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Vor V
Vor V shaving soap on WhollyKaw's Siero base. Russian / Slavic fragrance composition. Made in small batches in our New Jersey workshop.
Vor V is a russian / slavic 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 | Russian / Slavic |
| 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 ($21.99) — same fragrance compound, different fat structures. |
What Vor V smells like
Vor V is a tribute to the Russian "vor v zakone" (thieves-in-law) tradition — a complex moral code, not a glorification. The fragrance carries that weight: aromatic and slightly mysterious, built for shavers who appreciate scent with backstory.
Notes of Geranium, Raspberry, Nutmeg, Saffron, Oud, Black Tea, Cashmeran, Musk, Leather, Amber and Vanilla.
The fragrance is built on Geranium, Raspberry, Nutmeg, Saffron, Oud, Black Tea, Cashmeran, Musk, Leather, Amber and Vanilla. 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
Vor V 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 Siero formulation. The conditioning is denser; the lather has more body. If you’ve shaved with WhollyKaw Siero soaps before, this is the same direction.
Vegan ($21.99) swaps tallow for plant-derived fats (kokum, shea, cocoa, mango). Same fragrance compound, lighter lather body, brighter and cleaner under the razor.
Who Vor V is not for
Honest limitations:
- Fragrance-sensitive skin. Vor V 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. Vor V 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 Vor V lasts most shavers ~5 months with daily shaves:
- Tallow ($29.99 / ~150 shaves) ≈ $0.20 per shave
- Vegan ($21.99 / ~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:
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.
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 Vor V, also try
Cross-references from our shaving-soap catalog by shared notes:
- King of Oud — shares the oud note
- Merchant of Tobacco — shares the oud note
- Pasha's Pride — shares the oud note
- King of Bourbon — shares the vanilla note
- 1776 — shares the amber note
What customers say
★★★★★
Top quality
The quality of soap is top! Aroma - top! Probably, I will also order eau de parfum, with such a aroma. Bravo!
★★★★★
Amazing scent, even better performance.
Amazing scent! Fantastic lather, slickness and leaves my skin feeling clean and nourished. Ordered the EDP. Perfect!
★★★★★
This stuff is out of control!
Trying to expand my soap collection with some uncommon scents and this fits the bill perfectly. Definitely a Halloween scent, strong smokey, spicy, musty smells all mellowed out by rich raspberry. It blew my head off and the wifey loves it. If Jack from Nightmare Before Christmas went on a date, this is what he’d smell like. Wonderful shave as well.
★★★★★
Can’t say enough good things!
This is an incredible soap! The Siero base lathers up beautifully and leaves my skin feeling moisturized and healthy. The scent is very unique. I don’t pick up on the full depth of scent notes, but the raspberry comes through and is balanced with the other notes so that it doesn’t smell like artificial fruit. I’m a big fan! This may have just become a staple in my collection.
★★★★★
Elite level🔥
Elite-level soap base performance and a scent that is incredible. Sweet Raspberry leathery goodness.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a puck of Vor V 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 Vor V smell like?
See the scent walkthrough on the page above for the structured top/heart/base note breakdown. Vor V is a russian / slavic composition that develops over a 3-4 hour wear time on skin.
Why is it called Vor V?
Vor V is a tribute to the Russian "vor v zakone" (thieves-in-law) tradition — a complex moral code, not a glorification. The fragrance carries that weight: aromatic and slightly mysterious, built for shavers who appreciate scent with backstory.
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?
Vor V 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 Vor V 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. Vor V 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 Vor V 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 Vor V made?
In our New Jersey workshop. Saponification, scenting, pressing, and packaging all happen in house. The fragrance compound is mixed by an American perfumer.