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I think Proraso just outperformed Tabac

outside of VDH for practice lathers prior to going DE, Tabac was my first, my only soap. I loved the smell and I thought the lather was wonderful. I was a bowl latherer, a good minute and a half of swirling, and then onto mountains of lovely whipped lather. But as Florida summer heat caught up, I started going full menthol and added Proraso green tub soap as my everyday soap.

The Tabac sat for a month at least, and after 3 or 4 days of getting mediocre lather from the Proraso, I took the advice of many on here and gave face lathering a whirl - took to it immediately. I was getting spectacular BBS shaves almost every day using a very aggressive 39C and a smoother blade (Israeli Red), but I attributed most of the shave to the razor/blade combo as I started with that at a similar time.

Well, on Wednesday, I gave Tabac a shot, mostly from a nostalgia/switch it up standpoint, and was shocked to find that, facelathered with plenty of tip dips for extra water, I found myself nicked and irritated and generally not enjoying my shave. Now, it was my 4th shave on a Plus Platinum, and I had some concerns that maybe the blade was getting a little dull or had a few high/low spots that were the issue so I waited until I could get in another shave with the same blade, but with the Proraso and I'm now convinced after a BBS, wonderful shave this morning.

Face lathered, getting what seems to me to be a great, foamy, slick lather out of both soaps, the Proraso did a superior job with both cushion and slickness. I'll roll back to tabac down the road again when it isn't as brutally hot, but I may now have to start looking for a tabac replacement (the fat is the likely candidate). More than anything, I think I was just surprised that a soap I chose for mentholy goodness was actually giving me a better shave than one of the top dogs on many lists.
 
I also like the smell of Tabac , but I find I get a better shave from Proraso. I have been using Proraso practically 99% of the time this summer. I love the cooling effect. I also load my brush directly from the tum and face lather.
 
It never ceases to amaze me that people think there is something magically different about face lathering that all of a sudden soaps just work... or don't, of course.
 

nemo

Lunatic Fringe
Staff member
I like Proraso too only I wish they didn't contain SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and those parabens.

Tabac rules.
 
HERETIC!:001_tt2:

it must be your technique - how can the tallow goodness of Tabac be overcome by a mere cream?

[Humour ends here]

I haven't tried proraso yet but all the recent good reports are starting to be very tempting, might have to use this coming summer as an excuse even if it isn't a hard soap with tallow.
But then I will fall down another rabbit hole of AD's.

We really are fortunate to have such a wide choice of equipment and disposables - really makes shaving so much more than a chore. Still don't know how I survived all those years of shaving with only 1 cream and 1 razor. Life is just too short for a bad shave.

__________________________
Robin
 
Picked up my first tub of Proraso in the green tub Monday while at Merz. I have been using it every day since then. The cooling effect from the menthol has been great on these hot days.
 
Why would anyone be surprised that a cream outlathered Tabac? Creams generally outlather soaps. I know this and I'm generally a soap guy. Currently using Williams for August. In Phoenix no less. And yes I have Tabac. Love the scent and get a good shave with it. But a good cream can really rock. And speaking of rocks, if you'd like to try other creams now, I'd suggest RazoRock. I get an excellent shave with it. Yes, I face lather with it. Lathers great.
 
And speaking of rocks, if you'd like to try other creams now, I'd suggest RazoRock. I get an excellent shave with it.

+1 on the RazoRock! I'm a huge fan of Proraso and I love to use it for something different from my hard soaps (primarily GFT). But after this morning's shave, RazoRock will be getting placed in the rotation. Italian soft soaps have a spot on my shelf.
 
Why would anyone be surprised that a cream outlathered Tabac? Creams generally outlather soaps. I know this and I'm generally a soap guy. Currently using Williams for August. In Phoenix no less. And yes I have Tabac. Love the scent and get a good shave with it. But a good cream can really rock. And speaking of rocks, if you'd like to try other creams now, I'd suggest RazoRock. I get an excellent shave with it. Yes, I face lather with it. Lathers great.

Creams outlather soaps? In what way?
 
I find my lather comparable...no real difference really but you can't compare apples with oranges...I will agree with you if you were to state that your lather with AdP put Williams to shame...but if you were to build proper lather with AdP vs. lets say Tabac...or AOS/Harris/Trumpers or any of the triple-milled quality soaps out there...I would argue the lather is equally satisfying...
 
My one and only soap so far has been Proraso green. I have been using it with what I feel is good satisfaction over the last 2 1/2 months.
That said, I just receive my WCS package in which I have DR Harris Marlborough (I had also ordered MWF but it is on back order).
I just wanted to try something new and after reading many reviews decided to diversify with the DRH and MWF.
I will see how DRH compares to the Proraso.
I am still playing the blade game (8 different) so we will see how the different blades react.
 
In all honesty, nothing I have outperforms Proraso, and I've tried it all (well, not MdC, but my kids gotta eat). It seems most guys start with Proraso, fall in love with it, then move on to bigger and better things as they "mature" in wetshaving. I did the same, but when I came back to Proraso, I realized I was getting flat-out better results, regardless of price.
 
i would agree. tabac was my first and only soap and loved it, the scent, everything. i bought some proraso and gave it a shot and didnt touch the tabac since. yesturday i went back and tried the tabac after 3 months and, it just wasnt as good. it was just so-so, not to enjoyable. im sticking with proraso.
 
i would agree. tabac was my first and only soap and loved it, the scent, everything. i bought some proraso and gave it a shot and didnt touch the tabac since. yesturday i went back and tried the tabac after 3 months and, it just wasnt as good. it was just so-so, not to enjoyable. im sticking with proraso.
Funniest thing. Whenever I have something new I think This stuff is da bomb!, and then I go back to my Tabac and Pré de Provence and think These two are still frikkin darn good, so what it is exactly I like about the new kid on the block anyway?!
 
Why would anyone be surprised that a cream outlathered Tabac? Creams generally outlather soaps. I know this and I'm generally a soap guy. Currently using Williams for August. In Phoenix no less. And yes I have Tabac. Love the scent and get a good shave with it. But a good cream can really rock. And speaking of rocks, if you'd like to try other creams now, I'd suggest RazoRock. I get an excellent shave with it. Yes, I face lather with it. Lathers great.

Proraso soap, I should have been clearer in the OP

ETA
But as Florida summer heat caught up, I started going full menthol and added Proraso green tub soap as my everyday soap.
Guess I wasn't so ambiguous after all
 
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