Buying in Canada

[ghostlife]

I've never seen brushes for sale in a brick and mortar store in my town, and even webstores located in Canada seem to charge outlandish shipping... I'd rather not pay 50% of the cost of my order in shipping fees. Where do other Canadian posters shop for brushes?

Specifically I'm looking for a modestly priced synthetic for face lathering, if that makes a difference.

 

[davent]

Shopper's sell Omega boar brushes as well they've recently added a DE razor and blades to my neighbourhood store. Body Shop sell a brush and soap for $20cdn, not sure what the brush is made from. I bought a synthetic i'm very happy with from Italian Barber (Toronto), a Big Bruce. You can get free shipping from them with enough of a purchase.

Italian Barber's the only online store i've used but there are other Canadian based seller of shave goods.
dave

 

[ghostlife]

I was at my local Shoppers yesterday and didn't see a single shaving brush of any variety. They did have one type of Wilkinson DE & German Wilkinson Sword blades.

Maybe I'll just have to order enough items to qualify for free shipping, thanks.

Any comments on the quality of Fendrihan's branded brushes? What knots do they use?

 

[Basil]

Where in Canada are you located? I’ve had luck with an omega boar brush from shoppers. Also have porasso soap as well as Wilky blades and i also recently bought a butterfly Wilkinson razor from shoppers.

 

[aldomarino]

There's not much rhyme or reason to price differentials on both sides of the border. Some things are radically cheaper in Canada (new cars, health insurance, real estate) and other things are radically more expensive. In Quebec, at least, Jean Foutu carries a bit of wet-shaving gear, and J.A. Moisin in Quebec City has a big selection of Proraso.

 

[str8six]

Yaqi synthetics from Aliexpress are good and have free/inexpensive shipping.

 

[John Rose]

My sources have been Fendrihan, Italian Barber, Etsy, APShaveCo, The Body Shop, and miscellaneous local pharmacies.
Fendrihan has free shipping on orders over CAD$50; Italian Barber if over USD$60 (even though prices are given in CAD$).

Specifically I'm looking for a modestly priced synthetic for face lathering, if that makes a difference.

I just had to have a 24 mm SynBad with a Blue Lagoon handle from AP Shave Co.
Here's how the price added up (in Canadian dollars):

$26.50 - brush
$2.45 - taxes
$16.31 - shipping, via "expedited parcel".
_______________
$45.26 - total​

24 mm SynBad knot in Blue Lagoon handle

• John Rose
• Oct 19, 2018

24 mm SynBad knot in Blue Lagoon handle, from AP Shave Co.
The colour is more of a cobalt blue...

I'm also interested in this 24 mm Stirling brush from topofthechain.ca , mostly for the handle and overall appearance.

Don't know what the shipping cost would be, but it's free for orders over $60.

... Jean Coutu carries a bit of wet-shaving gear, ...

Fixed that for ya.
We have them here in New Brunswick too. That's where I've gotten about 1/3 of my soaps and AS. They've just started carrying the Wilkinson Sword DE and some Gillette Pure products. Sadly, they dumped the Nivea shaving cream in a tube to make room for it.

 

[aldomarino]

My sources have been Fendrihan, Italian Barber, Etsy, APShaveCo, The Body Shop, and miscellaneous local pharmacies.
Fendrihan has free shipping on orders over CAD$50; Italian Barber if over USD$60 (even though prices are given in CAD$).


I just had to have a 24 mm SynBad with a Blue Lagoon handle from AP Shave Co.
Here's how the price added up (in Canadian dollars):

$26.50 - brush
$2.45 - taxes
$16.31 - shipping, via "expedited parcel".
_______________
$45.26 - total​

24 mm SynBad knot in Blue Lagoon handle

• John Rose
• Oct 19, 2018

24 mm SynBad knot in Blue Lagoon handle, from AP Shave Co.
The colour is more of a cobalt blue...

I'm also interested in this 24 mm Stirling brush from topofthechain.ca , mostly for the handle and overall appearance.

Don't know what the shipping cost would be, but it's free for orders over $60.


Fixed that for ya.
We have them here in New Brunswick too. That's where I've gotten about 1/3 of my soaps and AS. They've just started carrying the Wilkinson Sword DE and some Gillette Pure products. Sadly, they dumped the Nivea shaving cream in a tube to make room for it.

Roaring laughing here. My wife and I are not fans of the Jean Coutu chain, and I completely accidently let sip with what we call those stores.

Those tubs of Wilkinson shaving soap they carry, in the blue tub, are awful. Decent brush, though.

Were are you in NB?

 

[John Rose]

Roaring laughing here. My wife and I are not fans of the Jean Coutu chain, and I completely accidently let sip with what we call those stores.

Ah. Thought it was a typo.

Those tubs of Wilkinson shaving soap they carry, in the blue tub, are awful. Decent brush, though.

I swore I would not buy a second tub of the soap, but since I started mixing it with Nivea shaving cream, even the "industrial floor cleaner" scent is magically improved. I call the mixture "Blue Monday". So I've recently bought a second tub.

Blue Monday SOTD

• John Rose
• Jan 15, 2019

Personna barber blades, Wilkinson Sword soap, Nivea Originals cream, a Black-handled Super-Speed...

I like the appearance and colour of the tub too.

And, yes, the brush is pretty good for the price (just under $7). I would have no problem recommending it as a low-budget starter brush.

Were are you in NB?

Sackville (um...like it says in my profile).

 

[JCULL]

If you don’t want to spend a lot. You can find them at some Winners. Amazon has them aswell.
I do most my shopping from Carmine at Too of the chain. Top knotch customer service. Etsy is also a great place. I’m in Alberta

 

[ghostlife]

Where in Canada are you located? I’ve had luck with an omega boar brush from shoppers. Also have porasso soap as well as Wilky blades and i also recently bought a butterfly Wilkinson razor from shoppers.

Small town in the prairies. My Shoppers has all those things except the brushes

 

[retroman_1979]

Fendrihan and razorock are my favourite online. Calgary and Edmonton have a brick and mortar store that can be searched.

 

[rockviper]

Stone Field Shaving and Top of the Chain are also based here in Canada, carrying some brands that can be otherwise difficult to find domestically (e.g. MdC).

 

[ghostlife]

Fendrihan and Top of the Chain seem to have the best shipping rates so far, thanks for the posts everybody

 

[Old Hippie]

In Kamloops BC I have two good suppliers: a knife shop in our local mall and a menswear place downtown. By "good" I mean they've got some good starter DEs, a few brushes, and some blade selection. The brush I usually use is by "Ice" and may be a store brand for the knife shop. It seems pretty good.

Local stores such as Shopper's Drugmart, Walmart, Loblaw's, Overwaitea all carry Wilkinson Sword blades, German brushes, and the blue tubs of soap. I tried the soap once -- that is some hella packaging that doesn't let the smell out. Used it exactly once and smelled like a teenager just learning to shave all day. In the bin she went! Proraso Green is cheap, it works, I like the smell, and I can get it locally so no problems. I'm also about to start making my own soap.

I generally can't find what I want locally, as I tend to prefer SE (Gem, and now also AC) and there is flat NO SE product for sale here.

I'm breaking in/testing a Wilkinson brush at the mo. It will be my travel brush, so I'm not too picky but do want it to work.

O.H.

 

[GearNoir]

Italian Barber is as good as any. I live in the States and order from them occasionally. Decent prices and prompt service.

 

[rudyt]

Fendrihan and Top of the Chain seem to have the best shipping rates so far, thanks for the posts everybody

Believe it or not, Maggard Razors in the US and Connaught Shaving in the UK have the cheapest shipping to Canada for single items, I.e. for when you don't qualify for free shipping for spending a bunch.

 

[ghostlife]

Thanks for the tip.

Ever get dinged by customs/"brokerage fees" ordering from them?

 

[rockviper]

Ever get dinged by customs/"brokerage fees" ordering from them?

Never when choosing USPS as the shipping option (knock on wood).

 

[davent]

Never when choosing USPS as the shipping option (knock on wood).

Never buy US if they're not shipping USPS, they even have good to the door tracking. I've been stung a few times with USPS shipping but i can't detect a pattern, clothes - yes & no, guitar parts - yes & no, guitars - no... random. The private couriers are robbers.
dave