Thread: Dubai Straight Razor Shave

Hello All,
Those that know me know I have been stuck in Afghanistan for the last little bit but I am getting ready to leave later today. On the way out I get a short lay-over in Dubai. Recently I found out that they have several shops that do a real old fashioned straight razor shave. I am going to try it out later today and will post with the results. I am also going to try and pump these guys for info on spots to possibly pick up some razors while I am in town. I have heard that this part of the country isn't really great for knives of any sort but maybe they have something down in the Souk or at the market. Dubai has high end everything so I am sure I can find some new Thiers-Issard and Dovo at one of the shops but I am on a vintage kick lately so maybe I'll pick something up. If not I will let you know how the shave turned out.

Glad you are out of Afghanistan, try and have fun in Dubai. Load up your equipment and head for where ever you will de-mob.

I've been in Dubai for about 10 years ago. Such an interesting and very different kind of place.
I remember there were old time barbershops but i did not see much straight razors or knives of any kind for sale.
Probably you'll find easily at least some decent soaps, aftershaves and brushes.

Everything is cheap there and the shopping malls are huge, i mean really huge and luxurious. I guess there is no luxury staff in the world that you wouldn't find in Dubai, cheaply, genuine and no fakes.
Of course you need to know a trick or two if you want to find yourself a beer.

Howevers, things might have changed within 10 years.

There is no shortage of luxury products to buy in Dubai, but I would be very surprised if you found quality straights for sale there. I think there simply isn't enough demand.

So I got busy during the holidays visiting with family and haven't posted in awhile. Just to update, I did get a straight razor shave......sort of. I asked around and found a barber that would do a straight razor shave and confirmed that it would be with a straight razor with the guy through some pointing, hand-signals, and broken english. Turns out it was with a cheap shavette style razor. So I was slightly disappointed but it turned out to be a nice break anyway. Some hot foam shave cream and a close shave wasn't bad. I would have preferred to bring in one of my razors but no doing. I asked around, with the taxi drivers and concierge types, and no one seems to know of a good place for old blades or shaving stuff. Dubai, although growing rapidly, is still not hooked in to the internet world yet so google was out. They have the worlds largest malls but its all high end stuff. I was able to find a brand new J.A. Henkels in a cooking store but nothing vintage. I will be back in April so I will try again. I am also stopping for a few hours in Frankfurt so if anyone knows good directions or a name of a shop I can hit with a four hour layover let me know.

This shop apparently has a good selection of dovo razors and is located in Frankfurt.
Menue

20 minutes away from Frankfurt in Hanau there is this shop that also apparently gives a wet shaving seminar.
Franz Bader & Sohn - Krperpflege

Good luck!

you were able to find a henckels? WHERE!? im sorry i MUST know!
i too had been looking for a very long time and i assure you google would not have been able to help you out with a straight razor store here, there are none. but anyways, when i considered straight shaving i knew dubai wouldnt have any vintage straights so i aimed at dovo and thiers but still no luck..a few weeks back i was just strolling around dubai mall and just ended up at a crabtree and evelyn store (it mustve been destiny)
anyways do let me know where you found the henckels