On recommending the Three Stinkies to noobs

[mgf17]

A B&B peeve: when people recommend one of the Three Stinkies (Tabac, Arko, Cella) to noobs without warning them about the smell.

Folks, seriously, if there's someone new to traditional shaving who's looking for a soap or cream to start with, and you're going to recommend one of these--which provide good shaves all!--for the love of all the gods tell them about the strength, brush-clinging tenacity, and polarized opinions people have of these scents.

To my mind, not doing so is equivalent to hazing, of the "bring me the left-handed screwdriver" variety. Only with the potential to cost people money.

For the record, I've tried them all, and my findings were:

• Tabac: this would be a good scent if it weren't so strong and tenacious. Use it once and your bathroom will smell of it all day; it'll cling to your brush for the next three shaves. I could see using Tabac once a month or so if I were willing to dedicate a brush and bear canister to it, but I'm not.
• Arko: definitely urinal puck, but an un-peed-on one fresh out of the wrapper. The scent of this one stuck to the brush for the next five(!) shaves.
• Cella: I only shaved with it once and don't remember if it stuck to the brush, but I do remember that it was six months before I could bring myself to eat another American-style maraschino cherry.

And yes, I do rinse my brush after shaving!

Were it up to me, I'd recommend Haslinger to noobs if they were specifically looking for a soap, and TOBS creams if they wanted a cream or didn't specify. They're easy to lather, don't require any special tricks, are tolerant of hard or soft water, and the scents fade quickly.

 

[BigFoot]

• Arko: definitely urinal puck, but an un-peed-on one fresh out of the wrapper

ROTFLMAO I have not heard that one yet.

 

[babweiner]

I love your passion, I thank you for sharing your frustrations and will now be buying some tabac.


~J. Babcock
Foxhole Shavers Club (16yr USAF, currently MSgt OKANG)

 

[G.W.]

Those are all great soaps and have their merits. Not everybody agrees with you about the scents, obviously.


Nevertheless, there's one thing that any grown person should know:
If you go online and ask for advice from people you don't know, then lack of due diligence is your own fault.


Edited to add: For example, if 30 seconds worth of Googling doesn't show you that Tabac's scent could be seen as polarizing, then maybe there's a good lesson to be learned there.

 

[BSAGuy]

YMMV

 

[mgf17]

Edited to add: For example, if 30 seconds worth of Googling doesn't show you that Tabac's scent could be seen as polarizing, then maybe there's a good lesson to be learned there.

Yes, but a noob asking for recommendations on a shaving forum pretty much counts as that googling. Sure, experienced traditional shavers know the reputations of these soaps. Someone coming from a lifetime of Barbasol doesn't. It's just common courtesy to point out that the scents are very, very strong, and not universally loved.

 

[Zipslack]

VDH (Luxury or Deluxe) - both are good performers, cheap, available locally, easy for beginners and about as non-offensive as it gets.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Funny, I actually like the smell of Tabac, although it isn't my favorite soap. I have never understood why it has a reputation for having an unpleasant smell.

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[drwevil]

I'm I don't find Arko offensive or smelling like a urinal puck. Mind you I have never recommended it either.... Mama Bears yup....
I have never had an issue with it clinging either.

I might recommend it if they are in a budget but would probably go Proraso. ...


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[G.W.]

Yes, but a noob asking for recommendations on a shaving forum pretty much counts as that googling.

Respectfully, I must say that I do not agree with that at all. I just went and did a google search for "tabac shaving soap" and saying "30 seconds worth of Googling" was wildly generous. It takes minimal effort. I cannot abide by people expecting others to do their homework for them. If I recommend Tabac to somebody that doesn't know me/ I don't know them, why in the world would they not spend a few moments to see what in the world I'm talking about? It's just common sense.
Asking questions is one thing, and certainly a part of any exploratory process, but just blindly following the word of people you don't know is stupid. That is harsh, yes, but true. And while I find B&B to be an invaluable resource, and downright pleasurable to hang around on, I do not just take anything I read on here (or anywhere, for that matter) as gospel.


All that aside, I did not post in this thread just to be disagreeable with you. You're entitled to your opinion, and it is not my intention in any way to discourage it. Please just recognize that it's your opinion, and not a fact written in stone. I personally like Tabac, and I do recommend it to people whenever I'm asked. Arko and Cella I'm indifferent to, but honestly would find to be less polarizing than Tabac, if I'm being honest.
I stand by what I said in my first post, but it was perhaps a little more blunt than it needed to be. I'll step out of this conversation and apologize for my curtness in that post.

 

[babweiner]

As I said in my above post, I love the passion here, and to agree with @G.W. I did not just order tabac from reading this, the description made me dig up other reviews, plus I already had it in my WCS cart.


~J. Babcock
Foxhole Shavers Club (16yr USAF, currently MSgt OKANG)

 

[mgf17]

I haven't tried VDH so can't comment on it. Proraso is also an excellent choice for beginners, I think.

@G.W.: no offense taken! I am not even against recommending these to new shavers, just suggesting including a warning about the scent. Arko is a particularly good suggestion for the cost-conscious if they don't mind the smell.

 

[mgf17]

I did not just order tabac from reading this

What got me to order Tabac back in the day was a couple of posts (probably on B&B) that described it as having a dirty-ashtray scent, which I enjoy. Unfortunately I don't detect any ashtray in either Tabac or La Toja, which also occasionally gets that description.

 

[Chango]

Scent is a really funny thing. I've bought stuff because of gushing reviews only to find that I don't like it. It's not their fault though. Everyone is different and unfortunately almost all of the products in this traditional wet shaving world are unavailable to open and sniff prior to buying.

When I first started, I read a lot of yea/nay about Arko but I got it anyway. And I like it. Same with Tabac but I really don't like it. Cella too, which is okay but there's so much better stuff. There was a lot of info for me out there.

The Veg was another one. After reading so many rants about it I had to buy it! Now that I've tried it, I think it's putrid. But exploration is a part of the fun for me.

 

[psfred]

Everyone smells things differently (or, I should say, perceives scent differently). I find Tabac completely inoffensive, Arko to be lemony with a musky undertone, have not used Cella but don't mind an almond smell.

Considering performance alone, they are all very good soaps and will do what they are intended to do (let you have a good shave) very well. I don't find Arko to linger very long if I wash my face, suspect Tabac is similar IF you use minimal lather. If you work up a thick, pasty lather a quarter inch thick on your face and shave slowly, yes, I'd expect there to be significant scent hanging around. I use just enough soap to give me thin, slick lather for two passes and maybe some touchup, since that's all I ever do for a shave. Doesn't take much soap, actually.

All three have a firm reputation for excellent performance. Scent is individual, I'd recommend them all with the caveat that some people find the scent disagreeable, although comparisons of Arko to "urinal pucks" are misplaced, no urinal puck I've ever been exposed to smells anything at all like Arko (they usually have chlorophenol or something simlar in them as a disinfectant). Lemon Pledge, perhaps, but not "urinal pucks".

YMMV, indeed.

 

[drwevil]

Scent is a very funny thing

After 5 kids The smell of Talc reminds me of baby poop filled nappies. Shudder....


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[mgf17]

although comparisons of Arko to "urinal pucks" are misplaced

This no doubt depends on your urinal pucks -- I can say that Arko reminds me of particular urinal pucks: the ones used in the rest areas of the New York Thruway (I-90) in the '80s. Instant flashback to those when I opened the wrapper.

What I don't get is the comparisons you sometimes read of Arko to Ivory soap; to my nose they smell nothing alike.

 

[DCRIII]

Cella smells like maraschino cherries?!
Sounds like something I'd enjoy!
I also love the smell of Tabac and I don't mind the smell of Arko which smells similar to Ivory soap to me.

 

[DCRIII]

Scent is a very funny thing

After 5 kids The smell of Talc reminds me of baby poop filled nappies. Shudder....


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Don't forget the smell of those early milk/formula poops. I couldn't eat cheadar cheese for the longest time!

 

[Kactus]

I found the smell of Tabac strong at first but not offensive and have grown to like it. I tried Pre de Provence based on the many recommendations of the good fragrance and it reminds me of a urinal cake. So, as mentioned, YMMV and you really need to try them yourself. I guess if everyone liked the same thing, we'd only need one soap for everyone!