Tabac Balance thread

[Blondie]

Ok, so we all know that Tabac has legions of zombie-ized fans around here. So much so that the soap has achieved "de riguer" status. I thought it may be good for newbies searching for a soap to hear from some of us that have been around for awhile and can be objective in stating soaps that are as good, or better than Tabac. Please don't make this a battleground, as I am just trying to list alternatives for newer members. Keep your price point ceiling at around the price of Tabac. Here are mine, and as always, YMMV.

As good:

Williams
Van Der Hagen Deluxe

Better:

MWF
L'Occitane Cade
Cella
Institut Karite
Valobra Almond
Proraso Sensitive
Arko

 

[in the know]

Better:
Palmolive Stick
Wilkinson Sword Stick

 

[Defcon5]

Maybe I've used the wrong VDH, but "Select" isn't anywhere near as comfortable as Tabac or the others listed.

 

[Blondie]

Maybe I've used the wrong VDH, but "Select" isn't anywhere near as comfortable as Tabac or the others listed.

Try the VDH Deluxe. It is far better than the select.

 

[Topgumby]

I wouldn't put modern Williams or VDH in the same category as Tabac.

Some soaps that I would:

Sir Irisch Moos

Vintage Williams

Vintage Old Spice

Prairie Creations

La Toja stick

Palmolive stick

All but the La Toja are tallow based. I threw in the La Toja because even though I'm a fathead, it's good enough that I'd consider it to be a "vegetable tallow".

I've heard that the "Pre" soaps are quite nice, too. Have to check them out.

I'm a moderately ravenous Tabac zombie, so YMMV.

 

[DSB]

I have not found anything at the same price point that is better than Tabac. However, there some that are almost as good or as good, and some more expensive options that are better. I'm not including any out-of-production soaps.

Almost as good or as good:
DR Harris
L'Occitane Cade
Truefitt & Hill Luxury
Geo F. Trumper
La Toja
Speick

Better:
AOS sandalwood
Czech & Speake

 

[Topgumby]

This thread is reminding me that there are a LOT of soaps I have to get around to trying before I go to the big shave den in the sky.

 

[insomniac]

Pre de Provence is pretty damn close.

I think Valobra stick is just as good except, of course, the scent is entirely different.

 

[Defcon5]

We should get a vote going and fill in a NCAA-like bracket to crown a yearly king of shaving soaps.

 

[Drubbing]

Keep your price point ceiling at around the price of Tabac.

On an international forum, that isn't possible. In Australia, Tabac costs the same as Trumpers, T&H, Cade and others, for a start. So $$ doesn't dictate value or separate the standard product from 'luxury'.

And it's still a YMMV thing anyway.

Performance-wise I find Tabac just as good, if not a bit better than Cade, Trumpers, T&H and DR Harris. For those that can get Tabac at 1/2 the cost of the 'luxury' soaps, it's a bargain. Hence the reason it gets over-hyped.

 

[Will P.C.]

I really don't believe I have a soap that performs better than Tabac.
Moos is almost is good and if Tabac was a 100 out of 100 Moos would be 97 and I think I would like it better if I milled it.

Cella is def somewhere in the 90's as in Pen Eng Fern Tallow First. The thing is after doing your first pass, you still have this slick film on your face that you could just rub back it with a little water and it would be perfect.

Cade is another favorite and AOS sandalwood I would put those at 89
DR Harris is about 84


Im am still unsure about MWF. I get a great lather with it, but I don't think its as good as a skin conditioner as Cella or Tabac

 

[stoopidhead]

i haven't found anything significantly better, but MWF, speick and pre de provence are aout equal to tabac in my limited experience.

 

[Schwert]

CADE and PdP are definitely better than Tabac.

 

[talibeard]

Cella, Palmolive, Arko and Speick are mentioned so I would like to add P.160 to the list.

 

[TimMechEngr]

Williams and Van Der Hagen are no where near close to Tabac being as Tabac is a top shelf product, and newbies need to understand that. Anyone can pick up Williams or Van Der Hagen at their local discount store. Not so with Tabac. I've been around a while and consider myself very objective. No battleground here, and no zombie-ized fan, but Tabac just plain sets the standard for other soaps to follow because of 1) Top Self Quality, and 2) Affordability. Very few soaps on the market will provide the same latherability, slickness, moisturizing properties, and close shaves with minimal discomfort like Tabac in that price range.

Some people want to rate soaps on a 1-10 scale and others on a good, better, best, awesome, phenomenal scale. I rate soaps on a top shelf or bottom shelf scale. Williams and Van Der Hagen are definitely bottom shelf, but at their respective price points, they coud easily be top shelf if that's all one can afford. Tabac just happens to be the next step up in affordability. Other soaps are way more expensive and no better than Tabac. That's why Tabac is rated so highly here as seen in the reviews.

As for soaps I consider top shelf along side Tabac around the same price range are:

Valobra Almond
Cella
Mama Bear's (Any Scent)
Gentleman's Best
J.M. Fraser's (Any Scent)
QED (Any Scent)
Geo. F. Trumper's (Any Scent)
Proraso
Irisch Moos
Saint Charles Shave (Any Scent)
etc.

 

[Haber Dashing]

Speick lathers just as well as Tabac, is cheaper, and doesn't smell like someone dumped a bottle of cologne in the soap. Tabac is great, but Speick is better.

 

[SRock]

Ok, so we all know that Tabac has legions of zombie-ized fans around here. So much so that the soap has achieved "de riguer" status. I thought it may be good for newbies searching for a soap to hear from some of us that have been around for awhile and can be objective in stating soaps that are as good, or better than Tabac. Please don't make this a battleground, as I am just trying to list alternatives for newer members. Keep your price point ceiling at around the price of Tabac.

As good:

Williams
Van Der Hagen Deluxe

Better:

MWF
L'Occitane Cade
Cella
Institut Karite
Valobra Almond
Proraso Sensitive
Arko

Not a chance that I'd say Williams or VDH are as good as Tabac but I'd agree that all in your better list are indeed better than Tabac.

 

[thunderball]

Provence Sante. Speick. MWF.

 

[Ignatius]

Culmak is a triple milled soap that can be had inexpensively, similar to John lewis Lavender and possibly T&H Luxury SS.

Also MWF and Cade are similarly priced or cheaper (at least here in the UK) - I'd prefer them as well.

 

[luvmysuper]

This thread is reminding me that there are a LOT of soaps I have to get around to trying before I go to the big shave den in the sky.

That's what it's all about!

P.S.
Picked up a Sandalwood and a Nomad soap yesterday from C&E - test lather seems very nice for a veggie soap, and the price was nice - $18.00 for the soap in a wooden bowl and a mere $8.00 for the refill.

For the life of me could not find Cade, though I have looked. The L'Occitane B&M's have a lot of girly stuff and a tiny little shelf with some as balm and Lavender and Vetiver soap, but nothing with Cade on it.