What's new

Forgive Me, Tabac, For I Have Sinned!

I strongly disliked you after the first shave some two years ago, Tabac, throwing you into the far reaches of the shave den cabinet to never see the light of day again. Dare I say—I hated you, Tabac. One and done.

I am here to repent and praise you publicly, though, as I am starting to warm up to you.

I willingly choose you as the soap de jour for the last five shaves. I've learned a lot about whipping up a decent lather in the two years since I first started wet shaving. Being a rookie, perhaps I didn't do you justice the first time around. Perhaps it was the smoky, ash-tray overtones you first emitted; since then, however, perhaps as a result of the 'Rona', I don't smell any offensive tobacco scent (I smoked for 25+ years, so once 10+ years removed, I found the smell nauseating). You now smell...intriguing.

Honestly, you're not the best smelling soap in the den, definitely not one I would gravitate toward when selecting my 'final four' rotation. I don't even know how to describe your scent (dark feminine fougere?), but that's neither here nor there.

The performance as of late is impressive and more than makes up for what you lack in the scent department.

While doing some due diligence (on B&B, of course) on another soap I am considering, I now realize it's your tallow that has me rubbing my face, appreciating the post-shave feel some 5-6 hours since we last met. I'm actually looking forward to meeting you again tomorrow morning, perhaps.

The same can't be said of Arko (even COVID-nose can't change the hints of urinal cake or, as one member so aptly described it—the smell of an old lady's purse during bingo night in the basement of the Methodist Church). :)

...but I am digging the Tabac now. The post-shave feel does remind me of MWF (dare I say it almost one-ups the Fat?!?!) and now have learned it's the tallow-base formulation of old.

I've learned a lot during my two short years wet shaving, but this was an important lesson learned—if a soap is a staple in the shave community and has stood the test of time, consider doubling back when you have more experience and take it for another test drive if you didn't get it the first time...might be surprised with the performance on the next go 'round. :)

I'm not ready to use the "L" word just yet, but I think my now two-year old Tabac and I are in the early stages of bromance. Sure, it won't supplant my SV, MWF, and MdC just yet; but as I continue to test sample after sample (searching for my fourth and final soap in the rotation) and work on the disgusting amount of product I bought when I first started (another lesson learned), Tabac is turning into a strong contender that can go toe-to-toe with some of the heavyweights.

Tabac mach frei.
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
I love Tabac tallow soap and many other Tabac products, excluding the EDT. I smoked cigarettes for 25 years and quit over a decade ago and I have never detected the slightest scent of cigarettes, ash, or ashtrays in any Tabac product. To me the delightful scent is floral, presumably the flowers of the tobacco plant. YMMV.
 
Unfortunately the Tabac of your shave is no more. Cherish what you have.


Story of my life! I did read the first 3-4 pages, then the last half dozen and read your post about a 'well-matured puck.' Perhaps that's what lead to my change of heart...2 years later, not a hint of smoke and produced an exquisite shave!

My puck has only 6 shaves on it now, so I'll have it awhile, but, in light of this news, I'll probably grab a tallow-based refill if I can find one.


I was coming back to use those exact words today, sir. Very nice. :)


Like most unexplained RC things -'It's a mystery!'

Peace be with you, sir. :)

To borrow from a post in Hannah's dad's thread—'In the beginning there was Tabac and it was good.'
 
Tabac was an acquired taste for me too. Not only has the scent grown on me, but the scent does soften as the puck ages. And I am even becoming curious about the new formula.
 
The original tallow formulation of Tabac was one of the few traditional soap pucks that I could recommend. I have not used the new revised formula, nor do I plan to do so.

The Tabac scent repulsed me when I first unwrapped the puck. There was no way I could put up with that smell during a shave. However, after allowing the puck to remain open for a few weeks, most of the volatile top notes (presumably aldehydes), evaporated and the aroma became tolerable such that I could evaluate the performance of the soap. I give the original formula a rating of B+ which is very good, but I have quite a few soaps with better performance and better scents. I use my puck about once a year, just to remind me that it is a good soap. However, I will never like the scent.
 
The original tallow formulation of Tabac was one of the few traditional soap pucks that I could recommend. I have not used the new revised formula, nor do I plan to do so.

The Tabac scent repulsed me when I first unwrapped the puck. There was no way I could put up with that smell during a shave. However, after allowing the puck to remain open for a few weeks, most of the volatile top notes (presumably aldehydes), evaporated and the aroma became tolerable such that I could evaluate the performance of the soap. I give the original formula a rating of B+ which is very good, but I have quite a few soaps with better performance and better scents. I use my puck about once a year, just to remind me that it is a good soap. However, I will never like the scent.
I've been letting my Tabac set on my desk to breathe.
I take in periodic whiffs of the puck, but this last time I handled it and now cannot get the smell off
 
Tabac is NOT a tobacco scent. The most prominent note is CARNATION and the fragrance it most reminds me of is Chanel Number 5. Yes, a FEMININE scent.

I actually like the fragrance for a soap because it's not going to last more than a few minutes, but I had the cologne and wound up giving it to my aunt because it was far too "girly" for me.

I never have understood why they even call it "Tabac" :facep:
 
I was just thinking of this thread today—since I posted, I have shaved with SV twice, MWF twice, and MdC once (tried a sample today...was a predictably GREAT shave, albeit with a muted, waxy smell that can't shake a stick at my new boo); every other shave has been with, you guessed it, Tabac. :)

After using it quite a bit, I feel that it's a tiny bit less protective than all the aforementioned soaps. Three passes with a Feather (I know, I know) and I feel just a little burn that subsides by the time I get out of the shower, but I do notice a slight difference more often than not.

The post-shave feel, however, could very well be a step above MWF now in my book! I'm really liking the soap.
 
I vividly remember my mother and I buying a bowl of Tabac for my father's birthday, when I was a kid, back in the mid 1970s. I remember the white milk glass bowl which, based on my recollection, hasn't changed much. My father smoked cigarettes at the time and I thought Tabac had something to do with his smoking habit, just because of the name.
 

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
@Terp , Sir sometimes even very experienced wetshavers like myself can misjudge a soap. It happened to me also when evaluating Saponificio Varesino, which at first I wrongly considered "just OK". Only afterwards I understood my mistake and now value it as the King of Italy (enough said).

Only the fools do not admit their errors, wise men always do.
 

JCarr

More Deep Thoughts than Jack Handy
I was fortunate enough to be able to pick up a tallow version of Tabac in the white ceramic jar with loose lid. As you said, the scent is...interesting. But it's the performance that turns your head. When you dial it in well, it's dynamite.
 
@Terp , Sir sometimes even very experienced wetshavers like myself can misjudge a soap. It happened to me also when evaluating Saponificio Varesino, which at first I wrongly considered "just OK". Only afterwards I understood my mistake and now value it as the King of Italy (enough said).

Only the fools do not admit their errors, wise men always do.

Coincidently, I thought of you the other day, sir, in a purely platonic way, of course, when this arrived. :)

IMG_0434.jpg
 
Top Bottom