Coming Clean with Sherlock Holmes

What does an unemployed philosopher do? Think up cool Sherlock Holmes products, in part.

Ann and I returned home this week from a sojourn in Maryland where, at the Books with a Past bookstore at historic Savage Mill, we found a cute little bar of soap bearing the Master's image. It was produced by the Unemployed Philosophers Guild, the fine folks who also gave us the Sherlock Holmes doll, finger puppet, notebook and card, along with many other literary gems. 

We bought several bars for ourselves and for friends (not to imply that the intended recipients are in need of washing),

What I admire most about this product is the attention to detail and the knowledge of Sherlock Holmes that went into a $3.95 bar of soap. For example, the description on the website begins with a a familiar quote from the Great Detective: 

"It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important." Enjoy your next bath with the soap worthy of a fastidious gentleman and the world's first consulting detective! 

The bar itself proclaims it to be, with acceptable self-promotion, "A most Salubrious and Beneficial cleanser for the Beekeeper and consulting Detective alike." That's on one side. The other side says: "Wash away what you see, but you do not observe." As any real devotee knows, that's pure Holmes! So is the back of the bar, which urges purchasers to "Vanquish the Napoleon of grime!"

The two ends of the package are decorated with an inky fingerprint, which can only be an homage to "The Adventure of the Norwood Builder."

The only problem I foresee is that I don't want to destroy the package to get to the soap!