August 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Thank you Joe.

 

Thank you Jeff. It is a cool looking razor.

 

Glad you enjoyed yourselves, that’s what counts! My kid sister (age 66) lives in Manorville.

 

Great shave, Joe!

Thanks!

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The review of Tabac below from the current Sharpologist confirms my earlier assertion that generated such a brouhaha, namely that Tabac fans like smelling like the male equivalent of “little old ladies!” See below:


“I first came across Tabac while up at the Maggard’s Meetup in 2019, and having made the three-hour expedition to their wonderful store I examined this soap between discussing odds and ends with vendors on the upper floor, briefly introducing myself to Mantic59 himself and his good lady wife, dodging other customers, grabbing many wonderful soaps, winning a door prize, and occasionally playing with Jinx the shop cat before final check out.

I’d heard of this Tabac Original concoction before and seen it mentioned occasionally in various wet shaving circles. I gathered the demonstration jar on the shelf, took a sniff and put it back. I had mixed feelings about the fragrance then and moved on to other things.

Fast-forward to today, I recently purchased a Tabac shave stick and I recall why I felt such reservations. To state that the scent is unique is an understatement, yet the strength of the scent itself is quite an overstatement. From the www.tabac-original.com we see the perfume is comprised of the following notes:

• Top Notes of: Neroli, Lemon, Black Pepper, Bergamot, & Petit grain.
• Middle Notes are: Lavender, Camomile, Geranium, Oakwood absolute.
• Base notes consist of: Carnation, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Musk, Ambergris.

I admit my nose lacks the ability to detect the subtleties and intricacies of complex fragrances. Regardless, I detect a fresh scent, almost like a dryer sheet, with plenty of flowers beneath and hints of aquatics and traces of leather, light woodiness plus a miniscule amount of the namesake tobacco and light vanilla in the background. It has an odd, musty undertone to it that is ironically sweet and not entirely disagreeable.

The fragrance is strong and slams you in the face as soon as you pull off the cap. It’s strong enough that you might consider using something else instead of the Tabac.

Tabac Original was originally introduced in 1959 by Mäurer & Wirtz [est. 1845] of Stolberg, Germany, and I can’t help but feel this particular cologne has slightly dated quality to it. It smacks of the male equivalent of what I might call “old lady perfume”, if you understand what I mean.

Just as there are changes / seasons in fashion, similarly fragrances have their own life cycles in and out of style, although these rhythms are less pronounced and less noticeable than that of clothing, neckties or shoes. Tabac is not a modern scent, which currently trend towards a fresh foundation, such as Polo, Tommy Boy or Cool Water to name a few. It is nonetheless a classic aroma which endeavors not to come across as overly passé, and it gets better-than-average reviews on various fragrance webpages.”

 

Nice to know, and I now need to figure out which of my "winter" shave soaps to compare it with. More "challenging fun".

 

From the "ingredients, I'd say it could work for a "little old lady" OR a "little old man".

 

Or for that fellow in Aisle 13 of the Piggly-Wiggly.

 

Thank you Joseph


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Fantastic set up and shave, Clint. Best wishes to Maya this semester. Sounds like the move is proceeding in an organized and efficient manner. You're wise to stay home.

 

I just got my tracking number from Blackland. Tradere on the way!

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Wonderful shave and photo Jeff. Good luck with the honing lessons.


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Thank you Joe.


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Thanks Blair!

 

Thanks, Clint! I supposedly submitted my order before Jim! Where’s my shipping notification! Feel better!

 

August 13, 2020

Wolfman WR2-OC with WRH7 SS
Wizamet SI
DK Prototype Two Band Finest
Stirling Soap Co. Lemony Orange
Stirling Orange Chill Aftershave
Terre D'Hermes

​

 

I read this review some time back, Jeff. To be sure, fragrance preferences are a very personal thing. I will occasionally look at fragrance reviews on Fragrantica. What smells wonderful to someone is a real stinker to someone else. Case in point, the reviewer above highlights "Cool Water," and I'd give that one a "meh" rating.

If you want to get some chuckles, go and read the diversity of reviews you'll find on Aramis. I use Aramis because it reminds me of Kathy's dad and uncle.

I've tried maybe 3 dozen different soaps and creams, and Tabac provides me with with an almost foolproof excellent lather every time. I'm OK with the scent. I know this is weird, but it actually reminds me of Bar Harbor, Maine because I used it on a trip there when I first began DE shaving. To be honest, I can't pick up the scent after the shave is complete.

I had to work a little harder to get a good lather from MWF, but I'm sure I'd do better with it now. It didn't have much of a scent, so I could see how this soap would appeal to folks that may be more scent sensitive. I follow all my shaves with unrefined shea butter, so 'skin feel' after using any shave soap or cream is a non-issue for me.

I do lean more toward soaps and creams that have been around for a long time. It adds to the overall "traditional" shaving experience for me. I don't follow all the" latest and greatest" artisan soaps. I wouldn't drink donkey milk, so I probably ain't gonna slather it on my face. As for the artisans, I'll stick with Mike's because his soap performs great, I like his simple packaging, and he's a very nice guy that has taken the time to help me. Same with Stirling. I think Rod is a classy guy that makes some good soaps.

A really cool thing about this hobby is that there is so much variety. It is fun to explore at times, and I do enjoy seeing all the different hardware and software everyone uses.

Enjoy your shaves, Jeff, and keep the limericks coming!

 

Congrats Jim!

 

great review ..

 

I’m with you there, Charlie! I’m pretty much a MWF guy with occasional uses of Nancy Boy as well. I do have about six soaps in addition, but prefer Unscented soaps. Tabac is a soap I own, but every time I use it the smell is just too much. My focus is more on razors. I have about 10 brushes, and 8 soaps total, but do keep PIF’ing brushes and soaps to many entering the hobby. I’m a simple guy with software. My weakness is shaving tools. I’m already starting to slide down the straight razor rabbit hole. I’ve PIF’d and/or sold close to thirty razors in the past 4 months. We’ll see what happens with straights. I'm definitely not bored

I’m truly grateful for God’s Grace, particularly with respect to Kathy’s continuing recovery! I continue to pray for her every day. For he is “a very present help”. God bless both you and Kathy! I'm sure your return home will be joyful!