You're starting from scratch in terms of gear, but with your current knowledge.
You have to buy stuff for a year.
By that I mean: what you buy now is what you can use for the next year WITHOUT any significant cravings.
You shouldn't save, if saving means not getting some gear you have grown fond of and not using it for a year would be a "significant loss".
It could be anything and that's not restricted to one item. If you're a one soap each day guy, shave everyday and can't stand the idea of repeating the same soap within the same month, you'd need at least 31 different soaps. And, if you "need" 8 different brushes, so be it: 31 soaps and 8 brushes. Not to mention razors and blades.
What would you buy, how much would you spend (roughly) and how would you feel?
My take:
Razor: Gillette Brazilian Goodwill - $20
Brush: EJ STF Large - $45
Soaps (this is where I'd spend big);
AdP - $60 (I got this from my wife and daughter for my bday and got hooked)
Fitjar Folgefonn - $35
Ach. Brito Mogno (2x) - $10
Blades Feather (100) - $35
Grand Total - $205
Two hundred bucks and I'd be feeling as if I had my own private jet!
That set up would mean a revolving $140/year for soaps and blades.
I'm not saying it's cheap. But I'm not saying it is outrageously expensive either. My point is twofold:
First, I can't think of any other hobby where that kind of money buys you "private plane" status for a year;
Second: I could keep the Mogno and change the AdP and Fitjar for Proraso Red and Haslinger Schafmilch, spend some $35 total on soaps and still feel like first class.
But the second point is not the objective of this post ("how little can you go and still feel like a million bucks?"). It's the opposite: "how much, if you're buying the absolute best you'd like to use for a year?".
The "for a year" is to give the idea of a one slump purchase.
Happy shaves!
You have to buy stuff for a year.
By that I mean: what you buy now is what you can use for the next year WITHOUT any significant cravings.
You shouldn't save, if saving means not getting some gear you have grown fond of and not using it for a year would be a "significant loss".
It could be anything and that's not restricted to one item. If you're a one soap each day guy, shave everyday and can't stand the idea of repeating the same soap within the same month, you'd need at least 31 different soaps. And, if you "need" 8 different brushes, so be it: 31 soaps and 8 brushes. Not to mention razors and blades.
What would you buy, how much would you spend (roughly) and how would you feel?
My take:
Razor: Gillette Brazilian Goodwill - $20
Brush: EJ STF Large - $45
Soaps (this is where I'd spend big);
AdP - $60 (I got this from my wife and daughter for my bday and got hooked)
Fitjar Folgefonn - $35
Ach. Brito Mogno (2x) - $10
Blades Feather (100) - $35
Grand Total - $205
Two hundred bucks and I'd be feeling as if I had my own private jet!
That set up would mean a revolving $140/year for soaps and blades.
I'm not saying it's cheap. But I'm not saying it is outrageously expensive either. My point is twofold:
First, I can't think of any other hobby where that kind of money buys you "private plane" status for a year;
Second: I could keep the Mogno and change the AdP and Fitjar for Proraso Red and Haslinger Schafmilch, spend some $35 total on soaps and still feel like first class.
But the second point is not the objective of this post ("how little can you go and still feel like a million bucks?"). It's the opposite: "how much, if you're buying the absolute best you'd like to use for a year?".
The "for a year" is to give the idea of a one slump purchase.
Happy shaves!