I apologize if this has already been discussed but I couldn't find anything much in terms of a general talk about Art of Shaving stores and experiences others have had. One opened near me earlier this Spring and I visited there last month. Nice store, very attractive. Their products all seem first rate, but.. a bit overpriced. What I do not like is that they in general carry only their own products. I'd love to find an outlet selling TOBS products. It may be just me but there seems to be a slight whiff of snobbery with the sales staff, maybe that's part of their atmosphere. Any other opinions?
Art of Shaving
- Thread starter Snick1946
- Start date
It's really the art of scamming
I believe the general consensus is that their creams are high dollar, but very high quality. $5 bucks an ounce puts them more than a little out of my tax bracket, but they're not too ridiculous when compared to the prices of some of the high end British products. It's about the same as DR Harris' $5.07/oz ($28 for a 150ml tub), and compared to Castle Forbes' $5.6/oz ($38 for a 200ml tub) it's a bargain!
Personally, for my dollar, I'll stick with Italians and new artisans. They make very good soaps and creams for $2-3/oz. That being said, I might, in a moment of weakness, find myself unable to resist the mighty pull of the AD if ever I made my way into one of their stores.
Personally, for my dollar, I'll stick with Italians and new artisans. They make very good soaps and creams for $2-3/oz. That being said, I might, in a moment of weakness, find myself unable to resist the mighty pull of the AD if ever I made my way into one of their stores.
We have one here in our mall. I chatted up the sales lady so I could get some free samples. She told me that AOS is owned by Procter & Gamble - the same company that owns Gillette - so that should tell you that their primary goal is to push customers to their custom Gillette Fusion 900x GT (or whatever model they are up to now) handles (to keep people buying the outrageously expensive carts) and their shave oils and creams. Their DE stuff is secondary and equally as overpriced.
While I won't address the rest of your post, as this has been talked about in many threads, the above comment stands out. Art of Shaving is a brand of shaving cream, first and foremost. Just like you would not expect Chevy to sell brand new factory-fresh Fords, Toyotas, or Alfa-Romeos, you shouldn't expect AOS to carry competitors' brands.
In fact, I would be disappointed in AOS for doing so, as it means they feel other brands are worthy of their shelf space (ie, their own brands aren't good enough). There are plenty of vendors that are brand-agnostic that sell a wide variety of creams and soaps, some of which also happen to stock AOS.
Today was the first day I went to one and really looked around. I think I've passed by a few but never popped in. It's a very attractive looking store. The displays are nice and everything is well displayed. I went with an actual purpose to pick up some (overpriced) Gillette Platinum blades to try out. I listened to the saleswoman spend a good five minutes trying to sell a gentleman a $200+ electric razor that, quite honestly, looked exactly like one that I saw at Walmart for about $70. There's a nice selection of Muhle razors, and I really liked the look of the Rose Gold handle version. Very nice. In the end, I picked up overpriced tuck of Gillette Platinum blades. She tried to sell me on some Merkur blades (no thank you), and then their "sale" price of 20 blades for $20 on the Platinums. For that bargain price, it would only cost $100 for 100 blades. If the Platinums turn out to be as good as many have claimed, it'll be worth the money to sample them before buying 100 at a far more reasonable price elsewhere.
where are you located?
did the AOS staff offer you some samples?
normally, they are generous with their 'tester' tubs of creams, and will give you a spoonful if you bring a baggie, to take home to try out.
similarly with balms.
most are now carrying Penhaligon's colognes.
granted, their items are pricey; generally priced on par with T&H yet a little below Penhaligons.
they do have sales periodically.
I was downtown for a bit so I decided to check a store, when I walked in I saw nothing but proglide fusions with fancy handles. Asked about brushes and she told me the pure badger was $70 and silvertip was $200. DE Blades were around $1 a blade for merkur or gillettes. Walking in was a waste of time.
Software Yes, Hardware No! That seems to be the rule most people on here follow.
- Thread starter
- #10
In Omaha, Nebraska.
They did give me some samples of their AS lotion, I think also of their cream. Only enough for one go- their stuff is nice but at the price, it is just not going to be in my future too much. I did look around and saw no reams or lotions not their own brand.
Yeah I know they cannot be expected to sell other brands, I was just doing a little wistful thinking. I haven't found anything by TOBS in stores here. There is an outlet mall with a Crabtree and Evelyn that has some of their stuff which is not bad but not up to other brands IMO.
It's a fun place to look around a few minutes..
The snobbery is only experienced by those of us that are familiar with wet shaving products and DE razors. And it's really not snobbery it's simply their selling technique and the fact that we (B&B members) typically know more than the staff does.
So when the AOS employee talks to the high heavens about how great AOS hardware and software is we (B&B members) know there are hundreds of other products that are just as good or better. So yes, it sounds like snobbery. But when the average Joe that's been using a cartridge for their whole life pops in there they will think they are in heaven and succumb to the AOS employee's "snobbery".
Our arrogance = their snobbery.
AOS is a company owned by another larger company. A subsidiary.
Thousands of subsidiaries exhist across the world.
But the mere fact that P&G owns AOS which also owns Gillette which happens to be a manufacture of cartridges which most B&B members feel a great disdain for...causes folks here to have a biased opinion on AOS weather they beleive/admit it or not.
So when the AOS employee talks to the high heavens about how great AOS hardware and software is we (B&B members) know there are hundreds of other products that are just as good or better. So yes, it sounds like snobbery. But when the average Joe that's been using a cartridge for their whole life pops in there they will think they are in heaven and succumb to the AOS employee's "snobbery".
Our arrogance = their snobbery.
AOS is a company owned by another larger company. A subsidiary.
Thousands of subsidiaries exhist across the world.
But the mere fact that P&G owns AOS which also owns Gillette which happens to be a manufacture of cartridges which most B&B members feel a great disdain for...causes folks here to have a biased opinion on AOS weather they beleive/admit it or not.
yup!
Beaten to death. Give them a shot yourself and see if you want to give them your business. They're generous with samples and you can get multiple per visit. Chat up the floor monkeys and you can get 2-3 weeks worth of product, then give it a test drive and figure out whether the pricetag is worth it.
I'm pretty unbiased and will say that they are a necessary evil, whether most people will admit it or not. The rest is, as always, YMMV.
I'm pretty unbiased and will say that they are a necessary evil, whether most people will admit it or not. The rest is, as always, YMMV.
We have 2 of them here, but I don't want to go into a store that I know I will not be able to buy from, reminds me of the time my car was in the shop and I went to the mall to kill time and a guy in a jewelry store tried to sell me a Rolex, just wanted to see one up close, but he didn't quit!!!!
I walked into a AOS store a year and a half ago just to see what it was. I was tired of crappy shaves and wanted to see if there was something better. They gave me some samples of pre shave, cream and after shave balm. I was still using my cartridge but man did my shaves improve. It wasn't long after that I was searching google for what DE meant. Haha. Funny enough this website popped up and badger and blade is where I started learning what this was all about.
I still have 2 tubs of their cream. Sandalwood and lavender and I enjoy them. My original tub I still have from a year and a half ago. I don't use it everyday, but often. It makes a great lather. I agree a bit pricey but not too much more then other creams. Like others have said. You have to try it to really see if it's right for you. That's part of the fun, trying new things.
I still have 2 tubs of their cream. Sandalwood and lavender and I enjoy them. My original tub I still have from a year and a half ago. I don't use it everyday, but often. It makes a great lather. I agree a bit pricey but not too much more then other creams. Like others have said. You have to try it to really see if it's right for you. That's part of the fun, trying new things.
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This has been discussed numerous times before but it's all good. I'll jump in... The AoS store is actually what turned me onto DE shaving after almost 30 years of other failed methods. I had been using an electric razor for decades, and sporting a stubble beard. When I decided I wanted to go clean shaven, I picked up a can of Edge gel and a Gillette Fusion (because the newest with all the blades must be the best right?) and it tore my face up. I went in looking for an aftershave to help with the razorburn, ingrown hairs, and general face slashing that was going on. They tried to sell me like seriously - $500 of stuff. I wanted aftershave lotion, which turned into "well you need the shave soap too", then the handle, then the stand to hang it on, then the brush, etc. It was ridiculous. I told the guy "thanks but no thanks" and started walking out. After he realized he should have quit while he was ahead, and now he had lost the entire sale due to pushy sales tactics - he sent me home with some samples. I felt the shaving cream was good, and the aftershave was helping. Certainly not enough to solve all my shaving woes - but it did start me down the proper path of shaving - one my father never taught me. In the end, I do buy and use their soaps, creams, and aftershaves. I think I've now found better (for me) products in every category - but their stuff certainly is up there in quality. Ignore the salespeople, go in and smell the stuff, buy software that you like the smell of - and buy everything else from another store.
I went to two stores during my NYC trip this Feb. They were very nice and the staff were extremely helpful. In terms of US$ pricing I didn't find it too bad, I've spent more on creams, balms and razors over here. I saw it as a treat to myself as getting AOS over here is a pain even though so many places have eShave.
Anyhow, I find the products to be high quality. I have Ocean Kelp and Sandalwood, Sandalwood being my preferred cream. The balm of the Kelp smells a bit funny, but the cream has a better rounded scent. At least that's what I find.
Anyhow, I find the products to be high quality. I have Ocean Kelp and Sandalwood, Sandalwood being my preferred cream. The balm of the Kelp smells a bit funny, but the cream has a better rounded scent. At least that's what I find.
JMJ -
I went to the AOS store in San Antonio, Texas. The sales guy was actually telling another customer not to jump straight into a straight razor, but to start with a safety razor. Their soap is a bit expensive, but I liked the wooden bowl it comes with (I didn't buy any, too much for me). I did buy a pure badger travel brush with a tube (also rather expensive, but I figured, what the heck). I was explaining the difference between badger and boar brushes to the sales guy and he was rather receptive to what I was saying, no attitude at all. Don't know if I would go back.
YBIC
Mike
I went to the AOS store in San Antonio, Texas. The sales guy was actually telling another customer not to jump straight into a straight razor, but to start with a safety razor. Their soap is a bit expensive, but I liked the wooden bowl it comes with (I didn't buy any, too much for me). I did buy a pure badger travel brush with a tube (also rather expensive, but I figured, what the heck). I was explaining the difference between badger and boar brushes to the sales guy and he was rather receptive to what I was saying, no attitude at all. Don't know if I would go back.
YBIC
Mike
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