Tabac is the best kept secret in shaving

[GaryTha]

Ha ha, fair enough, not much I can say to that.

We don't agree on Williams, but chances are we probably would on Tabac.
Unique scent, lathers like crazy, glides and protects really well, what's not to like.

I would probably like Tabac as it has a great reputation. I'm taking my version of this hobby in a different direction now.

 

[Red One]

To me, Tabac smells like the cheap bath soap I grew up using. Not offensive to me. It lathers great in my water but is not as slick at MWF so doesn’t get as much use.

 

[Chandu]

You should just go ahead and try Tabac, nobody will ever know - we won't tell, I promise.

I'm not Gary, but for me if I was in a particular self-challenge. The key point in something like you are proposing is that "I" would know. That then goes to integrity. I think there is a saying something about character not being doing the right thing when everyone is watching, but doing the right thing when no one is watching.

 

[GaryTha]

I'm not Gary, but for me if I was in a particular self-challenge. The key point in something like you are proposing is that "I" would know. That then goes to integrity. I think there is a saying something about character not being doing the right thing when everyone is watching, but doing the right thing when no one is watching.

I would have a tell-tale heart.

My challenge does allow me to do a second shave during the day with a second soap. Maybe someday, I'll start doing that, but it would mess up my Excalibur tracking.

 

[bluesman 7]

Look at it this way. There are probably hundreds, maybe thousands of people that shaved with nothing but Williams for 30 years or more. Surely some that used it their whole life. Not a one of them ever had the thought, life's too short for nothing but Williams.

 

[GaryTha]

Look at it this way. There are probably hundreds, maybe thousands of people that shaved with nothing but Williams for 30 years or more. Surely some that used it their whole life. Not a one of them ever had the thought, life's too short for nothing but Williams.

Life's too short to skip a Williams Shave.

 

[Bbb34]

I was just having some fun with @GaryTha you guys (@bluesman 7 & @Chandu ).

In no way was I seriously judging his choices or genuinely trying to tempt him to stop using Williams only. From his responses to me I felt like he understood that.

I do get it though, I own one DE and one brush only (and one of each for traveling) and couldn't be happier.
While I'll try (and have tried) pretty much any soap and aftershave that seems interesting at the time, I never keep more than 5-10 different ones in my "rotation" at any given time. Those that don't crack top 10(ish) are given away fairly quickly. Straight razors though, well that got out of hand a little bit for a while, I do own... well let's just say more than one.

Anyway, as I said before, in my opinion, life's too short to be "extreme minimalist" on something as inexpensive and widely available as shaving soap. We're spoiled today with availability and choices, but I'm OK with that.
The fact that I wouldn't use one only for years, of course, that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it for others.

Anyway, back to the topic - Tabac, at the risk of repeating myself - great soap.

My challenge does allow me to do a second shave during the day with a second soap.

And we have a loophole, good to hear.

 

[GaryTha]

I was just having some fun with @GaryTha you guys (@bluesman 7 & @Chandu ).

In no way was I seriously judging his choices or genuinely trying to tempt him to stop using Williams only. From his responses I felt like he clearly understood that.

I do get it though, I own one DE razor and one brush only (and one of each for traveling) and couldn't be happier.
While I'll try (and have tried) pretty much any soap and aftershave that seems interesting at the time, I never keep more than 5-10 different ones in my "rotation" at any given time. Those that don't crack top 10(ish) are given away fairly quickly. Straight razors though, well that got out of hand a little bit for a while, I do own... well let's just say more than one.

Anyway, as I said before, in my opinion, life's too short to be "extreme minimalist" on something as inexpensive and widely available as shaving soap. We're spoiled today with availability and choices, but I'm OK with that.
The fact that I wouldn't use one only for years, of course, that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it for others.

Anyway, back to the topic - Tabac, at the risk of repeating myself - great soap.

I understood you were just having fun. For some reason people feel threatened by minimalists. I guess I shouldn't mention today was my 42nd shave on my Astra blade. I have 73 blades set aside for the 10-year restraint.

 

[GaryTha]

I was just having some fun with @GaryTha you guys (@bluesman 7 & @Chandu ).

In no way was I seriously judging his choices or genuinely trying to tempt him to stop using Williams only. From his responses to me I felt like he understood that.

I do get it though, I own one DE and one brush only (and one of each for traveling) and couldn't be happier.
While I'll try (and have tried) pretty much any soap and aftershave that seems interesting at the time, I never keep more than 5-10 different ones in my "rotation" at any given time. Those that don't crack top 10(ish) are given away fairly quickly. Straight razors though, well that got out of hand a little bit for a while, I do own... well let's just say more than one.

Anyway, as I said before, in my opinion, life's too short to be "extreme minimalist" on something as inexpensive and widely available as shaving soap. We're spoiled today with availability and choices, but I'm OK with that.
The fact that I wouldn't use one only for years, of course, that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it for others.

Anyway, back to the topic - Tabac, at the risk of repeating myself - great soap.



And we have a loophole, good to hear.

I'd never use the loophole. It's just there to test how much I don't care about other soaps.

 

[steveclarkus]

I like Tabac very much but after a couple of years it began to irritate my face making it itch terribly so I suppose, sadly, it will be gifted away now.

 

[Uncas]

I just put my Tabac away for a long vacation, maybe for good. It doesn't do anything for me that vintage Williams doesn't, and Williams is just easier on my soul.

 

[SliceOfLife]

I like Tabac very much but after a couple of years it began to irritate my face making it itch terribly so I suppose, sadly, it will be gifted away now.

Have you got any Irische Moos? I'd be curious if it were something in the formula of the soap or a scent component.

 

[FireDragon76]

Have you got any Irische Moos? I'd be curious if it were something in the formula of the soap or a scent component.

It could be oakmoss, since Tabac has a fair amount of it and this particular ingredient is notorious for being a potential skin sensitizer. So much so that the fragrance industry is looking for synthetic alternatives that smell more or less the same, but without the side effect.

It's not uncommon for sensitivities to develop like that over a period of time. I've had it happen in the past. Shaved skin absorbs fragrances and chemicals more readily and has more inflammation. Using sensitive skin shaving products, and not being too aggressive in terms of the number of passes you make, can help reduce the odds of that happening.

 

[Boghopper]

4 Tabac threads on the first page....Tells it’s own story.

 

[Hannah's Dad]

4 Tabac threads on the first page....Tells it’s own story.

Wonder why these all don’t get moved to Clubs and Brotherhoods.

 

[steveclarkus]

Have you got any Irische Moos? I'd be curious if it were something in the formula of the soap or a scent component.

No I haven’t. I’m not really into soaps. As far as hard soaps go, I use MWF and Haslinger Schafmilch and Arko of course. I use Palmolive and Kapo creams a lot and as of late Barbasol. As of late, I’ve been evolving into the simplicity of shaving. Just straight razors and simple soaps. Shaving is a simple task and I like to keep it that way I suppose.

 

[Demaratus]

Wonder why these all don’t get moved to Clubs and Brotherhoods.

Yeah, probably should. I’m an offender


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[dmshaver]

Just used my Tabac for the first time in many months. It's a nice soap, but is, IMHO, not a top tier soap.

 

[mightyeskimo]

Tabac is amazing!

 

[Nubo]

I've never smelled Tabac. Now, I'm imagining potting soil. I'll be able to buy some in about eight years. The anticipation is killing me.

Don't go by your first impression. When I first opened it, my impression was "Urinal puck". One of the ingredients is Citronella and I think that was the culprit. Growing up, we'd frequently use Citronella candles outdoors to keep bugs away and I always found the smell off-putting. I had half a mind to toss it.

The good news is that this aspect of the soap dissipates. As I was missing the "applicator" for the stick, I grated it into a bowl. After a few shaves, the off-scent was gone and the remaining soap has a nice clean smell. I'm not sure if it was just a matter of airing out, reacting with water, or whatever but the scent is quite pleasant now. I've been using it regularly and it has replaced DR Harris as my customary shaving soap.