What's new

Dane's Newbie Reviews

Hi guys, been wet shaving for about a month now and I thought I'd review some of the gear I've got my hands on. If this isn't the right forum for it, I apologize in advance. I thought it might be useful for the newbie section since a lot of the gear I got came chiefly from things generally recommended for newbies around these parts.

Now I've not only caught razor acquisition disorder but several other soap and paraphernalia related mental issues along with it. I'm going to review everything I use as I go and you guys can make of it what you will.

For the purposes of the reviews it might help for you to know I have a very thick and stubborn beard that grows in about 5 different directions. I get razor burn like crazy and I have primarily undertaken wet shaving to get a better, smoother shave with less irritation. Learning all this stuff, even with all the information on here, has been a process of great trial and error so I thought I'd share what I could. I constantly mess up and make mistakes and while I learn from them, maybe other people can too.


Safety Razors
Merkur 23C - I picked this up as it seemed to be the long-handled version of your classic variety of Merkurs. Had some good general reviews so it looked like as good a starting razor as any. Now I don't have any other safety razors to compare it to. I do have a few in the mail from a b/s/t sale and a PIF that I won on here (much love kd7ctv!). So I can't really say if it's more mild or aggressive than other razors. I can say it feels very nice in the hand and has an excellent weight distribution. It's very tidy and has a classic look to it. The chief difference between my shaves have been the blades used in the razor. But I would recommend it to another beginner and feel good about doing so.

Shaving Brush
Van der Hagen Boar - This came in a starter pack I got off Amazon. It was advertised as a badger brush to me, I was later informed by a member on B&B that it's boar and the quality of the brush made a lot more sense with that knowledge. Now I know shedders change from brush to brush and not necessarily from model to model, but this thing is a shedder. It took some breaking in like any boar brush would. But it started shedding a hair or two almost straight away. I figure there was a few loose from manufacture/shipping and it was just breaking in a bit. A month down the track, the shedding hasn't slowed, it has sped up. I have to run a butter knife across my shaving soap to get all the hair of it after a shave. 5-10 hairs every time will either stick to my face or to the soap. If I keep using it next year I'll be lathering up with the handle.

I wouldn't recommend this brush in the slightest. You might say I got a bad egg, but I'd say for cheap money most Omegas or Semogues wouldn't do the same. But that's just based on what I've read on here as to the quality of those brushes. I've bought a couple of well-priced brushes from the B/S/T to replace this one, a Semogue Boar and a Simpsons Badger. Based on the general reviews for those, I suspect I won't be using this one at all after they arrive.

Razor Blades
Derby Extras - I felt these were quite good starter blades. Very mild and a bit more forgiving than others. If I want a presentable shave that isn't especially close but also has a low chances of my face bleeding onto my shirt I'll slot one of these guys in. If I'm shaving at night (as I do for practice) then I won't usually use one. They have a bit of trouble getting through my thicker areas like my chin and upper lip.

Astra SPs - These were along the same lines as the Derbys. Initially I felt the Derbys were a bit better, but after a few more shaves with each I'm leaning more toward the Astras. But the difference isn't that much. They both seem to give me a fairly mild shave and do struggle a bit with thicker areas. On the other hand, they're pretty forgiving in my experience. I had a few 'bad idea' moments when shaving with the Astras and didn't end up with any nicks or weepers from it.

Gillette 7 O'clock Greens - For people who like these, I'm sorry in advance. These were without a doubt the worst blades I used. I might have got a bad batch, I don't know. But they seemed to struggle with cutting through stubble more than the Derbys or the Astras and yet I found them extremely unforgiving. I got a string of weepers in places that I've never had weepers before. ATG? forget it. I was having trouble with WTG and XTG passes which are usually no issue for me. They didn't cut the hair as much as it felt like they were snagging on it. I shaved with them once, pulled it out, threw it in the blade bin and put the box at the bottom of the pile.

Merkur Supers - I got one of these with my razor and it was the first blade I used. The only good thing I can say about them is they're not a bad starter blade in my opinion. They're extremely mild and even my first two shaves, which likely had no semblance of skill or poise, came away without any cuts, nicks, etc. To me they just seemed a very mild blade. I wouldn't pick one over an Astra for any reason and they're much more expensive.

Aftershaves
Clubman Pinaud Virgin Island Bay Rum- This, along with the rest of the Clubman range, probably need no introduction or words from me. But I used the stuff so I'll put in my 2 cents. My first impression of VIBR was when I cracked off the seal, took off the lid and put my nose right up to the bottle top. To quote Ron Burgundy: It's a formidable scent, sort of burns the nostrils. It is a strong, pungent smell. But it is a fantastic smell and whatever my first impression might have been, I warmed up to it very quickly. If you've had a bad shave, do not put this near your face. It will feel like you're on a torture rack in some horrible part of the world. The scent is initially a bit overwhelming but it fades very quickly into a softer, warmer fragrance. I actually like it a lot, but putting too much on could be a bad decision.

Clubman Pinaud - The classic barbershop scent. $6 buys you enough to last most of your lifetime. It is a classy yet simple fragrance and worth 10x the price. I have expensive colognes and aftershaves from before I was wet shaving, but this is by far my favorite of all of them. Every time I splash it on my face I feel like the dapper chap on the bottle.

Nivea Sensitive Balm - For the price, probably the best balm I've tried. If I have a bad shave this is my go-to. It seems to moisturize, protect and repair your skin. It has a very, very mild but pleasant smell. Like you might get from any moisturizing cream.

Art of Shaving Balm (Lemon) - For the price, probably the worst. That doesn't mean it's worse than the Nivea stuff in any way. It isn't. But I wouldn't say it's any better and it costs a significant amount more. The lemony fragrance is nice and fresh. If money was no object I'd say it's a great balm. But I don't think it's worth what they charge.

Stirling Vetiver - I got this with an order of soap. It's very good, especially considering the price. I got a big bottle for $4.50. I don't think Vetiver is a fragrance I enjoy though. It seems a little off to me, not unpleasant entirely but just not fresh either. I prefer a fresh smell from an aftershave. Personal preference though. The splash has witch hazel and aloe in it, which performance-wise I think is very nice on your skin. It's alcohol-free and doesn't burn. It seems to soothe the same way a balm would. When I put in another soap order from Rod I'll probably add a lavender or some other fragrance and I think I'd enjoy it more.

Taylor of Old Bond Street's Sandalwood Gel - Another product with witch hazel and without alcohol. I was a bit skeptical about a gel, having never used them. But it's actually very pleasant to use. I find a very small amount of gel covers your whole face and it feels very nice. If you like TOBS Sandalwood soap/cream then you will like this. It's the same smell, just in an aftershave. Same with other witch hazel products, it has a nice soothing feeling after you've hacked at your face with a bit of steel. Like other TOBS products, it's not really cheap nor expensive. Moderated priced I suppose you'd say.

Soaps/Creams
Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Cream - The first thing I ever lathered with and still at least par with the best. From reading on here I find a lot of people either love or hate sandalwood. I think the smell is rich, manly and very pleasant. It lathers very easily and is quite forgiving on water. If I want to lather in a hurry, this is my go-to. I've never had a bad shave with it and it's moderately priced.

Van der Hagen Soap - I'm not a fan of this. There isn't actually anything wrong with it. It lathers fine, it smells fine, it's quite cheap. But to me it lacks personality or character. I never got a great shave and never got a horrible shave from it. After a week of using it, there was loads of soap still left, but I didn't want to use it anymore. Now it's stuck to the bottom of the bowl it came with and I can't be bothering prying it out with a butter knife. It just seems very boring and average to me. If you want a decent performing soap for hardly any money, this isn't a bad way to go. But there are plenty of cheap soaps with more character imo.

Stirling Barbershop - I feel like I peaked too soon with this one. It's a wonderful, glorious soap and it's cheap as chips. A little bit more work than the others I've used and a bit thirstier too. Need to make sure you give it it's due in water. But when you lather it well, it will give you more back than the effort you put in. Rich, creamy, thick and slick. When I build up a lather I normally have enough for 3 passes with plenty left over. The puck I have I've been using every day for 2 weeks and it looks the same as when I unwrapped it. I'll be really surprised if my order of 3 pucks (with some samples thrown in) doesn't last me well into the new year. The smell reminds me of Pinaud Clubman's classic aftershave. I'm not sure if that is what Rod was going for, but it smells fresh and classy. I put on a splash of Clubman's after a shave with this stuff and I really feel like sir heading in to work in the morning.
 
Last edited:
Daner, you gave some good insight. I dont agree with the Derby to Astra comparison though. And as for the brushes, we informed you to get good quality right from the start, yet you went with Amazon that sold you a misleading boar brush. AoS have outrageous prices for products that dont merit it, we even have threads on those issues. We always stress to buy at trusted sites such as B&B shave mall this will eliminate any issues.
 
Ah, unfortunately I bought the much hated VdH set on Amazon before I came to B&B. I perhaps did a bit less research than I should have. I would buy Astras and Derbys again. Both are reasonable blades but in truth I'd rather try something that will give me a smoother shave. The hills seem to be alive with people singing the praises of Personna Blues these days and I'm considering putting in an order for some to try out. In the meantime I still have about 5 more brands to get through from rather generous my starter pack. I tried a Polsilver the other day and liked it a lot. Will need to do a few more shaves before I can give an informed opinion though. Most of my purchases of late have either come from B/S/T sales here or from vendors in the Hobbyist/Vendor section.

Truth be told, I don't mind the brush being poor quality as it didn't cost me much to begin with. But being lied to is a sore blow for any consumer. Besides, I got a Semogue Owner's Club Boar and a Simpsons Duke 2 on the way. Both at very, very fair prices from members here. So I feel like I came out on top in the end, since the poor quality brush led me to seeking out greener pastures.

Daner, you gave some good insight. I dont agree with the Derby to Astra comparison though. And as for the brushes, we informed you to get good quality right from the start, yet you went with Amazon that sold you a misleading boar brush. AoS have outrageous prices for products that dont merit it, we even have threads on those issues. We always stress to buy at trusted sites such as B&B shave mall this will eliminate any issues.
 
Slight update: I've gotten my Dad into wet shaving. Having much the same beard as I do (what a weird coincidence) he has had much the same problems with cartridge razors as I have. He and I used to go to a barbershop every 3rd weekend for about 20 years. Same barber who first cut his hair was the same that first cut mine. He loves the old Clubman aftershaves like I do. He tried out the Merkur I got and loved it. For Christmas I've bought him an Edwin Jagger set with an ebony de89 in it and a matching brush/stand/bowl combo, some TOBS Sandalwood in a wooden bowl and a few bottles of aftershave. One more for the wet shaving army.
 
Great gift! Enjoyed reading your reviews. Would like a review on your experience with the Duke 2 after you have had a chance to use and evaluated it. Have read much on it and have been considering it or a classic 1 as one of my next brush acquisitions (have a Semogue 620 & 2012 LE).
 
Last edited:
Thanks, glad you liked! I'll definitely post my experiences with the Duke when it arrives. I'm really excited to dip it into some lather.

Great gift! Enjoyed reading your reviews. Would like a review on your experience with the Duke 2 after you have had a chance to use and evaluated it. Have read much on it and have been considering it or a classic 1 as one of my next brush acquisitions (have a Semogue 620 & 2012 LE).
 
Ah, unfortunately I bought the much hated VdH set on Amazon before I came to B&B. I perhaps did a bit less research than I should have. I would buy Astras and Derbys again. Both are reasonable blades but in truth I'd rather try something that will give me a smoother shave. The hills seem to be alive with people singing the praises of Personna Blues these days and I'm considering putting in an order for some to try out. In the meantime I still have about 5 more brands to get through from rather generous my starter pack. I tried a Polsilver the other day and liked it a lot. Will need to do a few more shaves before I can give an informed opinion though. Most of my purchases of late have either come from B/S/T sales here or from vendors in the Hobbyist/Vendor section.

Truth be told, I don't mind the brush being poor quality as it didn't cost me much to begin with. But being lied to is a sore blow for any consumer. Besides, I got a Semogue Owner's Club Boar and a Simpsons Duke 2 on the way. Both at very, very fair prices from members here. So I feel like I came out on top in the end, since the poor quality brush led me to seeking out greener pastures.
I agree with you on the Polsilvers, they are a good bargain too. The brush and place of purchase will guarantee you a good deal and i am sure you will be happy. I have read positive reviews on both brushes and i own the Semogues Boar.

The brushes will make a world of a difference. I want you to post the brush application process when you get the Duke 2 and tell me if it is luxurious feeling, especially with your fave creams.
 
Good reviews. I couldn't agree with you more on the TOBS Sandalwood. I think it's an excellent cream as it lathers easily and is quite forgiving.

On the Derby blades, they are not for me. I tried two rounds with them and gave up. Since I've been using Astras and I'm very pleased with these them.
 
Slight update: I've gotten my Dad into wet shaving. Having much the same beard as I do (what a weird coincidence) he has had much the same problems with cartridge razors as I have. He and I used to go to a barbershop every 3rd weekend for about 20 years. Same barber who first cut his hair was the same that first cut mine. He loves the old Clubman aftershaves like I do. He tried out the Merkur I got and loved it. For Christmas I've bought him an Edwin Jagger set with an ebony de89 in it and a matching brush/stand/bowl combo, some TOBS Sandalwood in a wooden bowl and a few bottles of aftershave. One more for the wet shaving army.
Daner, you must get him to join our B&B gang, give him a new avatar/name

image.php

Daner Senior
 
Great reviews man. Sounds like you are off to a great start! I agree with Alex, I wouldn't compare Astra's to Derby's. The difference in quality, closeness, and overall feel is in fact pretty noticeable.

I'd love to see a pic of your shaving den Dane, show us where the magic happens :)
 
Thanks! I'm at work right now but I'll see if I can get some pics up this afternoon.

Great reviews man. Sounds like you are off to a great start! I agree with Alex, I wouldn't compare Astra's to Derby's. The difference in quality, closeness, and overall feel is in fact pretty noticeable.

I'd love to see a pic of your shaving den Dane, show us where the magic happens :)
 
Top Bottom