Haslinger Schafmilch Shaving Soap, 60g Puck

I was really disappointed. Weak lather and absolutely no slickness to this soap. This was a surprise, given the many good reviews. It sounds like the formulation changed recently. After one terrible shave that left my skin feeling like I sanded by beard off, I threw this puck in the trash. After giving my skin a couple of days to recover, I gave Haslinger's Sandenholz a try and it was so much better! They make a good soap, just not this one.

I have tried most of the Haslinger soaps and they all perform well and provide a nice post-shave feel. This one has a mild clean scent like Dove soap or MWF. Since I prefer the distinctive scents of Ringelblumen, Sandenholz and Meersalgen, I took some of the Schafmilch (which has almost no scent) and grated it into a bowl half-and-half with G.F. Trumper Violet, which smells great but needs help to make a decent lather. Voila - the combo works great and smells great too.

The new formulation sucks. It lacks the slickness that the previous tallow version had. it feels like it's cleaning your face like a regular bar of soap. I also got a burning sensation when applied to the face even before shaving. The scent is very nice i think, a very fresh clean floral soapy scent. Bring back the old formula!!!

Any company that's been around for almost 130 years has to be doing something right! I actually bought this to fit an antique shaving scuttle that used a small puck like this (The original was 2" but 55cm will do). The soap itself is a surprisingly strong performer. It lathers effortlessly, and provides great lubricity and cushion. So feel free to use an aggressive razor and/or blade. As far as the scent goes, it's soap! It smells like soap! That's fine with me. If you want a strong scent, buy an EDT. The KISS principle applies. Why does a functional thing like shaving soap have to 'make a statement'? The only statement Haslinger has to make is, "Have a nice shave!". Works for me.

This is a really great soap for sensitive skin. It has great slickness for in between passes but lacks in ability to lather a lot. It takes a while to get a cloudy lather but its still very easy to use. I keep this soap in rotation for when I don't want any smell on my face and want a simple enjoyable shave.