Hello, fellow shavers! I hope this information hasn't already been posted elsewhere; I did a quick forum search that didn't turn up any similar results.
I'm an American that's been living in Korea for nearly 9 years now, and I've been wet shaving for about a year and a half, so I thought I'd go ahead and share the experiential knowledge I've gained about the wet-shaving scene here, for any would be travelers to Korea.
So, about the wet-shaving scene: It's tiny. I've never encountered a single- or double-edged razor in a brick and mortar store here, nor have I encountered any shaving soaps. Even the Dorco PL 602 and the Dorco Prime razor (sold on its own as the SG A2000 here) can only be purchased online, as far as I'm aware. I only have one Korean friend who shaves using single- or double-edged razors (though he is a thoroughly devoted acolyte - he follows all the YouTube luminaries of the scene). The only way I know of for sure to acquire razors, soaps, and non-Dorco blades is via Korean online vendors, such as:
interpark.com
gmarket.com
11st.co.kr
And foreign online vendors, such as:
amazon.com
And basically all the wet-shaving specialty vendors
One can find a wide variety of well-known shaving gear and products on the Korean sites - indeed, I bought my very first razor, a Merkur 34c, on Gmarket. It will almost certainly cost more than it would in the U.S., though - I believe I paid around the equivalent of $50 for my Merkur. And a 100 pack of Astra Superior Platinums seems to run around the equivalent of $28 right now on Interpark. On the plus side, shipping is as quick as you'd expect for a country that's roughly the size of Kentucky; I've received orders within two days of placing my order, and without having to pay the price that's usually associated with two-day shipping in the U.S. Amazon offers very good shipping rates to Korea for a lot of products, so with its usually-superior prices and larger selection compared to Korean sites, Amazon will often be the best option. Beware, though - any overseas order that's valued at more than about $150, including shipping, will result in a heavy customs fee.
Ordering online can be a hassle when you're in another country, though, and if you're only visiting for a short time, it may not make logistical sense to have an order shipped to you. If you're fresh off the plane, and you're in need of a brick and mortar shop that offers shaving products ASAP, well, you're in luck! That is, you're in luck if you only lack blades, and you enjoy Dorco's blade offerings (as I do). Dorco ST-300s and, surprisingly, DN-52 single-edged blades are widely available at large stationery stores, such as Alpha Stationery.
The only other part of my shaving kit that I've been able to acquire offline here in Korea is my L'Occitane Cade after-shave balm, which is available at L'Occitane kiosks in Lotte Department Stores, which are located in most mid-sized and large cities. Also, according to the Jack Black website, there may be some brick and mortar stores that carry their products in Korea. None of the listed locations are located in my provincial hamlet of 1 million or so down on the southern coast, though, so I can't personally confirm what they do or do not offer:
Store Locator
Well, that's pretty much everything I know about wet shaving in Korea. If anyone has any questions, feel free to message me. Happy shaving, y'all!
I'm an American that's been living in Korea for nearly 9 years now, and I've been wet shaving for about a year and a half, so I thought I'd go ahead and share the experiential knowledge I've gained about the wet-shaving scene here, for any would be travelers to Korea.
So, about the wet-shaving scene: It's tiny. I've never encountered a single- or double-edged razor in a brick and mortar store here, nor have I encountered any shaving soaps. Even the Dorco PL 602 and the Dorco Prime razor (sold on its own as the SG A2000 here) can only be purchased online, as far as I'm aware. I only have one Korean friend who shaves using single- or double-edged razors (though he is a thoroughly devoted acolyte - he follows all the YouTube luminaries of the scene). The only way I know of for sure to acquire razors, soaps, and non-Dorco blades is via Korean online vendors, such as:
interpark.com
gmarket.com
11st.co.kr
And foreign online vendors, such as:
amazon.com
And basically all the wet-shaving specialty vendors
One can find a wide variety of well-known shaving gear and products on the Korean sites - indeed, I bought my very first razor, a Merkur 34c, on Gmarket. It will almost certainly cost more than it would in the U.S., though - I believe I paid around the equivalent of $50 for my Merkur. And a 100 pack of Astra Superior Platinums seems to run around the equivalent of $28 right now on Interpark. On the plus side, shipping is as quick as you'd expect for a country that's roughly the size of Kentucky; I've received orders within two days of placing my order, and without having to pay the price that's usually associated with two-day shipping in the U.S. Amazon offers very good shipping rates to Korea for a lot of products, so with its usually-superior prices and larger selection compared to Korean sites, Amazon will often be the best option. Beware, though - any overseas order that's valued at more than about $150, including shipping, will result in a heavy customs fee.
Ordering online can be a hassle when you're in another country, though, and if you're only visiting for a short time, it may not make logistical sense to have an order shipped to you. If you're fresh off the plane, and you're in need of a brick and mortar shop that offers shaving products ASAP, well, you're in luck! That is, you're in luck if you only lack blades, and you enjoy Dorco's blade offerings (as I do). Dorco ST-300s and, surprisingly, DN-52 single-edged blades are widely available at large stationery stores, such as Alpha Stationery.
The only other part of my shaving kit that I've been able to acquire offline here in Korea is my L'Occitane Cade after-shave balm, which is available at L'Occitane kiosks in Lotte Department Stores, which are located in most mid-sized and large cities. Also, according to the Jack Black website, there may be some brick and mortar stores that carry their products in Korea. None of the listed locations are located in my provincial hamlet of 1 million or so down on the southern coast, though, so I can't personally confirm what they do or do not offer:
Store Locator
Well, that's pretty much everything I know about wet shaving in Korea. If anyone has any questions, feel free to message me. Happy shaving, y'all!
Attachments
Last edited:
