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New York
New York shaving soap on WhollyKaw's Siero base. Urban modern fragrance composition. Made in small batches in our New Jersey workshop.
New York is an urban modern shaving soap on the Siero base, made in small batches in our New Jersey workshop. Available in Tallow and Vegan builds.
Quick facts
| Detail | What it is |
|---|---|
| Scent family | Urban modern |
| Base | Siero — tallow plus whole donkey milk + whole water buffalo milk + water buffalo milk whey |
| Weight | 4 oz / 114 g per puck |
| Lather | Dense, slick, builds in 30–45 seconds with a wet brush in cool water. |
| Where it’s made | Our New Jersey workshop. Small batches, single-vessel saponification. |
| Builds | Tallow ($29.99) / Vegan ($22.99) — same fragrance compound, different fat structures. |
What New York smells like
New York is the urban-American counterpoint to our heritage Americana line (1776, Old Glory, Washington's Blend, Jamestown Gentleman). Modern, fast-paced, slightly cosmopolitan — the soap for the shaver who wants the city in their morning routine, not the countryside.
New York is infused with a warm and spicy scent, featuring notes of coffee, cardamom, geranium, leafy greens, amber, vanilla, leather, pink pepper, tonka bean, vetiver, sandalwood, musk. The bold aroma of Coffee is balanced by the sweetness of Vanilla, while the earthy notes of Leather and the spicy kick of Pink Pepper and other notes add depth and complexity.
The fragrance is built on coffee, cardamom, geranium, leafy greens, amber, vanilla, leather, pink pepper, tonka bean, vetiver, sandalwood, musk. The opening is brightest, the heart settles in around the twenty-minute mark, and the dry-down lasts for hours after the rinse.
Tallow or Vegan — which to pick
New York is offered in two builds. They share the same fragrance compound (so the scent journey is identical) but the fat structure underneath is different.
Tallow ($29.99) is the original Tallow formulation. The conditioning is denser; the lather has more body. If you’ve shaved with WhollyKaw Tallow soaps before, this is the same direction.
Vegan ($22.99) swaps tallow for plant-derived fats (kokum, shea, cocoa, mango). Same fragrance compound, lighter lather body, brighter and cleaner under the razor.
Who New York is not for
Honest limitations:
- Fragrance-sensitive skin. New York has a real fragrance load. If our unscented Bare Naked Shaving Soap (Tallow build) or Sans Parfum Vegan Shaving Soap (Vegan build) is what your skin tolerates, this isn’t the soap to switch to.
- Strict dairy allergies. Tallow builds contain saponified dairy proteins. Most contact-dermatitis reactions to dairy are with raw milk, not saponified milk soap, but if you have severe sensitivities, test a sample before committing to a puck.
- Looking for a designer-fragrance clone. New York is its own composition, not an interpretation of a popular fragrance.
- Pucks-as-decor shavers. The puck is meant to be used. The fragrance is most expressive in the lather; sniffing the puck doesn’t do it justice.
Cost per shave
A 4 oz / 114 g puck of New York lasts most shavers ~5 months with daily shaves:
- Tallow ($29.99 / ~150 shaves) ≈ $0.20 per shave
- Vegan ($22.99 / ~150 shaves) ≈ $0.15 per shave
For comparison, a single-use disposable cartridge plus a foam can typically runs $0.40–$0.60 per shave with worse skin feel.
What's in the soap
Tallow build:
Aqua (Water), Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Potassium Ricinoleate, Sodium Ricinoleate, (Vegetable) Glycerin, Lac Asinae (Donkey Milk), Potassium Shea Butterate, Sodium Shea Butterate, Garcinia Indica Seed (Kokum) Butter, Theobroma Cacao Seed (Cocoa) Butter, Milk Protein, Lac (Milk), Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, Parfum (Fragrance), Linum Usitatissimum (Hydrolyzed Linseed) Seed Extract, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Lanolin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid.
Vegan build:
Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Aqua, Glycerin, Potassium Ricinoleate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Potassium Mango Stearate, Sodium Mango Stearate, Potassium Shea Butterate, Sodium Shea Butterate, Garcinia Indica (Kokum) Butter, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Butter, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyquaternium-10, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, Soybean Glycerides, Shea Butter Unsaponifiables, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance.
Contains no parabens, no chemical sulfates, and no synthetic dyes. Fragrance is a custom compound mixed by an American perfumer to our spec.
If you like the scent profile of New York, also try
Cross-references from our shaving-soap catalog by shared notes:
- King of Bourbon — shares the vanilla note
- Merchant of Tobacco — shares the vanilla note
- Man from Mayfair — shares the sandalwood note
- Pasha's Pride — shares the sandalwood note
- 1776 — shares the amber note
What customers say
★★★★★
Pure enjoyment!
I just tried Wholly Kaw soap for the first time, and I can guarantee there’s nothing better out there! Its composition provides incredible protection during the shave, offering unmatched glide—but what truly left me speechless was the post-shave feel! My skin felt unbelievably soft, smooth as silk, and incredibly supple. Scent is subjective, but when something is this good, there’s nothing to debate! I would have given it six stars if I could! Kudos to Wholly Kaw! 🪒💈
★★★★★
Pure Win
This has been one of the best scented soaps that I have used when it was first released. Hoping for a fragrance to be launched soon to compliment the set
★★★★★
Sexy Sophistication!
The smooth and clean sophistication of this date night pleaser is top notch! No need to pour on the cologne, this soap set will leave you smelling like pure appreciation. I literally used this set at a recent wedding and it was perfect.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a puck of New York last?
Most shavers get 5 to 6 months out of a 4-ounce puck with daily shaving. The Siero base lathers efficiently — you don't need to load heavily — so a puck stretches further than a typical mass-market soap.
What does New York smell like?
See the scent walkthrough on the page above for the structured top/heart/base note breakdown. New York is an urban modern composition that develops over a 3-4 hour wear time on skin.
Why is it called New York?
New York is the urban-American counterpoint to our heritage Americana line (1776, Old Glory, Washington's Blend, Jamestown Gentleman). Modern, fast-paced, slightly cosmopolitan — the soap for the shaver who wants the city in their morning routine, not the countryside.
Tallow or Vegan — which build to pick?
Tallow build is the original — beef tallow plus whole donkey milk on the Siero base, denser conditioning lather. Vegan build swaps tallow for plant-derived fats (kokum, shea, cocoa, mango), lighter lather body, same fragrance compound. Pick on dietary preference; both share the scent journey.
Do I need a brush, or can I lather with my hands?
New York is a hard puck designed for brush use. A synthetic or boar brush builds the best lather. Hand-lathering works in a pinch but won't get the dense, conditioning lather the soap is designed for.
Is New York a moisturizing shaving soap?
In the way most shavers use the word — yes. People search for "moisturizing shaving soap" looking for a soap that leaves skin feeling conditioned, hydrated, and protected. The technical term we use is "conditioning" because the soap is rinsed off, but the experience matches what people mean. New York on our Siero base delivers exactly that conditioned skin feel. For an actual leave-on moisturizer, pair with our grass-fed tallow zinc oxide cream.
Can I use New York in cold water?
Yes — Siero soaps lather well in cool water with a 30-45 second build. Hot water gives a slightly faster build but isn't necessary.
Where is New York made?
In our New Jersey workshop. Saponification, scenting, pressing, and packaging all happen in house. The fragrance compound is mixed by an American perfumer.