Thread: Stopped by my local Art of Shaving store for the first time

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

$18 for an alum block! Give me a break. Here, get this one. Its the same damn thing at a much better price.

Amazon.com: Gentleman Jon 3.5 Ounce Alum Block in Plastic Case: Health & Personal Care

Ordered! Thanks.

Not seeing this thread first... I too stopped by my local AOS out of curiosity.... WOW ! The prices.... Yes you get what you pay for... But then sometimes the markup is just too ridicules.... I was in and out in minutes... Don't think I will be back until I win the lotto... The products do seem to be of good quality... But not my budget....

Stopped by my local AoS today also. It is pricey and I expected to see more. They had one SR, one Dovo shavette and 5 Safety Razors, the rest were all Fusions and Mach 3's. My wife did buy me a Sandalwood starter kit to try out. I asked the guy there about the quality of the brush that came with it and he told me to throw it was just a sample and that I should throw it away when I was done with all the products in the kit. My wife thought that was kinda weird. I do like the shaving cream as it takes very little to get a lot of lather. I prefer the scent of my home made after shave lotion over theirs though.

Originally Posted by dash8guru

I also have yet to master whipping up a good lather. I am slowly finding my mixture is usually to dry. I have found that omega eucalyptus cream is pretty much a no brainer. About five whips of the brush and you have enough lather to do about five shaves. You may give it a try. Omega eucalyptus is a similar proraso eucalyptus just a bit milder.

Try making lather on the puck, lots of water...you should get lots of suds. Then transfer it to a bowl to fine tune it...squeeze everything out of your brush into the bowl, if it sticks to your hand and doesn't slide off into your bowl, wet the tips of your brush in some warm water, then mix it into the lather you've got. Repeat until it's just right. If it's too soupy, you'll need to load some more. This is how I learned how to properly load a brush with soap.

In regards to AOS, I have a tub of lavender that my mother grabbed for me when she went over the river, and I like it. It's a rather large tub and I'm sure it will last me many years. Expensive yes, but I wanted to try one of their creams.

Because I've never actually been to one of their stores, I've never experienced any pseudo-experts trying to tell me what's what about wet shaving, although I'd probably mess with them and say something like "so I should just toss my Harris and mitchells wool fat out? but what about my tabac, is that okay to keep?"

Originally Posted by JaimeCobos

Stopped by my local AoS today also. It is pricey and I expected to see more. They had one SR, one Dovo shavette and 5 Safety Razors, the rest were all Fusions and Mach 3's. My wife did buy me a Sandalwood starter kit to try out. I asked the guy there about the quality of the brush that came with it and he told me to throw it was just a sample and that I should throw it away when I was done with all the products in the kit. My wife thought that was kinda weird. I do like the shaving cream as it takes very little to get a lot of lather. I prefer the scent of my home made after shave lotion over theirs though.

Unless the brush actually falls apart, in which case I'd take it back and demand a refund or replacement, please don't throw out your brush. The individual who told you that did not know what he was talking about. If you ask me, they shouldn't even sell anything to do with cart razors...I liken it to an oncologist selling cigarettes, but that's just my opinion.

Originally Posted by kwlfca

Unless the brush actually falls apart, in which case I'd take it back and demand a refund or replacement, please don't throw out your brush. The individual who told you that did not know what he was talking about. If you ask me, they shouldn't even sell anything to do with cart razors...I liken it to an oncologist selling cigarettes, but that's just my opinion.

He also mentioned the $20 off coupon for a Full Size Kit that came with a "better" brush after he said I should throw this one away.

Originally Posted by JaimeCobos

He also mentioned the $20 off coupon for a Full Size Kit that came with a "better" brush after he said I should throw this one away.

He's just trying to make a sale.

Originally Posted by kwlfca

Try making lather on the puck, lots of water...you should get lots of suds. Then transfer it to a bowl to fine tune it...squeeze everything out of your brush into the bowl, if it sticks to your hand and doesn't slide off into your bowl, wet the tips of your brush in some warm water, then mix it into the lather you've got. Repeat until it's just right. If it's too soupy, you'll need to load some more. This is how I learned how to properly load a brush with soap

Thanks for the tip.

I guess I am just starting to get more frugle when it come to products.
Reading about Arko shave soaps, at $2 a stick it seems to be one of the most popular in regards to performance for the buck.

Originally Posted by dash8guru

Thanks for the tip.

I guess I am just starting to get more frugle when it come to products.
Reading about Arko shave soaps, at $2 a stick it seems to be one of the most popular in regards to performance for the buck.

Oh yeah it's good stuff. Soft too. I sliced mine up and pressed it into one of my soap dishes, loads super easy.

There's an AoS store here. The guys know nothing about shaving with a straight. I have their lavender cream and aftershave balm. It does lather well, but tends to burn my face.

The last time I was there, there was a decent selection of straights (Dovos and TIs) and DEs. I wanted another dozen barber towels. Theirs were $10 each! No way, not when I can get them online for $12 to $15 a dozen. But, if I wanted a TI razor, I'd go there in an instant. That's the only place around here that sells straights, and with TI's hit or miss quality, I'd only buy if I could see it first.