I went back and forth , "should I or shouldn't I make a Tabac thread ?". I decided I should for the same reason I'm sure everyone else makes a similar thread and that's because it's such an experience that you feel the need to share!
Sepetember is the month I was born and being a wet shaver since 2011 I did what any wet shaver SHOULD do for their birthday and that is buy themselves their own birthday present of shave goodies
so that's what i did, i bought some stuff from Stirling soap co. since I'm a big SS fan.....and then on the actual day of my birthday i get a gift card to Amazon from my brother for 25 dollars which just happens to be almost exactly what Tabac costs and I've been eyeballing Tabac for about a year and a half. I "pull the trigger" on Tabac on Wednesday, not quite sure what to expect. I held off for so long because the scent descriptions of course, overall the descriptions leaned toward old time barbershop and in the past my prefrences have been lighter/clean/soapysubtle scents with a general dislike of powdery "barbershop" scents (Clubman AS was the second product i ever bought when I started wet shaving and I've detested it ever since 
) well over the past few months I have begun to enjoy the barbershopy scent after trying to use up a long dormant tube of Erasmic and also some LEA, both of which I've had for a few years. Anyway Tabac always seemed like something i thought I would hate but being free with the gift card I decided to go for it along with my shifting scent "taste". now like everyone else always says "what took me so long"...
So anyway here goes my review/first experience with the great Tabac.......
Upon receiving my amazon order I smelled the carboard box which it was shipped in before even opening the box. i could smell a faint podery scent. upon opening the outerbox I then smell the Tabac box and I immediatly am transported back to the early to mid 1970's when i was 4 or 5 years old. This is what I remember my mom smelling like when her and my dad went to parties and me and my brother were left with the babysitter. I thought "feminine powdery scent", that was my initial reaction BUT I liked it because if brough up old /good memories. I then proceeded to take it out of the Tabac box and opened the lid while the wrapper was still in place, this time i got a slightly differnt scent. It was now a bit muskier and really complex smelling. I put the lid back on and left the foil wrapping on with plans to shave the next morning with it. To my surprise I found myself grabbing the jar every 20 minutes or so the rest of the evening and taking whiffs, each time growing more and more fond of it, so much so that with all those Stirling soaps (bath and shave) that I recently got I couldn't even recall their scents. Tabac was like a drug, I HAD to have more of it.
This morning was my first shave as I eagerly removed the foil wrapper to my surprise there was yet another change in scent! this time it was a masculine scent, powder like still with that "mom from the 70's) scent but not in the forefront, It was old time barbershop but also with hints of a good cigar scent only a very subtle cigar scent, maybe some leather/suede and woodsy spice.I am in LOVE
Of course the glide and protection was all it was written to be. I have never had a smoother more confident, comfortable shave. I have artisan soaps and classics. Tabac is the benchmark, the measuring stick. BTW I read how many people suggest leaving the lid off , or soaking it for a bit in hot water, etc, etc. i just took off the foil and wet the brush and had at it, no problems and it was love at first application !
I don't ever want to be without Tabac now. I will buy some AS as soon as I can. In the meantime I followed up (after savoring the Tabac for 1/2 an hour) with Beyshave bay rum because i read By Rum pairs well with it and it does.
So tabac does live up to it's legendary reputation, it's hype, whatever you want to call it. I love the fact that it is so polarizing, it just adds to the aethetics of it, along with that packaging, the bowl (German minimalism) it's just a trully great great product, one of those rare products. Zen like, yin/yang. "it is what it is". Probably to me the most interesting thing about it is the vast range of scent descriptions everything from 'dead grannys" to ashtrays, to old time barbershop, to soapy scent, etc etc. Basically differnt things to different people! It is not one dimensional.
My favorit though is this....http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/454494-Tabac-Why-So-Good?p=7351460#post7351460
"Tabac smells like the zombified corpse of Granmda Ethel after she keeled over from too many Pall Malls at the nickel slots in a Reno truck stop.
It's an acquired taste."
Sepetember is the month I was born and being a wet shaver since 2011 I did what any wet shaver SHOULD do for their birthday and that is buy themselves their own birthday present of shave goodies
so that's what i did, i bought some stuff from Stirling soap co. since I'm a big SS fan.....and then on the actual day of my birthday i get a gift card to Amazon from my brother for 25 dollars which just happens to be almost exactly what Tabac costs and I've been eyeballing Tabac for about a year and a half. I "pull the trigger" on Tabac on Wednesday, not quite sure what to expect. I held off for so long because the scent descriptions of course, overall the descriptions leaned toward old time barbershop and in the past my prefrences have been lighter/clean/soapysubtle scents with a general dislike of powdery "barbershop" scents (Clubman AS was the second product i ever bought when I started wet shaving and I've detested it ever since ) well over the past few months I have begun to enjoy the barbershopy scent after trying to use up a long dormant tube of Erasmic and also some LEA, both of which I've had for a few years. Anyway Tabac always seemed like something i thought I would hate but being free with the gift card I decided to go for it along with my shifting scent "taste". now like everyone else always says "what took me so long"...So anyway here goes my review/first experience with the great Tabac.......
Upon receiving my amazon order I smelled the carboard box which it was shipped in before even opening the box. i could smell a faint podery scent. upon opening the outerbox I then smell the Tabac box and I immediatly am transported back to the early to mid 1970's when i was 4 or 5 years old. This is what I remember my mom smelling like when her and my dad went to parties and me and my brother were left with the babysitter. I thought "feminine powdery scent", that was my initial reaction BUT I liked it because if brough up old /good memories. I then proceeded to take it out of the Tabac box and opened the lid while the wrapper was still in place, this time i got a slightly differnt scent. It was now a bit muskier and really complex smelling. I put the lid back on and left the foil wrapping on with plans to shave the next morning with it. To my surprise I found myself grabbing the jar every 20 minutes or so the rest of the evening and taking whiffs, each time growing more and more fond of it, so much so that with all those Stirling soaps (bath and shave) that I recently got I couldn't even recall their scents. Tabac was like a drug, I HAD to have more of it.
This morning was my first shave as I eagerly removed the foil wrapper to my surprise there was yet another change in scent! this time it was a masculine scent, powder like still with that "mom from the 70's) scent but not in the forefront, It was old time barbershop but also with hints of a good cigar scent only a very subtle cigar scent, maybe some leather/suede and woodsy spice.I am in LOVE
Of course the glide and protection was all it was written to be. I have never had a smoother more confident, comfortable shave. I have artisan soaps and classics. Tabac is the benchmark, the measuring stick. BTW I read how many people suggest leaving the lid off , or soaking it for a bit in hot water, etc, etc. i just took off the foil and wet the brush and had at it, no problems and it was love at first application !I don't ever want to be without Tabac now. I will buy some AS as soon as I can. In the meantime I followed up (after savoring the Tabac for 1/2 an hour) with Beyshave bay rum because i read By Rum pairs well with it and it does.
So tabac does live up to it's legendary reputation, it's hype, whatever you want to call it. I love the fact that it is so polarizing, it just adds to the aethetics of it, along with that packaging, the bowl (German minimalism) it's just a trully great great product, one of those rare products. Zen like, yin/yang. "it is what it is". Probably to me the most interesting thing about it is the vast range of scent descriptions everything from 'dead grannys" to ashtrays, to old time barbershop, to soapy scent, etc etc. Basically differnt things to different people! It is not one dimensional.
My favorit though is this....http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/454494-Tabac-Why-So-Good?p=7351460#post7351460
"Tabac smells like the zombified corpse of Granmda Ethel after she keeled over from too many Pall Malls at the nickel slots in a Reno truck stop.
It's an acquired taste."
