Review (4/5): Bought Williams, Proraso, Mitchell's Wool Fat, and Taylor Sandalwood. Mitchell was smooothest shave
I bought Williams shaving soap, this Taylor soap, Mitchell Sheep Fat shaving soap, Proaraso shaving soap in the green plastic container, and gave them all a 4.
The Willaims was super cheap and does better than fine, and cleans great. If you don't have sensitive skin, it works great. My skin is sensitive.
The Taylor soap smells unbelievably of sandalwood. I'd buy it just to put in the bath and slop it with some water every now an then for the odor. It is less soft/smooth shave than the Mitchell or Proraso, but smoother than the Williams., and the smell is unbelievable. They put the real stuff in it. It does not leave my skin as comfortable as the Mitchell or Proraso soaps.
The Mitchell Wool Fat soap was smoothest on my skin and softened my hair the most. It does not make as thick a lather, but I did not find that a problem, hitting myself with the brush when/where needed. It left my skin the most comfortable after I used it— with visible the irritation and burning I feel after shaving disappearing most quickly with this soap. The Proraso soap was the least irritating while shaving, but I believe it has something like mint oil in it to deaden the skin a bit.
The Proraso soap was the most comfortable to use, probably because it has a small amount of mint oil (which I can smell) and deadens the skin a bit. It left my skin almost as undamaged as the Mitchell, and shaved with less stinging. The Proraso is cheaper, but is less dense, and more of it seems to get used up when you shave. I suspect it will be the same cost as the Taylor and Mitchell in the end.
I seem to be using the Mitchell the most, sine it has a soft shave, but if my face is burning a bit already, I use the Proraso, since the mint calms all that down. I love the smell of the Taylor soap and use it preferentially when my face does not have any burning on it. Oddly, I am using the Willliams soap as bath soap. It works better at cleaning than the bath soap I buy in the store and is roughly the same price. If my skin was not sensitive, I would use the WIlliams. Much cheaper and I used it as shaving soap for years.