- Truefitt & Hill Grafton Shave Cream Bowl 190gm

As with all Truefitt & Hill products this is an excellent shaving cream. I was pleasantly surprised by the light refreshing scent of this cream. I usually stay away from the perfumed products and was a little hesitant with trying this scent, but after reading other reviews that commented on the light fresh scent I relented and decided to give it a whirl. As I work in a medical practice I do not like to wear heavy scents, this was not an issue with the 1805 fragrance. I found it to be light with a mild spice that leaves a pleasant undertone throughout the day, I would equate it to maybe a classic ocean faring scent, my wife says it smells more floral (I was unable to detect this floral aspect), and states that she does like the scent.The cream itself is excellent, as would be expected from this very reputable manufacturer. There were no disappointments to be found here. The cream is very luxuriant and incredibly slick and smooth, and I did get an incredibly close shave, that resulted in neither razor burn nor nicks. I will say that this is a premium shaving cream and probably does work better with a higher end badger brush, probably best badger at the least. I say this due to the fact that it worked best with slightly more water than I would use with a D R Harris or TOBs cream but closer to what I expect when using the G F trumper creams. I state this only because I know the difference I achieve in lather between my pure badger brushes and my silver tip brushes as the latter are able to retain much more water. I do not view this as a negative as this is a premium cream and thereby may be expected to work optimally with premium accessories (this is of course an assumption on my part). I will however test this cream with my pure badger brushes to confirm my speculation and will update this review If I find my that I am in error. (I apologize to any boar brush users as I am unable to test this, as I do not own one)UPDATE!!! I must admit that I was mistaken in my earlier conclusion about brushes. I used my least expensive pure badger His Tweezerman Deluxe Shaving Brush (my travel brush) thinking I would work up from here. The shaving cream lather was excellent, while it was slightly thicker than I prefer when using my silver tip brush, it still lathered excellently. I was concerned that it would not hold lather for all three of my passes and my final touch up pass, but the concern proved false as there was ample lather for the complete shave. I did add drips of water to base of brush through lathering process in order to thin a little as it did remain a bit thicker on the brush. I therefore must revise my earlier comment and say this is just an excellent cream regardless of the brush you are using. Although my personal preference would be that I like the consistency offered by a brush that retains a little more water.I shave with the same ritual daily, only substituting one item at a time when trying new products.1. Homemade shave oil that I apply in the shower and allow to soak in to beard and skin.2. Face wash with Musco Real Glycerin lime soap. After showering.3. Taylor of Old Bond Street Herbal Pre-shave Gel4. Truefitt & Hill 1805 Shave Cream Jar5. Applied with Kent Brushes Shaving Brush Large Size (BK8)6. Edwin Jagger De89bl Double Edge Safety Razor Chrome Plated with Feather Hi-Stainless Platimum Double Edge Razor Blades 100 Ct7. Hot then cold water wash then alum applied. RazoRock Alum Block (Clean and replace shaving gear while this is allowed to sit on face, followed by cold water rinse.)8. Geo F. Trumper's Limes Skin Food, 200ml Applied to towel dried skin and not diluted with water. Two drops is sufficient to cover entire face and neck. I allow this to soak in while I brush teeth.9. Aftershave by Feather (unscented during work days) non work days Castle Forbes Lime Oil Aftershave Balm Again applied to dried skin.

I've been using this shaving cream for nearly 20 years--I'm a huge fan. With sensitive skin, I like that It's fragrance free and is a thicker cream compared to some of the lighter, airy commercial shaving products you buy in pharmacies and mass market dept stores. A little amount satisfies a whole shave and if you shave a few times a week, this tub will last well over a year. Hint: Use a plastic collar stay (that go in men's shirt collars) or other item to dip in the cream, so you don't get the oil and dirt from your fingers contaminating the rest of the container. This will help preserve the cream for extended use. One caveat: The cream starts out very silky and creamy, but towards the end of the year, it becomes a bit harder in consistency. Still easily usable for an additional year easily, but takes a tiny bit more effort to rub on the face.

I have been using TOB religiously for years, and it has always provided a great shave. It's thick and slick, and the scents are spot on. I then decided to give Truefitt & Hill a try. I had purchased a tub of it in the early aughts, and then I went on a spree of trying every shaving cream out there and forgot about the brand.I was about to purchase another tub of TOB when I saw T&H in the products related to section and decided to get a tub for "Old times sake." I am so glad I did.This morning I had my first shave with it and I was surprised at how well it lathered up, from what seemed like nothing to being able to cover my face twice (up and down strokes). On top of that, it was even slicker than my TOB shaving cream, and that has always been the slickest shave out there for me.So, all that to say, even though it's a bit pricey, it's worth every penny. I'll be ordering this shaving cream, trying different scents as I go, from now on.Well done, T&H. Well done, indeed.