First let me say, I LOVE Tabac!
It has been used for more than half of my shaves for the last few months. The performance of Tabac is what I compare all other soaps to. Most can't compete, a few have come close... but not one of the soaps I have tried beats the performance of Tabac.
Then a while back there was a lot of talk on here about the Fine Accoutrements soaps. They were touted as being essentially the same as Tabac, but with a different scent. Well color me intrigued!
After reading many posts about it, I was able to order a puck of Santal Absolut and a puck of Platinum... along with the matching aftershaves.
What follows will be my observations for the next several shaves. I am using the same brush and technique as I have always used with Tabac. I won't report on the scent of the Fine soap, other than to say it is fantastic.
For my first shave, I soaked the puck of Santal Absolut, and my brush while in the shower. (I will soak the puck until it takes on some water. Then I will treat it just like my well used puck of Tabac)
I squeezed most of the water out of the brush, then loaded for 15-20 seconds.
The lather for the first pass was nice, but not as good as Tabac. It was nice and slick, but lacked some of the cushion I am used to with Tabac. The second pass was much better. It was thicker and more "yogurty". (I have a feeling the lather will continue to improve for a few shaves like some other hard soaps do)
So, after the first shave, I can say that the Fine soap isn't performing exactly like Tabac... yet. I can also say that it performs better than many I have tried so far.
I will continue lathering with the same technique and the same brush. I will report back with the results.
no wonder their becoming very popular at the moment, also I've checked a number of reviews about an hour ago saying they lathers great in hard water.