Going to Pasteur Pharmacy, What soaps would you buy?

Discussion in 'Shave Soaps' started by Fly2High, May 29, 2017.

  1. Yehuda D

    Yehuda D Israeli Ambassador to TSD

    Nuthin, nada, zilch, nitchevo, niente!

    As it is I still have things in the stash I wanna ditch - just before my shower I came across another bunch of stuff that I completely forgot about. The sooner I get rid of them the better. I declared a sabbatical on buying and it means ANYTHING or EVERYTHING not needed. That means no more soaps, creams, (especially creams except Palmolive Menthol and two others) aftershave splashes and balms, (unless it's to replace one I enjoy) and fragrances. (except several which I enjoy)

    Here are the exceptions: (depending on my requirements)

    Astra blades
    Rapira blades
    Palmolive Menthol cream
    Gada Cool Mint cream
    Egyptian Ingram cream
    Aftershave splashes and balms (certain brands only)
    Fragrances (certain brands only)
    Bath soaps (Only when needed. They MUST be Stirling)

    In other words, my dear friend:

    There will be NO creams entering my house from here on in. The ones still remaining will be used until they're finished or unless I get so sick of them that I decide to just throw them out. Once they're finished, they're finished and I will NOT replace them. I used the Musgo Real cream this morning for my shave and it was only because I sort of like the lather and scent that I didn't throw it out after my shave.
     
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  2. major_works

    major_works Member

    Hello all, my first post at TSD and it's for thread necromancy... oh well.

    I've been to Pasteur's twice in the past couple of months, the most recent being Saturday, Dec. 2. It is overwhelming, a little tiring, and simply incredible. I once had a teacher who went to Mardi Gras every single year, come hell or high water. He liked to say, "You have to go to Mardi Gras at least once before you die." For wet shavers, the same holds true for Pasteur's. If you have any ADs (and why would you be on wet-shaving boards if you didn't?), look out and may God help your wallet. I've only been to the 34th St. store; I'm told the upper east side store is smaller and has much less stock.

    The general rule is that if it isn't sealed, feel free to open and smell to your heart's content. If you're like me, you'll be opening soap tins and sniffing until your nose goes anosmic. Yes, they'll let you hang around as long as you like, and yes, the aisles are narrow and the shelves are high.

    The prices, as someone stated above, are extremely competitive, not just for NYC but in absolute terms. If anything, you'll save money buying stuff there vs. paying postage for online ordering, all else being equal. Don't forget to rummage through the 50% off shelves, there could be some gems in there. Having said that, be aware that some stuff may have been in the store for a good long while.

    When it comes to soaps, creams, balms, preshaves, aftershaves, software in general, the selection is beyond compare. There's very little you can think of that they don't have (although, curiously, both times I was there they had no Arko!). Need a brick of Cella? Yeah, they've got that.

    In terms of hardware, the selection is somewhat more limited, so if you're looking for a specific razor or brush, it's more hit or miss. They do have a pretty good selection of Simpson brushes as well as Omega. A few Semogues, not too many, and onesies/twosies of some other brands. Razors, they had a good number of Merkurs, some Parkers, some Muhle, and an odd Fatip and Fine or three. They have a decent blade selection too.

    On my first visit, I met Leon, the owner, who is a really nice man and very knowledgeable about shaving stuff. On that occasion, I bought pucks of MWF and Tabac, and sticks of La Toja and Palmolive. Leon chided me for bypassing the artisans. Last time, I left with Stirling Barbershop, the Stirling 24-mm synthetic, and a tuck of Nacets. I know, I'm a lightweight.
     
  3. Fly2High

    Fly2High Breaking Frugal

    So far this year, I have been to Pasteur's TWICE. Both times I spent over $350 in soaps. Having just started wet shaving about a year ago, I am now over 65 soaps and a new order from Stirling is on the way. too many great scents and several new ones on sale I could not resist. The second time we were visiting friends in Saratoga on the way back to Long Island and made a detour to NYC just to stop there. Leon is great. Very Cordial and helpful.
     
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  4. PanChango

    PanChango Not Cute

    When I am in the city, I try to stop by... Great store, but the aisles are mighty narrow.

    I would love it to have a local resource like that...
     
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