(Photo: Courtesy of ê Shave)

With an influx of men’s spas like BBraxton and Truman’s Gentlemen’s Groomers, you’d think fussy guys are all outsourcing their upkeep. For some, however, half of the joy of shaving is accumulating the right tools for the job. The freshly minted ê Shave (993B First Ave., nr. 54th St.; 212-838-0807), the concept of former sculptor Danielle Malka, elevates shaving accoutrements to art forms. A tapered, Brancusi-like razor handle ($60 to $75) is sold in seven colors with three metal finish options (gunmetal, nickel-plated, and eighteen-karat-gold-plated) available for the razor’s upper carriage. There are also shaving creams in scents like Almond, White Tea, and Citrus (from $13) and elegant silver-tipped badger-hair brushes with twirled nickel-plated handles ($170). With this boutique’s sculptural wares and white, gallerylike confines, it’s a shame the name the Art of Shaving was already taken.

Related:

• Archive: “The Storefront: Openings & Closings”
• Articles by Aja Mangum
• Table of Contents: Aug 27, 2007 issue of New York | Subscribe!