I'll never forget my first...

[Old Hippie]

@Ravenonrock and I got our kit at different outlets of the same store, IIRC.

Merkur 38C -- my son has it now
Pure Badger brush -- still have it, don't use it much; prefer boar
Merkur blade -- stainless steel lather squeegee; binned
Col. Conk soap -- went to Proraso shortly after, then to making my own

O.H.

 

[Herm2502]

Ohhhh...you mean shaving related. I gotta think. [emoji16]

Herm

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

It was a Van der Hagen short TTO using the blade that came with, which sucked! I think I used Cremo sandalwood non-lathering soap, but I can't really remember!

 

[Doorcube]

Razor - Merkur 34C (Yes)
Blade - Merkur (No)
Brush - Omega 10048 (Yes)
Soap/Cream - Arko puck (Yes)
Aftershave/Balm - None
Fragrance - None

The razor, soap, and brush were a combined birthday gift from my girlfriend (now wife). Quickly ditched the Merkur blades that came with the razor for Feathers. They've been my go-to ever since.

 

[santamariasteve]

I'm 84 years old and I proudly and excitedly had my first shave on the evening of my 15th birthday, November 28, 1951. I shaved off an incipient mustache. There was nothing else to shave. I shaved with a newly purchased 1951 Gillette Super Speed that had a black tip at the end of the handle. I probably used a hand lather of Gillette canned goo, a new Gillette Blue Blade, and my "after shave lotion" was a little plain alcohol. I had a father in the home, but I received zero instruction.

That's all I remember. That's all I knew to do.

 

[Mempho]

Merkur 34c - No, replaced by a DE89 after two weeks of misery
Derby - Hell no, still can't believe I went through a hundred of them
Kiss My Face Shaving Lotion - No longer marketed, to my regret
Edwin Jagger Best Badger - Yes, still a favorite

 

[BigJ]

Wish I still had the hand-me-down Slim that I learned to shave with in the 60’s!!

 

[guitarslinger]

December 2006

Grandpa’s Gillette knack.
Drugstore USA personna
Vulfix prickly smelly badger
Proraso green soap
Proraso green balm

Best shave I had ever had at that point. Total a ha moment.

 

[W1J Thomas Crown]

Kiss My Face Shaving Lotion - No longer marketed, to my regret

[/QUOTE]
Oh, nay nay! They were purchased about two years ago and have been selling out on the KMF website, the big online giant, and are back in brick and mortars like Natural Grocers. The ABSOLUTE best in cushion with the right about of slickness. Perfection!

 

[RookieGuy]

My first DE shave was my first shave when my old man taught me. He wanted me to learn right before loosing me to cartridges. It was some Gillette with a brass head and black handle and a can of foam. I went through half a roll of toilet paper, I remember that much.

 

[DocPapi]

It wasn't that long ago for me, about two and a half years ago. I used a Gillette Tech of unknown vintage, an Edwin Jagger badger brush, a sample of Wholly Kaw soap (on the recommendation of folks from this forum!), and an unknown blade from a sample pack. No aftershave that I remember...that came later, and it's now one of my favorite parts of the process.

 

[dil_5]

My first De shave was using Wilkinson Sword Classic equipment (razor, blades, soap and brush). I still have a Wilkinson Sword Classic razor, brush and blades. They are just not in my rotation at the moment.

Snap! First DE shave was Christmas day 2016
Blade - Wilkinson Sword
Razor - Wilkinson Sword Classic
Brush - Wilkinson Sword
Cream - Palmolive
I'd been using the brush and cream for a few years with carts. I obviously made the nice list that year because I got the razor and blades as a present and never looked back.

My regime's changed some now. I really only use the Classic as a travel razor. Use a badger brush and prefer sticks to creams now.

 

[Heavy_Metal_Hound]

Snap! First DE shave was Christmas day 2016
Blade - Wilkinson Sword
Razor - Wilkinson Sword Classic
Brush - Wilkinson Sword
Cream - Palmolive
I'd been using the brush and cream for a few years with carts. I obviously made the nice list that year because I got the razor and blades as a present and never looked back.

My regime's changed some now. I really only use the Classic as a travel razor. Use a badger brush and prefer sticks to creams now.

I replaced the brush after 5 years as the first one was becoming a bit thin. I still have the second one and like using it, I’m just also enjoying my Abbas synthetic brush at the moment. The Wilkinson classic razor died in 2019, the pin that connects the handle to the head had snapped due to corrosion. I replaced it with another one but now that I’ve acquired a Tech, R89 and Flare Tip Rocket. I just have no desire to shave with it, but I’m also reluctant to get rid of it. As for the blades I’m still using those as I’m well supplied with them.

 

[OkieStubble]

Merkur 33C
Israeli Red Personna
Van Der Hagen kit, which included their boar brush, Deluxe glycerin soap and a small dark green soap bowl.

I still have the brush, but haven't used it in a decade. I don't think you can even give those brushes away now because you can't find anyone who would take it. Gave the bowl to a newbie, sometime, somewhere.

I have still found a use for Van Der Hagen Deluxe soap, by melting a couple of pucks in the microwave and turning it into a liquid and then pouring it, into a larger empty twist up deodorant stick container and then putting it into the freezer until solid again. This twist up stick of shave soap, resides in my dopp kit for travel.

Every now and then during a blue moon, when the nostalgia of my first shaves hit me. I will pull out that Merkur 33C and stick in a Israeli Red Personna of which blades I will always keep on hand and get an absolutely awesome shave. I have had that pot metal razor for a decade and it still looks as good as brand new.

 

[dmshaver]

I remember my first very well.

Parker 99r
Shark
TOBS Sandalwood
Perfecto badger

At the time, I thought I had a great shave. So much so I've continued in this wonderful pastime. I don't have any of the gear from my first shave, however.

 

[DougK]

My first DE shave? A Parker 91R, a Merkur blade, a non-name boar brush, and Classic Shaving Bay Rum soap. I have none of them anymore.

 

[Tpach]

MicroTouch One - kept for nostalgia, can’t remember last use.

Dorco ST300 - I’ll use them sometimes. Got a free hundred pack and blades are blades. Some “better”, some “worse”.

Barbasol Aloe - I’ll use canned foam every so often, not necessarily Barbasol

First DE shave was actually a great experience and second was even better. I was very excited to have now been saving x amount and getting almost no irritation (on my face, was still irritating my neck then).

 

[abershaver]

Mine was in December 2009. Nothing remains!

Razor - Boots own brand 3-piece razor with a light metal head and a black plastic handle. I now think this was a repackaged modern Gillette Tech like they sell in India. Gave this to my dad as a travel razor years ago.

Blades -Israeli Personnas. Don’t use them anymore but they were adequate.

Cream - Men-u lather shave cream. Not great. Only used this first tube then never bought again.

Brush - Omega boar brush. Had it for years - would shed quite a lot and then I realised synthetic was the way to go.

At the start of 2010 I then bought an Edwin Jagger, Maca Root cream and a blade Sample pack - things improved a lot then!

 

[camoloc]

VDH TTO
VDH shave butter

twas my very first attempt at real shaving not last September but the September before.

none of my starting stuff remains in rotation or will be used. I've since stransitioned to SE's and have finally settled in with SR's for quite some time now.

I've found my home.

camo

 

[jesseix]

I think first kit was:
Parker 91R razor - PIF’d
Probably a Derby blade - still have some, mostly being used to make slashes in homemade bread, ha
Art of Shaving basic brush from one of the kits - probably tossed
Art of Shaving cream - used it up
Some kind of aftershave balm that came with a cologne gift set - hopefully I just chucked it