Welcome, new and future DE pogonotomists!
Now that you're here, many of you, if you're new, are wondering about putting together a starters kit. Some of you are worried about affording a starters kit. Worry not!
I was where you are two years ago, wondering, worrying, shopping, seeking, fretting. Now, it's: new year, new shaving stuff! For me, and thus for you -- for when I get new shaving goodies, I PIF off some of the best of the rest, to keep the den manageable.
What I've put together here is a very nice, mostly humble DE shaving starter kit. The theme: KISS -- keep it simple, stewpud! Simple, basic, good, dependable, inexpensive equipment that's all been tested by me and performs well, will do the job nicely, be easy to learn with, and not break anyone's bank. Any piece of this if you decide to give away to someone admiring it in the mirror, to your cousin, if it drops on the floor and breaks, if someone steals it -- nothing to cry over, cause nothing here costs more than a few bucks (except maybe the badger brush and let's see about the Klar). But, you'll love using all of it, and won't have to worry about it. Nice deal, if you ask me. Especially for starter kits, I think quality, low cost products are key - that makes it much easier for DE shavers to PIF early, often, painlessly and conveniently.
ENTRANCE CRITERIA:
BarbaGnosa's 2015 KISS PIF
SOAP
RAZOR: Weishi TTO
You should also go get these pieces of essential kit.
Now that you're here, many of you, if you're new, are wondering about putting together a starters kit. Some of you are worried about affording a starters kit. Worry not!
I was where you are two years ago, wondering, worrying, shopping, seeking, fretting. Now, it's: new year, new shaving stuff! For me, and thus for you -- for when I get new shaving goodies, I PIF off some of the best of the rest, to keep the den manageable.
What I've put together here is a very nice, mostly humble DE shaving starter kit. The theme: KISS -- keep it simple, stewpud! Simple, basic, good, dependable, inexpensive equipment that's all been tested by me and performs well, will do the job nicely, be easy to learn with, and not break anyone's bank. Any piece of this if you decide to give away to someone admiring it in the mirror, to your cousin, if it drops on the floor and breaks, if someone steals it -- nothing to cry over, cause nothing here costs more than a few bucks (except maybe the badger brush and let's see about the Klar). But, you'll love using all of it, and won't have to worry about it. Nice deal, if you ask me. Especially for starter kits, I think quality, low cost products are key - that makes it much easier for DE shavers to PIF early, often, painlessly and conveniently.
ENTRANCE CRITERIA:
- Type in your entrance post: I'M IN
- Be a newb: Have a B&B membership start date on or after September 1, 2014, and include it in your post.
- Be friendly: say something informative and inspiring about what brings you to/interests you in traditional shaving, B&B, etc.
- Be appreciative: tell us what you appreciate about B&B.
- Be smart and kewl: do it with thought, wit and style!
- Be not rich. If you have a special need for this PIF, the clearer that need, the more my heart melts.
- Be on the planet: Earth, and let us know where you are.
(If you're in space, I'm not so sure how well suited traditional shaving is for zero gravity.) - Be patient and a good sport: I'll use some method to choose the winner, possibly including random number generators, the I Ching, throwing dice, eenie meenie meinie mo, and whoever's responses inspire me most to choose a PIFee;
- to be announced Sunday 11 January 2015.
BarbaGnosa's 2015 KISS PIF
SOAP
- STIRLING SOAP SAMPLES: Stirling Soaps is one of the hot, new shaving product startups of the last couple years, and has taken B&B by storm. Slickness is their hallmark, as well as value and price worthy performance. These soap samples are from their first year. All shave great, although they're not among my favorite fragrances. I like big, over the top fragranced soaps, and these are all a bit more subtle. There's about two ounces per sample, and each is packed into a 4oz jam canning jar, which are very nice, easy to open, load your brush from, manage, stack, seal airtight.
- Coniferous
- Well Dressed Man
- Orange Chill
- Tuscany
- Williams Shaving Soap. The remaining 1/3 of the very first puck I bought. A simple classic.
- Erasmic Shaving Stick Picked it up as part of my super cost-effective DE start-up shaving soap research last year, used it a handful of times, 97% new and unused.
- Klar Kabinett: A classic, old school German intensely rose fragranced shaving soap discontinued in 2014. This is a collectors item now, and you, lucky newb, will be the only one in your block/town/county/state to have it. About 4 oz. Shave with rare pleasure, and/or trade it for something valuable on B&B from a desperate Klar aficionado!
RAZOR: Weishi TTO
- This is a surprisingly decent Chinese knock-off/homage to the Gillette Superspeed (I believe). I've got both, and you can see the resemblance, particularly in the design of the head, as well as the shave. This is an all aluminum razor, very light, which seems strong enough to shave with, but of uncertain durability. Great to start your DE shaving education with, but something most will graduate from in the not distant future. If you like this, get the real Gillette upon which it's based, made with significantly better production standards and far better materials.
- Ace Shaving Boar: For the bargain-basement price, this little boar brush performs surprisingly well. This one is well broken in. I was considering these as a potential grooms men DE shaving kit gift.
- Badger Travel Brush: This was my first badger brush, PIFd to me last year. It's a great little brush for anytime, but its small size makes you work longer for less lather. Ideal for travel. It helped me to get an idea of the fuss about badgers, and inspired me to buy a full size badger.
- Personna Blues - popular, every day, easy going blades.
- Sharp Chromium Durablade - Got PIF'd these. Got too many others to try.
- Treat Classics - among my favorites, just discovered last summer, well deserving their near near the top, 9, ratings. These are somewhat popular favorites, and I don't get why they're not really popular.
ADDED AFTER THE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN - Super-Max Platinum: PIF'd to me and now to you.
- Super-Max Stainless Steel: ditto
- KAI: Very sharp Japanese blades, up there with Feathers. If you love super sharp blades, you've gotta try them. Handle with care and you can get an incredible shave. Handle without care... well, don't.
You should also go get these pieces of essential kit.
- Styptic pencil or gel to stem bleeding from nicks.
- Alum block: potassium alum block astringent to rub on irritated skin after shaving, helping to calm and disinfect irritated skin and weepers.
- Aftershave lotion, such as a quality witch hazel, bay rum, etc.
- Aftershave (aka facial) balm/moisturizer.
- Shaving bowl/mug: I started with mugs, but in the past year have mostly been face lathering. I like the joy of the feel of the brush scrubbing my face and the added hydration time building the lather on my face gives me. I find I get better lathers, face coverage, and shaves with face lathering. But, everyone should be familiar with both and many love mug/bowl/scuttle lathering.
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