Help with Gift for Husband? Which razor, etc.?

[MrsClaus]

I would like to get my husband, a novice to quality shaving, a razor and products for Christmas. He knows nothing about the subject, but has been hearing about how razor weight can contribute to an exceptional shave and wants to begin exploring.

He does not have a heavy beard, though his hair is very coarse (beard and head). He does not have problems with rashes/bumps/sensitive skin. He's just curious about what all this quality shave business is all about.

Any advice on what safety razor to get him? Cartridges vs. traditional blades? 3-blade cartridges? 5-blade? Soap vs. cream? Which badger brush?

I'd like to keep the cost under $130 for just the razor or $230 for a set that includes stand, brush and hopefully some products.

All advice appreciated (especially dumbed-down advice for someone who knows none of the terminology, brands, or even what DE is).

Thank you!

 

[direwolf1980]

I'm also new to wet shaving, but have really enjoyed my setup which isn't too expensive. I'd recommend the 40's style Gillette Superspeed which can be found in the B/S/T (this forum's member's sale area) or on ebay for less than $20. Also, The English Shaving Company (on the web) now has all its products for sale with free shipping. I purchased the Edwin Jagger Best Badger Brush for about $35. I'm a soap guy, so the Mitchell Wool Fat soap (great for sensative skin can be found for about $15 per puck or you can splurge for $35 and get the nice ceramic bowl to go with it (lots of online vendors, but I've used West Coast Shaving and Bullgoose Shaving with great success). I love mine. As far as creams go, Bath and Body Works sells Bigelow shaving cream which is made by an Italian company that makes great products. It's about $10.

Hope that gets you started. I'm sure many more will chime in...

 

[Den]

I've tried to keep it real inexpensive as who knows if he'll really like all this wet shaving business.

DE Razors -either are great for beginners:

Merkur 34C HD

or

Edwin Jagger DE89L

Badger Brush

Omega Badger Brush 63171

Blade Sampler Pack

Extended Sampler Pack

Shaving Soap

Ogallala's Bay Rum/Sandalwood Soap

Bowls - if he decides he rather bowl lather than face lather, he might not know yet which one he likes best.

Bowls and Mugs

Hope all this helps.

 

[Barber-Eile]

All of the advice is good.,
I just wanted to say welcome and
:
IT'S MRS. CLAUS!!!!

 

[MrsClaus]

Thanks, everyone, for the advice so far. I'm already checking out the options. And thanks, too, for the welcome! (Though I hope it wasn't too heavily inspired by my professed celebrity. I actually live in Southern California and don't allow the Mr. to stay out all night cavorting with reindeer.)

I'll stay tuned in!

 

[Vlad]

With the good prices (after VAT is removed) and the free shipping deal from theenglishshavingcompany.com, consider putting together an 'Edwin Jagger' set. Their razor is very well regarded here, and quite a bit classier than most other razors. Any of the soaps on their site, other than Penhaligons, will be top of the line. Spend your money on the razor, brush (best or silver tip), and soaps/creams, not on bowls.

Just my two cents.

Edit: You can get a nice stand from there too. I'm sticking with my answer... I did good

 

[Pungo Lee]

I would consider a different route.
An M Series Schick injector razor ( Ebay, 10 to 30 dollars excellent used, or 50 dollars new in package)
Schick Platinum chrome blades (10 bucks for 10 blades average)
Vintage Old Spice shaving mug (10 to 30 dollars)
Walgreens V shaving soap 3 dollars
Ogallala Bay Rum Lime and Peppercorns aftershave AND
Gillette Fatboy 20 to 60 dollars depending on condition
Small Double Edge Sampler pack from one of the B&B Vendors.
A starter badger brush from the same.
This should be well under your budget and give him the chance to play with injector style razors as well as double edge. They both are great!

 

[Go West Young Man]

Brushes and soaps/creams are the way to go.
DE's have a steep learning curve, and unless he's committed to the process, it'll probably end up unused in the back of a drawer somewhere.

 

[Brush_with_Fame]

Yep, variety of blades and soaps/cremes may be fun for him...
Mama Bear's soaps are chepa, quality, and a blast!
Maybe add a triple mill soap to the mix so he can compare!
Trumpers, DR Harris...

And you gotta get a tube of Musgo Real ($10 +/-)
It's a right of passage...

West Coast Shaving is a good vendor with cheap shipping....

 

[Beerman]

Brushes and soaps/creams are the way to go.
DE's have a steep learning curve, and unless he's committed to the process, it'll probably end up unused in the back of a drawer somewhere.

X2.

There is a steep learning curve to using a DE. I would start with creams and a brush and would start with uhhhh more "budget" minded choices, rather than going whole hog at once.


I would recommend (assuming you have a Rite-Aid available) The Real Shaving Co. shave cream, as it's made by the same co. that makes SEVERAL of the high-end creams as well as CE Bigelow's shaving cream from Bath and Body Works, which is also an excellent beginner cream. There's a badger brush sold at Target that is supposed to be a STEAL at around $10.

If he tries these products and is happy with the results, THEN spend the moolah on some other more pricey choices. FWIW.

Beerman

 

[nole1]

All of these are great options but depending on where you live in the SoCal area you could aways swing by West Coast Shaving (located in Chino Hills) and talk to John (a mod here. his user name is letterk) or Christine about some options. That way you could also have the chance to give whatever creams/soaps/aftershaves you choose the sniff test to see if its a scent either of you would enjoy instead of having to buy 'blind'.

Here is there 'About Us' page if you want more info.

 

[cooncatbob]

You might want to consider some of the small B&B Vendors.

 

[Chester]

Here's my suggestion, but it's a bit biased because I'm a Truefitt and Hill fan:
T&H has a nice cream and balm sampler that might be fun:
http://www.truefittandhill.com/detail_10103__37.html
-- Chet

 

[BigFoot]

You might want to consider some of the small B&B Vendors.

+1 you could get a real nice razor for the $130.00.And their custom.

 

[raccoonandbrush]

Merkur HD 34C
Derby razor blades

Can't go wrong with either.

 

[LouieGrandie]

While a number of people will suggest a vintage razor, unless your husband understands what he is getting he may think "she got me a USED razor?" A nice new razor makes a great first impression so here goes:


Merkur and Edwin Jagger make some great razors that are reasonably priced.

Blade Sampler Pack from any of the major sites are definitely the way to go.

Shaving Soap and/or Cream - Tip of the Hat to Marco, one of the members from Italy for his excellent list of suggested soaps:

Cella, Crema Sapone Extra Extra Purissima
P.160 Tipo Morbido
Valobra, Sapone per barba stick
Valobra, Crema di Sapone Purissima
Acca Kappa 1869
MWF
Martin de Candre
L' Occitane Cade

All but the Martin de Candre is easily available. I would go with the Cella. My personal favorite site is West Coast Shaving which has good selection, good prices, and excellent (low) shipping cost.

 

[Vlad]

I would go with more creams than soaps to start. You can get frustrated with soaps if you're not really committed to old school shaving.

 

[Buck Melanoma]

Your husband is a lucky man to have such a thoughtful wife.

As others have mentioned, you might want to consider whether he is interested in vintage/antiques or would prefer newly made items.

Most of us here use some sort of double edge razor, while the more brave use straight blades. I would not buy him one of those to start. Cartridge razors, at least for me, suck the very joy out of life and make shaving a miserable daily requirement. I have never seen or used any that made shaving fun. Of course, his desire to learn a new skill (on his face and involving a razor blade) will make a big difference in what sort of razor you wish to buy. Shaving with a double edge razor does take some time to perfect, but it is not that difficult and millions of men, of all ranks of intelligence, used them in the past.

Let me state that my youngest razor dates to 1974, so I will not comment on new razors.

Vintage razors have the attraction that men used them in another time. They are a time machine for us in the present and we get to step in every day. They also are generally VERY well made and will likely still be good to go for several decades.

Some of them are quite fancy and many can be found in excellent shape. Very few are expensive (your $130 would buy many of the more rare razors and most are available for under $30 on any given day).

If this is of interest, you might consider buying from someone like Country Joe: http://countryjoescollectiblestuff.com/raz-01.html

I have made one purchase from him and it was exactly as described, if not better. His prices are very reasonable, especially if you do not wish to monkey with Ebay.

Another option is our own buy/sell/trade area. I would also be willing to bet that there are members who would sell you a fine old razor if you asked.

If buying vintage, I would consider getting him a Gillette NEW (nice shavers and very attractive) or one of the higher end turn to open (TTO) models, such as an Aristocrat, President, or Diplomat. I would also recommend a Ranger Tech or a Milord (all of these, by the way, are Gillettes). The adjustable Gillettes are also excellent performers and are more flexible in that their aggressiveness can be chosen by the user.

My favorite Gillette adjustable, the Super Adjustable, from the late 1960s to the 1980s, is a very, very comfortable razor to shave with. It lacks some of the style of earlier razors, but gives great shaves and would be a fine choice for someone just starting out. I don't think you could go wrong with one of these.

I would generally agree that creams are better for new shavers, but using soap and a brush is not exactly rocket science. I like Nancy Boy shaving creams and Kiss My Face (cheaply and locally available).

For soaps I can highly recommend either the Ogallala Bay soaps or Mama Bear soaps. I like Ogallala Bay best, but both are great and easy to use.

Whatever you do, buy him a brush. You can make this simple or difficult, but buy some sort of brush. It really improves the shave. I was skeptical for a long time, but once I began to use a brush I decided I could never go back. I use a synthetic brush (Parker - $20) because I am a vegetarian, but others will be able to give you options for animal hair brushes. Brushes make shaving feel much more like a luxurious self-indulgence than a chore involving scraping the hair off your face.

You have been given very good advice by the other posters. I wish you the best of luck in making your choices!

 

[bogey97]

Regarding cartridges, most folks in these forums will tell you that they prefer a traditional double-edged (DE) razor to any of the modern multi-blade cartridges. But if your husband has never used a DE razor, there is definitely a learning curve involved (he WILL cut himself a few times.. we all did).

I think you need to keep it simple for a beginner. Some folks have suggested buying an antique/vintage razor. I don't agree , at least for a beginner. I would recommend a Merkur Model 34C. It's available on for around $40. As others have pointed out, you should probably start him with a sampler pack of DE razor blades. (Blades, oddly enough, are very much a matter of personal preference.. he needs to try several brands to decide which one to start with.)

For a brush, it largely depends on your budget. I would recommend spending $50 to $100 on a good brush.. look for a "best" badger brush ("best" is a grade of brush). There are several good brands; I like Simpson. Even if your hubby decides to use a cartridge razor, he will get much better results by using a brush and a good cream or soap than from the canned "goo" that most guys use.

Finally, for the shaving cream, I would go with a tube of Proraso -- it's a classic Italian shaving cream and is very popular among wet shaving aficionados. It will cost $10 and last about 6 months.

That should be enough to get him started. Above all, you need to point your husband to the wiki and FAQ on this site, so that he learns how to properly use a DE razor. I bought a DE razor years ago, but gave up very quickly because I wasn't getting good results.. since the Internet wasn't around, I had nowhere to learn about things like using a light touch and getting the correct angle on the blade. Armed with new information, I picked up DE shaving again about 6 months ago and have been very pleased with the results.

 

[Blondie]

Regarding cartridges, most folks in these forums will tell you that they prefer a traditional double-edged (DE) razor to any of the modern multi-blade cartridges. But if your husband has never used a DE razor, there is definitely a learning curve involved (he WILL cut himself a few times.. we all did).

I think you need to keep it simple for a beginner. Some folks have suggested buying an antique/vintage razor. I don't agree , at least for a beginner. I would recommend a Merkur Model 34C. It's available on for around $40. As others have pointed out, you should probably start him with a sampler pack of DE razor blades. (Blades, oddly enough, are very much a matter of personal preference.. he needs to try several brands to decide which one to start with.)

For a brush, it largely depends on your budget. I would recommend spending $50 to $100 on a good brush.. look for a "best" badger brush ("best" is a grade of brush). There are several good brands; I like Simpson. Even if your hubby decides to use a cartridge razor, he will get much better results by using a brush and a good cream or soap than from the canned "goo" that most guys use.

Finally, for the shaving cream, I would go with a tube of Proraso -- it's a classic Italian shaving cream and is very popular among wet shaving aficionados. It will cost $10 and last about 6 months.

That should be enough to get him started. Above all, you need to point your husband to the wiki and FAQ on this site, so that he learns how to properly use a DE razor. I bought a DE razor years ago, but gave up very quickly because I wasn't getting good results.. since the Internet wasn't around, I had nowhere to learn about things like using a light touch and getting the correct angle on the blade. Armed with new information, I picked up DE shaving again about 6 months ago and have been very pleased with the results.

A big plus one to this. Let him decide on the vintage angle himself. I once bought my lady a vintage bottle of Chanel No.5, which to a scent-o-phile would be an instant hit. She said "you bought me a used bottle of perfume?" It was still sealed in cellophane. I explained it and she loves it now, but half the fun in gift giving is the reaction, and I think you want the reaction a nice Edwin Jagger EJ89L would generate. The Merkur razors are good, but the EJ are packaged better.