Thread: Shopping trip and info

I tend to avoid shopping like the plague,usually heading in and out based on needs,but my wife and daughter managed to tempt me out into Glasgow on the pretext of visiting "gentlemans" only shops which seem to have appeared literally overnight. First stop The Art of Shaving..picked up bits and pieces and enquired about Straight razors...they stock 2 brands but cannot keep up with supply and have a major problem....they sell but cannot and do not advise about honing and sharpening. Second stop..specialised mens grooming store..picked up proraso,again 5 brands of straight's but cannot keep up with demand,and again thinking of discontinuing due to no hone and sharpening expertise. After visiting another 3 stores the story is very similar,straight razors are in great demand but aversion to hone/sharpening. Is this typical in the States or is this in uk...just curious,and yes I did enjoy the outing...

ps Proraso is great

Originally Posted by Trinity

I tend to avoid shopping like the plague,usually heading in and out based on needs,but my wife and daughter managed to tempt me out into Glasgow on the pretext of visiting "gentlemans" only shops which seem to have appeared literally overnight. First stop The Art of Shaving..picked up bits and pieces and enquired about Straight razors...they stock 2 brands but cannot keep up with supply and have a major problem....they sell but cannot and do not advise about honing and sharpening. Second stop..specialised mens grooming store..picked up proraso,again 5 brands of straight's but cannot keep up with demand,and again thinking of discontinuing due to no hone and sharpening expertise. After visiting another 3 stores the story is very similar,straight razors are in great demand but aversion to hone/sharpening. Is this typical in the States or is this in uk...just curious,and yes I did enjoy the outing...

ps Proraso is great

I'd say not so much here, because the U.S. is definitely a buyer's market. With the internet, though, there's really no such thing as a hard-to-find shaving accessory.
Just out of curiosity, though...aren't traditional barbershops still going strong in the U.K., or is that a tourist-y misapprehension? If so, it seems they'd be a great source of good, practical info.
P.S. You are correct, sir!

The honing/sharpening thing is a big issue. I give credit to the stores for actually realizing these are NOT ready to go right out of the box. Many local and Internet knife/razor dealers would make you think otherwise. Likely their owners and staff have never used or even handled a straight razor.
Other than Classic Shaving and myself I don't think there is anyone else out there offering shave ready razors. I do believe offering them this way is critical to my sucess and surely Classic has realized this a long time ago.

Most guy just walking into one of this stores is never going to find a honemeister to get him on the right path or even to find the correct tools (hone or pasted paddle) as those store owners have no idea what is even needed.

Tony Miller

I bought my first razor from a cutlery place in a shopping mall (before I found the SRP) and the people running the place knew nothing about them, let alone about honing or shaving with one. They looked at me like I was nuts when I told them I was going to shave with it. They had 4 or 5 on display. As luck would have it they were German razors.

Tony

Most of the stores I visited have no problem selling straight's and at very high prices,but the staff I spoke to all confirm that they continually get enquiries about "sharpening services" even outwith the razors they sell,they will not offer any advice on hones/strops etc. To my mind it must put a lot of "potential" SR men off.....or they purchase not realising the pitfalls or the work required in order to maintain the straight. Again most of these shops cannot keep up with demand and are always running out of stock....only advantage would be a lot of ebay razors available. Have to admit if I had not been fortunate to find my way to this board,I would probably be sitting with razors bought new at high prices,but not able to maintain/hone etc...and asking questions on where to send to have sharpened.

Joe: Been reading all about proraso,and can only find one store in Scotland that stocks...tried tonight and cool and very refreshing,and in comparison to other soaps very cheap.

Joe

Finding that the UK is only now trying to satisfy the "men's" market if that the way to put it. Shops spring up all over the place solely concentrating on mens grooming etc. It is a fallacy that the old fashioned barber shops exist,in saying that there are a large number of Turkish and Middle East people arriving on these shores,and with this a lot of small traditional barber shops are starting up. I travel extensivly in the Middle East and had my finest shave in Damascus a month ago...lasted 2 hours,complete with coffee and bubble pipe. Again was in Iraq 2 weeks ago,and every barber shop there offers a straight shave with the works as standard...price less than a dollar...complete with coffee etc.

Originally Posted by Trinity

Joe

Finding that the UK is only now trying to satisfy the "men's" market if that the way to put it. Shops spring up all over the place solely concentrating on mens grooming etc. It is a fallacy that the old fashioned barber shops exist,in saying that there are a large number of Turkish and Middle East people arriving on these shores,and with this a lot of small traditional barber shops are starting up. I travel extensivly in the Middle East and had my finest shave in Damascus a month ago...lasted 2 hours,complete with coffee and bubble pipe. Again was in Iraq 2 weeks ago,and every barber shop there offers a straight shave with the works as standard...price less than a dollar...complete with coffee etc.

WOW! If it weren't for that pesky war, Iraq might be a nice place to visit. I almost went to Jordan when I was in the National Guard, but our trip got cancelled at the last minute.

Joe

Iraq is not the place to be at present,but the media overkill the situation,it has the highest university levels anywhere I have visited,the culture and people on the whole are very friendly,depending where you go,I was evacuated out last year,as I was there all during the "war",Jordan is great and very westernised...next trip takes me to Beiruit via Syria then into Jordan.

If you like strong coffee and traditional shaves which can last hours and can put up with the occassional gunfire its worth a visit.

I adore gunfire, just not when it's directed at my American butt. I have several friends over there, most of whom tell me it's not nearly as bad as it seems on TV most of the time. I actually tried to re-enlist in the Marine Corps (I used to be Army), but they told me I was too old.

Trinity,

It sounds like there is an excellent entrepreneurial opportunity to open a razor sales and honing service there. There would be plenty of business for sure.

Ed