Something that happens relatively often in this hobby/pursuit is that some brands/companies go out of business and stop making their products. And when that happens in this field, especially when it comes to the artisanal soap makers in particular, there’s an initial run of people who are fans of said brand to scramble to get their hands on as much of the stuff they can get, followed by wistful longing and wishes to have said brand back.
Seaforth! (yes, emphasis is theirs) is a brand that, surprisingly, was born here in Minneapolis in 1938. The original intent was to create (in the words of the brand’s website) a distinctively masculine, premium grooming line, inspired by the Scottish regiment.
Seaforth! was a success right away, apparently, and the company that made it, the Alfred D. McKelvy Company, was sold by its namesake owner to the Vick Chemical Company in 1941 to help it with the growing pains. McKelvy remained as president of his company after the purchase, but it’s headquarters and primary manufacturing were moved to New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut respectively.
McKelvy left the company shortly after the end of WWII, but Vick Chemical continued making Seaforth! products at least in to the late 1960s, with the company’s current website saying that it continued into the 1980s when it finally died.
Then, in 2020, Dennis McPike came along, discovered an old bottle of some Seaforth! product and loved the branding so much, he decided to research the company, found some of its original formulas and started the Seaforth! name back up with some of its original scents.
Somewhere around 2024 or ’25, this new Seaforth! went out of business or was transferred to Benjamin Esposito, and in 2026, the brand came to life again, now being made somewhere around Chicago.
I remember hearing the sadness of some to lose the brand. And the joy when it came back. This was a rare win, especially when compared to some of the bigger losses of ’24 and ’25. Those years saw Southern Witchcrafts and Declaration Grooming go away, and there still are people looking for the unobtanium products from those makers. Prior to their demise, I honestly thought that I had time to grab something from them down the road if I wanted to try it. And when Barrister & Mann announced their recent changes, well, you could cut the tension with a knife.
But, alas. So, I decided that I needed to grab a tub of Seaforth!, just in case it goes away again. At least I’d be able to say I didn’t miss it.
So here’s lather number 82 to arrive in the collection. Seaforth! Black Watch. And it’s the 79th currently in the collection.
It’s a tallow-based soap, and as you can tell from the scent profiles listed on the label, it’s a pretty complex scent–slightly sweet, slightly masculine, earthy, and smoky.
Unlike some new lathers, I decided to slip it into the schedule right away, so it will be the lather for my Sunday shave for the final week of Anniversary Month.
I’ve decided that there’s always a reason for a new lather, not the least of which is the joy and excitement it brings to the whole of my shaving experience. And working to not miss out on something that might be gone later is another good reason.