Hi there guys, not posted for a while. I am visiting relations in California in September and want to know the best places to stock up on shaving gear and goodies in the San Francisco. Basically I am looking for cut rhroats, colognes, balms, etc. I am looking for new and classic US products. Any advice from my translatlantic cousins in The Shave Den would be well appreciated.
Art Of Shaving Store Art of Shaving 845 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1936 (415) 541-9801 () theartofshaving.com Haven't been there. Might be somewhere to start, though.
I live in the Bay Area. I don't think there is anything like a shaver store in SF stocking a wide variety of shaving goods or in the larger Bay area. Nancy Boy is in SF with their signature line. On another forum there was a shaving guide to SF and it listed a hodge podge of places stocking mostly European shave stuff it would not make much sense for you to buy. Low end American shave products like Aqua Velva, Pinaud Clubman, Williams Soap, VDH soap are located in the pharmacy stores like Walgreens , Rite Aid and Walmart. Cut throats I don't think you'll find new in brick or mortar stores, if you do the prices will be exorbitant. Don't know the flea market scene in SF for vintage straight razors. Your best out might be to look at online U.S vendors for cut throats and order from them and just have them send to your temporary American address. The postage fee and swiftness and exchange rate advantage might make this attractive. Vintage Blades, Classic Shaving, Straight Razor Designs , The Superior Shave etc. all stock Dovo, Thiers and some vintage straights. Cut throats I think are more plentiful and cheaper in America than Britain but physically locating them is the problem .
Thanks Hanzo for the heads up! Yes I will probably spend some time in the drug stores you mention (or chemists as we call them in Scotland!)
Try cutlery stores for straight razors. Not all stores carry them, but that is probably the best bet for new models. I visited the Art of Shaving in San Jose last weekend. It has changed since the Gillette acquisition, and now focuses more on cartridge razors than traditional wetshaving. Pricey, but even so it is well worth a visit just to see what they have. They do offer shaves with a straight razor. I assume that the AOS in San Francisco is similar. If you happen to venture way down south to Silicon Valley, there is Williams Cutlery and Gifts (www.williamscutleryandgifts.com). They have a variety of brushes, most of which are brands I have not heard of before, DE razors, and usually a few straights. They also have modern and vintage mugs.
Check out a place called Omni Chemists on Union St. They had some nice stuff if I remember correctly, but it may have all been European. There really aren't any new US brands that I can think of that'd be worth even trying. Maybe Kiss My Face, but their products are just good, not amazing. Unfortunately, straight razors are few and far between here in the Bay Area. I walked through hundreds of antiques vendors at the Alameda Point antiques fair (the largest in the area) and only came away with 2 straights worth buying. Still, if you're in town for the first Sunday of the month, it'd be worth checking it out. Good food and tons of antiques. And lastly, make sure to sample some of the food here if you can. Look on Yelp.com for restaurants near your area. There's usually a few restaurants in any neighborhood that have been reviewed extensively and consistently get great reviews. That's one of the big things I miss about SF when I leave (even New York doesn't really compare in my opinion)...but that's off topic
