Help me spend my money!

[A_Jameson]

OK. First off, I know there is an entire forum devoted to creams, soaps, scuttles, and brushes. There is SO MUCH information there it is a little intimidating for a relative newbie who doesn't have a great sense of what he's buying yet.

My wife gave me 100 bucks to spend on shaving stuff. I have the razors (in my sig) and plan on getting a few blade sample packs. I'm looking into getting one brush, a few soaps, a few creams, maybe another aftershave or two and a scuttle if you think I need one. I've been using a small bowl and also a german made porcelain shaving mug that's about 70 years old.

You want info? Medium-light beard, sensitive skin, tendancy to have dry skin in the winter and normal in the summer.

Hot shower, towel soak as prep, Shave with Wal-mart soap (VDH?) 3 pass W/W/ATG, Hot rinse, Witch Hazel, Cold rinse, AquaVelva splash, Gillette Balm following.

You have 100 bucks, knowing what you do now, what do you get?

I'll place an order later tonight using the suggestions you give me.

Have fun spending my money!

 

[mblakele]

This should be fun.

The blade sampler is a good idea. I'd put $40-60 into a nice brush, probably Penworks, and sink the rest into soaps and creams. I'd want TOBS avocado, sandalwood, and rose for creams, and tabac for a soap. I think that's it: if I didn't go over, I came close.

Option 2 would be a boar brush ugrade, perhaps an Omega 49. That would leave enough for another soap or three.

 

[82R100]

- An Omega boar brush (West Coast Shaving has a good selection - even the $9 is an amazing brush).
- A blade sampler from west coast.

- Chris

 

[Dustinl]

Others would probably disagree but I think your next purchase should be a good brush. Personally I would go with the Rooney 3/1. Check with some of our members who are also vendors. Maybe a Badger & Blade discount would be considered.


Have fun!


DL

 

[michiganlover]

First off, the brush which will be the bulk of your purchase. Buy something fairly nice, and in the $40 price range, you really can't beat the quality of these Penworks brushes in this price range:

Penworks Badger Brushes

I have one of the 22mm Finest Badgers with the cream handle. It's a great brush, that's quality is far better than it's price.

However, if you shop from multiple vendors, you will pay more for shipping.

So you might want to order everything from one vendor.

I would suggest you take a look at one of these four vendors:

http://www.bullgooseshaving.net
http://www.westcoastshaving.net
http://shavingessentials.biz
http://www.shoeboxshaveshop.com

So onward to Soaps/ Creams:

1) I would suggest you buy a puck of Tabac,
2) A tube of TOBS (Taylor of Old Bond Street) in whatever scent interest you the most,
3) Some Proraso/ C.O. Bigelow (Bigelow is the same thing as Proraso, and sold at your local Bath and Body Works in a green tube, in a green box. It's $5/$10 per tube.).

That will give you a good sampling of some of the most respected, and raved about wet shaving products.

P.S. If you order your Tabac from here, you can get free shipping on it by using the promo code "free":

Buy Tabac from FragranceX

 

[A_Jameson]

I'm not too worried about fudging a little. If I'm a little over, no big deal... After all, I wear the pants around here. *Looks over shoulder* Yeah..

I'd like to get a badger hair brush and would like to get a small variety of soaps and creams at the very least. Ok, I'll give you another 30 bucks to spend. Total is now up to $130.

 

[omarwashington]

If I had a hundred bucks atm I'd buy:

Tabac(ya i know...)
Shavemac shaving brush, finest or silver tips, I'll probably buy the finest.
Musgo Real Aftershave
I really want a good condition Gillette Super Speed late 40's early 50's edition

yes in that order. The soap and brush can be bought at the shavemac site. I've read good reviews on this Musgo Real Aftershave which I really want to try, I have the Musgo Real Balm and it works great but i'm at the point where my AD is in AS mode.

 

[thirdeye]

Pssssst!....Rooney 3/1 Super...You owe it to yourself....

 

[Sueto]

Take that $100 and pick up a Rooney in Super and take a trip over to Mama Bears, Saint Charles Shave, or even that modest fellow above over at Gentlemen's Best to pick up a soap and a cream. I am partial to Harris Arlington at the moment.

 

[michiganlover]

Oh, forget to mention, that while scuttles are nice, they are 100% not necessary. In fact most of them are too small to lather in, which I find rather inconvenient.

Also, the shaving soap you got at Wal-Mart (Van Der Hagen Deluxe) is actually very well respected, and is not "crap" as your signature line indicates. It's a low cost product, that can be relied upon to provide a nice quality consistent shave. I use it at least once a week (and actually have been using it for the last seven days, despite having a den full of other more expensive products).

Finally, if you are going to Bath and Body Works anyway, you should pick up some of their C.O. Bigelow Elixir aftershave balms, they come in for varieties (Red, Green, Blue, and Black) and are a really good product for a mere $10.

 

[Dustinl]

Finally, if you are going to Bath and Body Works anyway, you should pick up some of their C.O. Bigelow Elixir aftershave balms, they come in for varieties (Red, Green, Blue, and Black) and are a really good product for a mere $10.

I forgot all about Bigelow! A great value for someone with limited funds. Good advice!


DL

 

[benvh]

- Edwin Jagger BB brush. Penworks is a good suggestion too, but I don't have personal experience with them. I have a EJ BB and it's a great brush. Will serve you well for a long time. See this review:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2355

- Blade sampler pack from westcoastshaving

- Speick shave stick

- C.O. Bigelow shave cream (or Proraso)

- AOS shave cream. Pricey, but awesome. Get a sample from the store if you don't want to buy right away.

- Proraso ASB (liquid cream). Great smell, great moisturizing balm.

- A good bay rum AS or cologne if there's anything left over
C.O. Bigelow is one of my favorites. Ogallala is awesome too.

Good luck. Let us know what you end up with!

Ben

 

[A_Jameson]

Also, the shaving soap you got at Wal-Mart (Van Der Hagen Deluxe) is actually very well respected, and is not "crap" as your signature line indicates.

I had no idea. I assumed since it was the only product they sold and it was cheap it must not be up the to par most people who know what they're doing use. Consider sig altered.

 

[joshmpdx]

Great idea, and great thread!

there are some great recommendations here i'll add my input:

1. Rooney 1/1, Super -70
2. Speick Shave Stick - 5
3. Omega Shave Soap / Proraso Shave Soap - 8
4. Valobra Shave Stick - 10
5. Speick Aftershave Splash - 15
6. Saint Charles Shave Aftershave Splash - 10
7. Musgo Real Shave Cream - 10

Keep us posted with what you end up with!

 

[Ignatius]

Get a good brush. I'd go for the Rooney 1/1 in Super.

A triple milled soap (read review forum extensively, pick one the chaps here generally like and appeals to you).

A glycerin soap (Mama Bear etc).

A cream - the Body Shop perhaps - its really good quality and you can buy it in a 3-dimensional store.

Thats it.

 

[A_Jameson]

I hear a lot of shout outs for Rooney, what's the difference between the 3/1 and 1/1? Where do you suggest buying one? Didn't see it on West Coast.

 

[thirdeye]

I hear a lot of shout outs for Rooney, what's the difference between the 3/1 and 1/1? Where do you suggest buying one? Didn't see it on West Coast.

I'd take a look at Classic Shave, They care the full line of Rooney. You would also have a better understanding of the differences.

 

[garyg]

The handle style is the difference between Styles 1 & 3, cost for both is the same (until you get in the uber badger hair grades). Personally I don't feel much difference in use, but I have seen it written that one or the other is better ..

Try BST .. there is a 3/1 for sale now

 

[A_Jameson]

Bst?

 

[omarwashington]

I hear a lot of shout outs for Rooney, what's the difference between the 3/1 and 1/1? Where do you suggest buying one? Didn't see it on West Coast.

I don't have a Rooney brush but they sell them at Vintage Blades site, this site also organizes the Rooney brushes very well which I like and makes it very easy to see choose what brushes people are talking about.
Another site is Classic Shaving, Check this site if you don't find a Rooney brush that is not listed at Vintage Blades. There are other sites, add away guys..