Curious about what setup you first used in wet shaving...

[Neil-O]

I dabbled with disposables for a year or two before settling in with my first set up in 1983 which consisted of a 1980 Brazilian made Gillette Tech, Schick Plus Platinum blades, and Gillette Edge canned gel. After 30 years of use, that razor now remains tucked away because I now find it milder than I prefer. Schick blades are no longer available, and Edge got replaced by soaps and creams and a brush. Changing from canned products to using a brush with soaps and creams a few years ago is what turned "just shaving" into an enjoyable daily experience for me.

 

[Earl_Grey]

I am not a 100% sure but I believe i used:

- Merkur 23c (unbeknownst to me with the base plate inserted upside down )
- Astra SP
- Balea Synthetic Brush
- Palmolive Shaving Cream
- Nivea Sensitive ASB (this one I am guessing about to be honest, but it would make the most sense given I was just starting out and I had been using that ASB when I was still using carts)

Shave wasn't good Since I installed the base plate incorrectly the razor didn't cut without some serious pressure. A lot of bloodletting was involved

 

[cryhavoc]

I started wet shaving with Gillette Goodwill disposables, Barbasol and Aqua Velva Ice Blue back in 1985.
When I made the switch to DE shaving in 2011 I started with:
- Gillette Pre War Fat Handled Tech
- Derby Extra blades
- VDH Boar
- VDH Soap
- Aqua Velva Ice Blue

I still use the Fat Handled Tech and Aqua Velva Ice Blue.

 

[Scoutk21]

It's only been a few minsmo since I started and it was with a weishi nostalgic, used the Chinese blades that came with it and some canned gel that I had. I didn't have a brush at the time or aftershave.

 

[RollTideUK]

I still use everything.

Merkur 23C Long Handle. Generic shave bowl from Amazon. Silvertip brush.

The only thing I no longer use is TOBS Sandalwood; I use a scent free cream now.

 

[Ryanshh]

It's only been about a year so I am probably not really the shaver you are interested in hearing from. Started with a West Coast Shaving starter kit. Closed come razor and ivory synthetic. Sampler pack of blades but quickly established Astra SP as my baseline. Got WCS citrus basiln and Stirling Sharp Dressed Man soaps. Still use everything to varying degrees; brush 3-7 times a week, soaps whenever I want them, the razor is not used very often but have used it this month, full transparency most of the blades are gone. Was gifted a number of user grade vintage razors which occupy most of my shaves (Schone OC is used regularly too)

 

[nelsonic21]

My first setup:

Gillette black handle Superspeed
Van der hagen boar
Van der hagen soap

I still use Superspeeds on a regular basis, but have upgraded the other items.

 

[treebeard]

Wilkinson soap, wilkinson brush and a Gillette cartridge razor.

Preferred the nostalgia of making lather from a soap using a brush rather than just using the shaving foam from a can, and the Wilkonson products were readily available from the local drugstore. Inexpensive too. Not using any of those products anymore.

Then I somehow came across this site and learned about vintage DE razors and other types of soaps and brushes.

My first set-up then was a 40's super speed, and EJ badger hair brush, and Tabac soap. Still using all of those on occasion.

Love the journey this hobby has taken me on, and also many of the products that have come with it over the years.

 

[Stoneman]

Merkur 34c
Paraso Green Cream
Feather Blade
Lucky Tiger AS

 

[AshleyC]

Micro Touch One
Derby blade
Canned gel

The gateway drugs...

 

[DCP]

Merkur 33C
Proraso red
Feather blades .....not a good beginner blade.

Sent from my Nokia 7.1 using Tapatalk

 

[emwolf]

I had three older brothers and by the time I started shaving, my dad had switched to electric and one of my brothers had already left for college. My first setup was mid 1970's and would have been:
Gillette Super adjustable (still have this)
whatever blade was in it
whatever can of foam was there
Avon Black Suede aftershave or Hai Karate

 

[lancre]

Merkur 23C - Dropped it in the shower, head snapped off. I didn't expect Merkur to replace the cap for free, but they refused to even sell me a replacement cap. I don't buy or recommend Merkur anymore.

Derby Extra Blades - Still in my rotation, roughly 1/4 of the blades I've used have been the Extras.

Modern Williams Mug Soap - Still in my rotation

Promise margarine tub for a shave bowl - Not usually in rotation, but I still use it for storing partial pucks.

AOS Travel/starter badger - PIFed away. It took me a long time to try badgers again.

 

[Indyshaver38]

For me it was:
Mercur 34c
Razorock Big Bruce synthetic brush
Razorock XXX
Nivea sensitive skin post shave balm

 

[barko78]

My first several months of wet shaves was with a Dovo straight razor, SRD Sandlewood soap, Simpson B4 brush and DRH Sandalwood AS. I did small parts of my face with the straight and finished with my Mach 3. After a while I could use the straight by itself and eventually switched to DE. I don’t have any of the items anymore but I do wish I kept the straight razor.

 

[muzichead]

I started using a safety razor in Oct '16 and it consisted of the following:

Maggard V3 w/ MR5 handle - sold
Omega Beehive synthetic brush - sold
Proraso Green pre-shave, soap, and after shave - used up and gone
Astra SS blades - traded for Sharks
Capt Choice bowl - sold
Stiptic pencil - thrown away
Hot water shave / Cold water rinse

Today:

Timeless Ti .95 SB & SS .95 SB
Several custom brushes / all synthetics / all set by me
Stirling soaps exclusively
Shark SC and Polsilver SI blades
Face lather only
Alum bar
Cold water shave and rinse year round

 

[FL shaver]

I'm going to say I started wet shaving with a Surrey brush and soap, neither of which I still use (though I have some VDH glycerin soap and VDH brushes stashed). I was using the Atra Plus 2 bladed cartridge system. I didn't truly get into wet shaving until I bought the 34C a few years later, which I still use today.

 

[Canadian Mountain Man]

Merkur Futur razor (nice piece of hardware but by no means my favorite)
Merkur Futur brush (also nice and I wish I would have kept it)
Merkur blades (dog poop results and was a real distraction to getting serious about wet shaving)
Williams shave soap (I knew nothing about how to properly build lather so got pathetic results, would use canned Proraso at times)

 

[CelticShaver]

Merkur Futur razor (nice piece of hardware but by no means my favorite)
Merkur Futur brush (also nice and I wish I would have kept it)
Merkur blades (dog poop results and was a real distraction to getting serious about wet shaving)
Williams shave soap (I knew nothing about how to properly build lather so got pathetic results, would use canned Proraso at times)

I, too, had TERRIBLE results with the Merkur blades. Really bad.

 

[DSK]

I started out with;

DE89 (Edwin Jager and Muhle)
TOBS Shaving Cream
Mixed Boar/Badger hair brush

Only the Muhle R89 no longer see's the light of day as the Muhle Rocca R96 has replaced it being smooth but so much more efficient.