The Art of Shaving...

[italianwjt]

Newbie here, so don't flog me please. I'm new to the game and i started out with the AOS starter kit which includes a brush, pre-shave oil (love the smell), shave cream, and after shave balm. I recently purchased the Merkur 38c and the Edwin Jagger de89 (?). I had my first shave yesterday and it was extremely close and smooth in comparison to the cartridge shaves. I did a three pass shave down, across, and against. Needless to say it was quite enjoyable. I received several compliments throughout the day from my gf and mother on how smooth and soft my face was. I found that the after shave balm was exceptional in comparison to what my face felt like from the cartridges and believed that THAT was what made my face feel like silk. My question is,

Is AOS a quality store with quality product or is it more of a generic? Is this quality stuff? It seems like it is but my experience is ZERO. Are there better balms out there? I cant get over how smooth and silky my face is after using the AOS balm.

Feed back would be great. So what do you think.

P.S. If it wasnt for AOS i would have never made the plunge and went to DE.

[bobfarvour]

Art of Shaving is top shelf.
Their soap is some of the best in the world. The cream is top of the line too.
The aftershave is just ok. I only use it because I love the fragrance of their Sandalwood so much. I water it down a little and it's better.
If you like, then it's good. If you don't, then it isn't.

[Go West Young Man]

AoS's cream and soap are among the best currently being produced. Problem is, they're priced accordingly - you can get stuff that works nearly or as well for half the price.

[franz]

I will never be without one of their soaps in my den. It'd just be wrong. Everything else, I can take or leave.

[GreekGuy]

I think their aftershave is fantastic. Truly top notch along with their creams and soaps.

It is a bit thick, which is great for those cold weather days. For better or worse, we don't have any in Southern California, so I just dilute mine with a little water when I rub it in. Works great.

Good stuff, and enjoy!

[gwav64]

It seems like you have a winner there with the AOS aftershave balm. It is made for sensitive skin and has vitamin C [a good ingredient for the skin]. The key to your answer, really, is that you describe your face as "smooth and silky": that sounds like a quality product that works well with your skin! Welcome to the world of DE shaving!

[Lavaine]

AOS Sandalwood and L'Occitane Cade are my two winter go-to aftershave balms. Perfect for the dry weather. The AOS balm is expensive, but it lasts a LONG time.

[FonGu]

AoS soap is top shelf. IMO, their after shave balm is among the best there is. I also feel their pre-shave oil is crap. Many on the boards feel their product is over priced and over hyped, but it lasts a long time so cost per shave isn't that high. As Go West stated above, there are many products out there that cost less. Part of the fun of this hobby(?) is exploring all the different products. If you liked their balm, stick with it and explore other creams and soaps - you can always come back to AoS. Welcome aboard!

[hsamuels]

MWF = Mitchell's Wool Fat, another excellent soap.

We use a lot of acronyms here on B&B.

[DaveNJ74]

The soaps are great.

[bluesbishop]

I LOVE AoS products! I have there Silvertip Badger Brush and love the Sandalwood shave cream and aftershave balm...top notch products in my opinion

[ajs2294]

AoS is great! Especially the balm top notch stuff, but like others said your paying for it. Its worth experimenting with a few cheaper options knowing you can always go back to AoS. Another option is ebay or B/S/T you can frequently pick up some pretty good offers on the products.

[global_dev]

the AOS balm unscented is very nice IMHO.. priced high enough but it seems to last long enough that i don't think it's an issue... the glass bottle is nice touch.

[Go West Young Man]

If you get on the mailing list, they have good coupons a couple times a year that make the prices a bit easier to bear.

[Champion of Capua]

AOS was also my intro to wet shaving, and although I have tried most of the big named products, I keep going back to AOS. You will want to upgrade from that travel brush, but everything else you have excellent.

[Coda_]

...I got that same kit. However, I feel the pre-shave oil smells a bit like citronella...

[DayMan]

Are those small bottles from the starter kit re-fill able?

[ChiefBroom]

I'm fairly new to DE shaving myself, but have been using AoS products for a few years. I haven't found anything better -- for me -- than their unscented balm. But I absolutely hate the packaging. The pump dispenser makes it impossible to extract all of the already expensive enough contents without removing the top, which I do with pliers. This invariably involves glass breakage, so I have to be careful not to let any shards pass through when I very slowly drain salvaged balm into a new bottle.

I posted a thread recently asking for close comparables. Having tried most of the products that were suggested -- although I liked several of them -- none shaped up as a satisfactory substitute. However, just yesterday I came across a sample of Jack Black's After Shave Cooling Gel that my wife brought home and I've had laying around for a couple of months. It's a clear gel, but surprisingly is just about as satisfying to me as AoS balm. Texturally similar, not greasy, just a little tacky, very little if any scent, no noticeable residue, soothing, satisfying. I like it a lot. Still love AoS balm.

I happened to be in SF last week and stopped by the AoS store on Union Square. I mentioned liking AoS balm but having an issue with the.... The sales woman finished my sentence. She'd heard it before.

[Phog Allen]

Italianwjt. Good on ya for making the change. And fret not. AoS is most assuredly top shelf. Some of their products such as shave soap and a/s are pricey but really are some of the best. I am like Franz. I will always have their shave soaps in rotation. I usually advise newbs to use their new lather and brush for a good two to four weeks before jumping ship on their old blades but you seem to have transitioned just fine. As a near ten year veteran of traditional wet shaving I can honestly say you could have spent more money and gotten lessor quality. I have their lavender balm and it is quite good. Keep experimenting but give each new product you try an honest 4-6 uses before making judgements. Well done and welcome to the fold.

Cheers, Todd

[Earcutter]

I am a big fan of the Sandalwood AOS balm myself - a little goes a long way for me. In the heat of the summer though (over 100 for days), no matter how much I water it down, it bogs down on my face.

A good balm will make your face feel awesome - but don't forget that the soap/cream before-hand helps a great deal as well!

There are tons of em out there ... some better than others. Some are better in the summer, others better in winter etc. Have fun finding "yours."