Happy Tuesday, everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic Fourth of July holiday (if you’re from the U.S.). I decided to take a few extra days off (aside from writing a post that lost me followers and earned me a pepper spray threat). But we’re back to the traditional wet shaving today and a summer-focused shaving soap review. With the passing of the Fourth, we’ve really hit the dog days of summer, and I was thinking about the one thing that combines celebrating America with those dog days: baseball.
“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again.”
If there was ever a manufacturer to boldly attempt packing the smells of baseball into a shaving soap, it’s Barrister & Mann. No one works fragrant magic in their shaving soaps better than B&M in my opinion, and the nostalgia layered into this shaving soap is staggering. I can smell the Cracker Jack. I can smell the dirt. I can even smell a little smokey pine tar. When Barrister & Mann describes this soap as walking into a ballpark, they are not kidding. Surprisingly, I found that the fragrance of this soap pairs extremely well with a Bay Rum aftershave.
The performance of this shaving soap is exceptional too. I mean, what would you expect from Barrister & Mann? Although, I have heard that their soaps can be tricky to lather with hard water. Fortunately, I don’t have that issue. I think B&M makes one of the best lathering soaps in the industry. While shaving, the lather is so slick and so comfortable. The only other manufacturer I have reviewed with this kind of performance is D.R. Harris. I am testing another soap that may rival these two brands, but we’ll keep that for a future post.
I really loved this soap, but I do have one caveat to add. I don’t know if I could use this soap every day. Not really a problem for me, I have a pretty big selection of soaps to choose from daily. But if you’re the kind of wet shaver who only stocks a couple shaving soaps in your shave den, make sure your rotation is big enough. The scent is fantastic, but it is pretty unique and powerful for everyday use. This is certainly not a bad thing, just something to be aware of. I would use this soap sparingly when I want something a little special.
Regards,