Best American-made shaving consumables?

[furious1]

Gentlemen,

In my short time on this great board, I have noticed a perceptible bias toward foreign-made, particularly British, shaving products by Americans. My well-stocked local retailer (shout out to Oh! U Beauty in Glendale, CA) also carries more British than American products. I'm wondering if we still believe in some kind of cultural superiority of Britain when it comes to traditional manly stuff (the suave James Bond vs. rough-hewn John Wayne), or if there are simply not as good American-made creams, soaps, aftershaves, brushes, etc.... Are we DE'ers being colonized by a new King George, King Geo. F. Trumper?

I'm no jingoistic tea bagger, er, I mean, tea partier, and am not trying to stir up political controversy, just curious. I'd prefer to buy products that are more local to me for environmental reasons, rather than spend money on things shipped across an ocean and then trucked across the country.

I'm aware of AOS, Jack Black, and American Crew of course. I've also just placed my first order with Mamma Bear's, which is just the kind of company I'm looking for--closer to home, small producer. Are there others like it? I'm in the market for my first real brush (I'm now using a Body Shop synthetic, British, natch), but it seems all of the ones lauded here are British made, Simpson's being an obvious example. Doesn't North America have a lot of badgers hanging around? In Wisconsin for example?

Thanks for any advice you can offer on this perplexing (to me) question.

P.S. Yes, I know we live in a global economy and that a product may have ingredients from all over, yadda, yadda. You know what I mean.

 

[Groat]

I think, but have no real proof to back up, that there's an easy explanation for all the foreign stuff. I believe that shaving with a brush and soaps/creams has stayed at least marginally popular in Europe, while it has all but died out here in the states. Therefore, products from overseas have survived while most brush lathering products have faded away here.

To answer your question, I believe Nancy Boy creams are made here in the US. I haven't yet used them, but I hear good things.

 

[taffy]

I also think that wet shaving stayed more popular in europe than the us, one of the reasons why the uk does seem to have more products to offer, companies with a long history who have managed to keep going, or been bought out, to keep going, what about williams, a/v, col konk, seems to me there is a lot of us stuff about, plus you have the knowledge that mr gilette was one of yours

 

[ouch]

St. Charles Shave makes some of my favorite aftershaves.

 

[Mr. Scruffy]

Nancy Boy Signature shaving cream is pretty good.

 

[ackvil]

There are plenty of U.S. companies that make soap (as you noted Mama Bears, QED, Queen Charlotte soaps, Vintage Scents, etc.) a few that make hardware such as Rudy Vey, and Mergress). However, the other hardware is either vintage or made elsewhere.

 

[SUNA]

How come no one has said Gillette!?

 

[Falstaff]

How come no one has said Gillette!?

The Gillette of 1910, or 2010??

 

[taffy]

How come no one has said Gillette!?

I did

 

[rosborne]

You'll find through time here at B&B there are several small US producers for software but I don't know how much on the hardware side. TGQ soaps and SCS soaps are perfect examples and Gentlemens Best carries their own signature series that not only performs outstanding but smells great.

On the bias towards the Brits gear...I figure it's like this... if 75% of the shaving gear is made in Britain, well, 75% of whats sold in stores will be British and 75% of what most people use will be British.

I try to always by US made products but if the better product is from Britain or Germany, I have to go with it. And like noted above, those products are still relatively popular in Europe which means quality and selection will thrive over there.

 

[PaulUK]

There are some quite decent American shaving consumables. You also have a huge online shaving presence on your side of the Atlantic (B&B being the largest forum).
We do have some very good products in the UK but they are aimed at a small niche market.
On your side of the Atlantic, you have:

-a much greater selection of used Gillette razors
-Aqua velva
-C.O. Bigelow creams
-Nancy Boy
-Mama Bear soaps
-TSD creams



The only one of the above I've tried is Nancy Boy. It's very good but it cost me significantly more than it'll cost you (but I can get MWF and palmolive a lot cheaper than you)

 

[kingfisher]

Agree with Saint Charles Shave. Outstanding. I would also add The Gentleman's Quarter, Mama Bear, Nancy Boy, Kiss My Face.

Having said that, most of my creams are European (Trumper, T&H, The Real Shaving Company).

 

[nole1]

While T&H is a British company, don't they produce some of their products in the Chicago area?