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Dutch Barbershop

gvw755

gvw755

Well-Known Member
Since I see many members from the Netherlands, I must write of the shaving soaps done by Paul Kox of the Dutch Barbershop. Both of my soaps came from @efsk at two different times. The first one was the original formula Scheerzeep Groene Thee that came in a metal container. This was a fantastic preforming soap with a the best green tea scent ever (I'm not sure how many other soaps have a pure green tea scent). To build a good lather, however, required great patience and concentration. Still, very much worth the effort.

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The second one was a new formula and called Dutchi and this was a bergamot scent which was equal to my favorite bergamot scent soap - TFS Bergamot Neroli. This new formula was very easy to lather and performed as well as the original. Unfortunately for me, it is not easy to obtain these soaps and so I ration my use of it.

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Nice! Paul Kox is a very friendly man. Had the pleasure of meeting him when I visited his shop in Breukelen. Don’t know his soaps though.
 
The King (Hans) on this forum is a personal friend of him, maybe he can help you out (I'm old and forgetful but unless I'm mistaken the soaps are no longer available?) Never tried them myself.
 
These are very nice soaps with a perfect price-quality relation. You need a bit of patience with the old formula, start very dry and only slowly add water, but both make a great consistency lather, where the new formula is a bit more caring for the skin.
 
A quick answer before I go to the lobby.
As Snuff points out, Paul is a personal friend of mine and we regularly have a cup of coffee with each other.
So if you would like to have shaving soap or other shaving equipment from him, I want to buy it for you and send it to you.
 
Paul Kox soaps require the user to have some experience in lathering soaps.

It is advisable to start the loading process with a slightly drier shaving brush and occasionally sprinkle a few drops of water on the soap surface until there is enough soap in the brush.

What helps with this soap is to apply it to the soap before shaving on some hot water and leave it for a minute, then shake the water well off the shaving soap and then start the loading process.

lathering in a bowl is actually the same way or carefully add water during the foaming process.

The lather is less full than soaps with, for example, beef tallow and disappears a little faster as a result, but the shaving and caring properties are more than excellent.

The smells are generally very modest so if you like subtle smells you are at the right place with these soaps.
The above does not apply to the Grinded Lemon that really pops out of the can but that is allowed because it is a fantastic smell.

You are talking about an old and new formula and you could translate that as if his soaps had undergone a change in the formula and that is not true.

It's better to say that two soaps with a different list of ingredients coexist.

The Bergamot is the only soap from its shaving soap line that has a Tallow base and is therefore very easy to lather up. Lathering is just as easy as for example a TFS or Mondial shaving soap.

All his other shaving soaps are vegan and they lack the Tallow, which makes them less easy to use and less full of lather than the Bergamot shaving soap.
 
Good to now the Bergamotto is the only (easy) one in this line, tallow based. This one I use mainly for head shaving late in the evening because of the subtle smell, and as the others already mentioned, easy to lather, and great for the skin.
Time to get a new one,

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I know about the Dutch Barbershop but I never knew Paul made soaps. The only two soaps from The Netherlands I’ve used are the venerable De Vergulde Hand which I love and the cheap pharmacy soap named Kruidvat which I don’t really care for too much.

Yehuda
 
Guys, what now? What is wrong with de Vergulde Hand? :D

Ó no... not again boys......always that off-topic talk.............where is the moderator?? :popo1 :kaputtlachen1 :kaputtlachen1

Now I have to say that for most wet shavers the lathering of the Vergulde Hand will go off easier than Paul's soap.

On the other hand, the quality of the Dutch Barbershop shaving soap is so much better that any exercise with it is amply compensated.
 
In the USA, we know de Vergulde Hand as the ones that make the Fine Accouterments soaps. People are very impressed with those. However, I must agree that Dutch Barbershop is in a class by itself. :daumenhoch
 
gvw755 said:
In the USA, we know de Vergulde Hand as the ones that make the Fine Accouterments soaps. People are very impressed with those. However, I must agree that Dutch Barbershop is in a class by itself. :daumenhoch
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Unfortunately, that is not the truth.

The soaps of Dutch Barbershop, Fine Accouterments soaps and van der Lovett are produced by one and the same factory (Siderius) here in the Netherlands.

The Bergamot soap from Dutch barbershop has Tallow is therefore equal in formula to the Fine and van der Lovett soaps.

The Vergulde Hand has nothing to do with this.
 
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The King said:
Unfortunately, that is not the truth.

The soaps of Dutch Barbershop, Fine Accouterments soaps and van der Lovett are produced by one and the same factory (Siderius) here in the Netherlands.

The Bergamot soap from Dutch barbershop has Tallow is therefore equal in formula to the Fine and van der Lovett soaps.

The Vergulde Hand has nothing to do with this.
Click to expand...
This cannot be true as I read this on the internet! :kaputtlachen1

I am now properly informed. Since Fine and Dutch Barbershop Bergamot come from the same soap maker, I now have even more respect for the Fine soaps. :buana
 
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