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Timmermann Red Label 1869
Timmermann Red Label 1869 shaving soap on WhollyKaw's Siero base. Heritage Romanian — Red fragrance composition. Made in small batches in our New Jersey workshop.
Timmermann Red Label 1869 is a heritage romanian — red shaving soap on the Siero base, made in small batches in our New Jersey workshop.
Quick facts
| Detail | What it is |
|---|---|
| Scent family | Heritage Romanian — Red |
| 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. |
| Price | $29.99 per 4 oz / 114 g puck. |
What Timmermann Red Label 1869 smells like
Timmermann Red Label 1869 is the warm, deeper-spirited counterpart to the Green and Classic Timmermann editions — the same heritage Romanian craft tradition expressed in a richer, slightly more resinous register. Completes our Timmermann trilogy.
Pasteur’s one of the oldest brands in America acquired another well known brand Timmermann. Founded in 1869, Timmermann had a suite of old formulations in their archives. For over 100 years Timmermann served the discerning customers of New York City with quality products. The formulations were dormant in a forgotten, handwritten book deep in the repositories of Timmermann shops.
Who Timmermann Red Label 1869 is not for
Honest limitations:
- Fragrance-sensitive skin. Timmermann Red Label 1869 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. Timmermann Red Label 1869 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 Timmermann Red Label 1869 lasts most shavers ~5 months with daily shaves:
- Single build ($29.99 / ~150 shaves) ≈ $0.20 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:
Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Aqua, Donkey Milk, Water Buffalo Milk, Water Buffalo Milk Whey, Glycerin, Potassium Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Potassium Ricinoleate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Potassium Shea Butterate, Sodium Shea Butterate, Garcinia Indica (Kokum) Butter, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Butter, Hydrolyzed Linseed, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, Lanolin, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid.
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 Timmermann Red Label 1869, also try
Cross-references from our shaving-soap catalog by shared notes:
- Timmermann Classic 1869 — shares the romanian note
- Timmermann Green Label 1869 — shares the romanian note
What customers say
★★★★★
What I’ve been searching for
Aside from the incredible ingredients that pushed me over the edge to make this purchase, such as the donkey and water Buffalo milk, the omega 3 and 6 oils, the ingredients which produce the amazing smell perfectly compliment and complete my “signature scent” that everyone will associate with me. I have been complimented so many times by those whom I am speaking with about how great I smell, which is what I was hoping for with this product. I absolutely abhor smelling like the popular masses. The lather is exceptional and the scent lasts the whole day. I will be a purchaser for life.
★★★★★
Love the entire set!
I just love this set. The soap, the toner, the balm. The scent could be my favorite Wholly Kaw scent of all time. I arrange my scents seasonally, but this Timmermann Red fits all seasons. But I must say especially October through December. The scent is nostalgic, evocative of a beautiful, nostalgic time. Hints of buttery popcorn, vintage cherry cola, and fall candy. Reminds me of being a kid running around one of those department stores that used to be more central to American life and getting lost in the basement with the pillows, mattresses, couches, and real wood dressers. Ther are some Thanksgiving or generic fall decorations and that potpouri scent used in the mattress section. The smell of commerce, but a commerce based on honesty and built on relationships. Just a glorious scent. Thank you. Of course, the quality of the soap is spectacular--super-easy lather, great cushion and post-shave feel is great, like all of Wholly Kaw soaps. This is a winner!
★★★★★
Wonderful scent❤️
Another great soap form Wholly Kaw. The Siero base is amongst the best in the business. There are none better. Timmerman Red has a wonderful scent as well.
★★★★★
Great!
My order was fulfilled and shipped almost immediately. I have not used this soap yet, but I imagine that it will be just like all of their other products...terrific! The scent is very pleasant. I would say that there is a soft underlying note that stays constant on this. There is also a pleasant vanilla scent that reminds me of bourbon. Very sweet, yet masculine. I expect that the complexity will open up more while being used. This is going to be one of my favorites.
★★★☆☆
Scent is not what I expected
The soap itself is very good. Easy to lather and very slick. The scent is not quite what I expected based on the description. There is an overriding note (not sure what it is) that is off putting.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a puck of Timmermann Red Label 1869 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 Timmermann Red Label 1869 smell like?
See the scent walkthrough on the page above for the structured top/heart/base note breakdown. Timmermann Red Label 1869 is a heritage romanian — red composition that develops over a 3-4 hour wear time on skin.
Why is it called Timmermann Red Label 1869?
Timmermann Red Label 1869 is the warm, deeper-spirited counterpart to the Green and Classic Timmermann editions — the same heritage Romanian craft tradition expressed in a richer, slightly more resinous register. Completes our Timmermann trilogy.
Is Timmermann Red Label 1869 available in a Vegan build?
Currently Timmermann Red Label 1869 is offered in a single Tallow build only. For an unscented vegan shaving soap, see Sans Parfum Vegan Shaving Soap; for vegan-build versions of other scents, see our Wave 02 and Wave 03 cohort pages.
Do I need a brush, or can I lather with my hands?
Timmermann Red Label 1869 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 Timmermann Red Label 1869 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. Timmermann Red Label 1869 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 Timmermann Red Label 1869 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 Timmermann Red Label 1869 made?
In our New Jersey workshop. Saponification, scenting, pressing, and packaging all happen in house. The fragrance compound is mixed by an American perfumer.