I think I'm a solid #2. I could happily use this combo for the rest of my life.
Merkur 37C, Feather, Commodore X2, Tabac, Thayers, Old Spice
Merkur 37C, Feather, Commodore X2, Tabac, Thayers, Old Spice
Any minimalists here? How far/close are you from that "Desert Island" set-up?
- Thread starter DaveHStone
- Start date
Definitely a veteran after 15 years of doing this. I ended up using 3 different Merkurs (all different heads) and an Atlas H1, I always use Feathers, and always use TOBS cream, I own 3 different brushes and feel no need to buy more stuff anymore. I even experimented with going with the same razor+feather for long stretches of time to really master the geometry of each head.
Lefonque
Even more clueless than you
Definitely in search of the Nirvana of shaving.
The next one will be the one, be razors, brushes, soaps or aftershave.
That what I keep telling myself.
The next one will be the one, be razors, brushes, soaps or aftershave.
That what I keep telling myself.
I think we all have this feeling about, well, just about anything. An illusion that takes time to ignore haha
I like to consider myself a minimalist both in terms of Wet Shaving and life in general. I’ve always liked to keep things simple and streamlined.
I’ve been wet shaving for close 10 years now and still haven’t accumulated too much - 2 DE’s, about 4 soaps and creams, and a few splashes and balms.
if I had to narrow everything down to “only one,” I’d have to go with:
Razor: Rockwell 6S
Blade: Gillette Silver Blues
Brush: Omega #10098
Soap: Stirling’s Naked and Smooth
Aftershave: Stirling’s Unscented Balm
I could use this set up every day, being perfectly happy and content with my shaves. It was a toss up on the soaps though. Had a hard time choosing between Cell (kilo brick) and Stirling. Both are my all time favorites, but I’d say that Stirling does have the edge in terms of quality.
I’ve been wet shaving for close 10 years now and still haven’t accumulated too much - 2 DE’s, about 4 soaps and creams, and a few splashes and balms.
if I had to narrow everything down to “only one,” I’d have to go with:
Razor: Rockwell 6S
Blade: Gillette Silver Blues
Brush: Omega #10098
Soap: Stirling’s Naked and Smooth
Aftershave: Stirling’s Unscented Balm
I could use this set up every day, being perfectly happy and content with my shaves. It was a toss up on the soaps though. Had a hard time choosing between Cell (kilo brick) and Stirling. Both are my all time favorites, but I’d say that Stirling does have the edge in terms of quality.
Can you share your secret? I have tried substituting shaving soap for shaving oil, also only water with consistently bad results.
For me (a veteran?), I like using menthol or eucalyptus oil soaps during hot weather and lavender or almond soaps in the cold months. I am fine with my Rockwell 6S day-to-day, my narrow selection of DE blades and my only 5-bucks-synthetic brush. I would like to switch away from brush and soap to something quicker, faster to wash off and transparent, but nothing has been adequate so far.
I can live with one soap (MDC) , one blade (BIC), one brush (Plisson), but this would go from hobby to task were I to live with one razor. And I need a hobby.
Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk
Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk
Have you tried this? You apply a little and goes on clear depending on amount. If you put too much you will clog up the razor. It is decent, but won’t replace my shaving soap.
Prince Shaving Cream | Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
A nourishing shaving cream to help you look extra smooth, and smell even better. We’ve used astringent witch hazel extract to constrict the pores, which lifts the hair ready for a close shave.
I can only recommend you try baby/body lotion which are water based. Also you could look at women's shaving creams, oils and gels. I sometimes use Avon's Nourishing Shaving Oil, designed for women to shave their legs which is water based and creates a nice shaving lather which, in addition, is moisturizing.
Last edited:
Myself not sure...
I use only one DE razor ( Razorock
Lupo .95 head w Muhle Rocca R94 handle ) ;
3 brands of blades ( Gillette
Nacet ,Wilkinson Sword and Bic Chrome Platinum ) ;
synthetic brushes only ( rotating :Omega Evo ,EJ STF Large and Simpsons Trafalgar T3 // stashed : 2x EJ STF XL ,Muhle STF XL and Simpsons Trafalgar T2 ) ;
regarding soaps the MWF & few Saponificio Varesino cover all my needs and check all
the boxes .I do have a Castle Forbes cream ,one A&E soap and couple of
local (greek) artisan soaps ,but they
are rarely used;
I make my own after shave lotion
( alcohol > 70% ) and after shave
serum .
During winter I do also
use the Natura Siberica Yak & Yeti
after shave balsam .
I’m more than satisfied with
the above choices.
And not willing to deviate from them.
Not easily ,at least.
Am I considered a minimalist or not ?
I use only one DE razor ( Razorock
Lupo .95 head w Muhle Rocca R94 handle ) ;
3 brands of blades ( Gillette
Nacet ,Wilkinson Sword and Bic Chrome Platinum ) ;
synthetic brushes only ( rotating :Omega Evo ,EJ STF Large and Simpsons Trafalgar T3 // stashed : 2x EJ STF XL ,Muhle STF XL and Simpsons Trafalgar T2 ) ;
regarding soaps the MWF & few Saponificio Varesino cover all my needs and check all
the boxes .I do have a Castle Forbes cream ,one A&E soap and couple of
local (greek) artisan soaps ,but they
are rarely used;
I make my own after shave lotion
( alcohol > 70% ) and after shave
serum .
During winter I do also
use the Natura Siberica Yak & Yeti
after shave balsam .
I’m more than satisfied with
the above choices.
And not willing to deviate from them.
Not easily ,at least.
Am I considered a minimalist or not ?
There’s always:
*Jujutsu
*Smelting alloys with induction coils
*Surprise dentistry
*Digging subterranean swimming pools like those d00ds on youtube
*Writing to your senators and legislators regarding issues which concern you, but make sure to pepper each missive with phrases like “everypony” and “scumtastic.”
Those five wouldn’t distract you enough so you could use just your Bakelite handled Shake Sharp?
Okay, then maybe:
*Working on your hammer work to shape crucible steel swords so their patterns spell “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine” in Tocharian A1 and “NesQuick 4 Lyfe, boi!” in medieval Ghazni.
*Learning your favorite standards from Bach, Tchaikovsky, and Cardi B on penny whistle
*Developing practical energy extraction from thorium and applying it to the hip and with it small, modular reactor model
*Air-bending
*Using Crisp/r or more recent genetic editing practices to develop a phenotype for grapevine beetles that induces eating disorders
*Argue politics with strangers on social media
Definitely been there done that on the last one [emoji846]
Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk
Finishing up year 1 of coming back to the DE world. Still acquiring and sorting on brushes and soaps. Eyeing a few different razors to try to broaden my shaving experience. I'm guessing it will be probably be around the 5 year mark when I start to settle in a bit. .... But there is probably always going to be that "oohhhhh Shiny!!" moment.
Ive already answered but some things have happened over the weekend that made me realize I'm a minimalist and I can achieve my goal with 4 items of each type (4 razors, 4 blades, 4 brushes, 4 soap brands, but multiple scents of each brand). I've made up my mind about what to keep, I just haven't done the purge yet. Not exactly possible at the moment because I'm currently away from home.
- Thread starter
- #77
Do tell what the Fantastic 4 are!
I started 10 years ago with Dad's old razors: 2 Gillette Super Speeds, 2 Gillette adjustables, 1 Micromatic SE. I only used the 2 Super Speeds. I bought an Omega boar brush, a puck of MWF, and a 12.5 oz. bottle of Pinaud Clubman. I bought a variety pack of blades in the beginning but have just purchased the generic store brand since then. I've tried a couple of creams in that time: Cremo and Kiss My Face. When the puck of MWF finally was reduced to a few pieces, I placed in the bowl a puck of Williams Mug Soap I bought at the grocery store. Now, regarding the soaps and creams, I only bought one of each. What I've listed is all I've used over 10 years.
So now, ten years on, now that my MWF and Williams are finally all gone as well as the Cremo and KMF, I bought my second big puck of triple milled soap, Tabac, and a tub of Proraso red. I suppose I will try new soaps in another ten years and try another cream or two in the meantime. In addition to the Tabac and Proraso red, you could say I had my hobbyist moment. My spending spree consisted of buying 2 straight razors (the first time I've bought my own razors considering I've been using those Gillettes the whole time), a strop and chromium oxide, a second aftershave (Proraso red, even though I still have some of that Pinaud Clubman left), Proraso red pre-shave, and I bought a second brush--a Parker silver tip badger. Oh, and I bought a bowl for lathering. I had been using a bowl from the kitchen. So in the last couple of months, I feel like been throwing money left and right considering the previous 10 years, I've purchased very little.
I just remembered. It would be more appropriate to say 8 years of shaving, because although I started 10 years ago, two of those years I did not shave. I wanted to know if I could grow a beard. Turns out I can. Slowly. I let it grow for a year, shaved it off, and then let it grow a year again.
- Thread starter
- #79
2 soaps and 1 aftershave for 8-10 years... so you shave - what - once a month? 
Do tell what the Fantastic 4 are!
I'm still experimenting with the AC blades, but here's my picks:
4 razors:
Blackland Dart
RazoHawk V3-OC
Feather AC SS
Ikon Tek (backup/travel)
4 blades:
London Bridge
Schick Proline
Feather Pro
Feather Pro Super
4 soaps:
SV Opuntia
Southern Witchcrafts (any)
RazoRock (any)
Officina Artigiana Milano Stay Traditional
4 brushes:
Mühle Vivo black fiber v2
RazoRock 400
Vikings Blade white knight
(I'm waiting to receive my 4th brush, a 26mm synthetic)
Similar threads
- Locked
- Article
- Locked
- Article
