Tabac

What is your opinion on fine shaving creams and hard soaps? Do you like Trumpers, Coates, Taylors, Truefitt & Hill? Post your reviews and opinions here!
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JarmoP
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Re: Tabac

Post by JarmoP »

I am somewhat divided in my opinion about Tabac Original products. I have always liked the scent for shaving.
It is not in anyways natural though, instead very industrial smart managed. I guess many other soaps are too.

The puck is fine and even more the shave stick is propably one of the best sticks. Somewhat expensives, but what is not.
Except like Arko, my these days fave shaving soap. I guess my nose is less sensitive to it like it used to be.

I bought Tabac Aftershave, so many years ago. It scents pleasant, but is not most soothing. Just an alcohol AS splash.
The trouble is that after hours I notice a somewhat unpleasant scent the way my body reacts to it.

With Tabac shave soap, no such problem. I have still one Tabac puck that I have saved for years left unopened.
Jarmo
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drmoss_ca
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Re: Tabac

Post by drmoss_ca »

I first used Tabac in the early 1970's as an aftershave, and still love the scent for all sorts of emotive and reminiscent reasons. The soap is a pretty close simulacrum of that scent, and of course, is an excellent soap that is rather rare commercially. Lots of creamy tallow goodness. I don't know if it is still available, but for those who like the physical qualities of the soap and dislike Tabac scent, there is/was Irisch Moos, which is the same soap with a green scent. It certainly works, but I like it a lot less. Comes down to whether you are an amber, chypre or fougere guy, I suppose.

However, the dark horse that gets no press is Tabac cream in a tube. The scent is only vaguely related to Tabac soap, and stands in its own right as a great scent. The cream functions adequately, but isn't anything special. In that regard it's as good as Ingram, Kent, Palmolive, Derby, Florena or anything else in a pharmacy-market tube. But the scent really is intriguing, and open to all sorts of interesting combinations with aftershave scents. If you haven't tried it, I strongly recommend an experiment.
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
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EL Alamein
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Re: Tabac

Post by EL Alamein »

I have a tube or two of the Tabac cream around here somewhere. You are right that the scent is different. I thought it was reminiscent of English Leather though not quite the same.

I haven't used it in quite a while. I think you're spot on with it's performance but I'll say that I remember that to get the same performance as other creams I had to use more product.

You got me thinking I have to drag this out now. It is October now after all.

Chris
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JarmoP
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Re: Tabac

Post by JarmoP »

You fellow members might see it as surprising that I have still no decent bowl for lathering.
It is I have not used any shaving creams in like 15 years. I used Florena and Proraso green. Proraso was not very mentholated very nice for my cold climate.
I dislike the squeezed look of creams and also my toothpastes stands on its cork.

I only use the Tabac bowl for my soaps and I know it is not that optimal because of the concave bottom that I have never truly understood.
When i was still a B@B member too, i read about soaking my soap and upside down lathering and ruined my Tabac puck refill because of that.
Lost all its tallowy goodness. MWF also is one to fit into Tabac bowl if I remember right. But maybe not the best soap if you have hard water.
I have soft so it worked wonderful

I like the classy look of the bowl and its brown lid ables to use strong scented soaps like Arko without bothering my bathroom.
Tabac is quite strong too, but nice.

Now when I use tallowy soaps it is always replenish small fresh amount to bottom when needed, not the whole puck or some whole stick squashed.
And I can't say I make perfect lather in that bowl, brush handles clicking to the walls, because it is too small really.

But I guess I could do that too with patience, to get a small bubble perfect lather. Instead when the brush is soapy I go build to my face and dip a few times to sink the hairs while my razor is resting on the upside lid.

Just wanted to share that I have Tabac bowl always in my bathroom and use it.
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Re: Tabac

Post by EL Alamein »

I succumbed and used Tabac cream yesterday. It is definitely different from the English top shelf brands but it is mighty slick if enough is used.

I followed up with Tabac shaving soap today. Good stuff and perfect for this time of year.

Chris
brothers
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Re: Tabac

Post by brothers »

Jarmo, your points about the quirks of the bowl are well-taken. That's why I ended up exclusively using the stick with the economically priced refills instead of the bowl and puck. The brush banging around in the cramped little bowl makes me cringe.

PS: Chris, the Irisch Moos variety was discontinued several years ago.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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drmoss_ca
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Re: Tabac

Post by drmoss_ca »

Irisch Moos gone? At least I still have a bowl. Perhaps I'll hunt it out of the Shelves tomorrow and use it once more.
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
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JarmoP
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Re: Tabac

Post by JarmoP »

Yes Gary, I feel that was a good choice you made in regard to the shaving stick and also as it is the best travel one to use.
Many sticks are not suitable really in my opinion for that, Arko for heavens no with no closed container.
And while Palmolive is ok with being mild scented, I would not want face lather with such a small diameter stick.

And with Tabac stick you can also not only just rubbing it, but also apply your well shaken brush to it before going to face lather.

My plan is to how I now use soaps in a bowl. Just using a small amount like 15-20 cm disk (less than an inch in US ,measurements).
At home I rather use a bowl than the shaving stick without.

So when next to buy Tabac, I will also get the stick refills that go for the Tabac stick container and also used for bowl brush loading/lathering.

I'd like the stick container have the same milk white and the reddish brown cork as the bowl or AS without all the text about what it contains as more classy.
But it is a good shavestick holder as it is.
Jarmo
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drmoss_ca
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Re: Tabac

Post by drmoss_ca »

JarmoP wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2020 3:13 am My plan is to how I now use soaps in a bowl. Just using a small amount like 15-20 cm disk (less than an inch in US ,measurements).
What a difference a decimal point makes!
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
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JarmoP
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Re: Tabac

Post by JarmoP »

drmoss_ca wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2020 4:32 am
JarmoP wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2020 3:13 am My plan is to how I now use soaps in a bowl. Just using a small amount like 15-20 cm disk (less than an inch in US ,measurements).
What a difference a decimal point makes!
Yes, I mixed cm with mm. Stranger things can even happen and those from different unit systems, but some like me can do these it seems from age.
Jarmo
brothers
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Rare Tabac photo

Post by brothers »

Here's what 110 shaves looks like on a stick of Tabac soap.
Tabac stick 110 shaves.jpg
Tabac stick 110 shaves.jpg (595.13 KiB) Viewed 7358 times
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
Rufus
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Re: Tabac

Post by Rufus »

Yesterday I finished a bowl of Trumper Violet shaving cream. This morning I cracked into my Tabac soap stick; man, that’s good stuff. =D>
Bryan
Rufus
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Re: Tabac

Post by Rufus »

Used my Tabac soap stick for this morning’s shave and finished it off with Tabac aftershave.
Bryan
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