Help me spend my money

[conradn]

Hello,

I'm very new to both B&B and DE shaving but I'm enjoying myself immensely so far.

I got into DE shaving to save money but it hasn't quite worked out like that, as seems to be the case for a lot of you.

Initially I bought a brush and cream (TOBS Jermyn Street), followed by a razor (Merkur 34C), blades, Alum block and MWF. I've also become a bit obsessed with soaps and have ordered samples from Honey Bees, Mikes, Mama Bears and QCS.

The things left that I "need" are a sharps box for blade disposal and a lathering bowl. As I'm new to the whole DE thing I don't really know what I'm doing in terms of bowl/face lathering. I've watched videos and read articles about both and I feel I'm getting a pretty good lather up, it looks like it does in the pictures, it's glossy, dense, long lasting and seems slippery. Would a bowl improve things? Should a bowl be used for certain types of soaps: glycerin, tallow, lanolin etc? Will anything do to experiment with until I decide or does it need to be ceramic? I'm not a big fan of the look of scuttles TBH, the vintage ones look nice but they're not really for me unless there's a string reason for them. I understand that hot water keeps the lather warm, but is that only for some soaps, creams or climates?

Secondly, the sharps box. I'm aware of the feather type tin boxes but they're hard(ish) to come by in the UK so I was thinking of something like this: http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/sculptaceramics/product/sharps-box-used-razor-blade-bank It's expensive though so I wondered what else people had in mind. I've seen the homemade soup cans but I was after something that was quite attractive and could live on the countertop. I've looked through the shave dens post and I didn't see many, if any, sharps boxes. What on earth do you all use!?

Anyway, that's a good enough long rambling post; hello!

 

[Lamar]

I can go either way on lathering but I prefer face lathering 99% of the time. More time swirling on the face and less time wasted swirling in the bowl. If my lather is not wet enough I can simply added a few drops of water to the brush. If I need more product I can take a few more swirls of the container it is in or an extra dab from a tube. Since face lathering it seems my soaps are not being used up so quickly. I also use cold water as the temperature really doesn't seem to make a difference

I put my old blades in a large fish oil supplement bottle with a flip lid and it's always behind stuff so it's never seen.

Welcome to the forums BTW.

Do you really want us to help you spend money?

 

[brucea]

For a bowl I use a old TOBS tub . It works great and it screws shut so I can keep the soap I am using stored in there as well. For blades I use an old screw top jar from jelly or jam or baby food size jar. I glue and tape it around the rim to make sure it stays shut. So far I have been using the same small jar for over a year and a half and it still has room for a bit more. Not fancy stuff but I would rather spend my cash on blades or razors or cologne etc.

 

[Teppanyaki]

I have to say, your post title is as dangerous as I've seen on these boards since I started posting here a few months ago.

Lathering bowl - I've seen a bunch. I use the Colonel Conk bowl (westcoastshaving.com or amazon.com); I have heard of people using just about anything. One of the nicest I've seen was a Tibetan singing bowl. I ordered 2 miso soup bowls for travel. Basically, anything with the right shape works; if it has a textured bottom it may work even better. You can Google (images) shaving bowl or mug for ideas.

Sharps disposal - for under $10 pharmacies have sharps containers. You can also use milk jugs, I think. Or jars.

As to spending money, I spend mine on soaps/creams, razors, 2 new brushes (1 not ordered yet) and a few aftershaves.

Welcome!

 

[QuasPrimas]

No need to spend your money until you ascertain what you want and need. I found a mug was a little too deep for me to conveniently use for bowl lathering, so instead of buying some specially made shaving bowl, I have been using a smallish cereal bowl out of my kitchen cabinet. Works like a charm. Eventually perhaps I'll have an empty wooden bowl that once contained shaving soap, but for now, this looks elegant and doesn't require me to spend more. (Why spend it on a bowl when I can try out a new aftershave!)

Blade disposal can take any number of forms... Personally, I wrap mine up and just throw them in the trash. You could use any kind of container you like that is not prone to being punctured/cut and can have a slit fashioned in the top to accept a used blade.

 

[Jeff_H]

My wife takes monthly injections for her arthritis, so every month they send her a plastic "sharps" container to put her empty self contained tube like things her shots come in. The container is about 7" tall and about 3" square, give or take, I've never measured it. One month they sent her an extra so I absconded it for my used razors, about 6 months ago. At one, sometimes 2 blades a week it should be filled up in about 10 years, maybe. Once it is, you close the lid, put a little plastic tab in a special slot and it locks the lid closed, so you'd have to take a hack saw to it to open it up.

They sell them at Walgreen's and CVS here in the states, in a few different sizes. They probably have something similar where you are. Look where the diabetic supplies are, lancets, alcohol pads, etc. The one's I've seen are bright red plastic, so not something that the wife would like sitting out all the time. I keep mine under the sink and pull it out once a week when I change blades.

 

[BrookR1]

For a bowl, I use a rice bowl that has ridges in the bottom of it. I bought it at a craft street fair and it's perfect size and very attractive.

For a used blade tin, check out the local antique store and find an old spice, talc, or tobacco tin. They are very nice looking and add a bit of retro coolness to your shave den. Some even come with flip tops so you can empty out the blades and reuse them.

 

[conradn]

This is all really useful. It sounds like I can use what I like as a bowl then and that there's no real reliance on it being ceramic or porcelain. I'll use the tub of TOBS cream that I'm about to finish for all the samples I've got coming then.

And for sharps, I'll take a look at old tins and things, that's a good idea. I guess I don't need to it to be sealed as long as I know not to open it.

The thread title was meant to be a bit tongue in cheek and was based on a comment from a friend of mine who called me crazy when I showed him the ceramic blade bank.

 

[Havok305]

West Coast Shaving has blade bank's for $1.00. They also carry various bowls. I picked up the Col Conk bowl from them which came with a puck of the Col Conk Bay Rum. I didn't really care for the puck, but it was free, so I can't complain. When I started I used a small rice bowl, that will be fine. Bowl lathering is easier when starting out, but not necessary.