Lets talk Tabac!

[Royall Lyme]

I acquired a new foil wrapped puck of this stuff in a trade.

I opened it up and parked it in my VDH bowl... lathered her up and had one of my best shaves yet! WOW! :thumbup:

Let me say first of all.....Tabac lathers like nobodys business! Holy smokes! The lather was silky, thick, and slippery. In fact I was so blown away by the initial results... I washed off my brush and cleaned out my bowl....to see if I could repeat this magic again. Yep.....same results! I created lather that could have easily held up to a 4 or 5 pass shave.

On to the shave.....using my Omega Pro I slathered this awesome thick lather all over my face. The razor was slipping and sliding away. Zero tugging, zero skipping, and zero irritation. I completed my typical 2 pass shave and was left with BBS.

This will be in the rotation for life. Cella was the top of the heap in my den but after this Tabac shave .... there will be a showdown. :a11:

I am pretty neutral about the smell. I dont dislike it nor am I absolutely crazy about it. It is best described as "pleasant". I dont really care because the performance is A+.

If you have been avoiding Tabac ..... do yourself a favor and pick up some.

[Seraphim]

Since you don't hate the smell, I predict that in short order you will come to absolutely love the scent.



And performance!

[Royall Lyme]

Since you don't hate the smell, I predict that in short order you will come to absolutely love the scent.



And performance!



Not only begin to love the smell....but possibly kick my Williams habit too!! :lol:

[Hawkeyeted]

I hear that Tabac can be spun into gold, help old ladies across the street, and power the Space Shuttle!. :tongue_sm

[Wemshie]

Hmm, I was toying with getting Mitchell Wool Fat on payday, but after reading this, I think I'm going to be buying Tabac as well.

[Munxcub]

I hear that Tabac can be spun into gold, help old ladies across the street, and power the Space Shuttle!. :tongue_sm

Mine must have only done this for homeless old ladies because it sure smelled like one.

:tongue_sm :laugh:

[Royall Lyme]

Hmm, I was toying with getting Mitchell Wool Fat on payday, but after reading this, I think I'm going to be buying Tabac as well.

In my opinion.....Tabac beats MWF.

[40boy]

I used my Tabac for all of my shaves last week.
I probably hadn't used it 5 times since the end of Tabactober 2009, where I used it 31 days in a row.

I had forgotten how nice it really is. Like you said, tons of slick, creamy lather.
It is one of the easiest soaps to lather and I always kinda liked the scent.

It won't be that long before I use it again.

[BrianL]

One of my absolute favorite soaps. I love the scent and wish it would not fade from the puck as quickly as it does. I am glad that it powers my space scuttle.:biggrin1:

[The Seeker]

Tabac sure is fine. Can't remember who, but a member once said that Jesus only had a beard because he refused to shave with anything but Tabac, which of course was several hundred years away.

[Prince]

Tabac = greatness.

It'll always be in my rotation. :thumbup1:

[bassopotamus]

Had my first Tabac shave this morning as well. Not keen on the smell (don't hate it, but I have 3 soaps right now and it is my least favorite of the 3), but I got a no nick shave, not even a hint. Some is that my technique is better, but I got a couple nicks yesterday with Col. Conk.

One question- are you supposed to put a little water on this one to soften the top like you do with other soaps? I did it and it worked fine, but I thought I read a post here the other day that implied you shouldn't.

[mandoman]

still wating for my first puck to come in hope i like it as much as you guys do :thumbup:

[MilkyLee]

I have been doing the MWF challenge this month and am now leaning towards Tabac as my favorite soap. MWF takes a lot longer to work up and I don't feel the lather is as good as Tabac's. Plus I think it is my favorite scent of any cream or soap I have or used.

[Seraphim]

Not only begin to love the smell....but possibly kick my Williams habit too!! :lol:

One can only hope....:biggrin1:

Recovery can sometimes be a lengthy process.

[pauls51]

Over time I have begun to appreciate the scent of Tabac... From day dot, I loved the performance and now finally I can say that I do truely appreciate this fine tallow based shaving soap!

[mftoms59]

Since you don't hate the smell, I predict that in short order you will come to absolutely love the scent.



And performance!

+1, :ouch1: :ouch1: :ouch1: Tabac products are marvelous :shaving: :001_tt1:

[mftoms59]

Had my first Tabac shave this morning as well. Not keen on the smell (don't hate it, but I have 3 soaps right now and it is my least favorite of the 3), but I got a no nick shave, not even a hint. Some is that my technique is better, but I got a couple nicks yesterday with Col. Conk.

One question- are you supposed to put a little water on this one to soften the top like you do with other soaps? I did it and it worked fine, but I thought I read a post here the other day that implied you shouldn't.


I would add a teaspoon, since this was my only soap, if it was still damp, I'd skip the water, a damp brush is all that's REALLY necessary it that GREAT :thumbup:

[Charles Darwin]

I have been using nothing but Tabac since it arrived two months ago.

[mftoms59]

still wating for my first puck to come in hope i like it as much as you guys do :thumbup:

If not you can EASILY get rid of it :sneaky2:

[njmodi]

Is anyone mixing the lather in the tabac bowl or do most load the brush and the move to a separate mug/bowl to build the lather?

I guess my question applies to more than Tabacs...but for the purposes of this thread, let's keep it to Tabacs.

I'm aksing because I'm about to buy the Tabac-in-a-bowl kit :) and was trying to figure out if I need yet another shaving bowl.

[filedog]

In my opinion.....Tabac beats MWF.

Nah...they're just different. :001_smile With Tabac, you get such effortlessly great lather, you shave, enjoy it, then maybe respond to posts from people complaining about the scent. With MWF, you try to lather it, read some posts about how to lather, try to lather again, try soaking the puck, not soaking, distilled water, more water, less water, etc. Then shave with what you can make, get a decent shave even though the lather disappears quickly, and seems like it could be better. Then you try a different brush, watch a video about how to lather it, ask yourself, this IS better, isn't it? Then you order a new brush........ :lol:

[njpaddy]

move to a separate mug/bowl to build the lather?

This. Tabac is my only soap amidst a slew of creams. Love the smell.

[filedog]

Is anyone mixing the lather in the tabac bowl or do most load the brush and the move to a separate mug/bowl to build the lather?

I guess my question applies to more than Tabacs...but for the purposes of this thread, let's keep it to Tabacs.

I'm aksing because I'm about to buy the Tabac-in-a-bowl kit :) and was trying to figure out if I need yet another shaving bowl.

I'm sure there are guys who are bowl lathering, I did when I was starting out, but I think you'll find more of us enjoy face lathering. When you're just starting out, bowl lathering gives you more of a chance to "get to know" the soap, adjust water, and mix till it is right.
The bowl that comes with the soap is usually used to just load the brush, then you would mix your lather in a separate bowl. You can find nice inexpensive small bowls at wallyworld or target.

[Seraphim]

Is anyone mixing the lather in the tabac bowl or do most load the brush and the move to a separate mug/bowl to build the lather?

I guess my question applies to more than Tabacs...but for the purposes of this thread, let's keep it to Tabacs.

I'm aksing because I'm about to buy the Tabac-in-a-bowl kit :) and was trying to figure out if I need yet another shaving bowl.

I load directly on the puck and then face lather. Go right ahead....my puck has lasted about three years so far. The bottom is showing through now, but still some tread left on there. Triple milled lasts a long time!

[jgkeegan]

I hear that Tabac can be spun into gold, help old ladies across the street, and power the Space Shuttle!. :tongue_sm


You got confused. That was P.160 Tipo Morbido.:tongue_sm

--james

[mftoms59]

Is anyone mixing the lather in the tabac bowl or do most load the brush and the move to a separate mug/bowl to build the lather?

I guess my question applies to more than Tabacs...but for the purposes of this thread, let's keep it to Tabacs.

I'm aksing because I'm about to buy the Tabac-in-a-bowl kit :) and was trying to figure out if I need yet another shaving bowl.

I use as a container, and load my brush with soap, when bowl lathering I use a 22oz Cappuccino Mug or a Ceramic Mortar bowl (both from Goodwill Store ~$3.50 ), or directly face lather

[goby]

Had my first Tabac shave this morning as well. Not keen on the smell (don't hate it, but I have 3 soaps right now and it is my least favorite of the 3), but I got a no nick shave, not even a hint. Some is that my technique is better, but I got a couple nicks yesterday with Col. Conk.

One question- are you supposed to put a little water on this one to soften the top like you do with other soaps? I did it and it worked fine, but I thought I read a post here the other day that implied you shouldn't.

In 15 years I have never put water on the top of a soap to soften it. Not even the dreaded Williams.

[Charles Darwin]

This. Tabac is my only soap amidst a slew of creams. Love the smell.

+1 You and me both.

You lost me at the smell though. I'm rather indifferent to it.

[dpm802]

Is anyone mixing the lather in the tabac bowl or do most load the brush and the move to a separate mug/bowl to build the lather?

I guess my question applies to more than Tabacs...but for the purposes of this thread, let's keep it to Tabacs.

I'm aksing because I'm about to buy the Tabac-in-a-bowl kit :) and was trying to figure out if I need yet another shaving bowl.I always SuperLather TABAC soap and TABAC cream, so I load the brush and put a dab of cream in my VdH bowl, and mix it there.

As an alternative, you can use the lid of the ceramic bowl to mix on. Its a little bit messy and you're sure to lose some lather in the process, but there is so much of it to go around, it doesn't matter.

[Shavely Manden]

I'm sure there are guys who are bowl lathering, I did when I was starting out, but I think you'll find more of us enjoy face lathering.

Be that as it may, but some of us do stick with bowl lathering in the long run. I just sold my Eagle, got a Harvard, and I'm looking at a scuttle for the long term. :laugh:

As for lathering on top of the soap...personally, I lather in a different bowl than I load in. It's just easier that way, and wastes less soap.

[njmodi]

Thank you for all the responses regarding lathering in the bowl or elsewhere (Face/other bowl/lid :)). I'm learning so much every day. Everyone's patience (to what are probably questions asked hundreds of times before) in answering even rudimentary questions makes this place feel very welcoming.

I'm going to place my order right now.

Cheers!

[craig87c]

One of my absolute favorite soaps. I love the scent and wish it would not fade from the puck as quickly as it does. I am glad that it powers my space scuttle.:biggrin1:

Get the shave stick. The container keeps the soap smelling....fragrant. It's strong enough that I'm kinda getting tired of the scent!

[Slivovitz]

I tried Tabac for the first time this morning, in the shave stick form. It's the end results of a shave that really matter; this soap gave me a great lather and all went well. The smell was very faintly unpleasant, but not too bad, and does fade, no doubt I'll at least learn to ignore it. Probably wouldn't buy it again, but shave sticks last a long time, and I won't be using it every day; there will be plenty of time to change my mind.

[Rapier]

You got confused. That was P.160 Tipo Morbido.:tongue_sm

--james

1kg ... spun into gold ... hmmm ... about 44k$ at present market price ;-)

"Seriously" though, Tabac Cologne is cheap and comes in a MASSIVE bottle. The soap is SOOOOOOO great that I suggest the following shock therapy for those who can't handle the smell:

Buy bowl of Tabac and bottle of cologne
Set up all items needed for shave
Play some Bach piano concertos or Mozart Symphony
Close door to the ShaveDen
Put large towel on floor
Hold Tabac cologne bottle over head and pour until empty

Now shave with the Tabac soap ... the soap won't smell like anything at all !!! Magic ;-)

For added effect, leave cologne soaked towel in your ShaveDen for the week, for the next few days' shave, wear the cologne soaked towel like a superhero cape. You will grow Tabac eyes and ears, allowing you to spot stubble from a mile away and hear the cries of small whiskers as they get sliced by your favourite blade.

Yes, it's that worth it ;-)

[tbress]

I load directly on the puck and then face lather. Go right ahead....my puck has lasted about three years so far. The bottom is showing through now, but still some tread left on there. Triple milled lasts a long time!

You inspired me to try face lathering my Tabac this morning. It was my first attempt at face lathering from a puck rather than a shave stick. It went well, I'll be trying it again soon! Thanks for the idea.:thumbup1:

[boboshave]

This week is my first week with Tabac, after several years using a glycerin based shaving soap from EmzBlends (Ashland Oregon). Emz smelled great and was very light. The Tabac smells like old soap (somewhat like old bars of Fels Naptha) so it reminds me of getting a good scrubbing when I was a kid.

The Tabac doesn't foam up as much as the glycerin, but really lasts on my face, and seems to provide superior lubrication. So, it seems the performance (load, lather in spearate bowl and then work it into my face) seems to be much better than a soap made as a token product for shaving in a shop mostly geared to pretty facial soaps. What surprise. However, another month will tell.

[Chevyguy]

Had my first Tabac shave this morning as well. Not keen on the smell (don't hate it, but I have 3 soaps right now and it is my least favorite of the 3), but I got a no nick shave, not even a hint. Some is that my technique is better, but I got a couple nicks yesterday with Col. Conk.

One question- are you supposed to put a little water on this one to soften the top like you do with other soaps? I did it and it worked fine, but I thought I read a post here the other day that implied you shouldn't.

You can put a little water on top. This softens it and allows you to load your brush easier.

Clayton

[damooshki]

I hear that Tabac can be spun into gold, help old ladies across the street, and power the Space Shuttle!. :tongue_sm

and this is only because Tabac is made with pure essence of :kyle1: Chuck Norris

[Azza]

+1

I just agree. :tongue_sm

- Aaron

[bassopotamus]

I had a less good tabac experience this morning. Tried lathering (bowl) with less water today. Made a really nice thick cream, but felt kind of sticky on my face. Added a little water for pass 3 and it was less pretty lather, but much slipperier. Must work on my technique.

[ink]

One of my absolute favorite soaps. I love the scent and wish it would not fade from the puck as quickly as it does. I am glad that it powers my space scuttle.:biggrin1:

How quickly would you say the scent fades?

[craig87c]

How quickly would you say the scent fades?

It doesn't fade away, but it loses a lot of scent. It becomes much more bearable after a few weeks.

[ink]

I love the smell. I just don't want it to fade away! :)

[craig87c]

Like I said earlier, get the stick! It's still as strong as day one. Too strong really. I'm going to replace it with IM as soon as it's done. Or I could trade it of course.

[mandoman]

got my first puck in the smell is ok but the lather is awesome :thumbup1:

[MilkyLee]

I keep my extra Tabac pucks in vacuum sealed bags so they won't lose that wonderful smell!! I also keep the puck I'm using in a container with a tight lid. I don't want the scent to fade at all.:thumbup:

[flat_tire]

I have not been to a real barbershop in about 15 years. I went to this same place for many years up until about age 13 or 14 where they used a lather machine and straight razor for sideburns and back of the neck. Since then it has been Perfect Looks (or something similar), or my kitchen (or bathroom) with clippers. So needless to say, I could not remember the "barbershop" scent at all.

I just received my first puck (in bowl) of Tabac and it was like I walked through that barbershop door.:thumbup: Smell is great! I also did a test lather and it is the best lather I have produced in my short DE experience. I can't wait to shave with this tomorrow.

Thanks,
CZ

[RayH]

Nah...they're just different. :001_smile With Tabac, you get such effortlessly great lather, you shave, enjoy it, then maybe respond to posts from people complaining about the scent. With MWF, you try to lather it, read some posts about how to lather, try to lather again, try soaking the puck, not soaking, distilled water, more water, less water, etc. Then shave with what you can make, get a decent shave even though the lather disappears quickly, and seems like it could be better. Then you try a different brush, watch a video about how to lather it, ask yourself, this IS better, isn't it? Then you order a new brush........ :lol:

Yes they are both different. Both scent wise and lather. But I can lather both easily using hard water. I'm blessed in that. The difference in the lather is that MWF has lanolin, that's the wool fat. And since having just recently acquired it, I can readily appreciate how well it both helps me shave and the moisturing effect of the lanolin. My face feels drier after using Tabac. Which doesn't make it a bad soap, it just puts one in the plus column for MWF. Both are great soaps and I would recommend getting both just to see and judge for yourself.