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Old Tabac fan finally tries new Tabac ... a comparison

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro
Well, I got five free pucks (* story below) of new formula non-tallow Tabac last fall. I had yet to break one open, and decided to make this a Tabac week. I have a puck of the original formulation in an Old Spice mug and will do 3-days of new, followed by 3-days of the old, and let you know what I think. I will use an old Omega B&B Anniversary boar, an Omega Vintage Elite synthetic, and a yet-to-be-determined badger with each, and will use a new Gillette Russian "Swede" blade for each set to keep things comparable.

A couple of preliminary items are in order, however. First, I am tallow-agnostic. Completely. Some folks seem to think whether a soap is tallow or not is determinative, and I do not believe that at all. Probably my favorite two soaps based on shave quality alone are the old Tabac tallow soap and Saponificio Veresino non-tallow soap. Some who have had a bad experience with one or the other type draw unwarranted generalizations from that, ditto if you happen to have more favorites in one camp or the other. I have other examples for me, original Cella (tallow) and TFS Mastro Miche (non-tallow), so I believe shave quality is definitely independent of whether a soap has tallow or not, and dependent on the skill of the soap maker. YMMV, but it shouldn't, IMNSHO.

The second caveat is I could not care less who made the soap. I don't expect more or less from it because it is made by the same company. The fact that it is made by Mäurer & Wirtz means nothing. It is a completely new soap base, and as such a brand new product, and it could be made by Mäurer & Wirtz, by another old-school soap maker, or by some new artisan, as far as I'm concerned, it is a brand new product to be judged on its own. While my observations will be subjective, naturally, I do not expect to be influenced by either the absence of tallow or the maker's name.

Having no skin issues whatsoever I will not opine on post-shave opinion, because it is of complete indifference to me and for people with skin issues, my opinion is completely worthless. However, my skill level and dialed-in equipment choices, coupled with my lizard-skin allow me to get very comfortable BBS shaves literally every day without any neck issues. It was not always thus, but it is now, and I am a daily shaver, with perhaps one day off on the weekend.

So my impression with my first outing with the new Tabac? Outstanding! Super easy to lather, I cannot imagine anyone having any trouble getting a superb lather from it with little to no effort, just like the original. Absolutely non-finicky lather in the extreme. It generates a dense lather, and while I've never understood what people mean by "cushion" in a shave context, this lather is thick, creamy, non-dissipating, and stays where you put it. Slickness and glide, on the other hand, are easy to judge, and slickness with this lather is as good as it gets, IMO, up there with Cella, S.V., TFS, some of the better Italian Barber soaps, and others I've tried. This slickness really helps lead to that super-comfortable, BBS closeness.

The thing folks will want to know (to the extent that they care about my opinion :D ) is how does it stack up to the old Tabac, and I won't know that until I get to day 4. But whether you were a died-in-the-wool old Tabac fan or never tried it, I can confidently tell you that this is a world-class soap. They done good!

* So how did I get 5 free pucks, you ask? Simple. Idiot eBay seller in Scotland listed them as "Old Tabac" and posted a photo of the ingredients list from an old box. I messaged him and sent him his own photo and asked him to confirm those were the ingredients, because I had another seller misrepresent it and returned it. I said because of the shipping cost he didn't want to go down that road. He confirmed it was a correct photo. Well, of course it was the new stuff, so I told him I was returning it. He griped a bit about how would he know it wasn't the right stuff? I said, "Please, you were smart enough to get a photo off another product box, you knew what you were doing, and I gave you fair warning."

So, I got my refund and returned it with eBay label to some address in NJ, and it was returned to me as undeliverable. I messaged the sender and gave him 45 days to get me a return label or I'd consider it abandoned. Never heard from him. Five free pucks of shaving soap. :D Bet he won't do that again.
 

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro

Sunday, January 12​

  • Pre shave - shower
  • Captain's Choice stoneware lather bowl
  • Yaqi Ghost 90SB head on DS Cosmetics Spiral Ti handle (China)
  • Gillette Platinum "Swede" #1 (Russia)
  • Omega B&B Anniversary boar (Italy)
  • Tabac (current version (Germany)
  • Thayer's WH (USA)
  • Bootleggers El Dorado A/S (USA)
10/10 BBS. Part of a week-long comparison of old vs new Tabac. Today was first shave for me with the new Tabac non-tallow formulation. I have to say it was quite a great shave! The new Tabac is a world-class soap based on my first outing with it, no doubt. How it stacks up to the old will come in a few days.

View attachment 1975733
 
Well, I got five free pucks (* story below) of new formula non-tallow Tabac last fall. I had yet to break one open, and decided to make this a Tabac week. I have a puck of the original formulation in an Old Spice mug and will do 3-days of new, followed by 3-days of the old, and let you know what I think. I will use an old Omega B&B Anniversary boar, an Omega Vintage Elite synthetic, and a yet-to-be-determined badger with each, and will use a new Gillette Russian "Swede" blade for each set to keep things comparable.

A couple of preliminary items are in order, however. First, I am tallow-agnostic. Completely. Some folks seem to think whether a soap is tallow or not is determinative, and I do not believe that at all. Probably my favorite two soaps based on shave quality alone are the old Tabac tallow soap and Saponificio Veresino non-tallow soap. Some who have had a bad experience with one or the other type draw unwarranted generalizations from that, ditto if you happen to have more favorites in one camp or the other. I have other examples for me, original Cella (tallow) and TFS Mastro Miche (non-tallow), so I believe shave quality is definitely independent of whether a soap has tallow or not, and dependent on the skill of the soap maker. YMMV, but it shouldn't, IMNSHO.

The second caveat is I could not care less who made the soap. I don't expect more or less from it because it is made by the same company. The fact that it is made by Mäurer & Wirtz means nothing. It is a completely new soap base, and as such a brand new product, and it could be made by Mäurer & Wirtz, by another old-school soap maker, or by some new artisan, as far as I'm concerned, it is a brand new product to be judged on its own. While my observations will be subjective, naturally, I do not expect to be influenced by either the absence of tallow or the maker's name.

Having no skin issues whatsoever I will not opine on post-shave opinion, because it is of complete indifference to me and for people with skin issues, my opinion is completely worthless. However, my skill level and dialed-in equipment choices, coupled with my lizard-skin allow me to get very comfortable BBS shaves literally every day without any neck issues. It was not always thus, but it is now, and I am a daily shaver, with perhaps one day off on the weekend.

So my impression with my first outing with the new Tabac? Outstanding! Super easy to lather, I cannot imagine anyone having any trouble getting a superb lather from it with little to no effort, just like the original. Absolutely non-finicky lather in the extreme. It generates a dense lather, and while I've never understood what people mean by "cushion" in a shave context, this lather is thick, creamy, non-dissipating, and stays where you put it. Slickness and glide, on the other hand, are easy to judge, and slickness with this lather is as good as it gets, IMO, up there with Cella, S.V., TFS, some of the better Italian Barber soaps, and others I've tried. This slickness really helps lead to that super-comfortable, BBS closeness.

The thing folks will want to know (to the extent that they care about my opinion :D ) is how does it stack up to the old Tabac, and I won't know that until I get to day 4. But whether you were a died-in-the-wool old Tabac fan or never tried it, I can confidently tell you that this is a world-class soap. They done good!

* So how did I get 5 free pucks, you ask? Simple. Idiot eBay seller in Scotland listed them as "Old Tabac" and posted a photo of the ingredients list from an old box. I messaged him and sent him his own photo and asked him to confirm those were the ingredients, because I had another seller misrepresent it and returned it. I said because of the shipping cost he didn't want to go down that road. He confirmed it was a correct photo. Well, of course it was the new stuff, so I told him I was returning it. He griped a bit about how would he know it wasn't the right stuff? I said, "Please, you were smart enough to get a photo off another product box, you knew what you were doing, and I gave you fair warning."

So, I got my refund and returned it with eBay label to some address in NJ, and it was returned to me as undeliverable. I messaged the sender and gave him 45 days to get me a return label or I'd consider it abandoned. Never heard from him. Five free pucks of shaving soap. :D Bet he won't do that again.
I use the new Tabac as part of my soap rotation and agree that it is excellent. Easier to lather than my hardest soaps so I don't need to use my "mug soap" method that is needed for MWF and Williams. Just load with a damp brush and proceed to face lathering without building lather on the puck as I do with my "mug soap" method.

Excellent slickness, lather quality and stability. Enjoy the scent. Looking forward to your comparison as I've never used the old tallow-based formula.
 

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro
So, John (@JCinPA), how about the scent of old vs. new Tabac? Is it the same or different in some way, etc...

Still have a few sticks of the old Tabac, so won't need to replenish soon. Still, good to know.

Not sure yet. I'll move the old puck into the bathroom I shave in tomorrow and try to compare the scents off the dry pucks. I'm going to use the new for 2 more days before switching to the old. I'll comment on scent tomorrow and after day 4 on the old stuff.

Old Tabac was a real favorite, and I have several pucks left, I won't run out for years given my rotation. But I was really impressed with the shave today. Can't tell if I'd be as happy with it as the old yet, but on it's own, it's a great soap.
 
As an old Tabac user I wanted to try the new formulation so I've bought a brand new Tabac stick in a local store. Pretty much the same soap except for the post-shave feel. Tallow-based Tabac is so much better in that regard, at least for my skin. That makes the new Tabac an average soap and nostalgia is not enough to make me want to buy it again.
 

nemo

Lunatic Fringe
Staff member
Which of the new formulations are you using? There seem to be two out there.
Could you post a pic of the ingredients to see if it is the 2024 or 2021, please?
 
I’m currently using the 2024 formula and attaching a photo to compare what formula John is using.

IMG_0046.jpeg
 

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro
I shaved at 1:00 pm Sunday, and it was so close I didn't bother on Monday, so here is shave #2

Monday, January 13​

  • Pre shave - shower
  • Captain's Choice stoneware lather bowl
  • Yaqi Ghost 90SB head on DS Cosmetics Spiral Ti handle (China)
  • Gillette Platinum "Swede" #2 (Russia)
  • Omega Vintage Elite Synthetic (Italy)
  • Tabac (current version (Germany)
  • Thayer's WH (USA)
  • Bootleggers El Dorado A/S (USA)
10/10 BBS. Part of a week-long comparison of old vs new Tabac. Today was second shave for me with the new Tabac non-tallow formulation. I have to say it is an excellent soap!
 

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro
Couple of questions

@nemo I did not know there were two new formulations, this is what I have.

Shave1.jpg


@NorthernSoul About the scent, as far as I can tell, they are the same. The new puck maybe is slightly stronger, but that's probably because I just unwrapped it and the other has been in the mug for months. They smell identical to me.
 

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro
Sorry, that last was Tuesday, 01/14, got mixed up there. Here is today's third shave with the new formula.

Thursday, January 16​

  • Pre shave - shower
  • Captain's Choice stoneware lather bowl
  • Yaqi Ghost 90SB head on DS Cosmetics Spiral Ti handle (China)
  • Gillette Platinum "Swede" #3 (Russia)
  • Yaqi Aqua badger (China)
  • Tabac (current version (Germany)
  • Thayer's WH (USA)
  • Bootleggers El Dorado A/S (USA)
10/10 BBS. Part of a week-long comparison of old/new Tabac. Terrific shave again!

I will pay attention to post-shave feel on the old Tabac tomorrow, but I'm not a great judge for that as I have lizard skin, apparently, and I'm always comfortable after any shave.
 
This is excellent - quite informative and encouraging, and we all owe you a favor for standing up to unacceptable online sales practices (every one of these acts makes the sales world a better place).
 
I did not know there were two new formulations, this is what I have.

That's the 2021-formulation, which doesn't contain palm kernel acid. I have a slight preference for the version with, but only slight.

About the scent, as far as I can tell, they are the same. The new puck maybe is slightly stronger, but that's probably because I just unwrapped it and the other has been in the mug for months. They smell identical to me.

2021 is more powdery to my nose, but at 6:30 AM in the morning it all smells like Tabac...
 

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro
Ok, first shave on the old tallow version. Man, this is wonderful stuff! Funny, but my two very top shaving soaps, I think (hard to cull from the top list) are probably this, tallow Tabac, and Saponificio Veresino (I like the Felce Aromatica best), a vegetable soap. For the shave quality and comfort, I put these above everything else I use, although I have some other great soaps, to be sure.

Friday, January 17​

  • Pre shave - shower
  • Captain's Choice stoneware lather bowl
  • Yaqi Ghost 90SB head on DS Cosmetics Spiral Ti handle (China)
  • Gillette Platinum "Swede" #1 (Russia)
  • Omega Vintage Elite synthetic brush (Italy)
  • Tabac (Original tallow) (Germany)
  • Thayer's WH (USA)
  • Bootleggers El Dorado A/S (USA)
10/10 BBS. Part of a week-long comparison of old and new Tabac. Man this is wonderful soap. The new stuff is very good, though.

=====

So, to keep it fair, I started a new Swede blade, began the 3 brush rotation with the excellent Omega Elite synthetic brush, and stuck with the El Dorado for the length of the comparison. Although this is only the first shave on the old stuff for this comparison--and I think I'll have to finish with a side/side shave on the same day with both--I think I already know how this will turn out. I'll surmise here and see if I have the same conclusion after the last day's side-by-side.

1. If you believe you only like tallow soaps, DO NOT try the new version. You won't like it, because your mind is already made up. If you have not found a vegetable soap you like so far, just give it up and use tallow. It's OK! It really is! But don't bother with the new formulation, you won't be able to get your mind to come around to a non-tallow soap. I don't understand the psychology of it, but that's how this stuff works.

2. If, like me, you have a couple of favorite tallow soaps and a couple of favorite vegetable soaps (like my top two, one from each camp), and you liked the old Tabac scent and performance, I say go ahead and try the new version. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Luckily, I have what for me is likely a lifetime supply of old Tabac on hand, but if I ran out, I would not hesitate to reload with the new stuff. I'm one who enjoys the scent immensely, I don't get the old lady's purse smell complaint, I LOVE IT ❤️ and I'm delighted with the shave performance of the new stuff. Tabac will always have a place in my den, old or new.

3. If you've never tried Tabac and wonder what all the hype is about (and are not a religiously devoted tallow devotee), don't worry about the old stuff, just get yourself a puck and see what you think. I think you'll like it! You won't complain about the shave, although scents are such a YMMV thing, you may or may not like the scent. But don't worry about how it compares to the old, you can't get it anyway, so who cares?

Since I got five pucks of the new stuff for free from the idiot who sold it on eBay, and since I still have a good supply of the old stuff, I'm going to PIF three pucks (to three people, not one) at the conclusion of this series. It will be open to only those in category 2 and 3, above. I'm not sending it to a tallow-only church member. But if you liked old Tabac or never tried it and have found vegetable soaps you like a lot, that PIF will be for you.

I will do Tallow #2 today (Sunday, 01/19) I may skip #3 and just go to side-by-side and conclude this thing.

EDIT: The only thing I cannot evaluate in this comparison is the after shave face feel. And I do not want to weigh in on that because I am completely indifferent to this, having tough, normal skin, and no reactions to anything, ever. One poster here has already opined the new stuff is not as good for him as the old tallow. If you have skin sensitivities, all bets are off--on any soap. You have to find what works for you. So without saying anything about post-shave feel, my opinion so far is the scent is the same and the shave quality is pretty much equal.
 
I wouldn’t characterize myself as a strictly tallow guy, as I really don’t have enough experience with different soaps. I keep a small rotation of 4-5 soaps and have only been wet shaving for roughly two years. I started off with creams for the first year or so. My current experience with soaps is very limited to Proraso tubs, Stirling Beef and Mutton tallow bases, as well as one SV soap. Tabac is definitely one of the soaps I’m considering replacing my SV tin with once it runs out over the next few months, however I already have an almost full puck of Stirling Gentleman. How would you compare the scent of Tabac to Stirling Gentleman. I’m assuming Tabac is also very Tobacco heavy. Are they similar? I’m trying to avoid having two very similar scents being a smaller rotation guy.
 

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro
@Ouelljas I have no idea what Stirling Gentleman smells like, but the scent of Tabac is fairly unique, as far as I know. But you are learning not to care about the tallow aspect, which I agree with.

Stirling soaps are phenomenal, and the mutton tallow line is super good shaving lather for reasons I don't understand. SV, on the other hand is vegetable. I don't give tallow a second thought, I just try stuff recommended by members whose opinion I've learned to trust and see what I think.
 
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