Obviously I've never used them yet because I'm still in the States, but I did see someone on here recommending Top of the Chain (topofthechain.ca) the other day and I bookmarked it for when my paperwork clears!
Looking for fellow Canadians
- Thread starter Birdman
- Start date
Obviously I've never used them yet because I'm still in the States, but I did see someone on here recommending Top of the Chain (topofthechain.ca) the other day and I bookmarked it for when my paperwork clears!
Thanks I’ll check out Top of the Chain
In addition to the above, I also use Stone Field Shaving as well, based out of Winnipeg and Jonathan is super helpful.
Oh, I also use the below international vendors that painlessly ship to Canada...
- Simpsons in the UK for Limited Edition Simpson Brushes
- Portuguese Factory for Semogue Brushes
- Gifts and Care in Spain (lots of cheap European soaps and brushes)
- West Coast Shaving (will ship to Canada, but better if shipped to a PO box in the US).
Rhody
I'm a Lumberjack.
Not Canadian but I’ve been there 
Was reading this thread and feel moved to give a shout out to tallow + steel.
If you haven’t tried them you should.
Was reading this thread and feel moved to give a shout out to tallow + steel.
If you haven’t tried them you should.
Thanks.As long as US vendors use USPS and not couriers it’s fine, but if I can find the stuff without paying high shipping I’ll buy from Cdn vendors.
100%. UPS across border is an absolute dealbreaker for me. FedEx is almost as bad. No thanks. I’m not paying all of their Bs brokerage and clearing fees. If it’s not USPS (Or similar govt postal services in other countries) to Canada Post, I’m out no matter how good a deal it is.
Bud the Spud! (from the bright red mud, rolling down the highway, smiling. The spuds are big on the back of Bud's rig. They're from Prince Edward Island. They're from Prince Edward Island).
Top of the Chain is the West Coast Shaving of Canada.
Thanks. I did not know that(Constanza doing Carson voice)
I get most of my orders through Top of the Chain in Ontario then Stonefield in Winnipeg depending on what I’m ordering as Stonefield doesn’t carry all of the artisan brands. Top of the Chain takes like 2 weeks+ to get to Alberta with CP, Stonefield uses Purolator and get it within a few days. Top of the Chain has the best selection by far and a lot of Artisans use Top of the Chain when they do drops. Jonathan at Stonefield has great service, will order in products for you if he doesn’t have them, always includes a handwritten note and I like to support him as this is his part time gig when he is not flying. I’ve used Fendrihan once and had good service, same as Top of the Chain, took 2 weeks to get it. Haven’t used Italian Barber as they are always sold out of anything I like.
For blades, I do Wish4Blades on Amazon like SharpieB said above or Razor Blades Club if I want samplers. Razor Blades Clubs comes from Germany so takes like a month to get here.
If you want samples of soaps or creams, Maggards in the US has most of the regular rotations of the most commons brands and they have cheap international shipping, it takes like a month to get it though. Shavedash in Ireland is great for samples because he has lots of the limited editions or seasonal soaps you can’t get from Maggards. I did a recent order, just after Xmas and it cost $8 (Cdn) for shipping and I got it from Northern Ireland in 6 days.
I’ve made a quite a few orders from the US in last few months and have not paid any duty once with USPS / CP but used courier twice and was charged duty and brokerage fee both times so if you aren’t in a rush and can wait, USPS is the much cheaper option.
Hope this helps
One of the best!
Thanks for all the info. I’ve been ordering things from the states for many years and learned a long time ago to never use a courier. I slipped up and didn’t ask this time and now I’m paying the price. My bad. I’m actually on hold with UPS right now for about the tenth time in two days. They’re supposed to give you the papers to clear it with customs yourself. They’re own paperwork says $8 for taxes and fees, $21 UPS fees
The one order with UPS, I messaged the vendor and asked if he could send it USPS and he didn’t see the second S I guess when he said sure and sent it UPS anyways. The duties and brokerage fee cost more then the soap and aftershave
Won’t order from them again. First order I made from US I didn’t know and thought for $5 more I get it in a few days this is great. Learned my lesson the first timeoh that sucks. Yeah I blew it. Which sucks cause I should’ve known better. Aside from the extra fees, UPS are horrible to deal with. Purolator can be bad too, considering they’re owned by CP
The one order with UPS, I messaged the vendor and asked if he could send it USPS and he didn’t see the second S I guess when he said sure and sent it UPS anyways. The duties and brokerage fee cost more then the soap and aftershave
Good luck, don’t envy you having to deal with them
I always check the SHIPPING and FAQ sections before ordering from international shops. If it says UPS, DHL, Purolator or ANY courier, I clear my cart. Been hit too often in the past (shaving gear and not) with duties and brokerage fees to tempt fate again.
Smart. I let my guard down after reading so many positive int’l reviews.
Also fun fact: I have several packages waiting for pick up at my P.O. Box since the border closed!
Also fun fact: I have several packages waiting for pick up at my P.O. Box since the border closed!
Crap. Are they charging you anything for storage or just the monthly fee?
My cottage is a few KM from the US border near Watertown NY. We are only there May-Oct, so I don’t use the PO Box in the fall/winter as it is 2.5 hours from my house.
No extra storage fees, just the yearly fee,which is like $30 or something. They say they’ll hold everyone’s packages until three months after the border opens, so that’s nice of them.
Im about 45mins from the border so we shop down there a lot. Make an afternoon of picking up mail and getting groceries. Or pick up mail on the way to visiting friends in Seattle or Portland.
Sounds like it’s gonna be awhile
Im about 45mins from the border so we shop down there a lot. Make an afternoon of picking up mail and getting groceries. Or pick up mail on the way to visiting friends in Seattle or Portland.
Sounds like it’s gonna be awhile
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