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How did you get started & what starter's kit would you now recommend?

My Story

I am a prolific hobbyist. The nature of my job is such that work hours fluctuate pretty dramatically every few months, and roughly every 3 to 4 months, I transition from an 80+ hour work week to a 55-60 hour work week. When the schedule drops off, I frequently find myself both bored out of my mind and driving my wife nuts. To remedy this and occupy myself, every 3 to 4 months I either revisit an old hobby or take on a new one.

When I first started getting interested in wet shaving (which I initially considered a hobby), I was actually in a fairly busy time of the year. I was on a business trip and reading a magazine when I noticed an advertisement for Caswell Massey which included a picture of an ivory handled M3, a shaving brush, and a wooden soap bowl. I had no idea that people actually used the soap and brush and thought that these items were there simply as "dressing", and that the razor was the focal point of the picture.

When I returned home, I got on the computer and began conducting searches to see what kind of razor handles were available. I was pretty convinced that my M3 would shave dramatically better if it simply had a better handle. I then began to stumble across a few shaving related message boards and also found Classic Shaving's site. At this point I began to realize that there was a whole subculture of folks who were daily risking their mortality by shaving with DE's or straits. I read post after post discussing how great these shaves were, the improved skin health that men were enjoying, and how guys were actually shaving 7 days a week by choice.

After viewing literally hundreds of pages of text, I was astonished to find that for 15+ years, I had been using one of the worst shaving systems available. I am a researcher by nature, so over the course of the next two weeks, every spare moment that I had was spent on the internet in one shaving forum or another. I even gave up my lunch hour to lurk the boards, trying desperately to satisfy both my thirst for knowledge and my desire to achieve a quality shave.

After achieving a satisfactory level of shaving related knowledge, I began to formulate a list of must-have products for my newfound hobby. I began with the idea that I would purchase low-cost, quality products, making the smallest investment possible while still only buying quality items.

My initial shave kit included:
Merkur 1904 Classic open comb safety razor @ $25 - an OK razor
Merkur Platinum blades @ $5 - quality blades
Alabu shaving soap @ $5 - a wonderfully appalling product
Tweezerman badger shaving brush @ $10 - a pretty good starter brush

Though not all great decisions/products, this setup provided decent enough shaves to keep the "hobby" alive.

My proposed starter kit for beginners:
Merkur HD or Long Handle (not open comb) - $30
Merkur Platinum Blades - $5 (10-pack)
Taylor's Shaving Cream - $14 (more forgiving than a soap)
Tweezerman badger shaving brush - $10

This is not the cheapest kit that you can put together, but IMHO, this grouping will give the most bang for the buck. Additionally, if you decide wet shaving is not for you, it is not unreasonable to expect half of your investment back when reselling the kit.
 
Kyle, thanks for sharing your journey to wetshaving. I think you have proposed an excellent starter kit. A person could save a few more dollars by substituting Taylors shaving cream with Williams soap or Palmolive shave cream or Kiss My Face shave cream.
 
Kyle, great post, as usual. My journey mimicks yours more or less. My first setup was from QED:

Merkur Progress (~$30)
Taylor's Lavender (~$13)
Savile Row super badger (~$40)

As previously mentioned, there are ways of going even cheaper, but I felt this was a setup with some legs, and I might not need to upgrade for a while. (That was before SCAD, RAD, etc.)

I personally like to use an adjustable razor, since it gives me some flexibility. Others eschew them for the same reasons. To each his own.
 
Very interesting! Some time ago on The Wet Shavers Group someone started a similar thread. It ended up becoming a rush to the bottom to see how cheaply one could put together a starter kit. It ended up being very inexpensive, but really less than an adequate representation of what wetshaving is really like. I wonder how many poor lads ended up missing out on the delights of wet shaving by becoming fallen converts?
 
My first setup was this:
Merkur Futur
Merkur Platinum Blades
BraveSoldier BraveFace Shave Cream
Baxter Aftershave Balm

No brush and quite honestly, you don't need one to get a great shave with BraveFace Shave cream.

I recently put a kit together for my brother and it included:
Merkur HD
Merkur Platinum Blades
A variety of samples ranging from Salter to Trumpers
A boar brush
Baxter Aftershave Balm

He seems to like the setup. If I would change one thing, would be to get him a good entry level badger brush. Other than that, I think he will be set for a good while.
 
I started with the following:
Merkur Vision
Merkur razor blades
Omega boar bristle brush
Taylor Lavender
Brave Soldier Code Blue A/S

I still like the idea of starting with an adjustable. The adjustable allows one to change the shaving characteristics of the razor as their skills improve. Keeping price in mind, here's what I'd recommend:

Merkur Progress
Merkur blades
Vulfix super badger travel brush (great brush, plus you can take it on the road. Omega boar bristle could be substituted to save money.)
Taylor Lavender
T & H Ultimate Comfort after shave balm
 
I started wet shaving just over two weeks ago with the exact setup as Kyle's proposed starter kit for beginners:eek:

Merkur HD (QED) $28.00
Merkur Platinum Blades 10 pack for (E-Bay) $4.95
Taylor's Lemon Lime Shave Cream 5.3 oz (QED) $13.50
Tweezerman Badger Brush (E-Bay) $9.95
Total Shipping Cost $8.20

Grand Total $64.60

I purchased these items after weeks of on-line research and have been very happy with my selections. I have spent a lot more money in the last two week on different creams and soaps, but the basic set-up remains the same. I would recommend this set to any beginner.
 
My first "real" kit included:

Merkur HD Classic (purchased from Howard)
Surrey Boar Brush
Williams Shaving Soap

That's it.

Randy
 
chefchris said:
I started wet shaving just over two weeks ago with the exact setup as Kyle's proposed starter kit for beginners:eek:

Merkur HD (QED) $28.00
Merkur Platinum Blades 5 pack for (E-Bay) $4.95
Taylor's Lemon Lime Shave Cream 5.3 oz (QED) $13.50
Tweezerman Badger Brush (E-Bay) $9.95
Total Shipping Cost $8.20

Grand Total $64.60

I purchased these items after weeks of on-line research and have been very happy with my selections. I have spent a lot more money in the last two week on different creams and soaps, but the basic set-up remains the same. I would recommend this set to any beginner.

Chris,

Glad to hear that this collection is working out well for you. While my personal starter kit was not quite as good, the biggest difference-making upgrade that I have made was a higher quality brush. Don't get me wrong, I like the Tweezerman and still use it from time to time, but once you use a Super or Silvertip, you're whole shaving world will change.
 
Kyle,

Nice post! :thumbup:

My starter kit:

Merkur HD
Merkur Blades
Savile Row silvertip
Col. Conk amber soap

By the way, what in the world do SCAD, RAD stand for?


Marty
 
i got started becuase my mach3 started giving me a pulling/plucking sensation, combined with the blades not lasting long and being pricey i finally got fed up. I knew barbers had always used straights on me and i was kind of fascinated by them in their own right so that was it, began research, eventually found SRP, bought a 6/8 dovo, strop, pastes, pure badger brush, conk lime and musgo real. Oddly enough I never even considered a DE but i ran across shaveblog eventually and kept hearing mention of other shaving message boards like this one and i decided i had to try a DE also; so once i mailed my Dovo off to be sharpened by a gracious member of SRP and here (thanks again Jeff) i bought the merkur HD. the rest is history, more buying and not enough time/hair to use everything i have as quickly and as much as id like to
 
Kyle said:
Chris,

Glad to hear that this collection is working out well for you. While my personal starter kit was not quite as good, the biggest difference-making upgrade that I have made was a higher quality brush. Don't get me wrong, I like the Tweezerman and still use it from time to time, but once you use a Super or Silvertip, you're whole shaving world will change.
A new brush is on my wish list!!
I thinking an Savile Row Super Badger 25mm knot.
 
I kind of jumped in with both feet. This past fall, I ordered from QED and Classic Shaving the following:

Merkur HD DE razor
Merkur blades
Vulfix 2234 brush in super
QED Fresh Lime Soap
Taylor's Avocado Cream
Taylor's Rose Cream
Trumper's Coral Skin Food

I've added a fair amount of stuff and will be giving a straight a try soon, but my originals purchases are still favs.

If I were making a recommendation, I would say:

Merkur HD
Personna blades
C&E "budget" brush
Taylor's Avocado
Proraso AS Lotion

Not exactly cheap, but quality enough to give a fantasitic shave and the user probably won't ditch any of the components.
 
Great post Kyle,

I used the following setup for many years:
Gillette Adjustable Heavy with Gillette Blades
Williams Shaving Soap
Old Boars Brush

Now I would recommend the following for a starter kit:
Merkur HD or Progress with Merkur Blades
C&E Best Badger Brush
Taylor's Avocado
Natureade Aloe80
 
Very good thread idea, Kyle, and I'm going to echo Ron and say that if I had spent a little more at the start I would have saved some $$ overall (I no longer use any of my original components, and likely won't again, save for the T&H) and probably would have had an easier time learning, too.

My initial kit:
Merkur Classic (not HD, ClassicShaving was out that week, so I settled)
Merkur Blades
Vulfix 2197 Pure Badger brush
Several Truefitt & Hill creams (favorite of the time: lavender)

My recommended starter kit:
Merkur HD Classic (the added weight solved all sorts of technique problems)
Merkur Blades
Vulfix 2234 Super Badger brush (such an improvement, worth the extra $25)
Proraso eucalyptus or Taylor's Avocado shaving cream (depending on eucalyptus tolerance of the beginner)
Trumper's Coral Skin Food

-Rich
 
I went through an evolution of my gear, beginning with:
Mach3(turbo)
Williams Shave Mug Soap
Surrey boar shaving brush

My first upgrade was a better cream (thank you Trumper and Truefitt & Hill for sending samples!), followed by a better brush (Tweezerman), followed by an even better brush (Savile Row super badger) and finally a DE (plastic Zorrik handle with US Personna blades, replaced with a Merkur Progress and Israeli Personna's). That said/learned, I would propose several "intro" kits, depending on the tolerance of the user:

Widely Available "Bricks & Morter" Products:
If a Target is nearby
Proraso cream
Proraso boar brush
Proraso Aftershave Balm
Gillette Sensor Excel

If a Target store is not available
Surrey glycerin soap
Palmolive shave cream (red tube)
Surrey boar brush
Nivea For Men Sensitive Aftershave Balm
Gillette Sensor Excel


For the Internet-literate
Taylor's shave cream or Crabtree & Evelyn shave cream
Savile Row or Vulfix 'super' badger shave brush, no more than 4" tall
Parker 90R or Weishi safety razor
Israeli Personna blades


--Mark
 

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Stjynnkii membörd dummpsjterd
One of the great things about internet forums is that they expose one to an amount of information that was previously unimaginable. This vast knowledge base can, in theory, ease one's transition into the field in question, and possibly save one a substantial amount in terms of start-up costs.
Having said that, I entered this hobby most haphazardly. I've always felt that a knowledge of what works is based on a personal understanding of the failures inherent in the alternatives, and I've used myself as a guinea pig more than I'd recommend. My first real razor, other than a disappointing array of electrics and mass produced garbage, was a Thiers-Issard straight. Matched with a state of the art Burma Shave brush and a puck of Williams, my results were, needless to say, less than thrilling, but I managed to develop some decent technique. I backed into DE's and injectors, and I wouldn't suggest anyone else follow this path.
Now that I know a little bit about what I'm doing, I'd recommend the following items for a starter set that would not only provide a decent shave, but, more importantly, not have to be replaced anytime soon:

Merkur HD, the gold standard
Vulfix brush of your choice
Taylor cream. Scent doesn't matter, you'll be buying them all, anyway.

Still, I wouldn't trade my mistakes, false starts, and dead ends for anything. I'm just as glad that I tried Palmolive cream as Harris.
 
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