Complete this phrase: "To think, I nearly gave up on ... "

[Gazzer]

For me, it was Mike's Natural in Lime.

It was the first non-cream I tried, and for the life of me I could not figure out how to lather it.

To make matters worse, I'd put it into a ceramic ramekin, which I dropped and shattered. Sensing destiny was not favoring this enterprise, I was tempted to bin the whole affair but decided instead to rescue it and set it aside. Some months later, I gave it another shot and bingo. And now several of Mike's products are right up there with my favorites, the bay rum especially.

So what's your favorite back-from-the-brink item?

 

[Toothpick]

great idea!

To think, I nearly gave up on Feather DE blades. I used them once or twice when I was just getting started and I know now my technique was way off and I just wasn't ready for a super sharp blade.
I tried them for a week as part of the Item of the Week threads and discovered that they are amazing now.

here's another...

To think, I nearly gave up on VDH soap! once again a silly noob that can't build a lather with it so i tossed it. Came back to it when I joined here, posted a thread looking for some help, practiced and bingo, found it was a fantastic soap!

 

[Cynomys]

I've never almost given up on anything (shaving related, that is) only to resurrect my usage of it. It's always been give it up and don't look back. And I don't expect to look back either.

On the other hand, I almost gave up on Charles Dickens, but not so anymore. That's not shaving related, though.

 

[The Dean]

VDH luxury soap is about the only thing I can think of. Got it when I bought their cheap boar brush. The brush worked well enough for a while and convinced me to keep using a brush, and to upgrade it. But I never really got the soap. I didn't toss it, but I stuck to the creams. Then after getting a good badger brush, I found it lathered just fine and was a pretty good product. Once I learned (through B&B) the superlather/uberlather methods, there was no looking back. VDH, KMF cream and glycerin makes a product nearly the equal of a much more expensive product. I still don't use it that often, but to think I nearly gave up on it.

 

[Chadao]

Edwin Jagger Soap. I started with Proraso which lathered pretty easy. Then I was struck by paraben fear and ran toward EJ. But even with soft water, my technique was execrable. Eventually my technique improved and I embraced MWF and Mike's, which are still my favorites. But a couple of weeks ago I dug out the EJ Aloe soap, and it lathered just fine, and my shave was swell. Now EJ is in my rotation.

 

[PDman]

Wet shaving.

 

[MrLara]

Shaving all together.

I was so tired of using cartridge razors because they caused irritation and ingrown hairs.

i kept a beard for a few years. I trimmed it with a #2 and used the clipper without the guard to edge arround it.

 

[Mad Man]

A Simpson Chubby 1 in Best. Out of the box lather hog, scrubby/scritchy and all-round 'bad' latherer.

Persevered and one day it just 'broke' and became my #1 face brush.

 

[OkieStubble]

I Have owned every type of GEM singled edge razor except for the rare and Mysterious GEM Jewel. The GEM Push Button was the very last SE I acquired in my SE collection. And for many a shave it was also the absolute worst! I hated it! I could get a flawless shave from the featherweight which has the exact same head, then turn around and shave with the PB the next day and get chewed up all over again! I like using them not just collecting them. Then one day, after not even looking at it for almost a year. I picked up the Push Button and carefully shaved with it again. PERFECTO! How did it happen? What could have changed and made a difference between night and day in a shave?

The difference was I had put in a CVS carbon blade instead of a stainless steel GEM. Never looked back after that day. The GEM Push Button has moved to the top of my favorites list when shaving with an SE.

 

[Gazzer]

Just remembered one more.

Was very close to 86-ing Cella due to burning and irritation, which was going to be a drag as I very much wanted to like this inexpensive and otherwise awesome product.

Before PIF-ing the remainder, I tried palm-lathering it once instead of my usual face-lathering. And that was the ticket.

 

[santamariasteve]

The Schick Injector Type E.I have about 6 of the various Types, and got an outstanding shave from them, except for the Type E.I finally learned the secret was to shave with SLOW strokes with the hyper-aggressive Type E.

 

[cooltide]

after reading this thread today i gave MWF one more go as i was getting a pain in my neck trying to get the consistency right, tonight i whipped up a great bowl of lather,
as i use soaps all the time with tabac and cella being my fav's, MWF used to annoy me { things might change now }

 

[Haggises]

A. Feathers. Like Toothpick above, I found them harsh and unforgiving (and blamed the blade). I got better.

B. SE shaving. One of my first was a MMOC. Didn't agree with me much. Neither did my first carbon steel blades.
1912, 1924, 1914 and PTFE coated SS made everything better.

 

[NCJack]

Merkur Slant, after two shaves, was almost on the B/S/T. I was so finicking, afraid of this "dangerous" razor...then just plain shaved with it, like any other razor, and it's now one-half of my razor rotation

 

[Redzone]

Arko stick face lathering. As a noob wondered where the lather was.....but it arrived.

 

[Gustav]

Arko, I just did not see what people were raving about. Then I tried more product and more water and that is when I saw the light. It is not among my favourites but I do not mind finishing it.

 

[ksblazer]

Tabac cream

I gave up on it after a few tries when I couldn't get decent lather out of it. Started using other soaps and creams. Then after reading some other posts about this issue. I used more product and water and now get a pretty good lather out of it. Also noticed that it leaves my face nice and soft after I shave with it too.

 

[BrookR1]

Cella...I couldn't stand the scent the first time I purchased it. I bought another tub and kept it around and just kept sniffing it on occasion. It's still not my favorite scent, but I now enjoy it and it performs well.

 

[Leslie145]

Edwin Jagger Soap. I started with Proraso which lathered pretty easy. Then I was struck by paraben fear and ran toward EJ. But even with soft water, my technique was execrable. Eventually my technique improved and I embraced MWF and Mike's, which are still my favorites. But a couple of weeks ago I dug out the EJ Aloe soap, and it lathered just fine, and my shave was swell. Now EJ is in my rotation.

Aha - this may lead to a "to think I nearly gave up on..." of my own - love C&E soap, love Erasmic soap, really love GT soap, but the EJ Sea Buckthorn... nah. Just can't get a decent lather from it.

Maybe tommorrow I'll try again...

 

[nav]

I was on/off with pre-shave oil...more off than on.

I tried it again a little while back and I thought "wow, am I glad I gave this a go again!".

Now, I use pre-shave oil for each and every shave and the results are amazing plus the skin conditioning helps a lot too.