The Anticipation
I had been quite eager, since yesterday evening, to try out my full lineup of Tabac products. After all, I enjoy the soap quite a bit, so I figured I'd take the plunge and go for the Full Monty: bath gel, shaving cream, aftershave splash and aftershave balm, as well as a full-sized tub of the soap. If the soap was already a keeper, then the rest must be, too, I figured. Today also marked the day I received two more of the razors that are the fruits of my somewhat insane Ebay adventures over the past few weeks. Two Wade & Butcher razors showed up today, one an Invincible and the other, just the blade, a Bow Razor. The Bow, unfortunately, is a frowner that will require some work to get back to a shaving edge. But that's for another day. I also had a bottle of the Proraso Sensitive (white) Aftershave Balm arrive today, so that completes two sets of Proraso, green and white.
Here are some shots of the goods from today's haul:
Attachment 81947
Attachment 81948
Unfortunately for me, the Tabac line has a scent which just isn't, beyond the soap, my cup of tea. Also, SWMBO curled her lip and turned her nose up at it, so it struck out twice. I think I will have to look into moving it on to another worthy member of our community who enjoys Tabac, because it is not for me.
Regardless, I gave it a good try and used the full lineup today. On top of that, I was concerned about my Le Canadien, thinking that I had done something to the edge. Maxi, being the classy individual that he is, immediately PMd me upon reading my plight to check into the status of the edge he put on my razor. We exchanged a few emails and then he gave me some of the best advice a noob can get: "Try decreasing your wtg angle a bit."
The Prep
The scuttle filled with hot water, the brush dunked, I hopped in the shower to try the Tabac body wash. It definitely has a distinct scent, but it's very strong. The soap has a nice smell, though I did find it a bit cloying, it is not overpowering in its scent. The rest of the line takes that fragrance and hits you with it. Right between the eyes. I decided to roll with it and lathered up the body wash, went through my shower, then hopped out to go through my lathering routine. My Le Canadien had seen the strop earlier, so I had no need to strop it again.
The Lather
I made a SuperTabac lather today, which did its job admirably. It took me a while to get it going, requiring I add quite a bit of water, but I ended up with a creamy, Tabac-smelling lather that carried out its anointed task with aplomb. One thing I will say about this line of products is, you can make no mistake about what you're using. When you use Tabac, you know it's Tabac. The lather it produced, between cream and soap, was probably enough for five passes and it was very enjoyable.
The Shave
Before I get into the shave, I want to give a piece of advice to the noobs of our community. When you see someone with
http://straightrazorpalace.com/images/ranks/mentor.jpg under their name, listen to this person, as they know what they're talking about. Another tip is, you don't know. You think you know, but you don't. I thought, after 20 straight razor shaves, that I was starting to get my technique down, but the TI was feeling like it was scraping my face instead of gliding. Maxi provided me with a few simple words of wisdom that made tonight's shave about a hundred times better than yesterday's, not to mention redeeming the edge on my Le Canadien and showing me that I am still a noob with much to learn. Those words? "Try decreasing your wtg angle a bit". I did that, concentrating hard on decreasing my angle and pressure through all my passes. The result? A great shave. Very comfortable, even through double touch-ups and zero, that's right zero, razor burn. Beat that!
I went with the Le Canadien again precisely because I wanted to master it, which is also why I decided to give the Frank Shaving Richmond another day in the spotlight. It still needs to be broken in and it still has a bit of the badger funk about it, so more use can only improve it. Considering I have at least two more brushes inbound, I need to give each one its proper due.
The Movember Report
I did a better job of shaving around the 'stache area today, but the mo is still sort of lopsided from yesterday's hack job. Thankfully, that will even out in a week or so as it starts to grow in, also making it easier to navigate. The sharp point of the Le Canadien does help with Mo navigation.
The Post
Here's where Tabac went from "I'm not sure" to "not gonna work" for me. As always, it's good to interject with one of the wet shaving community's great acronyms, YMMV (your mileage may vary). I know there are shavers out there who will love this stuff and it will be right for them. I don't hate the scent, I just think it's not for me. I did my regular alum routine, followed by the Tabac splash, which pleasantly surprised me with its moisturizing properties. I find it moisturizes more than the Proraso Dopobarba splash, so that is a point in its favour. Then I cleaned up the scuttle and brush, the sink area and stowed my gear on the den shelf. After that came 25/50 on web and bridle leather, then the steel was laid to rest, as well. I applied the Tabac ASB, which is quite strong in its scent and also moisturizes nicely. I can't complain about the quality of these products, which is excellent, only that the scent isn't for me.
The Verdict
Live and learn. Two great lessons for me this evening. First, always check your technique before questioning the work of a honemeister and second, just because you like the soap, doesn't mean you'll like the full lineup. Even the soap isn't my favourite, as I prefer MWF and DR Harris Arlington, while the scent of the T&H soap is also very nice. I will think twice before committing to a full line of products without a test run, though of course samples are few and far between. The shave was great, with no razor burn and very few missed spots. The extra care I took to use less of an angle and an especially light touch paid off with one of my best shaves yet. The wealth of experience around this community is a real treasure and I'm glad I am here.
Hey, noobs! Listen to the vets, they've been down The Straight Road before.