Are there any common places to get quality shaving creams...

What is your opinion on fine shaving creams and hard soaps? Do you like Trumpers, Coates, Taylors, Truefitt & Hill? Post your reviews and opinions here!
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Kazaam
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Are there any common places to get quality shaving creams...

Post by Kazaam »

besides the Body Shop (or Body Works, whatever it's called) which sells Proraso? I'd really like to try something else that is considered 'good' out, and i just ran out so I'd rather not order online ATM. I live in central Indiana so there are pretty much no specialty shaving stores around here.

Wal-Mart sells Van Der Haagans, which I like, but I already have some and would rather get a cream (more convenient).

thanks in advance!
bernards66
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Post by bernards66 »

Kazaam, Quite a bit would hinge on what you, or a responder, considers 'good' shaving cream. I'm pretty picky, and in my frame of reference, one can't locally purchase really good creams in a lot of places in the US. To those with a broader definition the pickin's might not seem quite so lean. Some more upscale dept. store chains carry the AOS creams. And there may be a C&E shop somewhere within striking distance. I can't think of too much else that is likely to be around in your area. Best of luck in your seach.
Regards,
Gordon
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jvan
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Post by jvan »

As Gordon pointed out face to face purchases are not possible for most of us, myself included. I am in a situation that forces me to do all of purchasing via the internet and I try to support the vendors that participate or advertise on our forum.

Good luck in your search.
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desertbadger
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Post by desertbadger »

Kazaam, if you have a drug store or something similar that you can get to, try there. If it's an old, privately owned, one (not a major chain) you might get lucky and find some Palmolive lather cream in the tube. Or it could be they may have something else on the shelf that's dusty and old and they didn't sell.
Regards,
David
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drumana
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Post by drumana »

K - the closest, biggest, fanciest mall you can find should have at least some of these stores:

- Nordstroms - (sells Truefit & Hill)
- Art of Shaving
- The Body Shop
- Crabtree & Evelyn (if they still carry the men's line)
- C.O. Bigelow (or is it bath and body works) will carry Geo F. Trumper products

good luck.
Last edited by drumana on Sat Jul 11, 2009 5:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
-Andrew-
n33470
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Post by n33470 »

The local health food and nutrition stores (like Vitamin Shoppe, etc.) may sell Toms Of Maine and Kiss My Face brand creams. I've never actually used these products, so this is not an endorsement....but wanted to throw some addtional ideas out there.

--steve
Kazaam
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Post by Kazaam »

ah, thanks a lot guys! I thought bath and body works only sold Proraso (Bigelow). The Trumper products are supposed to be really good, right? I know a lot of people consider Proraso to be really good; are any of these other ones mentioned considered as high of quality (I know this is pretty subjective!)?

Thanks for the ideas!
SteveK
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Post by SteveK »

Defining “good/quality” shaving creams is, unfortunately, entirely subjective. I have at least 15 tubes/tubs/samples on hand at the moment, which run the gamut of “top shelf” creams, including Trumpers, Truefffit & Hill, Castle Forbes, C & E, and AOS. Moving on to the somewhat more esoteric, Penhaligons (my favorite of the traditional British creams) and old formula Plisson (probably my favorite, but alas no longer produced – what else is new?).

For all that, and, risking the consternation and puzzlement of many an esteemed SMF member, I’ve been using Kiss My Face Lavender or Key Limes daily for possibly the past year. It’s readily available locally (Whole Foods, other Health Food stores, even the local Giant chain in the Washington, D.C. Metro area). I have yet to find another cream that is superior. It somewhat trickier to obtain an optimal water: cream ratio, but once achieved, will produce copious lather with a good cut: cushion compromise. Yes, I can get closer with other creams (if that’s an issue, simply switch to soaps), but none are as effective in moisturizing. It also has the advantage of being relatively cheap.

In summary, I think it’s the answer to your question, and certainly worth a try.


Steve
Kazaam
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Post by Kazaam »

thanks for the info, I will check that out if we have those stores here!

Why can you get closer with soaps? I've actually noticed that as well.
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druphus
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Post by druphus »

Kazaam wrote:Why can you get closer with soaps? I've actually noticed that as well.
Trumper's Violet cream shaves me as close as anything else I've tried including the best soaps.
Regards,
Andy
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Post by SteveK »

Why can you get closer with soaps? I've actually noticed that as well.
I'm not as well versed in soaps as creams, but I believe it's related to the nature of the formulations. The lather produced by soaps appear to give less "cushion," which I suppose is another way of saying that soaps form a thinner film, giving less to stand between blade and skin. No doubt there are exceptions to this generalization (as with every topic related to shaving) but this seems to hold, generally speaking.

Gordon, et al., please feel free to jump in. I’m open for a more precise explanation, too.


Steve
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Squire
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Post by Squire »

Kazaam the soaps cut closer for me irrespective of brand. Just the nature of the medium.
Regards,
Squire
bernards66
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Post by bernards66 »

Kazaam, CO Bigelows stocks Trumpers, it's true, but the closest one of those stores to you may be in Colombus, Ohio....in other words, there aren't many of them. Nieman Marcus, to my knowledge, has never carried the T&H creams, although some Nordstroms did....until recently. FWIW, I used to think that hard soaps cut a tad more closely, but more recently, I find I get just as close a shave with creams....at least with some of them. In any case, any difference that there might be is pretty minute.
Regards,
Gordon
Last edited by bernards66 on Fri Jul 10, 2009 10:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Squire
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Post by Squire »

Very small indeed. For the past year I've used creams, mostly curiosity on my part, and when I figure out how to post a picture I'll write some reviews.
Regards,
Squire
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Post by APC »

Kazaam wrote:thanks for the info, I will check that out if we have those stores here!

Why can you get closer with soaps? I've actually noticed that as well.
If your profile told us where you are, perhaps someone in your area could steer you to a local retailer. There are three high quality retailers in my immediate area.
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Post by 2clfrwrds »

Rite-Aid drug stores (I think it's a regional chain) carry a very good cream and aftershave balm from The Real Shaving Company, at a very reasonable price. I've used their "moisturizing" formula; they offer another type, but the scent was a deal-breaker for me.

--Glenn
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Post by mattbramanti »

You might try a local grocer that caters to South Asian immigrants, e.g. Indian, Pakistani, Bengali.

This weekend I went to a little Indian grocery store and found Dettol, Palmolive, and three varieties of Godrej cream, for about $3 each, which is far cheaper than you'll find online. I also grabbed a $2 alum block and some sandalwood-scented talc.

Most of the world still uses DE razors, so you just need to find a portal to the rest of the world. :)
“If you teach a poor young man to shave himself, and keep his razor in order, you may contribute more to the happiness of his life than in giving him a thousand guineas.” --Benjamin Franklin
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