The Art of Shaving

My husband booked a shave and mustache trim for Friday July 11^th at 1:30.
Barber was the least enthusiastic person I have ever met in the industry.
He did not even introduce himself to my husband has no idea what his name was.
This barber was not friendly, creative, or through. Lazy is the word that comes to mind.
Mustache was trimmed uneven (I had to trim all kinds if random hairs sticking hanging below the cut line lip, take take down some bulk on one side and even up the tips.
Having been a hairdresser myself I can say this is wrong. Lazy.
Nose hair was left. Ear hair was only addressed one side.
AND the barber shaved OFF his side burns. They are ¹⁄₃ the length of a normal sideburns. Barely a ½ inch down from the top of this ear.
The barber never asked about how he would like his sideburns — we never dreamed they would be gone…
Also cut his chin in 2 places. He also has what looks like severe irritation under his jaw line.
My husband is an executive at a college and it was a shock to have such poor service — this barber was a D student in barber, was seriously hungover has the wrong personality for the job. Either way he does not take his profession seriously.
PS the guy who booked the appointment was a delight.

I’ll begin with this is a nice looking store with a friendly and attempting to be helpful staff. That said there are a few major details everyone needs to know when shopping at this store:
The first is the price. While I understand it is a higher end store aimed at the more wealthy clientele, the prices on most of their items can be found online for much cheaper. You do not have to look hard either, sites a simple as Amazon will offer you the same exact products. The brushes are a prime example of this.
The second and most important are the straight razors. The reason I drove an hour and a half to this mall was just to see this store’s straight razor selection. I recently became interested in straight razor shaving and wanted to see what type of high end razors this place had.
They do sell quality product when it comes to straights BUT THEY ARE NOT SHAVE READY. By this I mean that you can not buy a razor and their overpriced strops and be ready to shave. The razor needs to be professional honed. While this is not a huge deal, it is something that I feel a store selling razors that start at $ 120+, should have them ready to go when you buy. They at no point managed to tell me this info when I was having a lengthy conversation with the salesman. I spent 2 bloody (as is red dripping from my face not the curse word) weeks trying to get a good shave before I found out from many other buyers that it wasn’t my fault, but the razor itself.
I will say that the pre-​shave oil I purchased is awesome and I will purchase it again but buyer beware before you make any major purchases.

This place is too expensive. It took away my excitement for this store. I shave with a straight edge. I use a hot towel every time I shave. I use hot cream. I strop. I hone. Everything can be learned from online.
$ 35 for a shave? That would only be worth it if you get a neck massage, haircut, nose trimming, a manicure, and some free product.
I will never shop here.

Attention Ladies! Are you looking for a unique gift for the special guy in your life? If so take him for a shave at The Art of Shaving!
My wife surprised me with a shave as part of my birthday and it was a great experience. I had never had a straight razor shave before and am now hooked on them. I received a traditional shave which is $ 35.00 and is worth ever penny.
The shave starts off with a hot towel to soften your beard. Next warm shaving cream is applied to your face. Then the shave. And finally after shave is applied.
I can not express enough how much I enjoyed the shave. The barber took her time and did not cut me once.

I’ve made the change to shaving with a double edge razor and have been very happy with the results. I had previously taken up an interest in old-​school shaving, but this store finally gave me the opportunity to dive in. The start up price to change your shaving routine is steep but now I can buy replacement blades for way less than a standard replacement would cost. Who wants to pay $ 4 for a mach 3 turbo 5 bladed monstrosity anyway? My single blade, with proper shaving preparation, gives a much closer shave.
The employees have always been friendly and welcoming and eager to give demonstrations of better shaving habits. Starting kits are available that provide the pre-​shave oil, lather, and moisturizer. Whether you want to just improve on your current shaving routine, move into a double edge razor, or even try a straight edge, the employees here can set you up.
My only complaint here is that they don’t offer sharpening services for straight razors despite the fact that they sell them. Considering that many straight edge razors will need to be re-​honed, I’m surprised that this isn’t available.

There are few places left that really inspire you in such a way that your routines change. I have found that this place has connected me with the history of men and made me look forward to my morning routine. I am the kind of guy that like the process as much as the result. I roast my own coffee, enjoy cooking from scratch, and in general will start with the raw form of anything to see the process through. This store has added shaving to my «raw routine». I would go as far as saying that it is more of a morning ritual now that leaves me feeling much more ready for the day than I did prior. I will say that there are some things in the store that are found cheaper on line but what store isn’t that way now. My wife bought me a Merkur razor and I purchased a sample pack of razor blades on line but I have the large «kit» from AOS. I have the unscented and picked up a thing of the new Ocean Kelp shaving cream as well. They make their products free of all the added garbage that irritates your skin.
This store has given me a new appreciation of a tool (stainless steel razor) instead of the knock offs (plastic with cartridges) and are saving me money in process. I am now a mouthpiece for DE razors and aim to get all my friends going back to the basics. The employees at this store are very helpful and patient. I like to know everything when I get into things like this so my research has ranged from the badger hair used in the brushes to the different blades and how they affect the overall shave. All I can say is: if you are a man, go check it out and f you are a woman, go get your man something from here. They will appreciate it.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND.