You’re listening to Wet Shaving Talk powered by Sharpologist.com where we’re dedicated to preserving the art and skill of classic shaving. I’m your host Joe Borrelli and today is March 14th ,2022
Today on the Show
Wet Shaving Products Available at a Gas Station?
Pasteur’s Exclusive Soaps Available for Online Purchase.
Ukrainian Products
Tedalus Shavette ( Built like a Straight Razor)
Wet Shaving Products at Gas Stations
Just when you thought getting gas was going to be a bad thing, now there are some wet shaving products available in the convenience shop.
Pasteur’s Exclusive Products Now Available Online
Recently Pasteur’s entered the online world. I’ll tell you my thoughts
Ukrainian Products
- Elly’s Wonder Shop
- Smart Helix ( Apollo Razor)
- Lezo Razor
Tedalus Razor
- Takes a double edge blade snapped in half, or Artist Club blades
- Blade Holder is made of metal
- Made In Switzerland
Our show is powered by Sharpologist.com, “What Your Father Didn’t Teach You about Shaving”
Special Thanks to:
Mark aka Mantic 59
Most of All……….YOU!!!!
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Our next show will be 3/28/22
Until then….
Shave straight and Shave Safe!
Transcript
You’re listening to wet shaving talk powered by sharpologist.com where we’re dedicated to preserving the art and skill of classic shaving. I’m your host Joe Borrelli and today is March 14th, 2022.
All right, everyone, welcome back to the podcast, as they say, March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. That’s right. Spring is right around the corner. So this is the final week technically of winter. And I know a lot of places out there are feeling very much like winter right now.
So it’s time to use up those winter scents, all those cold scents and time to get ready for the spring. So if you’ve got that rotation like I do the winter stuff, I get my last little kick with them right now this week, and then I go right to the spring scent stuff with, you know, damp wood or soil, all those type of scents with new or fresh floral arrangements as well, you know, just just to really kick off the spring season.
And, you know, before we get into the show notes, that’s what I really love about wet shavings. All the seasonal stuff that’s out there. You know, you have some really good seasonal stuff. You know, we have St. Patrick’s Day coming up this week, and there’s so many Irish like tweed or Irish spring type scents out there from of vendors and artisans.
You know, it’s very hard not to to get hooked on that kind of stuff, right? So I mean, it’s great as you can buy a soap and an aftershave and will last you for a couple of years. So example, I have my seasonal stuff and I keep it year after year and it’s still really holds up. I mean, probably two or three years, it might be the max for, you know, for the soap scent, but the aftershave is the last, you know, the soap performance still stays scent. might dissipate a little bit, but the aftershave, so I really look forward to actually using it properly, like during the time of the year when you’re supposed to.
So like, I have all my fall scents. I put them into the back of the cabinet, all organized and then I have my spring scents and then I have my, you know, all my winter and summer stuff as well. And I just like to kind of use them in a rotation.
So I really look forward to putting them to the side for a few months and then revisiting them, you know, when they’re when the proper season is here. So I don’t know if that’s just me. I know there’s a few other wet shavers that do that as well. I kind of keep the same rotation when it comes to that, and I love I love seasonal stuff. So looking forward to the start of spring after, you know, I know a lot of people out there have been having a rough winter. I know right now it just we got a little bit of a cold snap down here in South Florida. So looking forward to enjoying this cold snap because usually around this time of the year, it’s the last one or two more left. And then that’s it.
Now we go right into the heat. So actually, yeah, so yeah. So we’re looking forward to to enjoying some of that cold weather right now and then probably not seeing it again for a while.
But anyway, regardless of the weather today on the show, we discovered some wet shaving products available at gas stations. That’s right. A couple of viewers and listeners in the wet shaving world have been reporting to see these out in the wild here and some wet in some gas stations here or there. I think there’s a couple of larger gas station convenience stores that have it. They have a little wet shaving set up. I’ll tell you about my thought on the products and even have a really cool picture out there for you guys in the show notes.
If you’re very if you’re familiar with wet shaving or if you’ve ever been to the Manhattan area of New York Pasteurs pharmacy has been the wet shaving mecca for brick and mortar shops all over the world. And now you can get there a lot of their exclusive stuff on online from their shop, so their online shop has been expanded. Talk a little bit about that, about that place there and what that does to the what shaving community.
A little salute to Ukrainian products. There are a ton of Ukrainian products out there. I wasn’t really honestly didn’t really know much about them until I started doing some research. So we want to salute the Ukrainian products out there.
And another chevette that’s built like a straight razor that got my interest made in Sweden, the $2 chevette. Really, it’s called the Essence Razor really got my eye, my attention, and that’s really one of those Chevette style razors that actually look like it might actually work. I’m not a big Chevette fan myself, but this one might really feel like a straight razor. And from the reviews I saw very positive. I’ll talk a little bit about that razor as well. All right, guys. So without further ado, let’s get on with the show.
So talking about what shaving products at gas stations? So if you take a look in the show notes and scroll down, you can definitely see there’s a couple of displays here with some wet shaving products. You got a strap, some straight razors by union and a couple of other products, a kit safety razor brush.
And you know, just when you thought getting gas was going to be a bad thing with the increased price right in the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen a huge jump in gas in the last few weeks and last year or so. Now there’s a reason to go to the gas station and to be and have a little bit of time to yourself and take it in right after you fill up to go, take a look and spend some more money if you want.
Now you need straight razors and stuff. Our guys are going to be completely honest with you. I mean, I think it’s great that they’re there, but they’re they’re junk. All right. I’m going to be honest, there are made in Pakistan. I have tried one of the Union razors. I saw one at a barbershop one time and I bought one just to see if I can get it to shave and it I could not. I honed it and honed it. I went on a I actually went on on a Norton 220 grit to start off to set the bevel on it. And then I went up to progression. I went all the way up to my my actually my Etcher , a dark blue horn, which is what I finish everything on. I did the cardinal. I did everything like that when I was honing this razor and I could not get it to shave our hair. I’m sorry, I tried and it is. One hundred is a stainless steel razor. The on and everything. Just it’s just I couldn’t get it to shave. And those drops are no good either.
But. I’m sure somebody out there can get them to shave just not me, I guess my skill sets, not there yet. And, you know, just looking at great packaging, great to see our good is just take a look and maybe just, you know, kill some time. But I don’t know if I’d recommend buying the straight razor, the strap, maybe the safety razor looks like a well, she I don’t think you can go wrong with the safety razor. I think that would be fine.
And, you know, I don’t know about the blades either. Or the brushes, probably OK, but I would stay away from a straight razor, but it’s really cool to see this at a brick and mortar convenience store, right? And just just really cool to see it. So when you just, you know, just when you thought, did you seen everything you know, a couple of listeners went and they said, Hey, I just saw this at a gas station. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t buy anything. But, you know, I got a couple of emails. I actually got two emails this week asking, Are they good?
And when I saw the Union name, I’m like, Oh, no, no, these are not good, so don’t buy the straight razor. It’s not worth it. I’d much rather buy a vintage razor that needed to be honed or something like that and send it out to be honed, to try it yourself. Because the the razor, these just I mean, personally, it just didn’t work for me. I couldn’t get them to work. And I don’t think a strop like that with inferior leather is going to be very good at probably do more harm than than good when stropping it. But you know, it’s there and I’m sure somebody can get it to work.
And if you have, you know, feel free to email me, but really interesting seeing that in a store and really cool. As you can see, there’s like a little glass case with the stand and everything like that. Remember, you can’t go wrong with a stand or bowl, right? You can’t. Doesn’t matter where that’s made. You can get something really nice there if you want that set and just try it out. So if you guys have tried the union razors and you’ve gone to work, hey, let me know. Give me some advice there, because I can’t. I can’t seem to do it.
So Pasteurs, guys, a little bit of history Pasteurs for the newer listeners out there. Now I’ve talked about past tours many times in this podcast and over the last five or six years now that we’ve been known to us. Excuse me doing this pastors, is they as a pharmacy in New York? There’s two locations. It’s both in Manhattan. One is right. Several blocks away from the Empire State Building. So if you could see the Empire State Building, no, that past stores is right down the street. It’s right on right by in between the Macy’s and the actual building over there. So you can on 34th Street. A lot of fun to go visit.
And you will spend a lot of time in there and you probably going to meet a new friend or two while shopping. But for those of us who can’t get the Pasteurs and, you know, during the pandemic, that was definitely a reason nobody’s traveling. And, you know, traditionally Pasteurs was a brick and mortar only. There were no actual items that you could buy online. You couldn’t see what they had online. You couldn’t even see what was in stock without giving them a call or showing up. But now past stores has done a little bit of their homework, and they’ve gotten an online shop now. When they first started about a year ago, they only have like 10 or 15 items on there. Now they have hundreds. So I’m I’m thinking that this is something that they’re going for for the future. And Leon and his team over there and past stores is really looking to supply the whole wet shaving world with his products. So that’s really exciting.
And also to see that Pasteurs exclusive products are now available online. If you go on their little on their website, go to the exclusive products and you can get to the only where they’re only there. So there are some artisans just making soaps for Pasteurs and you can go there and purchase it directly from them. Now, I will be honest, I think the website’s really good, but I know if you get there, you’re on your own, you’re going to find something that’s not on the website that you’ve been looking,
For example. I mean, I remember the first time I walked in, I’ve only been to pastors twice, right? And I’ve been there the first time I went in there. I was really, really getting into, you know, software and stuff. And I was like, Man, this is just this is like the showroom. This is like the Amazon showroom. Like when you go to buy a TV at Best Buy and you go, you go there and then you go purchase it on Amazon. Because at Best Buy, it used to be called the showroom for Amazon, right?
That was this Pasteurs. Was the wet shaving showroom, right? Every artisan, every name brand, you know, from from hardware to software to blades to straight razors to two brushes. I mean, they had more Simpson brushes than I’ve ever seen. Even stuff that wasn’t even currently being produced and that was the best part. You go there and you’re like, Oh, this artisan soap is sold out, and then there it is.
And the only other place that was as impressive as past stores was the Old Old Town shaving company, which was in Pasadena, California, which I was very fortunate to go to as well. And there it was a little bit of a bigger selection there, but they’re gone now. They’ve retired and shut that place down. So they’re really there’s just pet stores now.
And it’s unfortunately, it’s on both sides of the country. So you have one in California, one in New York, but they are very both stores were very Pasteurs are still very impressive. So just to be able to see their stuff online now, you too, you can go and actually purchase stuff from the wet shaving Mecca without having having to step foot in the store. Although I will recommend if you are in the New York area and you can get there and you are a wet shaving fanatic like the rest of us, get over there because you will go when you’re shopping in that store, you will meet another wash area and you will see somebody that’s going to have a great story.
I mean, when I was there, I met somebody from Dubai. I still have been in contact with that person up until about a year ago. I remember he was emailing me here and there. So it was great. I mean, it’s just so much fun to see somebody, and you might even see a local, a local guy there as well that will tell you all the ropes and tell you, Hey, he’s got this over there and all that. I mean, it is just a great place to be and give yourself at least an hour. If you’re traveling with your family, tell your family, guys like, I’ll do whatever you want. Give me an hour and hear about myself so I can take a look or bring your, you know, bring your children, your wife, your family with you as well.
Because it is, it is worth it. But just to be able to purchase it online is awesome. You know, Leon, thank you very much. If you’re listening to this, that we really appreciate it because it is a blast to go to Pasteurs and now to be able to purchase it online. The exclusive product, at least it really is. It makes it that much more special. So thank you. Salute to Pasteurs because they are the wet shaving mecca and now available for anybody who wants to purchase it all over the world.
So Ukrainian products have been, of course, the talk of the town for the last few weeks and rightfully so, with everything going on in the Far East. It’s been a rough month or so, to say the least. I don’t want to get too much into it because I don’t like to keep politics. Or you know that many current events involved in a podcast like to keep strictly shaving.
But, you know, with everything going on, it made me think about, are there, you know, wet shaving products made by you, by Ukraine in Ukraine that I didn’t know about. And I really never thought about products made in that country up until recently because of the events. So I looked it up and I found that there are some really awesome products there.
You have Elly’s Wonder Shop, which is a soap company. Artisan Shaving Soap, which is available at several online retailers, are really look good. Good reviews on that, too. The smart helix Apollo razor, which is a it’s actually a straight up, excuse me, um, safety razor. Which I’m going to click on the link right now, I left the links for this in the show notes to show you guys can just click right on it. Take a look at it. And this is me. It’s kind of like the Apollo. It’s called the Apollo Series, and a lot of them are actually. Most of them are almost out of stock, if not are. By this time, I know what I saw now. Two or three of them are now out of stock off from this morning, but it comes with a nice stainless steel razor, some stands and stuff like that, too. So just taking a look at it, really unique design, beautiful razors as well. Beautiful presentation.
Unfortunately, I don’t know if they go out of stock, if they’re going to be able to fulfill the orders, but they are still taking pre-orders so you can order them on if they’re out of stock or you can then actually pre-order it. Some submit a form and actually get it. So it’s called the smart helix. And there’s several, I’m sure sorry, the company’s called smart helix and they’re the Apollo line of razors.
Now, I don’t think it’s the same Apollo that was made in Germany back in the fifties and sixties that are still, you know, still, few of them are on the, you know, like the Apollo Micron and stuff. I’m not sure on that. I didn’t really see that on the website, but you know, there are quite a few people using them and posting them on the shave of the day. You got few few guys actually on there right now.
Few videos on the website is also comes in a beautiful wooden display box. So I thought that was really cool, too. This is a real display piece with a stainless steel stand. Definitely. Take a look at it when you get a chance, it looks really cool and gives you a chance to support to Ukraine as well. Night also night blade guards with a little hole cross drilled holes in there. I haven’t seen that too often, so it really did dissipate the lather a little bit and doesn’t, might, may or may not get clogged. But it does look like it might be a little bit more difficult to clean, but otherwise really cool. The design great gripping on it and noodling on, and it was well, and I really want to try one of these myself.
Actually, I think the price points rights are starting about two hundred dollars, but they’re handmade. I mean, they’re seeing see machined and they’re solid stainless steel.
And also there’s another razor on here called the Lezzo razor, which I actually thought was I didn’t know it was made in Ukraine. I thought it was somewhere else. I actually thought it was made like I thought it’s in a different country on another European country, but the Lezzo razor is a cartridge razor that is really they make it for men and women.
And there’s they’re kind of disposable with all the blades are made in Ukraine and everything and also has a plastic handle, and they’re they’re disposable and they have a couple of other products and novelties on there as well. You could take a look at most mainly for women and men and all of it being disposable. Two blade cartridges.
So another great product to take a look at. I’ve never seen that before up until just really looking and looking at up and researching it, but I got to say that smart helix polymers are really looks solid. I mean, that looks like some cool stuff, and I wish I knew about that sooner because I probably would have picked one of those up back in the day or or saved up for one of them.
Because the design, the the actual the blade guard on it really looks cool. So it’s something that really got my attention. And and Well, see for yourself. I love it again. I love the links in the show notes, so you can take a look at it at your Sephora and let me know what your thoughts are if you own one to send me an email because I’d love to hear more about it. I’ve never seen one in person. I’ve tried it, so it sounds really, really cool.
All right, and the todlas razor, this is another another really different razor that I saw just looking up stuff, you know, recently. This is a chevette. But it’s commander of a completely stainless steel, so feels like a straight razor when you pick it up now looks like a artists club. Kind of like a custom mysteries of the Tang is really long on it, and the detail is actually really like sharp and slick and the razor itself. The scales are definitely, definitely odd to look and might be a little bit difficult.
Looks more like a custom that you would buy from, like, you know, Charlie Lewis or somebody like that. And these razors are just really impressive, a lot of people even giving them some good reviews. And one thing it can take a double edged blade snapped in half or an artist’s club style blade. So there’s a ability to take all of those type of blades when you use this razor. And this is actually 100 percent made in Switzerland, so this is a Swiss laser.
Again, you can get it here in the United States direct from the website. I didn’t see any other retailer selling it, but there might be some out there. I didn’t really look too hard, but from what I saw, it’s just direct from the website comes in beautiful packaging, very well balanced from what I’ve been reading other reviews online. And it’s one of those shavettes that, yeah, it’s I think about 250 to 300 dollars for one of them. But I mean this, it’s a high quality shavette . It’s not a cheap one that you can get at the barber shop or barbershop supply store that you would do. You know, the barbers, you just just to shave. So I mean, again, with Chevette, I’m very hesitant. I’m one. I cut myself very badly on one one time. I don’t use them myself. But you know this feather artist club razors and this one too. I hear nothing but rave reviews, so maybe one day I’ll try it. But for right now, I’ll stick to the conventional fixed blade razors.
But yeah, really interesting on this one. Take a look at again shownotes. I’ll do a quick Google search. You can see some reviews on it as well. So if you don’t want to take my word for it, but it really looks like an interesting wave of the future they’re actually advertising, is it being a the only razor of its kind of that design to where it’s like a straight razor with a Chevette style, but it’s not. It’s the first ever straight razor they’re saying with disposable blades, so they’re considering it a straight razor instead of a chevette.
All right, guys, well, that concludes all the notes for this week, you know, it’s been a little bit of a slow week lately in the wet shaving world was stuff. I mean, and usually it does mean a lot going on in the world right now. So I know a lot of people are slowing down on production and stuff.
Also, with the cost of goods and all that and other shipping issues, you know, I’ve been hearing a lot of vendors just being behind a little bit, but also been hearing a lot of great things too. Like I saw a couple of great announcements. Barrister And Mann had one finished in. Phoenix Artisan accoutrements are still on top. There’s still like really coming out with new releases and stuff. They haven’t really missed a beat. You know, had that meet up a few weeks ago back in Phoenix with Rex and pour himself or, you know, Razor Emporium r, I’m sorry. And they were just they were just like, really all over it. So I mean, I think to watch him world’s coming back to normal. I did buy the Passiflora from Barrister And Mann and, to be honest, delivered for a set with a soap and aftershave was 50 bucks. So I mean, honestly, guys, it is going up in price.
But you know, the soap is going to last. It’s going to last a very long time, you know, when you get a good set, so you support new artisans, you know, have a good, you know, shave of the day for St. Patrick’s Day. Make sure it’s green. Enjoy this stuff, guys, because it’s so much fun having you know a little bit of time to yourself every day to do what shaving, especially with everything going on from Colvin now to the stuff going on in the East, it’s like, Man, we can’t just get a break, you know?
So, but there is a break for us and it’s stirring our morning shave. So think about that next time you pick up your razor and always just remember to have some fun when you’re doing it, because that’s what it’s all about. It’s a lot of fun. Even though I grow a little, I grew up a little partial beard myself, still shaving my neck and, you know, trimming myself up, so I’m still using my stuff. I probably need to take off this beard so I can enjoy more, right? So but now I’m enjoying it, having never had a beard before, as you guys know and keeping it, you know? Yeah, about number three on the adjustment. So it’s kind of short for my works. I look good. I enjoy, you know, just having a good time with the journey. So enjoy your shaves, everybody, because they are, they are for you. And that concludes our show for the week, guys. Remember, our show is powered by sharpologist.com, what your father didn’t teach you about shaving. Special thanks to you guys, the listeners and mark mantic59 for everything he does in the West shaving community. All right, guys, until our next show, which will be on the 28th of this month. Shave straight and shave safe. Bye bye now.
