009. Vintage blades just got EF stock in and confirmed tallow was listed as first ingredient. Given th etrends of the vendors to switch I would say buy EF now while you can.

Current Blenheim Bouquet stock lists tallow as the fourth ro fifth inredient.

Jim said:

The fine AOS soaps are more than likely made by the same outfit that makes Valobra, I am awaiting some confirmation on that. MWF is a tallow based soap, but it is not triple milled. Milling dries the soap making it dense and very hard.

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So is the Valobra stick triple milled or not, or do we not know? I don't know which soaps are triple milled and which are not, but my D R Harris Arlington is not harder than my puck of Kent, that's for sure. Also, the Erasmic stick is one of the hardest soaps I've ever come across. Is it really not triple milled?

Valobra stick is triple milled and tallow based. It is the same formula as Art of Shaving soaps, just a different scent and in stick form.

Hodari D. said:

Valobra stick is triple milled and tallow based. It is the same formula as Art of Shaving soaps, just a different scent and in stick form.

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Then it may be a good idea to update the list, which presents the Valobra stick as not triple milled. Regarding MWF/Kent and various sticks such as Palmolive, Erasmic, (and possibly Speick) I personally consider them to be, if not triple milled by industrial process, at least indistinguishable from triple milled soaps. At least they are harder than my D R Harris soap.

The fact that Arko did not qualify to be included on the list on the basis that it is not a "fine" soap seems strange to me, given that Erasmic and Palmolive are the cheapest of the cheap in the UK, and they are included. At least Erasmic has a rather chemical scent, which I do not think could ever come across as "fine".

Another tallow based soap which might be included is Monsavon Bol a Raser., which is a soft soap and certainly not triple milled.

Jim said:

There is no current production of tallow based soaps from either firm.
If you are lucky enough to locate a stash, it is old stock.

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I've heard of the tallow based soaps from these firms and would love to try them. Just as a side note, I recently purchased a Floris No.89 shave soap, and it is horrible. It doesn't make lather. Seriously. And I'm not the only one who's had this experience. Just something to consider if you're thinking of dropping $50 on the soap/bowl like I did. Really disappointing.

OK, my tiny rant is over. Thank you for the great thread. My favorites are Mitchell's Wool Fat and Tabac, although I haven't tried the highly acclaimed Art of Shaving/Valobra just yet...

Cheers

Jim at vintage blades now has his own brand of tallow based lavender soap much like DR Harris'. I ordered a sample and let you know. (One soap that wasn't mentioned was Williams Mug which is also tallow based).