dkeester
"TSC's Master of Bourbon"
A few pictures:
The review:
Like many wet shavers, I am a fan of hard soaps. However, so far in my wet shaving career I have found only a few that are worthwhile but there are many that I haven't tried yet. The rest suck. (I am looking at you TOBS puck.) My hard soap list is short: Tabac, MWF, & CBL Tonsorial. Well, that list is getting a new addition.
LEA Classic is a hard, milled puck that when unwrapped is devoid of any markings. It is just a white puck of soap that is so bone dry as to be porous. This reminded me of how a puck of MWF feels when first unwrapped, except the LEA Classic might be even drier than MWF. I knew right away that this puck would require blooming. Before placing it back into the bowl, I held it to my nose. The sandalwood and moss scent with a hint of menthol is vey pleasant and far from overpowering. After placing the puck back in the bowl I opened the bottle of LEA Classic AS splash. The AS matches the soap and is also quite pleasant. Before covering the soap up I put some water on top of it then immediately dumped it off. I then covered the soap with the lid to the bowl.
The next morning (today) the soap was moist and a little softer. I put a few drops more water on top of it and hopped into the shower. After my shower I took a synthetic brush, wet the bristles, and then squeezed much of the water out. I then loaded directly from the puck. The soap is more foamy than many when it loads, but I had no problem getting plenty of soap into my brush and into my lather bowl. I then added a teaspoon or two of water and proceeded to build what appeared to be a very nice lather. Shaving with it showed it to be protective and comfortable, but lacking slickness. (If this happens with a harder soap it means that the lather is too dry.) I added a couple of teaspoons more water for the second pass and was rewarded with a slick, comfortable, and protective lather that gave me a really, really comfortable BBS. Finishing the shave with the matching AS left me feeling great and smelling good. The scent has faded in the few hours since finishing the shave, but it was never that strong to begin with.
I have only used this for one shave so far, but, since it is my current 3017 project, it is going to get much, much more use. So far I would say it has similar performance to Tabac or CBL Tonsorial with similar water needs. Give this soap more than you think it needs and you will probably be close to the right amount. CBL Tonsorial has a leg up on this soap in one area, just as it does on Tabac. LEA Classic is available in one scent only. CBL has a range of options. So, if you aren't a fan of sandalwood and moss, you probably aren't going to find this soap as enjoyable as I do.
LEA Classic is going on to my list of soaps to restock when it is gone. Considering that this soap has been around for a long time now, I am surprised that there aren't more people talking about it. I only found one review from 2015 on a different forum. Hopefully some of you other Cadre members will give this one a try. At around $12 US for a 100 gram refill puck and around $24 for the puck with the wooden bowl, I feel that this is soap is definitely a good value.
I am really excited to use it again tomorrow.
The review:
Like many wet shavers, I am a fan of hard soaps. However, so far in my wet shaving career I have found only a few that are worthwhile but there are many that I haven't tried yet. The rest suck. (I am looking at you TOBS puck.) My hard soap list is short: Tabac, MWF, & CBL Tonsorial. Well, that list is getting a new addition.
LEA Classic is a hard, milled puck that when unwrapped is devoid of any markings. It is just a white puck of soap that is so bone dry as to be porous. This reminded me of how a puck of MWF feels when first unwrapped, except the LEA Classic might be even drier than MWF. I knew right away that this puck would require blooming. Before placing it back into the bowl, I held it to my nose. The sandalwood and moss scent with a hint of menthol is vey pleasant and far from overpowering. After placing the puck back in the bowl I opened the bottle of LEA Classic AS splash. The AS matches the soap and is also quite pleasant. Before covering the soap up I put some water on top of it then immediately dumped it off. I then covered the soap with the lid to the bowl.
The next morning (today) the soap was moist and a little softer. I put a few drops more water on top of it and hopped into the shower. After my shower I took a synthetic brush, wet the bristles, and then squeezed much of the water out. I then loaded directly from the puck. The soap is more foamy than many when it loads, but I had no problem getting plenty of soap into my brush and into my lather bowl. I then added a teaspoon or two of water and proceeded to build what appeared to be a very nice lather. Shaving with it showed it to be protective and comfortable, but lacking slickness. (If this happens with a harder soap it means that the lather is too dry.) I added a couple of teaspoons more water for the second pass and was rewarded with a slick, comfortable, and protective lather that gave me a really, really comfortable BBS. Finishing the shave with the matching AS left me feeling great and smelling good. The scent has faded in the few hours since finishing the shave, but it was never that strong to begin with.
I have only used this for one shave so far, but, since it is my current 3017 project, it is going to get much, much more use. So far I would say it has similar performance to Tabac or CBL Tonsorial with similar water needs. Give this soap more than you think it needs and you will probably be close to the right amount. CBL Tonsorial has a leg up on this soap in one area, just as it does on Tabac. LEA Classic is available in one scent only. CBL has a range of options. So, if you aren't a fan of sandalwood and moss, you probably aren't going to find this soap as enjoyable as I do.
LEA Classic is going on to my list of soaps to restock when it is gone. Considering that this soap has been around for a long time now, I am surprised that there aren't more people talking about it. I only found one review from 2015 on a different forum. Hopefully some of you other Cadre members will give this one a try. At around $12 US for a 100 gram refill puck and around $24 for the puck with the wooden bowl, I feel that this is soap is definitely a good value.
I am really excited to use it again tomorrow.
