Tatara, known for their “golf ball” razors, recently expanded their product offerings with a shave soap: Honour. I got a puck to try.
My Experience With Tatara Honour Shave Soap
[Note: I received a puck of Honour shave soap from Tatara at no cost. However my opinions here are my own and have not been reviewed or approved by Tatara.]
Presentation
Tatara Honour shave soap comes in a 100 ml (about 3.5 oz), three inch diameter aluminum tin with the Tatara logo on the lid. That’s a bit smaller than most other shave soap jars (usually about four inches) so lathering directly from the tin might get a bit “sloppy” (depending on the brush you’re using of course). Unlike many other artisan-made soaps, Honour is smoothly poured into the tin (unlike some others that have an inconsistent-looking pour in the jar).
I get a scent different from Aquatic, Musk, Vetyver, Cedar, Amber mentioned by Tatara (see below). I get it closer to the description they have earlier as a “…blend of floral and woody notes….” To me it’s a light floral like Lilly Of The Valley (though I could see it as aquatic too) and herbal. Still pleasant enough to me, though. The scent is moderately strong off the puck but mild when lathered on my face.
This shave soap is vegan according to Tatara.
Performance
I lather Honour from the jar with a medium-sized synthetic shave brush (from APShaveCo) and, as mentioned earlier, it can get a bit “sloppy” with a little foam spillage on the sides of the jar. However I find lather-building quick, easy, and luxurious, even in my “hard” water. The consistency is in the midrange between yogurt and meringue.
Shave performance in all respects–lubrication/glide, cushion/protection/post-shave feel–is well above average.
Tatara Honour Shave Soap Background
From the Tatara website:
Experience the captivating blend of floral and woody notes with ‘Honour’ – a handcrafted vegan shaving soap formulated to create a rich and protective lather that nourishes and soothes even the most sensitive skin. Its sustainable and compact aluminum package makes it ideal for travel and storage. Embody the essence of Japan with unwavering Honour.
Scent Notes: Aquatic, Musk, Vetyver, Cedar, Amber
Ingredients: Aqua, Stearic Acid, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Glycerin, Garcinia, Indica Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Persea Gratissima Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Parfum, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Potassium Hydroxide, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Benzyl Salicylate, Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Sodium Lactate, Geraniol, Linalol, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil.
Summing Up
Tatara Honour shave soap is somewhat expensive: about US $27 (€25) for about 3.5 oz, even comparing “apples to apples” with some other premium, artisan-made vegan shave soaps (though by no means at the top of the scale). However performance does meet a high standard and I think you can be sure of getting a great shave with it.
The Tatara website says this says “Embody the essence of Japan with unwavering Honour”
Wait what? A company based out of Portugal selling a shaving soap that embodies the essence of Japan with pride and honesty?
What am I missing here?