I got a puck of Tabac a couple of weeks ago and have been using is this week. My first impression was not great. I had gotten better shaves from Williams. I worked with it all week and this morning I finally got the lather that most folks have been talking about. IMHO I don't think it is easier to lather than MWF, which is my favorite soap. It is much different. I do prefer tallow soaps, and have never had a problem getting a great shave from MWF. Tabac took a bit of work. It likes much more water than MWF to create a great lather. MWF is still my favorite, but for now, Tabac is in the rotation. The scent was a little off putting at first, but when you get used to it is not bad.
Finally a good shave from Tabac
- Thread starter SkipH
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If you don't like Tabac's scent, try Irisch Moos stick. It is made by the same company but it has a different scent. I love Tabac's scent so much that I got the aftershave.
I am trying out MWF this week and found it to be very slick but lacks the protection that Tabac provides. In my experience Tabac is the easiest soap to build a lather from. I just put a teaspoon of water on the puck and it is good to go.
I am trying out MWF this week and found it to be very slick but lacks the protection that Tabac provides. In my experience Tabac is the easiest soap to build a lather from. I just put a teaspoon of water on the puck and it is good to go.
It's interesting how folks' shaving experiences can be so different from each other. In the end it's all about what you enjoy using the most and what works best for your face and beard. I have never been able to get a good lather from MWF, yet I feel I could whip up Tabac lather in my sleep. My typically sensitive face does not react in the slightest to its intense, strangely addicting fragrance. I respect the heck out of MWF and enjoy its scent, but Tabac was my first love. Glad you've decided to keep it in the rotation. 
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I know what you mean. I don't find MWF any more difficult to lather than Tabac. It is just different. MWF was the first really good tallow based soap I tried. I am definately a tallow guy!! It took a few days, but after checking out the WIKI, I was able to get a really great lather from MWF easily. Having read the posts about Tabac and how it was easy to generate later and how good the shaves were, I decided to give it a try. My conslusion is that Tabac is not any more easy to lather than MWF. It is just different. You cannot use the same techinque to lather the two. Same as tallow and veg based soaps. They are just different. My first try with L'occitane Cade were the same. After the first use I was ready to put it on BTW, but I kept at it and finally learned how to get a good shave from it.
YMMV!
YMMV!
I don't have a problem with the Tabac scent and I find it to be one of the easiest and best lathering soaps that I have tried. I love MWF as well, but I believe that Tabac is just a little easier to use.
I totally agree here. I love the fragrance and performance of the Irisch Moos. If only Tabac had a different scent...
I like the tabac scent, got the a/s and the deo stick, i threw the soap into my rotation a few weeks ago knowing the scent will please me, i never have any trouble lathering with this soap, but, i was rather dissapointed with it, its no better than a lot of soap i hae tried, and to me is a average performer.
I jyst had my first shave with Tabac today. It was very nice and I find that I also quite like the scent. It doesn't quite edge out MWF as my favorite, but it is still up there.
Old age is wonderful. I find out now that I am really learning so much more as a senior than I did when I was a young buck.
My latest revalation in our mutual area of concern, wet shaving, is that you have to use something for a while in order to really figure it out. I first learned this with my razor and blades. If I changed what I was using too frequently, I would chop my face up on a regular basis. Now I use the same razor and same blade type for a minimum of a week and guess what! No more chopped up face. The little differences between the razors are enough to change the subtleness of the shave and require 'relearning' how to best use your hardware.
The same holds true for the various soaps. MWF does lather differently than Tabac which is obviously different than any glycarine based soap. And you do have to change your way of preparation to maximize your product.
I know the temptation is there. You go to shave in the morning and you're looking at a selection of razors, many brushes and sometimes a dozen or more soaps. No wonder there is so much inconsistancy in what we report to each other.
My latest revalation in our mutual area of concern, wet shaving, is that you have to use something for a while in order to really figure it out. I first learned this with my razor and blades. If I changed what I was using too frequently, I would chop my face up on a regular basis. Now I use the same razor and same blade type for a minimum of a week and guess what! No more chopped up face. The little differences between the razors are enough to change the subtleness of the shave and require 'relearning' how to best use your hardware.
The same holds true for the various soaps. MWF does lather differently than Tabac which is obviously different than any glycarine based soap. And you do have to change your way of preparation to maximize your product.
I know the temptation is there. You go to shave in the morning and you're looking at a selection of razors, many brushes and sometimes a dozen or more soaps. No wonder there is so much inconsistancy in what we report to each other.
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