fine shave soap being discontinued

[jonwilson]

FINE CLASSIC SHAVING SOAP DISCONTINUED

When first formulating a shaving soap for the Fine brand, I set out with the singular purpose of matching the legendary lathering performance of Tabac. After unsuccessful attempts to work with just about every large soap producer in the US, I eventually expanded my search to Europe, where, to my...

fineaccoutrements.com

 

[andromeda673]

Bummer, I haven't tried them yet, but this seems to be the new trend with soap makers and aftershave makers.

 

[pdieten]

Um. If that is the same base as Tabac, and the soap maker is shut down, then how is Tabac being produced?

 

[jonwilson]

Um. If that is the same base as Tabac, and the soap maker is shut down, then how is Tabac being produced?

tabac as I understand it is produced in Germany. fine wanted to find a soap maker who could produce a soap just like tabac's and that's why they used a soap maker in the netherlands. tabac is not made in the netherlands.

 

[jonwilson]

Bummer, I haven't tried them yet, but this seems to be the new trend with soap makers and aftershave makers.

fine said they will be coming out with another shave soap by the end of the year which is now and next month.

 

[Falcon Eddie]

Really makes no difference to me one way or the other. The soaps I was interested in were perpetually “sold out” anyway. No loss if the soaps a person was interested in were never really available for sale. I checked periodically for months on end until I abandoned the endeavor altogether.

 

[Mustard Seed]

Dang. I love Fine soaps. Ordered one last puck just now. Will see what happens after the first of the year.

 

[jordanpost88]

Hate to see it!

 

[brettimby]

I really like Fine. They have to make a new soap or cream, they can't survive on just aftershave (although they do have a very high profit on those). My guess is that a new base will be more expensive per ounce compared to the old stuff, and probably not as good. I doubt it'll be a hard puck that lasts forever. I bet it's made in the US. But maybe they'll surprise us and make it even better than the classic.

 

[gman41]

For such a well run small private brand they just don't seem to have much of a chance outside of the boards. Getting shelf space in a store is near impossible and normal people do not buy dozens of shave products each year, they use what they have until it is gone.

The volume is just not there with non board shavers to make these brands super profitable. Williams is only a buck and works well, Arko, if it ever made it onto the shelves of a big boxer would be well received by those who bought it. I am talking about average people and not board shavers consumed with minutia when I say this.

Even if Fine made it into a store the price point would not sit well with the average consumer compared to VDH at 4.00

It's not surprising the factory is not making enough to be bought out or kept going given the power of the big box and no where for the little guy to market these products.

 

[snizzers54]

For such a well run small private brand they just don't seem to have much of a chance outside of the boards. Getting shelf space in a store is near impossible and normal people do not buy dozens of shave products each year, they use what they have until it is gone.

The volume is just not there with non board shavers to make these brands super profitable. Williams is only a buck and works well, Arko, if it ever made it onto the shelves of a big boxer would be well received by those who bought it. I am talking about average people and not board shavers consumed with minutia when I say this.

Even if Fine made it into a store the price point would not sit well with the average consumer compared to VDH at 4.00

It's not surprising the factory is not making enough to be bought out or kept going given the power of the big box and no where for the little guy to market these products.

I chuckled when I read your use of the words, "normal people."

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

normal people do not buy dozens of shave products each year

Are you meaning to say that we aren't normal?

 

[mata_66]

I give credits to Fine to have produced a Tabac-like soap with an improved stench scent. And not a single scent but around a dozen.

I have never pulled the trigger myself because I couldn't bear to pay the "copy" twice the money of the "original" (at least here in Europe where both soaps are produced).

 

[Njguy1977]

For such a well run small private brand they just don't seem to have much of a chance outside of the boards. Getting shelf space in a store is near impossible and normal people do not buy dozens of shave products each year, they use what they have until it is gone.

The volume is just not there with non board shavers to make these brands super profitable. Williams is only a buck and works well, Arko, if it ever made it onto the shelves of a big boxer would be well received by those who bought it. I am talking about average people and not board shavers consumed with minutia when I say this.

Even if Fine made it into a store the price point would not sit well with the average consumer compared to VDH at 4.00

It's not surprising the factory is not making enough to be bought out or kept going given the power of the big box and no where for the little guy to market these products.

on a side note I was recently in the Catskills in upstate NY and at a roadside attraction (where the worlds largest kaleidoscope was) I found a complete line of Fine products. It’s funny how sometimes you find things when your not really looking or expecting to find them.

Larry

 

[Atlantic59]

I give credits to Fine to have produced a Tabac-like soap with an improved stench scent. And not a single scent but around a dozen.

I have never pulled the trigger myself because I couldn't bear to pay the "copy" twice the money of the "original" (at least here in Europe where both soaps are produced).

Fine shave soaps are good, but certainly overpriced. I got two refills on sale for $8/each, that is a fair price considering how long they will last. There are still good hard soaps available (not that I will need any more soaps for a long time).

 

[JCarr]

At one point, I did have a desire to purchase their Aquamarine soap, but could never find any vendor that wasn't sold out. Tough one.

 

[brettimby]

At one point, I did have a desire to purchase their Aquamarine soap, but could never find any vendor that wasn't sold out. Tough one.

I was able to get a tub and a splash from West Coast Shaving right when it came out, then it was out of stock pretty much everywhere.
IMO, it’s a lot lighter scent than the other fine soaps- about half as strong as American blend or Italian citrus. It still smells good though. The splash is nice too.

 

[Owen Bawn]

Fine began selling soaps at just about the same time that I decided to stop purchasing soap "for a while," which is now almost 5 years (What can I say? I had built up quite a stockpile). As a result I've never used them, but overall I've heard good things. These must be very challenging times for many of these small businesses, and I wish Fine the best as they change soap manufacturers. Change is always risky even in the best of times.

 

[Cracker]

Fine soaps are made in Germany. The company is a part of Kappus, which had to file for insolvency last year, because the management is really old and still lives in the 1970s, so they did a lot of mismanagement.

Thankfully, an investor who specialized in these kind of companies (because we have a lot of those in Germany), bought it up. Sadly they shut down two of the sub companies / production locations. One of these two is the one in Krefeld, where Fine soaps were made, and as far as I know also Tabac soap and cream.

So, we have to see.

 

[luv2shave]

Fine soaps are made in Germany. The company is a part of Kappus, which had to file for insolvency last year, because the management is really old and still lives in the 1970s, so they did a lot of mismanagement.

Thankfully, an investor who specialized in these kind of companies (because we have a lot of those in Germany), bought it up. Sadly they shut down two of the sub companies / production locations. One of these two is the one in Krefeld, where Fine soaps were made, and as far as I know also Tabac soap and cream.

So, we have to see.

So tabac is at risk too ?