Tabac or Pre Providence No.63

[andromeda673]

Well august is here and that means cold temps are coming and that means then it’s time for the heavy scented soaps.

I’ve been eyeballing a container of tabac, I’ve never used it or smelt it before, same goes with Pre. Providence No.63 can anyone give me a opinion on a side by side comparison of the two?

I’m leaning towards a container of tabac and then a bottle of proraso red for the winter. Something I haven’t had in my rotation for a bit.

 

[Trem]

Alas, Tabac is no longer with us. Try the PdP 63.

 

[hydro-magic]

The scents are a little similar. Both sort of floral. I'd say I prefer the scent of PDP No. 63 but the performance of that one was a bit mediocre for me. Tabac was a better performer IMO but the scent irritated my skin a bit so I haven't used it in a long time.

 

[Trem]

Okay, cryptic remarks aside, a more serious response: if you can source a puck of the former tallow-based version of Tabac, this is 100% what you should go with. Unfortunately, the parent company decided to reformulate earlier this year and it's unclear if the new Tabac is really worthy of its name anymore. The old pucks are still likely floating around if you're willing to look.

 

[Dominic]

I have Tabac, PdP 63, and Proraso red. Of the three Proraso is my favorite. I love the scent. PdP has a stronger scent than Tabac, IMO. I have used the PdP 63 only one time. Judging from the one use, I prefer the scent of Tabac, which, to me, just smells like soap. Honestly, I’m not sure what to make of PdP 63.

 

[VerbaVolant]

Tabac or Pre Providence No.63

Yes.

 

[xiletero]

Smell: 63 by FAR FAR.....nice smelling. Quality of shave....probably the same...... Whichever is cheaper that day on A.....n, will be a fine soap. And they go on sale sometimes.... Both are way better than most of the "famous" new, coveted, fancy and expensive artisan soaps. I say get them both if you haven't

 

[Chaucer]

The tallow formulation of Tabac is superb in performance, in both stick and puck form. I've never understood the strong reaction, often negative, that some folks have to the scent. To me it's a bit interesting and not over-sweet or musty like a lot of shaving products. But ultimately the scent is beside the point for me.

PdP 63 smells nice, but again that's beside the point for me. Performance is good but not in the same league as tallow Tabac. I've had plenty of chances to experiment with different ways of making lather with PdP, since a puck of it lasts a very long time. But the PdP lather just isn't as slick as I'd like.

I'm waiting for reports here about the performance and scent of the new Tabac formulation.. I just hope those reports won't be affected by preconceptions in favor of tallow. There are some great vegan soaps, including MdC.

 

[Stubblebum]

Performance-wise, Tabac (old formula) is the superior soap, IMO.
I generally pair Tabac with tobacco or leather scents
and PdP 63 with cedar/wood/spicy scents.

 

[walkthewalk]

Tabac old is def a better soap. Scent wise, I love both.

 

[Dominic]

So when did Tabac change its formula?

 

[TonyN]

My preference between the two is PDP no. 63.

 

[lancre]

+1

 

[Atlantic59]

Why agonize over these two? You won't really know until you try them. The B&B way is to try both. The least expensive Tabac soap is the stick refill which might cost $8-10. PdP #63 is on Amazon now for around $11. You could get both soaps for a little over $20.

I have Tabac, PdP 63, and Proraso red. Of the three Proraso is my favorite. I love the scent. PdP has a stronger scent than Tabac, IMO. I have used the PdP 63 only one time. Judging from the one use, I prefer the scent of Tabac, which, to me, just smells like soap. Honestly, I’m not sure what to make of PdP 63.

PdP #63 has a very strong scent when new. If you leave it open to the air, the scent becomes much less strong over time. When I first got it, my PdP #63 had a scent that was like a mixture of Spicebomb & YSL La Nuit de L'Homme! Now, it smells more like soap from a nice hotel.

I’ve been eyeballing a container of tabac, I’ve never used it or smelt it before, same goes with Pre. Providence No.63 can anyone give me a opinion on a side by side comparison of the two?

The older Tabac is an extremely good shave soap in all the technical aspects, it is just the scent that many people dislike. The scent is a very strong masculine floral at first. It reminds me of an older cologne, like from the 1960's. The scent tones down with time. This is quite a long lasting soap, you might get 150 shaves from one stick.

Pdp #63 is a very hard milled vegetable-based soap. Many people do not load enough soap because it is so hard and dense. The secret is to load the soap fairly heavy and use a lot of water when building the lather. I prefer to face lather it. The scent is a spicy, woody cologne type of scent with floral notes. The soap is enriched with shea butter and that helps with post-shave feel. A very good soap once you have gained some experience with it. A 150g puck lasts a long time, perhaps 200-250 shaves.

 

[andromeda673]

Does PdP 63 have a dark earthy woodsy smell, or is it along the lines of Proraso red? I was unaware that Tabac had been changed bought and reformulated........go figure.

 

[Atlantic59]

Does PdP 63 have a dark earthy woodsy smell, or is it along the lines of Proraso red? I was unaware that Tabac had been changed bought and reformulated........go figure.

Not dark, more spicy & woody with some floral notes, like violet. Have you ever smelled Hanae Mori HIM EdT? That is very close. Spicebomb? Not too far off. YSL La Nuit de l'Homme? Along those lines. Too me, it is a nighttime, going out somewhere sort of scent. Not an office scent.

 

[Stubblebum]

To me, its most prominent note is cedar heartwood. Not dark nor overly bright, slightly earthy and floral.
Your Nose May Vary.