Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shave Soap with Bowl, 100g

This soap was hard and I thought it might prove difficult to lather. However, it produced a rich creamy lather very quickly that seemed to last for ages, it had a very nice luxuriant feel to it and provided a nice cushion and slickness. To top it off it comes in a very nice wooden bowl that looks great on display. The scent was a subtle sandalwood with a hint of talc that lasted for quite some time after the shave. Can fully recommend this as a top notch soap.

In my opinion this is a great soap for the price. It has a fairly strong scent of sandalwood. As soon as the lid is lifted, my bathroom is filled with the scent. It is quite pleasing. The lather is quite nice as well. Some of the comparisons to shave creams in other reviews confuse me. Shaving cream is always going to be easier to lather. With proper technique you can achieve the same result with soap. I've been loading my brush out of the bowl and haven't noticed the wood warping as a result, so the soap doesn't seem to require removal from the bowl. I definitely recommend if you want to go veteran mode. If you want to go easy mode, go with the cream. Even if you’re new to shaving I implore you to go with the soap. It’s so much more rewarding than using a cream in my opinion. Wet shaving isn’t about convenience, it’s about the ritual. It’s about maintaining a practice that is slowly being forgotten by time. Keep it alive.

The shaving cream version of this product outperforms this soap by a mile.

The slickness is Average, skin protection is very good but the softening of the hair is not so great.

Lather is nice and creamy but requires more effort to create compare to its competition. You will need to load a lot onto a brush to benefit it’s full performance.

As for durability I don’t know I haven’t used the product long enough.

Everything about this product is perfect. It is a bit pricey and bought it as a treat, after using it no regrets at all.
Great lather
Great smell
What else you want.

This is by far the best shaving soap I've ever used. Starting with the scent, the subtle Sandalwood is masculine, but not so much that it is overpowering. Fantastic for various woody scented aftershaves, but will as easily compliment any cool menthol or floral aftershaves. Lathering up is very easy, both directly onto the brush, and again in a separate lathering bowl. Lots of soap is generated, but it is not bubbly or foamy. It's thick, soft, peaky lather, and will lather with any water. This is particularly useful for me as my area has quite coarse water. Going on the face is very easy with any brush and it comes off just as easily. There is a great slickness left by the soap afterwards, so theoretically you could go over areas again without lathering (I generally just reapply a touch of lather anyway). It is fantastic for all skin types, and has really suited by neckline, which has always been a little sensitive. It doesn't dissipate quickly either, so if you like to take your time it'll hold nicely. The wooden bowl is a lovely addition, and is finished and treated well, so over time it doesn't lose its varnish or shape. I would recommend this for any wet shaver regardless of experience. On a side note, I also found it complimented the Gillette 7O'clock super stainless blades perfectly.