Nordstrom

sgtrecon212 · Post by **sgtrecon212** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 8:05 pm

I went to a Nordstrom today, and was assisted by the lady at the shaving stuff. Apparently she was assigned to push Jack Black stuff. Wouldn't leave me alone even after I told her I wasn't interested.

I did find out something I didn't know. Jack Black has cologne. Smelled kinda good, but not remarkable.

rustyblade · Post by **rustyblade** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 8:14 pm

I know this may be a silly question, but now is the time to ask: Is this stuff related in any way to the actor of the same name?

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:28 pm

Steve, Yeah, every Nordstroms has one of those ( chuckle )....it's either Anthony Logistics, or Jack Black. The Anthony Logistics one here in Tampa is a guy. I watch him relentlessly pursue hapless shoppers, jabbering all sorts of untrue nonsense at them. It's often very difficult for me to refrain from just butting in with, "...excuse me, but that's balderdash...here, let me show you some genuinely decent shave products...". This guy has learned to give me a wide berth.

Richard, 'Jack Black' is simply a contrived name. The person who started that company, and runs it, is a female former Avon marketing person.
Regards,
Gordon

NeedleRat · Post by **NeedleRat** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:18 pm

I was very disappointed with our local Nordstrom that I visited a few weeks ago. Terrible selection and a marketing display to be rivaled by 7-Eleven. While Macy's still only has the department store selection, at least it was larger and a much better display.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:41 pm

Well, there's no question but that the whole US dept. store toiletries scene has become highly depressing. Short of a few very high end ( and one location! ) stores like Bergdorf Goodman in NYC, Louis Boston, or Gumps in SF, their ain't much when it comes to genuinely high quality shave goods and colognes. Even ten years ago, it was noticeably better then it is now. At least the Nordstroms here ( Tampa ) does stock the T&H shaving creams and a few other items. But I understand that many other Nordstrom locations do not do even that. The AOS line is available in most more up-scale dept. stores, and some of their products are good, especially the hard shaving soaps....but their line is very limited, and the few products of theirs that I do think well of, are unusually expensive; like the hard soaps. Other then that, it's mostly a wasteland. That's why most US members are just blown away if they have an opportunity to step into shops like Cambridge Chemists in NYC, Colonial in Cambridge, The Perfume House in Portland, or Aidan Gill in New Orleans....just shelves full of the really good stuff.....mind bending ( chuckle ).
Regards,
Gordon

NeedleRat · Post by **NeedleRat** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:00 am

Gee thanks Gordon, post about a shop not an hours drive from me. Guess it's time for a ROAD TRIP! Interestingly, I just recently found out that a local athletic club in Portland carries T&H, Trumpers and other fine products. Hopefully the shop is open to non-members.

I guessif we must have an addiction, at least it's one that makes us look and smell good.

Happy New Year!
Jeff

paperpundit · Post by **paperpundit** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:42 am

Gee Gordon, you've made me feel bad...That guy jumped me at the Nordstrom's in Tampa and scared me off...I've never gone back!

Brigadier · Post by **Brigadier** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:22 am

I went to the Nordstrom in Seattle to get some AOS stuff. Didn't see any T&H stuff. The salesman in the area left me alone, and commented that I looked like I knew what I wanted so he just waited until I was ready to check out. But their display was pretty pathetic.

LostInCincy · Post by **LostInCincy** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 9:15 am

In D.C., we have a number of Nordstroms in the area. Some carry T&H, some don't. The ones that do are sometimes a pain to deal with, though, because the display is over in a quiet section of the store with one employee ready to pounce and push Lucky Tiger or something similar. In my experience, they have always swooped in the second I start checking the condition of the shaving cream pots.

I did come across one major find in Chicago once. There is a Macy's (south of the Magnificent Mile... can't remember the street name) that had a whole section that carried Trumper, Proraso, T&H and more high-end stuff. That was a nice thing to see. Of course, it had to be in one of the cities that also has a T&H shop.

-Dan

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 8:02 pm

Dan, Yeah, I think it's a Mertz Pharmacy concession section in that particular store. Used to be a Marshall Fields, no? And, of course, in Chicago ( in addition to Mertz ) one has the T&H Barbershop, which carries other lines besides just T&H. And also Corrado Cutlery, if they're still in business, for D R Harris's creams and soaps. But there just ain't many in person sources for this stuff in the US, especially ones that carry any serious selection.
Regards,
Gordon

AZwildcat · Post by **AZwildcat** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 9:47 pm

Gordon,

Does the Perfume House here in Portland carry shaving related goods? I was under the impression that they only carried colognes and for some reason the search function isn't working on this site right now. Thanks for your help in advance.

Hoos · Post by **Hoos** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 10:15 pm

Gordon - Thank you! I didn't realize Gump's carried shaving products. I didn't see them on their website. But I'll go in and take a look next week.

I was lucky at the SF Nordstrom. The gentleman who helped me didn't push any products. He did give me a sample of T&H Limes cologne, since I was buying the cream. (The cologne didn't do much for me.) He did let me know that Lucky Tiger is one of the few (maybe only) shaving product line that had been certified as using only organic or natural ingredients. I didn't ask details. as I was buying it anyway.

But no hard sell. Even though there was plenty of Jack Black in sight. The product name does remind me of the actor: overweight, sweaty sheen, and vulgar. So, even if not connected, I'm not buying.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 10:25 pm

Chris, The Perfume House carred Trumper shaving products for sure, and maybe some others, I don't remember exactly. This was as of a year or so ago, but I assume that they still do.

Brent, I believe that Gumps has both D R Harris and Trumper products on the floor in their SF store. Their prices aren't especially low ( chuckle ), but on the other hand, you get to actually check the stuff out, and there's no shipping charge.
Regards,
Gordon

NeedleRat · Post by **NeedleRat** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 10:29 pm

Chris,
I searched their site last night but found nothing to reference shaving. Guess I'll need to get in there this week and find out for sure.

Jeff

Hoos · Post by **Hoos** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 10:32 pm

Cable Car Clothiers carries Trumper's. But at $58 a bowl before taxes or shipping: http://www.cablecarclothiers.com/trumpe ... _soap.html

I would love to buy from them. They're right down the street from the office. But not at $58 a pop.

Hopefully, Gump's will come in at a slightly more reasonable price. I believe they also have a nice selection of stationery and fountain pens (or they used to). To feed another bad habit I've developed. Sigh.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 11:17 pm

Brent, Yeah, Cable Car has always been outrageously expensive when it comes to this stuff, which is why I usually don't even mention them ( nice store that it is ). One exception was that at one time, they were one of the VERY few places in the US that one could get the Royal Yacht line, and for that, for some reason, their prices were reasonable. But they used to charge $90 for a bottle of Floris cologne that you could get in NYC for $50. Gumps is not that over the top, although don't expect online type prices exactly.
Regards,
Gordon

doleeo · Post by **doleeo** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 10:09 am

I was also recently attacked by the Jack Black saleswomen in Nordstroms, she kept trying to tell me that their "beard lube" was on par with the T&H cream I had in my hand.

Hoos · Post by **Hoos** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:39 pm

Trundled over to Gump's today. A bowl of Trumper's shaving soap was $35. An amount that is more affordable to my budget.

They actually had a nice selection of Trumper products and Floris produts. The Floris was mainly the women's and home products. A couple of shaving and men's products, but nothing that appealed to me.

2clfrwrds · Post by **2clfrwrds** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 11:11 pm

Brent, I've gotten some shave goods from Gumps. I suppose I could find it less expensively on the Internet, but I like buying retail when possible; it's nice to see and smell the stuff before buying.

The Nordstroms in downtown San Francisco is pretty good. Yes, the salespeople start out pushing what they're supposed to move, but when they realize I know a bit about this, they begin asking questions to find out my preferences; then they usually make some interesting suggestions. (One gentleman prepped a sample for me and said something like, "You won't want this for yourself, but I think you'll be interested in the scent just for general knowledge.") I've made several buys there.

--Glenn

drumana · Post by **drumana** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:12 am

I recently tried to return a T&H product bought in a Chicago Nordstroms at a Nordstroms in Natick, MA. Unfortunately they didn't carry T&H at that location (didn't even know what T&H was

). The salesperson was happy to try and shove some Art of Shaving products down my throat though. . . no thank you.