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HC&C Kilimanjaro Shave Soap and Aftershave Review

June 24, 2026 · Larry Shaves
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Hi there. Welcome to Larry Shaves. This shave is from Hendrix Classics & Company a brand new release: Kilimanjaro shave soap. I received this a couple of weeks back and held off on purpose, because I wanted to save the first shave for right before it drops. That patience paid off. This one is going to be exciting.

What’s in the Shave Den

Razor for this shave is the Henson AL13 aluminum in the Mild plate, with a Persona Comfort Coated blade loaded up. I use the AL13 as my benchmark when I’m evaluating a new soap. I know this razor so well that any variation I feel, good or bad, is coming from the soap. It’s a reliable read.

For lather, we’re working out of the HC&C stainless steel shave bowl. You’d think stainless means heavy. It doesn’t. This is a lightweight bowl, and those grooves on the inside wall build a very good lather. The HC&C brush is along for the ride too, and I love this brush.

Kilimanjaro: The Fragrance

Kilimanjaro is inspired by the warm, radiant character of Bal d’Afrique Absolu by Byredo. The notes, as Pete has them:

Top: Blackcurrant, Bergamot, Lemon
Middle: Praline, Musk, Violet
Base: Black Amber, Cedarwood, Vetiver

Classified as a floral woody musk, with citrus and woody being the most prominent accords. Bright, smooth, and refined. Bergamot and lemon up top cut in clean, the praline and violet soften the middle, and the cedarwood and vetiver anchor the base. Clean on the surface, warm underneath.

Bal d’Afrique Absolu finished fourth overall in Fragrantica’s 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards, with 2.5 million votes cast by fragrance enthusiasts. That’s what Pete was working toward when he developed this. It shows.

The label is something, too. Kilimanjaro in the background, and it glows and shifts as you look at it. I don’t know who does Pete’s labels, but every single one of them is really good.

Working Up the Lather

One more whiff off the puck before we get started. Outstanding. Then I scooped some out into the center of the bowl, wrung the brush, and got to work. One tip: wring out a little less than you think you need. Easier to add water than to fix a lather that’s too thin from the start.

Something happens when you whip this into a lather and put it on your face. That fragrance really comes to life. I could see exactly why it placed where it did.

The Shave

First pass north to south. This soap has a nice glide to it, and no irritation, which I always take note of because the chin gives me trouble when a soap isn’t performing. I didn’t bear down, just let the razor work, and the soap handled it. Residual slickness held up between passes too.

Second pass east to west, across the grain. Relathering also refreshes the scent. A good bonus.

I tell you, Pete really does good work. The fragrances are all outstanding, and the soaps themselves lather well, are slick, and have good residual slickness. I enjoy HC&C soaps. Every one of them.

What I’ll add is that each new release seems better than the last. I go back to the older ones regularly, and they’re good. But there’s something about each new release that raises the bar again. I don’t know how he does it, but every one I get is really good.

After two passes: smooth. A delightful shave all the way through.

About the Name

Someone watching might not be familiar with Kilimanjaro. Mount Kilimanjaro is a large dormant volcano in Tanzania. Highest mountain in Africa. Highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world. Fourth most prominent peak on Earth.

Where the name comes from, nobody is sure. It may mean “unclimbable,” given how many people have attempted it. Or it could mean “mountain of greatness.” I prefer that one. Because as a soap, that’s exactly what this is. Kilimanjaro. Mountain of greatness.

The Aftershave Splash

HC&C sent the matching Kilimanjaro aftershave splash along, and I finished the shave with it. Good restrictor on the bottle so you’re not wasting product. Pour a little into the palm, and that scent comes to life again. Just a little sting, soft and brief, then it settles into something really good. No big burn. The scent on the aftershave is as good as what the soap put on your face.

What We Used

Star of the show: Kilimanjaro shave soap. Outstanding.

Kilimanjaro is available at Hendrix Classics & Company, Razor Emporium, and Pasteurs. Pete has an outstanding soap on his hands, and I think you’d be wise to get it in yours.

Thank you for joining me here in the Shave Den. If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do, it helps the channel. Like and share if you would. We’ll be back real soon with another shave, and we hope you join us then. Happy shaving.