A cheap miracle has happened!

[DamnFineBob]

I decided to break in my $5.00 VDH (Van der Hagen, drugstore special, el cheapo) boar hair brush. Knowing from the talk on B&B that VDH brushes are garbage, and are incapable of producing lather, I didn't expect much.

After washing the initial loose hairs away with shampoo and rinsing thoroughly, I set out to break it in on some of that $1.15 Williams' soap that everyone agrees is absolutely horrid. Of course, I knew that there would be no resulting suds of any sort, since shaving cream can only be made with soaps and brushes from England and Italy.

But then a miracle occurred... thick, rich lather sprung forth from my bowl, along with the scent of lemon verbena while the VDH brush lost NOT a single hair!

Obviously this was a fluke, so I threw the aforementioned items in the trash and placed an order for a Simpson Chubby and Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet soap. After all, VDH and Williams' are cheap.

 

[bbarton713]

I decided to break in my $5.00 VDH (Van der Hagen, drugstore special, el cheapo) boar hair brush. Knowing from the talk on B&B that VDH brushes are garbage, and are incapable of producing lather, I didn't expect much.

After washing the initial loose hairs away with shampoo and rinsing thoroughly, I set out to break it in on some of that $1.15 Williams' soap that everyone agrees is absolutely horrid. Of course, I knew that there would be no resulting suds of any sort, since shaving cream can only be made with soaps and brushes from England and Italy.

But then a miracle occurred... thick, rich lather sprung forth from my bowl, along with the scent of lemon verbena while the VDH brush lost NOT a single hair!

Obviously this was a fluke, so I threw the aforementioned items in the trash and placed an order for a Simpson Chubby and Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet soap. After all, VDH and Williams' are cheap.

I'm glad you saw the light!

 

[BladeRunner001]

Awesome

 

[danparker77]

I have never had any problems with my VDH brush, not my favorite but still gets some use. Same with the williams, just dries my face out quite a bit so doesn't get much love but I can get later from it! Just goes to show you this "hobby" really is YMMV!

 

[DeusVult]

I have used this same combination for about a year, though I've been shaving with disposable orange Bics for a couple of months and some generic cartidges before that.

I have had good experience with the Williams soap, but my VDH brush had a few problems. The softness and lathering seems ok, but I've never used anything else so it's hard for me to compare. I did just get a new badger brush last night, but haven't tried it out yet.

The problem with the VDH brush was losing bristles. I had 5 or more bristles come loose every time. Now, I've lost several entire chunks of bristles, from the glued-together bottoms. The brush still functions, but it has a big hole in the center. I might post a picture of this later.

I've been storing the VDH brush with the bristles up. Perhaps this has had an effect on the durability of the glue at the base of the bristles. Please comment on this.

I may buy a new VDH brush, since they're so cheap, once I try out the badger brush a while. I need a good brush stand to allow the brushes to hang bristles down. I plan to craft one from wood.

 

[Slivovitz]

VdH brushes will never provoke the same frothing at the mouth hatred as Williams Soap. I've got two of the brushes. Got the second one because it came as part of a set with a rather nice little bowl. Both of them work well for face lathering, although I do lose a hair here and there. I prefer my Omega boar and Tweezerman badger, but both of those are pretty cheap, too.

My current puck of Williams is actually vintage, but the modern stuff works very well for me too. I wish I could find it for $1.15 a puck, though. It's $1.79 at my local CVS. I got 10 pucks on Hocks.com for $0.99 each, but with shipping it was something like $1.49.

 

[life2short1971]

I'm on year 4 of my latest VDH and it is just starting to shed a hair occasionally.

 

[benb]

I decided to break in my $5.00 VDH (Van der Hagen, drugstore special, el cheapo) boar hair brush. Knowing from the talk on B&B that VDH brushes are garbage, and are incapable of producing lather, I didn't expect much.

After washing the initial loose hairs away with shampoo and rinsing thoroughly, I set out to break it in on some of that $1.15 Williams' soap that everyone agrees is absolutely horrid. Of course, I knew that there would be no resulting suds of any sort, since shaving cream can only be made with soaps and brushes from England and Italy.

But then a miracle occurred... thick, rich lather sprung forth from my bowl, along with the scent of lemon verbena while the VDH brush lost NOT a single hair!

Obviously this was a fluke, so I threw the aforementioned items in the trash and placed an order for a Simpson Chubby and Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet soap. After all, VDH and Williams' are cheap.

Haha! darn funny.

 

[knlgskr]

I decided to break in my $5.00 VDH (Van der Hagen, drugstore special, el cheapo) boar hair brush. Knowing from the talk on B&B that VDH brushes are garbage, and are incapable of producing lather, I didn't expect much.

After washing the initial loose hairs away with shampoo and rinsing thoroughly, I set out to break it in on some of that $1.15 Williams' soap that everyone agrees is absolutely horrid. Of course, I knew that there would be no resulting suds of any sort, since shaving cream can only be made with soaps and brushes from England and Italy.

But then a miracle occurred... thick, rich lather sprung forth from my bowl, along with the scent of lemon verbena while the VDH brush lost NOT a single hair!

Obviously this was a fluke, so I threw the aforementioned items in the trash and placed an order for a Simpson Chubby and Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet soap. After all, VDH and Williams' are cheap.[/QUOTE

Bob, u r a great Amerikan & with your logic u will go far.

 

[pezdaddy]

I wish I could use Williams. I've tried two times and both times caused irritation. That was about 8 months ago and early in my wet shaving career, so perhaps a re-try is in order.

 

[jgriffith]

That's great... I've considered trying VDH soap since its so readily available. I think after reading this post I may pick some up next time I'm at the store.

 

[BrianL]

I have had 3 VDH brushes and 1 was great until the knot fell out and the other 2 were pretty bad.

 

[bbarton713]

That's great... I've considered trying VDH soap since its so readily available. I think after reading this post I may pick some up next time I'm at the store.

I tried it for the first time the other day after doing some work on it. I put the puck in an Old Spice mug, added around 12 drops of liquid menthol, put in a couple splashes of Royal Lime ASL, and then let it solidify overnight.

I had a great shave the next day and am thinking of other ways I can create some more pucks with the amount of menthol I enjoy and with scents that match my ASL or cologne.

 

[Rivguy]

I used a VDH and the various others that look to be of the same manufacture for quite some time. I think that it is the same bush that was included in the Surrey kit as well as an old OS set, perhaps others as well. It is a pretty descent brush and does produce good lather. It was and is one of my travel brushes...that is until I decide on a new one designed for the purpose. I may just get a travel brush case but that is a discussion for another thread. I can't speak to the Williams soap as I have not tried it.

Cheers,

Doug

 

[guitar2mw]

I have a couple of VDH brushes, and both of them are excellent performers after the break-in period. I have also been able to achieve BBS shaves with Williams and these brushes. I prefer to use VDH Deluxe, but Williams is definitely a nice change of pace. I have it in an old camp-style enamelware coffee mug just for that super vintage appeal. I'm glad that there are others out there who believe in the cheap stuff!

 

[bouncer]

I've been using the VDH brush and it lathers okay but it seems to shed a couple hairs each time I use it just ordered an Omega professional #10098 as my VDH will be bald in a couple months at this rate.

 

[Judge Kemp]

That's great... I've considered trying VDH soap since its so readily available. I think after reading this post I may pick some up next time I'm at the store.

I've never tried WIlliams, but I find VDH soap to be soothing, slick and a good latherer. I PIFd it to a friend locally to get him started wetshaving, but plan on replacing it.

 

[Brownbear]

I wandered into what is now called wet shaving twenty plus years ago by picking up a cheap department store boar brush (probably VDH, wouldn't have noticed then) and puck of either Williams or VDH, putting the puck in a coffee mug and having at it. In my total ignorance I was happy as a clam for over two decades. Dropping the canned foam and switching to soap and a brush was the greatest step up in the quality of my shaves, the recent developments (DEs, vintage DEs, SEs and now straights) have been steady improvements but none has been the quantum leap that switching to soap was.

And that was with cheap soap and cheap boar brushes. Now I own numerous expensive creams and soaps and sticks and somewhere in the vicinity of three dozen badger brushes, all of which makes this hobby/task fun; but truth is I could shave comfortably for the rest of my life with a six dollar brush and a buck and a half puck of soap.

 

[rsaltonstall]

I decided to break in my $5.00 VDH (Van der Hagen, drugstore special, el cheapo) boar hair brush. Knowing from the talk on B&B that VDH brushes are garbage, and are incapable of producing lather, I didn't expect much.

After washing the initial loose hairs away with shampoo and rinsing thoroughly, I set out to break it in on some of that $1.15 Williams' soap that everyone agrees is absolutely horrid. Of course, I knew that there would be no resulting suds of any sort, since shaving cream can only be made with soaps and brushes from England and Italy.

But then a miracle occurred... thick, rich lather sprung forth from my bowl, along with the scent of lemon verbena while the VDH brush lost NOT a single hair!

Obviously this was a fluke, so I threw the aforementioned items in the trash and placed an order for a Simpson Chubby and Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet soap. After all, VDH and Williams' are cheap.

You had me going until I read "scent of lemon verbena." Then I thought: He must be mistaken that cannot be Williams.

I think we can throw in France along with England and Italy.

 

[rutts]

hahaha awesome post, well said