I agree on all counts, especially the pre-shave. Both AOS and T&H are available locally for me but in pricing, AOS won out hands down, $22 vs. $55 (can you say "markup"?). I'm tempted to try the soap as it remains a tallow based and has gotten good reviews from the same folks who swear by Tabac, which I love as well. Regarding your thoughts on packaging, I would be that were they to put their product into a tube, the stuff would move even better than it does