SOAP REVIEW: Tabac Original Shaving Soap
COST PER OUNCE: Average prices out there are around $18.00 for a 4.4 oz. puck & $23.00 for the 4.4 oz. puck in the "milk jar" glass Tabac container.
INGREDIENTS: Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Potassium Cocoate, Aqua, Sodium Tallowate, Parfum, Sodium Cocoate, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Cl 77891, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Citronellol, Coumarin, Alpha-Somethyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Isoeugenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citral, Eugenol
ABOUT: one website says this German made soap was introduced in 1959 by Maurer & Wirtz, and is a tallow-based shaving soap revered by wet shavers for its rich and creamy lather. They describe the fragrance as a blend of Bergamot, Neroli and Lavender with a touch of Tobacco, Oakmoss and Vanilla. Another says, "Tabac Original is a harmonious triad of spicy, peppery accents, exotic precious woods and aldehyde-based notes rounded off by a flowery complex."
That's all fine and dandy, but seeing as I'm not planning on drinking it, nor should you, I'll give you my description; It smells floral. For me, it's kind of a mix of rose oil and that perfume used by the old neighbor lady when you were a kid. With that being said, I keep going back to it because it's such a great performer and not for the triad of spicy, peppery accents, or to take me back to my childhood.
PROS:
Cushion and post-shave softness make this soap a real winner. I bought mine with the original "milk jar" container several years ago, and it remains one of my top three favorite today. When I first bought it, I was so offended by the floral scent, I tried to send it back, but since I had already used it once, the seller sent me packing, with my original purchase in hand. Thanks goodness for that, because now I was forced to stay with it for a bit. What I finally came to realize was that this stuff was a really good soap! The floral notes don't hang around long once I'm finished shaving, but the softness of my now baby smooth face hangs on for hours after the shave.
On puck hardness, Tabac is one of the hardest I have, yet remains relatively easy to load and lather. I surmise that's also why several years later, I'm only down to about half of the original container size. The lather produced by Tabac is what also makes it so darn amazing. The density of the lather is one of best I get of any of my soaps, and it comes without a lot of effort. The cushioning protection makes it a pleasure to shave, with no chance of irritation from whichever blade or razor I'm using.
CONS:
That darn floral scent. Some guys on various forums report having no issue with the floral notes, and rather adore the scent. As you can gather, I'm not one of those guys.
Price here is also a minor con, but I think one could justify the cost because of how long this soap lasts. I'm on year two with my purchase, with no end in sight. You can also go without the glass container if you're price conscious.
EASE OF LATHERING: 8/10
I give it an eight since once again, you're dealing with a very hard soap. With a bit of a wetter brush, I don't find it to be any kind of a challenge, but others might depending on the brush they are using. As I stated earlier, the lather density is extremely thick, rivaling a cool whip consistency.
SLICKNESS: 10/10
Wholly guacamole, this is top shelf in the slickness category! That is one of the main reasons I continue to keep this in the line-up.
SCENT: 5/10
According to Tabac, the scent of the original is, "A sophisticated composition fragranced with peppery-spicy notes and elegantly rounded off by exotic woods, musk, ambergris and a floral complex. An unmistakable fragrance with a discreet presence." I'll agree on the floral complex, but you know where I stand on that other stuff.
CUSHION: 10/10
For me, the shining star of Tabac is the cushion provided by that amazing lather. I'm not sure if it's the tallow-based ingredients, or some other additive made by those crafty Germans. All I know is they hit the mark on cushion, similar to that darn BMW they produce.
POST-SHAVE: 9/10
I have never bought the matching aftershave, and by now, I think you know why. Even without a nice splash follow-up, the post-shave feel is remarkable. I would describe it as powdery soft, without any feeling of dryness.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Even though I give Tabac a hard time regarding the floral notes of its soap, it truly is one that I think most shavers should have in their den. There's a reason it's called The Original, and why it's been around since 1959. You don't accomplish such a run of success without making a good product. Tabac is certainly one that has stood the test of time, and one I'll always have around.
COST PER OUNCE: Average prices out there are around $18.00 for a 4.4 oz. puck & $23.00 for the 4.4 oz. puck in the "milk jar" glass Tabac container.
INGREDIENTS: Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Potassium Cocoate, Aqua, Sodium Tallowate, Parfum, Sodium Cocoate, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Cl 77891, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Citronellol, Coumarin, Alpha-Somethyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Isoeugenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citral, Eugenol
ABOUT: one website says this German made soap was introduced in 1959 by Maurer & Wirtz, and is a tallow-based shaving soap revered by wet shavers for its rich and creamy lather. They describe the fragrance as a blend of Bergamot, Neroli and Lavender with a touch of Tobacco, Oakmoss and Vanilla. Another says, "Tabac Original is a harmonious triad of spicy, peppery accents, exotic precious woods and aldehyde-based notes rounded off by a flowery complex."
That's all fine and dandy, but seeing as I'm not planning on drinking it, nor should you, I'll give you my description; It smells floral. For me, it's kind of a mix of rose oil and that perfume used by the old neighbor lady when you were a kid. With that being said, I keep going back to it because it's such a great performer and not for the triad of spicy, peppery accents, or to take me back to my childhood.
PROS:
Cushion and post-shave softness make this soap a real winner. I bought mine with the original "milk jar" container several years ago, and it remains one of my top three favorite today. When I first bought it, I was so offended by the floral scent, I tried to send it back, but since I had already used it once, the seller sent me packing, with my original purchase in hand. Thanks goodness for that, because now I was forced to stay with it for a bit. What I finally came to realize was that this stuff was a really good soap! The floral notes don't hang around long once I'm finished shaving, but the softness of my now baby smooth face hangs on for hours after the shave.
On puck hardness, Tabac is one of the hardest I have, yet remains relatively easy to load and lather. I surmise that's also why several years later, I'm only down to about half of the original container size. The lather produced by Tabac is what also makes it so darn amazing. The density of the lather is one of best I get of any of my soaps, and it comes without a lot of effort. The cushioning protection makes it a pleasure to shave, with no chance of irritation from whichever blade or razor I'm using.
CONS:
That darn floral scent. Some guys on various forums report having no issue with the floral notes, and rather adore the scent. As you can gather, I'm not one of those guys.
Price here is also a minor con, but I think one could justify the cost because of how long this soap lasts. I'm on year two with my purchase, with no end in sight. You can also go without the glass container if you're price conscious.
EASE OF LATHERING: 8/10
I give it an eight since once again, you're dealing with a very hard soap. With a bit of a wetter brush, I don't find it to be any kind of a challenge, but others might depending on the brush they are using. As I stated earlier, the lather density is extremely thick, rivaling a cool whip consistency.
SLICKNESS: 10/10
Wholly guacamole, this is top shelf in the slickness category! That is one of the main reasons I continue to keep this in the line-up.
SCENT: 5/10
According to Tabac, the scent of the original is, "A sophisticated composition fragranced with peppery-spicy notes and elegantly rounded off by exotic woods, musk, ambergris and a floral complex. An unmistakable fragrance with a discreet presence." I'll agree on the floral complex, but you know where I stand on that other stuff.
CUSHION: 10/10
For me, the shining star of Tabac is the cushion provided by that amazing lather. I'm not sure if it's the tallow-based ingredients, or some other additive made by those crafty Germans. All I know is they hit the mark on cushion, similar to that darn BMW they produce.
POST-SHAVE: 9/10
I have never bought the matching aftershave, and by now, I think you know why. Even without a nice splash follow-up, the post-shave feel is remarkable. I would describe it as powdery soft, without any feeling of dryness.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Even though I give Tabac a hard time regarding the floral notes of its soap, it truly is one that I think most shavers should have in their den. There's a reason it's called The Original, and why it's been around since 1959. You don't accomplish such a run of success without making a good product. Tabac is certainly one that has stood the test of time, and one I'll always have around.
