Debate over razor brand at AoS

I had a chance to visit the new Art of Shaving store here in West Valley City Utah. Very nice store. I was surprised to see that in addition to the insanely overpriced Mach3/Fusion setups, they are also selling DE and straight razors! Still overpriced, but way cool. The straight razors are branded under the AoS brand name. So here comes the debate. I asked the sales guy who makes the straight razors for AoS. He said they are made by Solingen. Puzzled, and thinking maybe he thought I asked where they were made, I asked again WHO/what company made them. He again said that they are made by the company Solingen.


After I looked at the razors it appeared that they were basic intro level Dovo straight razors. After u said that he said they were made by Dovo for AoS.


Now, I could have sworn that Solingen is the place where they are made, and that there is no company called Solingen. Am I wrong, or does he just not know what he's talking about?

I'd have to vote for the latter.

He most likely saw Solingen on the razor and assumed that was the manufacturer, and then just followed what you said in order to get a sale.

I wonder if the tangs were just marked with the country of origin, if people would still think it's the name of the company?

"This razor was made by the Germany company..."

I've had a look on the AOS site and Dovo and TI both make AOS straights. So they were Dovo, but it sounds like the sales guy has no idea about the product he's selling.

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Originally Posted by GhostEdge

I've had a look on the AOS site and Dovo and TI both make AOS straights. So they were Dovo, but it sounds like the sales guy has no idea about the product he's selling.

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Say it isn't so... :dropjaw:

I was in Miami over the summer and saw some Dovos and TIs in an AOS shop. Often I have heard that shop assistants do not know what they are selling. The woman told me they were ready to shave with when I knew full well that they were not. The same is true of Taylor of Bond Street in Selfridges, London, however then I was new to the world of straights and purchased a Dovo in reliance on their expert advice. Painful shaves, but I prevailed. I have since then never gone back - to TOBS or disposables!

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Originally Posted by GhostEdge

I've had a look on the AOS site and Dovo and TI both make AOS straights. So they were Dovo, but it sounds like the sales guy has no idea about the product he's selling.

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I asked him what razor he used and he said "The Merkur". I asked him which one and said I use the HD (which was on display) and he couldn't tell me which Merkur he uses. Sad.
For such an elite shaving store, nay, the "ultimate" shaving store, I wish they employed people who actually use traditional equipment and know what they're talking about.

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Originally Posted by salazch

I asked him what razor he used and he said "The Merkur". I asked him which one and said I use the HD (which was on display) and he couldn't tell me which Merkur he uses. Sad.
For such an elite shaving store, nay, the "ultimate" shaving store, I wish they employed people who actually use traditional equipment and know what they're talking about.

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AOS doesn't want to push the traditional razors. They are owned by Proctor & Gamble, so they want to push the cartridge razors instead.

Solingen is a city in Germany...east of Dusseldorf...just to clarify :)

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Originally Posted by ryanjewell

Solingen is a city in Germany...east of Dusseldorf...just to clarify :)

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You should apply at AOS.

Gentlemen,

We are the shaving "cognoscenti". To expect the poor salespeople at AOS, working for minimum wages, to know more than the bare minimum about their products or the process is optimistic, at best. I agree, they should have more training and knowledge. I feel "caveat emptor" applies here.

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Originally Posted by HNSB

You should apply at AOS.

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That would work great until my sales numbers come in...

"Ryan, why are you only selling creams and ASB?"

'because I told them to start with a Whipped Dog starter kit first...and since you only sell Merkur DE blades I told them to get a sampler pack...and really not to bother with the Merkur blades because they are kind of crap...and'

Hardly salesman of the year material ;)

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Originally Posted by Theseus

AOS doesn't want to push the traditional razors. They are owned by Proctor & Gamble, so they want to push the cartridge razors instead.

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They sold their souls.

Reminds me of a story from my old electronics instructor,

Back in the early 90's he got pissed at Radio Shack because they would not hire his students. After much sole searching, he finally figured out why.

R.S. doesn't want their employees knowing anything, they might give helpful but slightly inexperienced advice on something they only kinda know( hello they are probably people working through college or dead beats who can't get a real job) just because they can build a transistor radio from the parts, some customer will always know more.

So radio shack policy was to ask if there applicants had any electronics experience, if they said yes,,,, NO hire

It will be the same thing with AOS, people into it will always know more. They want to hire newbs who care less and know how to talk the jive from the training videos only.

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Originally Posted by oldschooltools

Gentlemen,

We are the shaving "cognoscenti". To expect the poor salespeople at AOS, working for minimum wages, to know more than the bare minimum about their products or the process is optimistic, at best.

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The problem is that the staff at AOS stores whom I have encountered did not know the bare minimum about their products as a whole. They should know the manufacturer the same way that an assistant in a clothes store would know the brand, in addition to awareness that their straights are not ready to shave with and need to be honed by an expert. That is the bare minimum. Anything more such as information on ancillary products such as hones (which they do not sell) would not be expected.

In terms of customer care, it is essential to be able to advise what a straight is and that it needs to be honed and stopped, without necessarily going in to detail on the processes, rather to inform a customer that such processes are necessary.

Yes, the good old "are AOS razors shave ready?" debate. As we all know by now they are not. But the biggest point of contention in this debate is that the sales staff always proclaim that they are; whether or not this is out of pure ignorance, who knows. What it shouldn't be is surprising. If you think about it, it's a sales feature. Since AOS doesn't offer a honing service (TMK) there is no point in selling a razor to people that can't be used right away, otherwise they wouldn't make a sale. And since these are grooming products I'm pretty sure that they have a No Return policy for used razors, so they can say whatever they want to make a sale and don't have to worry about the consequence of returns & refunds. Why would they tell customers that a razor needs to be honed?

I'm not saying it's a good strategy, but it is a strategy. :td

I can't really blame the sales staff for the whole "shave ready" thing. Dovo and TI basically consider their razors shave ready from the factory. We know better, but can we truly expect them to take our word when the info from the companies that made them is to the contrary?

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Originally Posted by Scipio

I was in Miami over the summer and saw some Dovos and TIs in an AOS shop. Often I have heard that shop assistants do not know what they are selling. The woman told me they were ready to shave with when I knew full well that they were not. The same is true of Taylor of Bond Street in Selfridges, London, however then I was new to the world of straights and purchased a Dovo in reliance on their expert advice. Painful shaves, but I prevailed. I have since then never gone back - to TOBS or disposables!

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but the Taylor of Old Bond St.'s Eaton College smeelllllssssssss sssoooo gooooodddddddd!! lol

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Originally Posted by Theseus

I can't really blame the sales staff for the whole "shave ready" thing. Dovo and TI basically consider their razors shave ready from the factory. We know better, but can we truly expect them to take our word when the info from the companies that made them is to the contrary?

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They'd kow if they used them!!!

I have run into the same situation in a cigar shop in Charleston I had seen them in there before I started using them and went in when one day after I started and ask the Man if he still sold Straight Razors he said he did but did not have any in stock at the time so I ask what kind he sold and he said Solingen and I kind of just left it at that. If I remember right they looked alot like DOVO's I haven't been back. On the other hand the only other place I have seen the in this area was in Savannah In a Cigar store and the Man knew what he had at the Time he DOVO's and a Hen and Rooster thats the place I got my first DOVO and it's been RAD ever since.

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Originally Posted by salazch

I asked him what razor he used and he said "The Merkur". I asked him which one and said I use the HD (which was on display) and he couldn't tell me which Merkur he uses. Sad.
For such an elite shaving store, nay, the "ultimate" shaving store, I wish they employed people who actually use traditional equipment and know what they're talking about.

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Well, if you use a DE but you aren't always researching and shopping for more razors, you might not know all of the models. I don't think it's too bad that he didn't know the exact model.

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

Yes, the good old "are AOS razors shave ready?" debate. As we all know by now they are not. But the biggest point of contention in this debate is that the sales staff always proclaim that they are;

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Actually as a dealer for those brands they are required to say they are shave ready no matter what since according to the makers they are, and if they are honed it voids the warranty (Look on Straightrazordesigns website, they clearly state that even though lynn hones every razor they sell, this DOES void any warranty offered by Dovo or TI)

As for knowledge, it's been hit or miss for me, The one in Grand Central has a few people who know what they are talking about and a few who don't. I was in there last night and a guy bought a DE razor and the sales guy recommended he get a blade sampler pack from Ebay or Amazon to try... he then asked me where I get my razors honed since he apparently uses str8's too (I gave him this website and told him to look for Lynn or ggsixgun etc)

Then another day the lady there tried to tell me that you shouldn't mix soap and cream since they don't integrate well (Hello, superlather? Uberlather anyone??? ) hit or miss, but the customer service is still top notch if you have to call in for anything..

I bought a TI at aos in SF. Went to the hotel, stropped it on THE CASE IT CAME IN, and shaved with it. Shaved great. I had only been in to straights for 4 days, and had bought a crappy one from "the mall knife store" BIG MISTAKE.

I was back in there looking at soaps last night, trying to decide which one to get. The lady told me to never wet the puck, only the brush, and not to use soaps in the Utah climate and only use their creams. ':-p

I actually don't like their soaps, I played with them at the store and felt they didn't lather as well as some of the ones I have (Tabac, MWF, TOBS etc) SOME soaps don't need you to wet the puck, but it usually doesn't hurt IMHO....

but this sounds like someone who has no clue :)

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Originally Posted by salazch

I was back in there looking at soaps last night, trying to decide which one to get. The lady told me to never wet the puck, only the brush, and not to use soaps in the Utah climate and only use their creams. ':-p

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This forum really needs a facepalm smiley for moments like this :D