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In Praise of Japanese Aftershaves

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
Mandom is a classic AS IMO and if you never tried it, it's well worth it. Specially at the price that you are getting it!
 
Mandom is a classic AS IMO and if you never tried it, it's well worth it. Specially at the price that you are getting it!

I think the only two advantages of living in Japan are the cheap aftershaves and price of feather blades, although my feather packages are different than what most of you guys are using. Seems that one of my favorite AS's "Eroica" was considered to be creepy grandpa status in the other thread.
 
OK I will add my love here. I picked up the Lucido and Gatsby, both by Mandom, here in Singapore recently after reading this thread and they are great and inexpensive. They dry and refresh but there is almost a smooth "film" as they go on not the same as a more alcohol heavy AS and they are very close in both fragrence and feel. Also just picked up the Bravas ( Made in Japan ) and thats great too although fragrence quite different almost anise meets menthol. I aim to get more.
 
I never tried the Eroica, although I've seen it around.
How would you describe the scent?

Little hard to describe but it is definitely an older man scent. It has a sweet "after smell" though. Mandom is more unforgiving in that it's sharp and not soft at all. Eroica on the other hand almost has a baby powder finish to it. I'm a huge fan, used some this morning after my shave.
 
Little hard to describe but it is definitely an older man scent. It has a sweet "after smell" though. Mandom is more unforgiving in that it's sharp and not soft at all. Eroica on the other hand almost has a baby powder finish to it. I'm a huge fan, used some this morning after my shave.

Well, I'll be 39 in a week, and I have a bunch of other Japanese aftershaves, so I think I can get away with another old man scent!
 
I'll be in Tokyo next week for a few days. Staying in Shinjuku. Any tips from locals on where to pickup some AS to add to my collection? I'm assuming the big department stores would be a good place to start. Also, does Tokyu Hands sell any shaving gear? I need to pickup some blades for my Feather MR3 (heresy I know, but I only use it when flying and I must carry-on a razor)
 

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
I'll be in Tokyo next week for a few days. Staying in Shinjuku. Any tips from locals on where to pickup some AS to add to my collection? I'm assuming the big department stores would be a good place to start. Also, does Tokyu Hands sell any shaving gear? I need to pickup some blades for my Feather MR3 (heresy I know, but I only use it when flying and I must carry-on a razor)

The Japanese Shave supply page in wiki should help: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Japan_Shaving_Supplies Other than that, someone who was there or live there might be able to help you.
 
I'll be in Tokyo next week for a few days. Staying in Shinjuku. Any tips from locals on where to pickup some AS to add to my collection? I'm assuming the big department stores would be a good place to start. Also, does Tokyu Hands sell any shaving gear? I need to pickup some blades for my Feather MR3 (heresy I know, but I only use it when flying and I must carry-on a razor)

Just returned from Tokyo. I searched high and low around the Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, and Ginza shopping districts. No AS jackpots to be found. A few bottles of Lucido and Bravas here and there but not much more. No sign of Mandom anywhere (glad I have a stockpile). I did pickup a jar of MG5 Pomade. I saw one pack of Feather blades at the enormous Tokyu Hands in Shinjuku, but that was it. Could not find blades for my MR3 razor. Disappointing
 
Recently spent sometime in jiyugaoka, a posh neighbourhood in south Tokyo. Found a place right next to the station with a load of small old time shops. Lots of aftershaves! Not just bravas and lucido. I didnt see Mandom there though.

自由が丘デパート

http://goo.gl/maps/GEdKr

It's a bit out of the way, but I think you will find more in smaller out of the way places than in Ginza or Shibuya.

Local chemists seem to have bravas and lucido as standard.
 
I make this post to ask why Japanese aftershaves are not more popular among wetshavers. We have a good time joking about Mandom but, to be perfectly honest, it is far from the best of what is available in Japan. Lucido, Auslese, MG5, Valcan and Bravas are all outstanding and I would put them up against any of the other aftershaves that are in use among our members. Plus they're just cool as heck. What's more, they do have genuinely interesting, slightly offbeat aftershaves like Mandom and Eroica for the true seeker.

They are also very reasonably priced. So why is it that none of the fine vendors who offer interesting and obscure (in the US anyway) products from Europe carry these? Why haven't they taken off in popularity like the other esoteric lotions that have been found in Portuguese and Italian barber shops, Austrian haberdasheries, and English men's clubs? Why haven't our members been crying out for the comfort and joy that they provide? I'm sure that there are a few of our members who grew up using Proraso or TOBS, but most saw a review on the boards and decided to find some. Why not more love for Valcan or Bravas?

I have no answer. For me, it's no big deal to resupply my own modest needs. But not everybody else can rely on that regular trip to Tokyo, just like we don't all get to Rome, London, Vienna or Lisbon as often as we might like. What say you, my shaving brethren? Isn't it time to stand up and cry out for aftershaves from the Land of the Rising Sun?

I've read this entire thread to-date and there still doesn't seem to be an answer to this. Feather blades are the single most popular blade mentioned here and are easily obtained. The Feather AS-D2, despite being an expensive luxury item, is readily available from the various dedicated online shaving vendors, but not a single one of these sites carries MG5, Bravas, Tactics, Paradigm, etc.. Of those I've tried (MG5 and Bravas so far), they're every bit as good and intriguing as aftershaves from Spain, Italy, Germany and the U.S. I order other goods from Japan all the time and I know shipping is no worse, and is perhaps much less, than shipping from Spain or Italy, for instance. Floid and La Toja are no longer difficult to source here. Is it something to do with Shiseido (nearly every Japanese aftershave I've heard of is from them with the exception of a couple from Gatsby/Mangum)? I know the many fans here of Proraso Green, 4711, La Toja splash and the like would no doubt also truly enjoy MG5 and Bravas - I know I'm addicted to them and have stocked deep on both. So strange...
 

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
I've read this entire thread to-date and there still doesn't seem to be an answer to this. Feather blades are the single most popular blade mentioned here and are easily obtained. The Feather AS-D2, despite being an expensive luxury item, is readily available from the various dedicated online shaving vendors, but not a single one of these sites carries MG5, Bravas, Tactics, Paradigm, etc.. Of those I've tried (MG5 and Bravas so far), they're every bit as good and intriguing as aftershaves from Spain, Italy, Germany and the U.S. I order other goods from Japan all the time and I know shipping is no worse, and is perhaps much less, than shipping from Spain or Italy, for instance. Floid and La Toja are no longer difficult to source here. Is it something to do with Shiseido (nearly every Japanese aftershave I've heard of is from them with the exception of a couple from Gatsby/Mangum)? I know the many fans here of Proraso Green, 4711, La Toja splash and the like would no doubt also truly enjoy MG5 and Bravas - I know I'm addicted to them and have stocked deep on both. So strange...

The fact that distribution is difficult makes it difficult to obtain unless you go over everything and try to source it yourself. I did not give up on Japanese AS myself but I would like to be able to place an order at a shop and get a bottle of Bravas and Mandom with my bottle of Proraso. It may be a reality one day but it didn't move much lately.
 
...I did not give up on Japanese AS myself but I would like to be able to place an order at a shop and get a bottle of Bravas and Mandom with my bottle of Proraso. It may be a reality one day...

This is what I would love to be able to do, as well. I've been reading many threads here that are 5+ years old, clearly days before Proraso and Floid were easily found (based on the comments), and it's nice to see that those difficulties have been surmounted. Hopefully, the Japanese aftershaves follow the same path in the near future!
 

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
This is what I would love to be able to do, as well. I've been reading many threads here that are 5+ years old, clearly days before Proraso and Floid were easily found (based on the comments), and it's nice to see that those difficulties have been surmounted. Hopefully, the Japanese aftershaves follow the same path in the near future!

I hope so because they have some really nice gems over there. I haven't found anything to replace my bottle of Bravas and Mandom... Yet...
 
I hope so because they have some really nice gems over there. I haven't found anything to replace my bottle of Bravas and Mandom... Yet...

Yes, Bravas is a classic (I think of it as a deluxe MG5) and I've managed to get a few bottles without too much pain. I had to throw any $en$e to the wind and just order a bottle of Mandom out of sheer curiosity. I'm sure it costs 1/3 off the shelf anywhere in Japan. Should be here soon...
 
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