Help, what to do!

[jdh1007]

I have spent hours and hours reading threads here, reviews on amazon and anything else I come across trying to find out where to start!

I was never taught how to shave and by default (tough beard, sensitive skin) ended up using electric razors that hack the beard down to a stubble that is acceptable for the work environment. This whole soap/cream DE thing is completely foreign... I just got a selection of Gillette razors on Ebay (@ $5 each) and hope one of them works out for me, I think I paid a fair price. But, back on topic... I have no idea what to do about a brush and I want to do this right or at least close (re: sensitive skin mentioned above).

So, the nuts and bolts, what should I get? I've ruled out boar bristles and am willing to go for a badger brush, but I don't want to spend for a name or something I don't need.

I'm looking for a serviceable brush that will serve me well through the learning curve and won't break the bank.

 

[luvmysuper]

Shea Moisture black badger Shaving Brush, $9.00 at Target.

 

[Klarion]

The New Forest 2201 two-band shaving brush looks like it could be right up your alley, at less that $45 shipped.

Here is the review thread.


It's basically a clone of the Simpson Persian Jar 2, with a touch higher loft. Currently, everything indicates it's a suitable all-around brush. Decent backbone, soft tips. That's pretty much the standard recommendation for brushes, until someone gets a better idea of what they like.

 

[jdh1007]

Thanks guys,

I read the old thread on the Shea Moisture brush... seems good, certainly for the price. I can't find it online but maybe I'll have luck at a store.

As far as the New Forest brush I am a little wary of sending a paypal payment to an email address on a blog... especially since the reviews I found said it looked good but hadn't been proven.

In either case I appreciate the input and will try one out.

 

[BladeRunner001]

I have spent hours and hours reading threads here, reviews on amazon and anything else I come across trying to find out where to start!

I was never taught how to shave and by default (tough beard, sensitive skin) ended up using electric razors that hack the beard down to a stubble that is acceptable for the work environment. This whole soap/cream DE thing is completely foreign... I just got a selection of Gillette razors on Ebay (@ $5 each) and hope one of them works out for me, I think I paid a fair price. But, back on topic... I have no idea what to do about a brush and I want to do this right or at least close (re: sensitive skin mentioned above).

So, the nuts and bolts, what should I get? I've ruled out boar bristles and am willing to go for a badger brush, but I don't want to spend for a name or something I don't need.

I'm looking for a serviceable brush that will serve me well through the learning curve and won't break the bank.

Lots of good advice. There are different grades of badger brush, from Pure to silvertip (these depend on what part of the badger the hair is harvested from). Silvertips are the best grade and can vary in price from ~$80 to $350+. I personally love my Silvertips (shavemac and Thater) but for starters I would recommend a Best or Super badger brush. You can certainly pick these for a reasonable price. Vulfix brand is one...you can pick one up at classicshaving.com or other vendors...check the BST section here too as many members do sell quality brushes often (PayPal is safer and you can rest easy). Do you know what size knot you're looking for? If not, most starters go with a 22mm (or thereabouts), unless you have big hands...then go for 24 or 26mm.

With DE shaving, take your time...get a HD (regular, run of the mill) Merkur DE with a sampler pack of blades. This way you can try and see which blades work the best for you (and your skin). Stay away from aggressive razors like slants and open combs (at least initially until you get your technique thingy down).

Go easy and have fun...don't be discouraged by a few nicks/cuts along the way (think of it as the rights of initiation...all of us have had it at some point or another )

Cheers,
Robert

 

[andrew98]

Thanks guys,

I read the old thread on the Shea Moisture brush... seems good, certainly for the price. I can't find it online but maybe I'll have luck at a store.

As far as the New Forest brush I am a little wary of sending a paypal payment to an email address on a blog... especially since the reviews I found said it looked good but hadn't been proven.

In either case I appreciate the input and will try one out.

Lots of people have received their New Forest with no problems, me included. That would be an ideal brush for sensitive skin. The tips are really soft, and it's not a very stiff brush. A Rooney Super Silvertip, for instance, has great backbone (stiff), and it's a touch scrubby, particularly when new. I'd recommend that brush to pretty much anyone, except for those with sensitive skin. My Rooney 1/1 is one of my favorite brushes.

I would recommend a silvertip brush if your skin is truly sensitive. The only exception would be the Vulfix 2233 Boar. Even right out of the box, that's one of the softest brushes I've ever encountered. It's $20, but for me it's too floppy. You might like it though, so don't rule out all boar. It can be very soft, even when brand new. Otherwise, maybe try Vulfix or Edwin Jagger silvertip, but they'll both be a bit floppy. If you have more money, you can never go wrong with a Shavemac Silvertip, particularly if a renowned brand makes you feel better. It'll be soft, dense, and plenty firm, especially if you can find one with a 50mm loft (talk to westcoastshaving.com maybe). Otherwise, save some cash and give a New Forest a try.

Just some ideas.

-Andy

 

[alabamalawyer]

It might help if you let us know the price range you have in mind. If you do, we can probably give more specific recommendations. For a very good brush at a great price, I would check out Savile Row at QEDUSA. You can also check out a Rooney in Super or Pure badger at Vintageblades. Another option would be the Vie-Long brushes available at Bullgooseshaving. Westcoastshaving has Shavemac brushes that are also excellent. Several of these vendors also carry Simpson and Vulfix brushes which are very good.

As far a DE, a vintage Gillette is a great way to go. You can also consider Merkur, Muhle or Edwin Jagger. All of these are great. Parker has a good reputation but I have not used one of those.

The options on soaps and creams are about endless. I would suggest a good quality, reasonably-priced cream like Taylor of Old Bond Street. Most of the above vendors carry that line and it is a very good cream which is available in several scents. Soaps can be a bit trickier but I would suggest P.160 which Phil at Bullgooseshaving has available in 100 g bowls. It is a semi-soft soap that works very well and is inexpensive.

Look around and ask questions, as we are always glad to help out in anyway we can.

 

[andrew98]

I'd avoid the pure badger grade of hair because of your sensitive skin. You may find it too scrubby/scratchy. A price range would indeed be helpful. I don't know if you also tend to have dry skin, but if you do, selecting the right shaving soap (or cream) is pretty important.

I have dry, somewhat sensitive skin.

-Andy

 

[jdh1007]

Well, I cheaped out and got the "Shea Moisture black badger Shaving Brush" at my local target. I figure if my face withstands the learning curve I can justify a bigger purchase in the future.

A point of clarification is the perceived facial sensitivity is my propensity to get razor bumps/ burn in a bad way (which is very likely a user error issue)... A scrubby brush shouldn't have an adverse effect.

I got a tube of the C.O. Bigelow (Proraso) cream; figured it was a solid and reasonably priced start.

I'm trying to post a picture of the razors I have (in the mail)... I figured for the price I could try a variety, at least a variety of Gillettes, and see what style works. I don't know what the plastic handled razor is, if anyone does.

 

[Vlad]

I'd avoid the pure badger grade of hair because of your sensitive skin. You may find it too scrubby/scratchy. A price range would indeed be helpful. I don't know if you also tend to have dry skin, but if you do, selecting the right shaving soap (or cream) is pretty important.

I have dry, somewhat sensitive skin.

-Andy

Yes, it's tempting to get a pure. But this is not where you want to cheap out.

 

[Zumkopf]

I'm trying to post a picture of the razors I have (in the mail)... I figured for the price I could try a variety, at least a variety of Gillettes, and see what style works. I don't know what the plastic handled razor is, if anyone does.

The plastic-handled razor is a Gillette Tech. Nice, gentle shaver.

In your picture, from left to right and top to bottom, it looks like you have

(1) 1920's Gillette "Old Type" with a ball handle (a close shaver, but a bit tricky),

(2) a Gillette Tech, with a ball handle (mild shaver, good for learning purposes),

(3) Gillette Super Speed flare tip (1950s vintage) (also mild, and the Twist To Open (TTO) mechanism is something a lot of people like),

(4) 1930's era Gillette NEW Long Tooth (one of my personal favorites, but you might rather start with one of the Techs),

(5) Plastic-handled Gillette Tech (which will shave slightly differently from #2 due to the difference in balance caused by the lighter handle), and

(6) I can't tell without a better picture.

Nice haul, by the way.

 

[andrew98]

Definitely try the ball-end tech and SuperSpeed first. Those are two of my top 3 razors.

-Andy

 

[DaveNJ74]

I have spent hours and hours reading threads here, reviews on amazon and anything else I come across trying to find out where to start!

I was never taught how to shave and by default (tough beard, sensitive skin) ended up using electric razors that hack the beard down to a stubble that is acceptable for the work environment. This whole soap/cream DE thing is completely foreign... I just got a selection of Gillette razors on Ebay (@ $5 each) and hope one of them works out for me, I think I paid a fair price. But, back on topic... I have no idea what to do about a brush and I want to do this right or at least close (re: sensitive skin mentioned above).

So, the nuts and bolts, what should I get? I've ruled out boar bristles and am willing to go for a badger brush, but I don't want to spend for a name or something I don't need.

I'm looking for a serviceable brush that will serve me well through the learning curve and won't break the bank.

I have ben shaving with a brush since January or so and I have 5 brushes. My favorite seems to be the Art of Shaving Pure Badger brush that came with the lavender shaving set I bough off of someone on craigslist who never used any of the stuff.
I have sensitive skin and before I started wet shaving I had terrible skin and rashes on my neck from cheap razors, bad shaving cream in a can and electric shavers.
Besides my AOS brush my go to brush is a Crabtree and Evelyn (Edwin Jagger) Best badger brush.
My best shaves so far have come from the TracII razor, one of the brushes I mentioned, a nice lavender shaving cream and a sensitive skin aftershave.

 

[hometownhero]

I have the same plastic handle tech as you have in that picture. It is a very good shaver I like it better then the metal handle tech

 

[DanOK]

I would also recommend starting with 2,3, or 5. The Tech's and the super speed will allow you experiment with blades and still provide comfortable shaves. Speaking of blades be sure to order a sampler pack of blades. John over at westcoastshaving.com has a nice selection of sampler packs. Best of Luck.

 

[Bobtrumpet]

Re: Brushes. At the risk of incurring the wrath of others, you could start your DE journey by using a good quality SC (a tube will be more convenient than a tub) without a brush.

You won't get the mound of delightful lather this way, but you'll still get a fine lather that provides cushion and lubrication. Then you can work on your razor technique and blade selection without having to worry about how well you are (or are not) building your lather.

After a month or two you can move toward getting a brush. Plus, you'll have more time to research your brush choice and won't feel rushed in the process.

 

[andrew98]

^

That's a fine idea. I know folks who used canned shave gel and a DE, and I know guys that use a cartridge razor with brush and soap.

-Andy

 

[jdh1007]

Just shaved with what I had available... the Shea Moisture Brush (a little scratchy, but not bad at all), proraso SC (lathered up very well considering it was my first try and I was using a plastic cereal bowl) and my crappy disposable razors I've used to shave my head (the new-to-me DEs are cleaning at the moment)... everything went pretty well and I think once all the quality implements are in place it will only get better.

 

[jwhite]

Just shaved with what I had available... the Shea Moisture Brush (a little scratchy, but not bad at all), proraso SC (lathered up very well considering it was my first try and I was using a plastic cereal bowl) and my crappy disposable razors I've used to shave my head (the new-to-me DEs are cleaning at the moment)... everything went pretty well and I think once all the quality implements are in place it will only get better.

It was amazing to me how much a decent cream and brush can improve the shave even without changing razors. The advantage a DE has is that you can get a close shave without adding pressure or pulling, which are major causes of irritation. There is a learning curve however and it will take some shaves to acclimate to a new process. As you have sensitive skin I would advise you to concentrate on comfortable shaves as opposed to perfectly smooth shaves. Get yourself presentable with a WTG pass and touch up if necessary. When your comfortable with your new razor, add passes and work on closer shaves. Also resist the urge to constantly change up razors right away. Pick one of the gentle shavers the others mentioned that feels good in your hand and stick with it until you get reliable shaves. You've got a good cream, a decent brush, and some good razors to choose from. Get a good sample pack of blades and that should be your only variable once you settle on a razor.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Just shaved with what I had available... the Shea Moisture Brush (a little scratchy, but not bad at all), proraso SC (lathered up very well considering it was my first try and I was using a plastic cereal bowl) and my crappy disposable razors I've used to shave my head (the new-to-me DEs are cleaning at the moment)... everything went pretty well and I think once all the quality implements are in place it will only get better.

Congrats on the first shave with a brush and a good cream!

At one time, I would have also said that i have sensitive skin. However, with good prep, good products and a good razor, I think my skin is average now. You might find yourself in the same position once you get up to speed.

That's a nice collection of razors - you should have weeks, if not months, of fun learning the ins and out of all of those. Resist the urge to buy other razors since you have plenty to experiment with.

As for a brush, I'd consider the various "best" badger brushes out there, the ones a step down from silvertip. I'll probably take a few knocks for this, but I've found them to be about as good as the silvertip brushes. Aesthetically they might not be as nice and silvertip brushes do give you an excellent shave, but I think you can save a bit of money and still get an excellent brush. YMMV, of course, but there are plenty of mid-range Simpsons and Rooneys that are affordable and excellent.