Add even more water.
Don’t overthink it. I binned a puck of MWF a while back after having no success, despite considerable perseverance. Lots of advice on how to lather, tips and tricks etc. All valid and with good intention. I waited months and re purchased a puck and it has become a favourite. Hope Tabac comes around for you, it’s a solid soap IMHO. If not, plenty of other good soaps out there. Good luck!Having used multiple pucks of both Williams and Tabac with success, I have always found it easier to lather Tabac. In fact, Tabac is easier for me to use than a few other soaps. Could it be that you received an old or defective Tabac puck?
Big fan of MWF, and like I said in the OP, Williams worked well, too.What soaps work well for you, and is your water hard or soft?
OK, I will look for a sheen.Add water until you get a sheen on the lather. The sheen is obvious, can't miss it. If that doesn't work you should just walk away, put it up and shave with something else. Come back to it in a few months it will still be there.
Big fan of MWF, and like I said in the OP, Williams worked well, too.
You do well with two soaps that are notoriously hard to work with but Tabac most find easy to use and you are having trouble. That's quite interesting, and I have a feeling that those who recommend more water and product are on the right track here.
I'll keep trying, because I don't like throwing anything away. What do you think about brush bristles? You think badger or boar would be better? I'll start paying attention to how it lathers with each brush. Last time I used the Omega boar.
…
Tabac does not need blooming, soaking, sacred brushes, glycerin added or anything else..simply load heavy…adding water slowly until it has a sheen and then add just a bit more….
Pure performance, yes. I just need to get that smell off afterwards. My wife hates the smell+1! No nonsense, just performance: that’s Tabac IMHO!!
Well, that's two comments about a sheen. I'll pay attention and look for this sheen. Previously, I just lathered up and went with it. Tabac doesn't like that. Tabac is fussy.I made a (rather embarrassing in hindsight) thread about this same issue a year or two ago: I could get my Williams lather dialed in but not my new Tabac. The truth is they are completely different beasts when it comes to lather technique. I suspect that my Tabac may have been water logged at the time which did not help, but really the problem was my approach.
Williams is a very personal soap - everyone has their ritual that works for them and a fair number simply cannot get it to work at all. With Tabac, for me, it was the opposite - I was overthinking it! It is impersonal in the sense that all the rituals, specific brushes, blooming etc. simply complicate the matter. Load a bit heavy and add a bit more water than you think you need. When it develops the telltale sheen add just a bit more.
Tabac does not need blooming, soaking, sacred brushes, glycerin added or anything else. If you are learning how to lather Tabac simply load heavy and work it in a bowl, adding water slowly until it has a sheen and then add just a bit more. Once you get a few good shaves in with Tabac you will know what to look for a truth be told it aint much. Tabac has the reputation it does because it simply works and for me is one of the least fussy soaps I have ever used.
I have hard water. Thank goodness. I hate soft water.One of the most important determinators of lather quality is the softness/hardness of one’s water. In my own experience, it’s absolutely fundamental. I tend to think that many here overlook it and pay more attention to damp vs. dry brush, type of brush, blooming, etc.
If your water is soft, you will need a ton of water in order to lather Tabac ideally. If your water is hard, then you will require less water.