Good Set Up For Skeptical Friend?

[LakeCharles]

Hey folks,

I have a friend who expressed interest in wetshaving, but also felt a little hesitant. I was thinking of setting him up with a starter set. Does anyone have any thoughts? I inherited my razor and was very invested in the idea so am unsure of what to get someone who may not be as invested as I was. I have looked at various posts on here so I have some idea of what are good razors and brushes and such, but I was just wondering if anyone knew any particular things for a skeptical starter. Thanks for your help!

 

[jamesspo]

Are they currently using a cartridge system? If so, you might have them try just using a brush and soap or cream as a first step. Then, if they like that, move to a DE.

I've never used one of the DE89, but given it's glowing reviews as an effective, but gentle shaver, I think that might be a good starting point.

I don't use a very wide variety of soaps or creams, so I'll let others chime in on the best of those. You'd certainly want something that's a pretty fool-proof latherer.

 

[Maxime D.]

I agree, did the same with my father and now he is interested about DE.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Are they currently using a cartridge system? If so, you might have them try just using a brush and soap or cream as a first step. Then, if they like that, move to a DE.

Smart man!

 

[Parallax]

A "40's style Superspeed or a Tech or a DE89l (if you're happy to spend a bit more) are all good choices. I'd give him a few sharp but not-too-sharp, smooth blades (perhaps Astras). Or you could provide a small sampling of blades. Any cheap brush would be fine for starters; a Tweezerman or an Omega or one of the Turkish horsehair #6s on www.bestshave.net. For shave cream, again something inexpensive but easy to use. A cheap VDH puck would be alright or an Arko stick. Both lather well; particularly the Arko. But the Arko has a strong, chemical smell whereas the VDH has an extremely mild scent. Give him a small sample of witch hazel too, or you can buy a cheap generic bottle for $1 and change at Target.

 

[RaiserLiebe]

I wanted to try to get son interested. While he may have trouble shaving around blemishes, I'm thinking his moderately-bad acne might be cleared a bit if he got enthusiastic about keeping his face clean and less-oily with AS astringents. I've seen some posts here, but would appreciate any further thoughts.
Thanks!

 

[jrp316]

For a wet shaving starter kit, a good one would be a Tweezerman brush, tube of CO Bigelow cream (Bath and Body Works), a bottle of witch hazel, and a mug/bowl. If your friend is partial to cartridges, that'll give him a good start into it. If he wants to move into DEs, a Gillette Super Speed is a good entry into that and can be had for around $10-$15. A basic kit like that should leave you some change out of $50.

@RaiserLiebe - I wish I would've discovered wet shaving when I was a teenager. In my teenage years, my face was one giant pimple. A veritable billboard for Oxy 10. I think I would've had a better time of it using a good brush, shave soap/cream and a single blade razor. I doubt that my parents would've let me have a straight blade, but I probably could've talked them into a DE. A good shave prep will take care of exfoliation, pore cleansing and skin tightening. The shave itself will take care of the rest of it. I know for me that my face feels so much cleaner and fresher after a good wet shave than anything else I've ever done for it. I'm still ugly, but I'm clean and ugly!

 

[InHotWater]

I agree with previous posters. Maybe once they see that making your own lather can be interesting, and fun( and give a better shave) maybe they will show interest in trying a safety razor.

 

[Slash McCoy]

VDH soap is hard to beat for $1.87 and can be found at most drugstores. Or you might think about Kiss My Face cream, which can also be found in many drugstores, groceries, or department stores. I have to go against the general consensus on the brush, though. I think the tweezerman is too small for an everyday brush, though its small size and low cost make it nice for a travel brush. Ian Tang runs an operation called Frank Shaving in China and he makes some very good and very very inexpensive badger brushes, all the way up to a 30mm Silvertip for less than $40. A 26mm black badger is about $10. Find him on Ebay. Www.starshaving.com sells them, but check with them before ordering because they were having some problems and their online store was sort of on the back burner for a while. Otherwise they keep a decent stock on hand here in the U.S. and give good service. Larry at www.whippeddog.com has some cheap badgers as well. Any old crockery mug will work. Many of us like to melt our VDH in the mug so it fills the bottom of the mug and doesn't move around. 25 seconds max, and watch it that it doesn't foam up and soap up the inside of the microwave. While it is still molten, I like to stir in some Old Spice or Clubman or Ogallala Bay Rum in there for some scent. Learning to make a good face lather takes a few tries, and I suggest viewing the Mantic videos and other youtube lathering and shaving videos.

Making a good lather is half of the shave. I have to agree with the others, if the guy is hesitant, get him wetshaving with his cartridge razor first, and then get him on a DE or a straight. The straight might actually be an easier sell because of the cool factor. For a DE I recommend a vintage Gillette Tech for the cheap end. For more coin I would go with a Gillette Slim Adjustable or the somewhat more expensive FatBoy. Also worth considering is the Super Adjustable with its longer handle. All three of these adjustables are great first razors. Any Gillette adjustable is actually nine razors in one, from mildest mild to "Is my will up to date?". If you could only have ONE DE razor, I would have to recommend one of these, or their gold plated cousins. For a straight, as well as a beginner strop, see www.whippeddog.com and get in the game for cheap.

Oh, and show him how much you pay for DE blades vs what he is paying for cartridges, multiply that by the days and years left in his life, and ask him if he can think of a better way to spend all that money.

 

[wstruth]

I would get him going on lathering first with his current razor and then if he likes it go to a DE.

I suggest an Omega Syntex brush, its inexpensive, lathers well with creams and soaps, and won't have any odor issues. I would also suggest Proraso cream in a tube or CO Bigelo same thing but easy to source in most any shopping mall with a Bath and Body Works. He'll be lathering like a pro in no time and loving the shaves too.

 

[luvmysuper]

I suggest an open comb Barbasol Razor with a Feather, a Burma Shave Boar Brush and Williams Shaving Soap, with Lilac Vegetal as Aftershave.

Ok, just kidding.

A Tech or a Superspeed is a great starter Razor, and quality enough to use once he gets good at it. There's nothing quite like the wow factor of the twist to open, so I'd suggest going with the Superspeed.
A pack of the Silkies from your local Walmart to show him they are readily available and cheap, and the VDH kit from Walgreens or other drug stores which runs about 8 bucks and includes a decent boar brush, a lathering bowl and a puck of the VDH soap which is pretty easy to lather.

You could always step up and get him the Shea Moisture Shave brush from Target at about 9 bucks and is a pretty good entry level badger brush.

A tub of Art of Shaving Shaving Cream or a Puck of the Art of Shaving Soap is also an upgrade that would be a very good investment for longer term use, but the entry price goes up accordingly.