So I got a TOBS sampler...

[DEsafetyrazor]

Well I got through the sampler and decided to order (drum roll please)...


Sandalwood

it seemed to perform the best and the scent grew on me.

I still very much like Lemon & Lime but might replace it with Lavender or Jermyn Street when I run out.

 

[Cornellius]

Congratulations on the purchase! I’d say given the reviews, you made an excellent choice. A choice I am actually planning on making myself. But in case others have the same questions as you in the future, i’ll also add my experience.

Now I do not consider myself to be a shaving cream “sommelier” if you will... but I can give my honest first impressions of the three TOBS shaving creams I’ve used.

-Mr. Taylor’s: A classic barbershop type scent that is clean/soapy, without being sweet and powdery. It smells like you would expect your father to smell, if your father was a manly gentleman and a scholar.

-St James: My first impression was that it smelled similar to those cologne samples that used to come in magazines. Not necessarily bad mind you, and certainly toned down in real world application when not smelling it straight from the tub... but nothing special and not particularly what I’d want to be smearing on my face day after day.

-Eton College: I’m just not a fan of Eton College. To me it smelled similar to a flower. Now I don’t actually hate the smell of flowers, but the way this shaving cream presents itself is unpleasant. If you compared the smell of bologna to the smell of a fresh bbq roast, well that’s the smell of Eton College compared to a flower.

 

[seattleshaver]

I've used several full tubs of TOBS products (Lemon and Lime, Sandalwood, Cedarwood) and a few other samples from them. I like them but after I use what I have on hand (2 tubs) I think I'll hold off on ordering more for a while.

I have several Stirling soaps that I think I'll stick with for a while (Sandalwood, Bay Rum, and Christmas Eve). I have even more Stirling soaps but the others I probably won't be replacing.

 

[DEsafetyrazor]

I've since gotten Tobacco Leaf and Royal Forest. Royal Forest is my favorite scent (and my family likes it as well). Tobacco Leaf is a clean, complex soapy slightly cologne scent with no trace of tobacco I could find. I asked my daughter of her opinion of the two. She liked both but told me to get a cologne that smelled like Tobacco Leaf - she loved it.

Since my original review I've gone through several tubs of TOBS

best performer is Avocado
my favorite scents: Royal Forest and Jeremyn Street

ALL TOBS perform well. Except for Jermyn street and Avocado, they pretty much perform the same to me. You can't go wrong with TOBs - they know what they are doing. Finding a scent you like is half the battle/fun

 

[ask4Edge]

...cologne that smelled like Tobacco Leaf...

Well, there's the Aftershave:

 

[oldskool76]

love the review and everyone's input gives me ideas on something to try when I go to buy my next shave soap or cream

 

[gpjoe]

The cedarwood scent I used yesterday lasted about half a day...

Used the last sample this morning: St James. It is a pleasant "soapy, clean" scent without a hint of being like a perfume or cologne. Lather, performance and post shave were all excellent.

However I have made up my mind on my favorites. They are, in no particular order

Lemon & Lime
Sandalwood and
Lavender

Each of the scents was very good and I could see why anyone might have them as their favorites. Some scents are more complex as well as longer lasting than others. All but the scents are different (some very much so - the Lemon & Lime is a great example) when being used than in the tub. TOBS creams seem to perform equally well, with the differences being in the post shave feeling on the face.

Time to trade this sampler in for one of my favorites FT - TOBS sampler for TOBS Sandalwood or Lavender . Hopefully someone else can enjoy them and find a favorite. Thanks for accompanying me on this journey

It's funny you settled on these three.

I just started DE shaving a few weeks ago after buying an inexpensive TTO razor at a chain drug store. After a short time I was on Amazon (ugh) browsing a higher quality razor, brush, and cream, and ended up with a tub of TOBS Sandalwood. I liked it so much and wanted more variety that I went back to browse additional scents and ended up buying tubs of lemon-lime and lavender.

Short version: I ended up with the same three as you, and love em.

 

[JCarr]

Thanks for the reviews! Good stuff.

 

[Bladeforum]

I have finished a tub of grapefruit at one time. It was nice but I currently only use soaps.