Review Barrister & Mann - Seville (Excelsior)

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Deleted member 1881

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Evening chaps, another soap that wanted to review but I waited for 3-4 months to use it many times and make up better my mind.

7 days of growth.

Equipment:
Yaqi Timberwolf 26mm Synthetic
Maggards Slant / Parker 97R Handle
Bic Blade #3

Scent: I am not impressed by B&M selection, I only like better Le Grand Chypre, so for me this scent is just ok, dark orange smell with so clean-crisp smell, very citrusy, anyway I'm not good when describing scents..

Lather: Having in mind that this base can be tricky, I always followed Will's recommendation and started with a wetter brush - three flicks and gently loading. I definitely overloaded it but who cares, I needed lather for 3.5 passes (big mistake with this Shark disguised in a razor). The brush seemed loaded but not so much, a usual thing of this base, so I stopped.
Face lathering and the amount of water it needed was humongous. I was keeping adding water to the point I got tired, the soap maybe could handle even more, but I stopped feeding this hungry beast.

Performance: First pass and the slant took no prisoners, glided excellent and took almost all the hairs at once, no questions asked. The soap was protecting me but TBH I rarely cut myself in the first pass.

Second pass and the lather was there, creamy and steady, slickness very nice and the slant was singing. The blade was really sharp but I felt that it started to losing its power a bit.

Third pass ATG and the soap felt really slick but it lacked in residual slickness enough for me to understand it. I rubbed my eyes, "OMG 😱, is this really happening? I added so much water to make it slick, what is going wrong?" Then a voice hit me: "Keep calm Randy, there are better soaps out there and you know it, you already ordered the Sieroam as well, so be patient". I couldn't buffing on the areas that there was no lather, so I didn't insist much. The slant was threatening after some time, so I was more careful with this devil's tool.

Moustache area felt a bit rough, I cut myself there, 3 bloody dots appeared the moment that Southern Witchcrafts was better by far there, even without visible lather. Maybe it was the different razor, I don't really know the behaviour of the slant well yet, what can I say, it was also my first shave with it.

I insisted under the chin, the final result was a very close shave but I needed the Alum for 3 spots.

Post Shave: I didn't put any balm or lotion to test the face feel. All I can say is that instantly after the cold rinse, the face was tight and was pulling a lot to the point that if I tried to move my lips right & left my face would break. After an hour or so, things got better but still this soap is far behind A&E's post shave feeling, the latter has more natural effect and my face is glowing and shining in a good way after rinsing and it lasts for the next day or more.

As a result, no, I wouldn't buy this soap again, my standards are now raised a lot and I expect more things from a worldwide fame soap like Barrister's. I will agree with @Wayne, this man really knows how to compare soaps, the Southern Witchcrafts is better than this one, even with less ingredients. Xanthan Gum has destroyed Will's soaps, it needs TONS of water to get the consistency you want to start the shave and the post shave is behind A&E, Declaration and 👑 Wholly.

Randy
 
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TheChrisC

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Review is perhaps a tad harsh King Randy! That said, I definitely agree that the soaps you mentioned are better performers. I find Excelsior easier than Reserve. I only really buy B&M for the scents nowadays and performance is secondary to that. I think Will has the potential to really take the base somewhere even better.
 
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Review is perhaps a tad harsh King Randy! That said, I definitely agree that the soaps you mentioned are better performers. I find Excelsior easier than Reserve. I only really buy B&M for the scents nowadays and performance is secondary to that. I think Will has the potential to really take the base somewhere even better.
I strongly believe that too Chris, but I really can't feel some of the ingredients he has put inside the Excelsior, like the Lanolin(for post shave), or Shea Butter.

It isn't a mediocre soap for sure, it's good, but nowadays my levels are set higher. I prefer Icarus that stinks, performance based, than this one.
 

TheChrisC

Forum GOD!
I strongly believe that too Chris, but I really can't feel some of the ingredients he has put inside the Excelsior, like the Lanolin(for post shave), or Shea Butter.

It isn't a mediocre soap for sure, it's good, but nowadays my levels are set higher. I prefer Icarus that stinks, performance based, than this one.
Yeah, the last half of this year has shown how much better soaps are getting. I think with DG it’s just the lack of scents I like that is holding me back and WK too. Ariana is different, it’s rare I don’t like one of Peter’s scents.
 
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Deleted member 1881

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Yeah, the last half of this year has shown how much better soaps are getting. I think with DG it’s just the lack of scents I like that is holding me back and WK too. Ariana is different, it’s rare I don’t like one of Peter’s scents.
If I could make a top5 based on performance, Declaration Icarus would be no1, Ariana and Wholly very close to it, Southern next and Excelsior the last one. I think I liked the Glissant better, I must get a Cologne Russe now that is still in Glissant formula.

I didn't receive yet the Siero, but I hope it will win them all the above.
 

TheChrisC

Forum GOD!
If I could make a top5 based on performance, Declaration Icarus would be no1, Ariana and Wholly very close to it, Southern next and Excelsior the last one. I think I liked the Glissant better, I must get a Cologne Russe now that is still in Glissant formula.

I didn't receive yet the Siero, but I hope it will win them all the above.
What Will does brilliantly is very complex scents. That’s where he really succeeds I think, versus WK who make a great base but the scents aren’t really there. We’ll see what happens in the future. My respect always goes to Stirling as they just remain consistent and great value.
 
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Deleted member 1881

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What Will does brilliantly is very complex scents. That’s where he really succeeds I think, versus WK who make a great base but the scents aren’t really there. We’ll see what happens in the future. My respect always goes to Stirling as they just remain consistent and great value.
My favourite scent is Le Grand Chypre.

As long as a soap does not stink, if performance is up there, I will buy it. But some Icarus and Whollys do stink.

Yes, Stirling soaps are fair, good scents, ingredients list, slick and 160gr pucks.

He doesn't change the formula easily and often, in order not to deceive the customers who have bought the initial one.
 

hamleto

Well-Known Member
I also had my first shave with Seville Excelsior, and while I think the post shave is nothing so special, I found it to be extremely slick and protective. Scent is nice, even if I've the feeling the scent of Glissant was better.
 

G_man

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I do like the scent very much (Seville), but I just hate having to put so much water in it. I would understand if I would arrive to something really special, but as some have pointed out, I also find the post shave very mediocre and also the residual slickness is lacking a bit (as the lather is indeed very slick). Maybe this is all due to too little water (as I have heard somewhere), but if this is the case, than this is ridiculous. No soap should require so much water.
 
D

Deleted member 1881

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I do like the scent very much (Seville), but I just hate having to put so much water in it. I would understand if I would arrive to something really special, but as some have pointed out, I also find the post shave very mediocre and also the residual slickness is lacking a bit (as the lather is indeed very slick). Maybe this is all due to too little water (as I have heard somewhere), but if this is the case, than this is ridiculous. No soap should require so much water.
Exactly man. But I found that if you overload this beast first and then feed it with water then the residual slickness goes up there. Try it.
 

G_man

Forum GOD!
Exactly man. But I found that if you overload this beast first and then feed it with water then the residual slickness goes up there. Try it.
Did it this morning. Overloaded moderately and indeed the residual slickness goes up. Still, too much trouble.
I read that Will actually had another base (PP-8, Soft Heart Series) when developing excelsior which was slightly different (and supposedly better). But the soap usage per shave was smaller with excelsior and he didn't want to make the customer feel cheated or smth like that.

Was anyone able to pick up the Soft Hear Series soap when offer on black friday?
 
D

Deleted member 1881

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Did it this morning. Overloaded moderately and indeed the residual slickness goes up. Still, too much trouble.
I read that Will actually had another base (PP-8, Soft Heart Series) when developing excelsior which was slightly different (and supposedly better). But the soap usage per shave was smaller with excelsior and he didn't want to make the customer feel cheated or smth like that.

Was anyone able to pick up the Soft Hear Series soap when offer on black friday?
Yup you are very well informed.

No, I didn't get a PP8. Will told me exactly the thing you mention.

It requires too much work to get the slickness you want.
 

gile

Forum GOD!
I used le grand chypre in excelsior past days and found it thirstier than glissant. Performance wise I couldn't find nothing to complain about. Residual slickness could be better but it is there just enough for my taste. Post shave on first is nothing special but as there is no sting from aftershave at all it gets high grade from me.
 
D

Deleted member 1881

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I used le grand chypre in excelsior past days and found it thirstier than glissant. Performance wise I couldn't find nothing to complain about. Residual slickness could be better but it is there just enough for my taste. Post shave on first is nothing special but as there is no sting from aftershave at all it gets high grade from me.
The first time I used it, the residual slickness was fantastic. I didn't overload at all.
 

gile

Forum GOD!
The first time I used it, the residual slickness was fantastic. I didn't overload at all.
Well first time I loaded with well shaken brush and ended with more soap as I added water while loading. Ended up with lather for 4 passes. Next time with wet brush and 15 seconds od loading I got lather for 3 passes with no much water added after loading. I think these new bases need less loading to give best results. I tried this 15 seconds method with most of my soaps and only with mwf there was need to load it more than that.
 
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