Help for Newbie on a budget

[bryanalban]

Hi All,

I'm interested in getting into wet shaving. Tired of the price of razors and the bad shave. I've been looking at various reviews and while I'd love to get a great badger hair brush and great razor, the price is a bit out of my league right now. So I was wondering if you guys could lead me in the right direction, for good products at a "budget" price. I'll need:

Double-edged safety razor
razor blades
shaving brush
shaving cream/soap (which is better?)

Anything else I'll need?

Also, I have a goatee, will wet shaving work, getting around the goatee?

Thanks!

 

[wlminter]

Van der Hagen makes a great starter package that comes with soap, bowl and a (fairly bad) brush, that you should be able to pick up at your local Wal-Mart.

If there's an antique store nearby, I would suggest looking there for a razor. Statisticly, you should be able to find an old Super Speed, which are great razors for anyone. If you want a new razor, I've heard that the Weishi is good for beginners.

For blades and a brush West Coast shaving has blade sampler packs available (I would suggest the "choice" pack). They also have a good selection of brushes; for a newbie I would suggest an Omega Boar brush, thats what I use.

Don't forget about the Buy/Sell/Trade (BST) forum on here, you can find some good deals on there!

And don''t worry about the goatee, I've got one too, and shaving around it is easy. In fact, it's a good thing to have when you're starting out, since I've heard that shaving around the mouth and the chin can be quite problematic.

 

[Razorburne]

The goatee is not a problem.

It all depends on how shoestring of a budget you are working with.
Razor - You could get a razor off the buy, sell, trade forum here at B&B, likely to include shipping to your door for less money than anywhere else.

Blades - westcoastshaving.com (get a blade sampler pack that fits your budget)

Brush - if you don't care about what it's made of (badger/boar), then boar will get you started at a lower price. you could pick up a VanDerHagen brush from CVS, or for better quality and not much more money, go with an Omega brush (conveniently can be picked up with your blades from westcoastshaving for the same shipping and handling fee) - most will recommend the Omega #48 for a beginner.

Soap/Cream - neither is better or worse, it's personal preference. You can get Proraso cream rebranded as C.O. Bigelow at your local Bath & Body Works...you can likely get Kiss My Face cream locally as well. For a cheap soap locally, you can get the VanDer Hagen or Williams ( I think VDH is much better). Or you can pick up inexpensive cream/soap when you get your blades/brush as well and make the shipping more worth it.

Good luck!

 

[Mark T]

Try the shaveshop.com. They have inexpensive brushes and razors.

 

[Luc]

Welcome to B&B!

+1 on BST

A razor blade sample pack is a must

 

[ajkimmins]

+1 on BST, get a superspeed to start.
Grab a VanderHagen set at walmart. The brush is REALLY rough for the first couple weeks but then it will get a bit softer.
Sample pack from Westcoastshaving.
http://westcoastshaving.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=295

Should be able to stay under $60

 

[Greyfox]

Good advice given. Also check out the BST.

 

[Capaldo]

Here's a current deal on BST that can't be beat - http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=134304

 

[DFrancis]

Welcome to B&B, the advice above is good. Do your research and you well be just fine.

 

[DunEdinRanger]

Bryan,

I think a lot depends on what your budget is.

For $24 you could get this - http://gentlemensbest.com/ShavingKits.aspx

If you're looking to spend more, then it all depends on how much.
​

 

[mrbear]

Welcome Bryan,

You've come to the right place!

 

[pauls51]

Welcome to B&B.

Hang around on the BST and you'll find some members selling starter kits cheaply.!

 

[mblakele]

Welcome!

 

[AustinC9]

Antique Shops are your friend! And welcome to the forums

 

[troy1979]

start with a weishi just $16 a cream you can use brush-less KMF or cremo cream both for under $8.

 

[cvac]

The feather portable is good razor, but pretty aggressive for a newbie. I wouldn't recommend it. I also wouldn't recommend a shoddy razor like the Weishi or any other brand with a history of quality control issues like a Parker.

I also do not recommend shave soap for a newbie for 2 reasons. 1) I guarantee you'll have trouble lathering it to begin with and while you are still learning it will make things a lot harder for you. 2) Even the best soaps do not offer as much cushion as a good shaving cream, and that extra cushion will be more forgiving of mistakes with razor technique while you are learning.

What exactly is your budget?

Here is an example of what I would consider a bare bones setup where you are still using good stuff that will get results without a ton of frustration.

Razor:

Used vintage Gillette Tech or Superspeed. $10-20.

Brush:

Omega boar brush $10

Note that if you can afford to spend more on a brush, I would definitely recommend a good badger in midgrade badger hair. You'll probably need about $40 or so for that if you buy a brand new one. If you're willing to buy a used brush, you can probably get something nice for less. Note that I don't recommend a "pure badger" grade brush. Sure you can get one for $20-25 or so, but they are very scratchy, and will not soften up over time. The boar will be very stiff at first but will break-in to a decent softness after a few months of use.

Cream:

Erasmic @ West Coast Shaving for $3.75

OR Real Shaving Company Lather Shave Cream @ Rite Aid for $3-6 depending on if you can grab it on sale or not. (Make sure it says "lather" on the tube, the shave gel won't work with a shaving brush)

Aftershave:

Generic witch hazel. Should be $2-3 for a 12oz bottle at places like Rite Aid, Target, etc. It will be in the aisle with the rubbing alcohol and stuff like that.

Aftershave Balm:

Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm $5-6 at Rite Aid, Target, etc.

Lather Bowl:

Go into your kitchen and grab a bowl you would normally use for soup or cereal. That will be your new lather bowl. If you don't have a bowl in your house that you can use, go to Target and grab a cheap cereal bowl. I would look for one that isn't super slick on the inside. Note that a plastic bowl will work too. I wouldn't recommend glass though, for safety reasons.

If you can spare $4, I highly recommend this mug:

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13344973

Most mugs will be too tall and too narrow but the one I linked above will be perfect. It's what I use, and I could probably afford to buy a nice shaving specific mug if I wanted to but I see no reason when this works just fine.

Blades:

Sampler packs are great, but odds are you'll be left with a bunch of blades in there you don't like anyway. Personally, I would try to start with high quality blades and just bypass the dull econo type blades like Dorcos and Crystals and such. In my opinion, the best blades that are available right now are Super Iridiums and 7 O'clock Sharp Edge (Yellow pack). I would try to start with one of those if you can. If you want to try a bunch of other blades, rather than spend your money on sampler packs, post a "want to buy" ad in the BST. Let people know you're looking to try different types of blades but don't have a lot of $. You'll probably get some responses where people are willing to send you a couple blades of various brands for free, or sell you a small package of different brands for a very low price.

Also, keep an eye on the PIF section of the forum. There are always people willing to give stuff away because they have too much stuff. If you get lucky you might be able to get some decent shaving equipment for free.

 

[Tartan89]

I am brand new to the idea of DE shaving and I'm glad I stumbled onto this thread! This will give me a great place to start.

This should be a sticky!! Thanks

 

[andrew98]

The goatee is not a problem.

It all depends on how shoestring of a budget you are working with.
Razor - You could get a razor off the buy, sell, trade forum here at B&B, likely to include shipping to your door for less money than anywhere else.

Blades - westcoastshaving.com (get a blade sampler pack that fits your budget)

Brush - if you don't care about what it's made of (badger/boar), then boar will get you started at a lower price. you could pick up a VanDerHagen brush from CVS, or for better quality and not much more money, go with an Omega brush (conveniently can be picked up with your blades from westcoastshaving for the same shipping and handling fee) - most will recommend the Omega #48 for a beginner.

Soap/Cream - neither is better or worse, it's personal preference. You can get Proraso cream rebranded as C.O. Bigelow at your local Bath & Body Works...you can likely get Kiss My Face cream locally as well. For a cheap soap locally, you can get the VanDer Hagen or Williams ( I think VDH is much better). Or you can pick up inexpensive cream/soap when you get your blades/brush as well and make the shipping more worth it.

Good luck!

+1 to the above, and welcome to B&B! A Gillette Tech should be available for a good price on the B/S/T. It's a great starter razor. Quite mild.

-Andy

 

[chrislols]

Just want to post to give my 2 cents. Basically everything the guys above me said, is great.

Also, just because a Super Speed is relatively cheap ($10-$20), it's one of the best types of Safety Razors I ever used.

Hope you find what you're looking for,
Chrislols

 

[jonwings]

If you are looking for cheap, head to CVS and pick up a VanderHagen brush and a puck of Williams. CVS is clearancing out the brushes so the puck and brush should cost you about $6. Then go to Walmart, and pick up 10 blades for $2 and some WitchHazel for around a $1. On your way home stop by an antique shop or two. You should be able to pick a decent Tech or Superspeed for around $10. Even with some Nivea ASB, you should be all set for under $25.

Of course they are always great starting kits on the BST.

Good Luck.