Items I've Bought That I Probably Won't Buy Again

[mistercitizen]

After about one year of traditional DE wetshaving (and many AD's), I've bought many shaving related items and built up a pretty nice den full of stuff. I've had a chance to use most things in my den and have made an effort to try many different types of shaving products and "get to know them" so to speak. While there are a ton of soaps, creams, aftershaves, blades, razors, brushes, etc. that I just absolutely love, here are a few items that I've purchased that I will most likely not replace or buy again when they run out. My feeling has always sort of been to go through a full bottle, tube or tub before I judge something too harsely to condemn it to a "no buy" list, but some things you just get a feeling about and know that you're not a fan for whatever reason. So, here goes, in no particular order:

• Erasmic Shave Soap Stick - Nothing but bubbly, useless lather. It's good for breaking in boar brushes though.
• Barbon Shave Cream and AS Lotion - Not bad, but just hard to get and no reason to go out of my way to get it.
• Fabulon Cool Wave AS Lotion - Same as the Barbon stuff above.
• Nivea Energy AS Splash - No burn... no go.
• Van der Hagen Deluxe Shave Soap - Great performing and cheap.... but I don't care for the smell and the creepy Barbie Doll skin color. I'll stick with VdH Luxury.
• Edwin Jagger Shave Soap - Just a tough lathering soap for me... with so many other great soaps, why struggle?
• XPEC Original Shave Cream - Great performer, but scent is not quite for me and it's expensive. My tub is huge and honestly... I think it will last the rest of my life anyway.
• TOBS Lavender Shave Cream - Too many other great lavender scented soaps and creams.... MdC, CF, Dr. Selby, T&H Ultimate Comfort, Lavanda, etc.
• TOBS Unscented Shave Cream - I have virtually no need for an unscented cream.... but I'll use MdC unscented it I do have a need.
• TOBS Jermyn St. AS Lotion and Cologne - Very good scent, but the AS lotion is sticky and has no burn. I'll continue to replenish the shave cream and AS cream
• Pinaud Clubman AS Lotion - BLASPHEMY!!
• Canoe AS Lotion - Too much like Pinaud Clubman.... not for me.
• TOBS St. James AS Lotion and Cologne - See TOBS Jermyn St. above. Love the shave cream and will replace it... but not the AS Lotion and cologne.
• Omega Shave Cream - I'll just use Proraso.
• Skin Bracer AS Splash - Not my scent.... too many other great ones.
• L' Occitane L' Occitan Pour Homme EDT - Very nice lavender/pepper scent, but the pepper is a bit much. I'll use the rest of the bottle... but it will take me forever.
• Swedish Sea Salt soap - Terrible for a shave soap.... I will use in the shower but will not buy again.
• Geo F. Trumper Eucris Shave Soap - Great scent, poor performer. Can't see getting a replacement puck.
• TOBS Aromatherapy Preshave Oil - Great scent, a little thick, I prefer T&H Preshave Oil... but I don't use preshave oil all that often anyway.... so I don't see getting anymore of this.
• Acca Kappa Cedro Cologne - Pretty linear scent and there are better options out there for the money. I'll continue to replace the AC Cedro aftershave lotions and emulsion of this scent though.
• Acca Kappa White Moss Cologne - Same as the AC Cedro above.
• Derby blades
• Lord blades (of any variety)
• Speick Eau de Cologne - Not a bad scent but not enough like the splash, cream and soap. Just so, so. Will not replace.

Well, that's about all I can think of off of the top of my head. I'm sure there are more out there if I examined my den closer. I'll have to do updates later.

What about you guys? Anything that you've tried for the first time lately that you just know wasn't for you?

Ben

 

[Mick]

Well out of your list the only ones I have tried are VDH and Clubman. Both of which are not all that bad (for me anyway)

 

[bemiller]

interesting, may be good to reference later

 

[HUF]

I was about to through away a bottle of original Clubman on my way home from the grocery store. It was stinking. But it grew on me and now I cannot imagine a nice shave without a finalizing splash of Clubman. Give it a try!

 

[mdevine]

I'll play.

Aftershaves: Clubman and Skin Bracer. Both are stronger and longer lasting than I prefer in an aftershave. I probably won't replace Floid Vigoroso either, as I find I'm not a big fan of menthol. My favorite is Speick, which has no menthol, is lightly scented, and doesn't clash with my fragrance.

Creams: I won't replace any, as I prefer soaps. I have a handful of TOBS and a tube of Proraso, and have barely touched them in three years. My son recently found them, and I hope he finishes them.

Soaps: I have my clear favorites; AoS Sandalwood and Lavender, MWF, Tabac and MdC, and Speick shave stick for travel. I won't replace my soft soaps; Cella and several Razorocks, and rarely reach for Proraso, MB or Crabtree and Evelyn. My La Toja Manantiales is no longer made. Cade, Mike's and DR Harris are on the bubble, and will probably be replaced when finished.

Blades: I've stocked up on Super Iridium, Astra SP, Voskhod, Med Preps and Derby. I've tried 20-30 of quite a few other blades. The ones I'm sure I won't buy more of include; Merkur- a mediocre blade at a premium price. Feather- while sharp, I find them rough and short lasting. Treet Black Beauties- look great but give out after one shave. Wilkinson Sword- I've tried plenty that I like better.

Fragrances: I have we'll over 100, and there are only a couple likely to be replaced. This is mostly because I have enough of my favorites that they won't run out soon. By the time they get low, I'll probably have moved on to something else. The only two that I wish I had more of are DC 1913 and Creed Windsor. Unfortunately, they are both nearly impossible to replace.

Mike

 

[Senetsomed]

Merkur, Derby, Astra, and Shark blades, Floid Vigoroso, TOBS Violet soap, DR Harris Windsor, did I say Merkur blades?

 

[Maxime D.]

I love pinaud clubman vanilla AS I ever tried the Omega soap but I do like the Proraso one.
What I wont purchase again:

- Dorco blades: They act like a steak knife !
- Cella soap: The lather don't last, I only use the tub I have because I hate wasting.
- Erasmic shave stick: I think I purchased a stick from when they changed the formula, it was like scrubbing Ivory over my face : /

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things that I will purchase again:
- Proraso
- Gillette Cool Wave AS
- Mon Savon Bol à Raser (What an awesome inexpensive soap ! I even like the smell)
- TOBS Avocado

 

[packersfan117]

I have a stick of Ogallala Bay Rum that will never be replaced under any circumstances. It simply refuses to lather. I'm about to start using it as a bath soap to clear out the space. Also, VdH Deluxe. It's decent, and I have no gripes with it, but MWF works better for me. Col. Conk Bay Rum splash won't be replaced either. It smells ok, but the scent fades as I'm capping the bottle.

 

[mistercitizen]

Not that I've bought a large quantity of any of these blades since I tried most of them from samplers or freebies.... but I will most likely never buy Derbys or anything with Lord on the wrapper. Frankly, when it comes to blades, I have found quite a few favorites and there's not too much reason for me to try many others since I have large quantities of Feathers, Personna Lab Blues, Gillette 7 O'Clock SP's (both Blue and Black), Red IP's, Crystals, Polsilver SI's, Astra SP's, and Gillette Silver Blues.

Pinaud Clubman, I wanted to like and actually I don't find to be that bad.... but like Mike said above, it is strong and I like to wear cologne. Granted, I shave in the evenings for the most part, but an incredibly strong splash is not something I'm terribly interested in. VdH Deluxe is a great soap, but I like the scent and texture/color of VdH Luxury.... so I can't really justify both.

I'm at the point where I need to start weeding out the "not so goods" for me. Not that anything I've tried has been terribly bad (except the Erasmic and Swedish Sea Salt soap).... I just need to start drawing some lines and finding more of what I like and stick to them. Like D.R. Harris creams for example..... they are great creams.... but I enjoy using the soaps better. Does it really make sense to have both of the same scent for me? So, I might be able to add DRH Arlington and Marlborough shave creams to the list someday and just figure that I will stick to the soaps.

Ben

 

[Barto]

Soaps & Creams: I am putting together a PIF of the unused ones and will toss out the used. I've gotten into making my own shave soap; so, I am buying fragrance & essential oils that I like and using them in my own soap creations.

Razors: I enjoy my Tradere OC; however, I re-visited my R41 and it has been my go to for a long time.

Blades: All blades except my Feathers. I have settled on the feather after trying almost everything I could buy.

I guess this comes with settling in on a routine. But I still enjoy picking out the scent and soap of the day.

 

[Mendel]

My turn:

Portland Shaving Company Whiskey Shaving Cream/Soap - fair performers/odd scent.
XPEC - great performer, odd lingering scent.
Trumpers Rose Shaving Cream - I'm not a floral guy.
Simpson brushes - lack of consistent quality and fair performers. I sold all of mine.
Arko - great performer, didn't like the scent or the guy smiling at me on the wrapper.
Merkur blades - horrible!

 

[ricardo9505]

I'll play.

Aftershaves: Clubman and Skin Bracer. Both are stronger and longer lasting than I prefer in an aftershave. I probably won't replace Floid Vigoroso either, as I find I'm not a big fan of menthol. My favorite is Speick, which has no menthol, is lightly scented, and doesn't clash with my fragrance.

Creams: I won't replace any, as I prefer soaps. I have a handful of TOBS and a tube of Proraso, and have barely touched them in three years. My son recently found them, and I hope he finishes them.

Soaps: I have my clear favorites; AoS Sandalwood and Lavender, MWF, Tabac and MdC, and Speick shave stick for travel. I won't replace my soft soaps; Cella and several Razorocks, and rarely reach for Proraso, MB or Crabtree and Evelyn. My La Toja Manantiales is no longer made. Cade, Mike's and DR Harris are on the bubble, and will probably be replaced when finished.

Blades: I've stocked up on Super Iridium, Astra SP, Voskhod, Med Preps and Derby. I've tried 20-30 of quite a few other blades. The ones I'm sure I won't buy more of include; Merkur- a mediocre blade at a premium price. Feather- while sharp, I find them rough and short lasting. Treet Black Beauties- look great but give out after one shave. Wilkinson Sword- I've tried plenty that I like better.

Fragrances: I have we'll over 100, and there are only a couple likely to be replaced. This is mostly because I have enough of my favorites that they won't run out soon. By the time they get low, I'll probably have moved on to something else. The only two that I wish I had more of are DC 1913 and Creed Windsor. Unfortunately, they are both nearly impossible to replace.

Mike

thanks Mike. always appreciate your input. good list to contemplate save for the Harris. with a TGN Finest its just milky and soft on the skin. I gotta admit its the soap I reach for when my 5 yr old daughter spends weekends with me at my apt. she loves to face lather me and it's a great bonding moment for us, as she loves seeing daddy shaving, as she says, "like the cartoons". lol

 

[mdevine]

thanks Mike. always appreciate your input. good list to contemplate save for the Harris. with a TGN Finest its just milky and soft on the skin. I gotta admit its the soap I reach for when my 5 yr old daughter spends weekends with me at my apt. she loves to face lather me and it's a great bonding moment for us, as she loves seeing daddy shaving, as she says, "like the cartoons". lol

I meant repurchased when I said I'd replace the DR Harris, Cade and Mike's. It is my most recent soap purchase, and I don't have as much experience with it as the others, but I actually agree with your description of the lather as "soft". Enjoy the time with your daughter. My "baby" just turned 18, but the time I spent with her has helped turn her into a lovely young lady. I've always told her that she can bring home any boy willing to treat her as well as I do.

Mike

 

[5savages]

Soaps & Creams: I am putting together a PIF of the unused ones and will toss out the used.

A lot of folks would be happy to take those used soaps & creams off your hands. No need to toss them.

 

[mistercitizen]

Oh, I almost forgot GFT Eucris shave soap. I love the scent but I can't get it to lather. I imagine I will have a puck for a long while and try it off and on just for the scent.... but I can't imagine buying a replacement puck. Although, that brings up a good point..... what do I do with the mysterious black wood bowl?

Ben

 

[jhh834]

Derby blades - They tug and pull too much.

Aqua Velva Ice Sport - I don't know, it just smells a little weird to me. I regret purchasing this one.

Godrej Rich Foam Shaving Cream - This lathers fine and shaves decent but it smells like cheap soap.

Clubman Virgin Island Bay Rum - I like it, but the girlfriend does not, so it won't be replenished.

VDH Badger Hair Brush - I don't like this brush. It smelled TERRIBLE for the first 2 or 3 weeks. I have been using it for 2 months now and the smell is gone, but it still sheds something fierce. I will upgrade to a nicer brush next time.

Clubman Talc - I just don't like suing talc, but it smells nice.

Brylcreem - It doesn't hold my hair at all.

That just about does it for now. I am sure there will be others eventually, but part of the fun is finding what I do and do not like.

 

[5savages]

Items I've bought that I won't buy again:

Soaps:
Mama Bears - too much scent and too much burn and not much in the way of performance. One of the few products I can't stand.
Ogallala Bay Rum - I love the scent (though it's too strong for me) but I just can't get in to it. The AS, on the other hand, will always be in my den.
C&E Sienna - Too much scent, not enough performance. I really wanted to like this one too.
Edwin Jagger - I enjoy the Sea Buckthorn scent but the performance leaves me underwhelmed.
RazoRock La Famiglia line - Though they perform well enough, they're my least favorite of the RR line.

Creams
Kiss My Face - yawn....
Lea Shave Cream - I would like to try the menthol version though.

Blades
7 AM
Sharks
Lasers
Derby

AS/ASB
Avon ASBs
Gillette Cool Wave
Nivea Cool Kick
Nivea Q10

Hardware
Vulfix brushes - I've had two 660S brushes and both shed as bad as my labrador retriever.
Gillette Travel Techs - too small to be useful
Anything cheap from Turkey, such as the Yuma razor or the horsehair brushes - junk!

 

[brucered]

Razors:
Merkur - They just have the finish that EJ's and Muhle's do.
Muhle R41 - Did not work for my face, terrible design in my opinion.

Brushes:
Simpson - QC is all over the place. Some bigger then listed, some smaller, some shorter, some taller, you get the point.
LiJun - Had one, was ok, but I have moved on to bigger and better brushes.
WSP - I just don't trust the reviews or the high praises. Something about them sets my Spidey Sense off

Scuttles:
GT - Just not the same quality and performance as DB. The stopper was a joke, not built as well as others, not hand thrown.

Creams/Soaps:
MWF - Face didn't agree with the lanolin.
Mikes - Avoiding Lanolin
Jabonoman - Every scent I tried sucked. They were all way too funky and not pleasant. Wet earth smelled like Wet Dog.
Ogallala - Got a funny lather from it, was thick and clumpy.
RSC - Great performer, but scent was blah
TBS Macca - Great performer, but scent was awful.
RR Caribean Coconut - Smelled like play-doh to me (same as the Portman Squre one made by Malasapina)
Mamma Bear Soaps - Lit up my face, scents are way too powerful.
Marvy & Handmade Soap Company - these didn't even last in shower duty, they both sucked that bad.
Tabac - Smells like my shoes after work

AS:
Captains Choice - too medicinal scented for me. I want to like Bay Rum, but haven't found one that knocks me out yet.
RSC - too chemically scdented
Pinaud Clubman - Smelled like Cat Urine...or so I imagine.

Pre:
RR Lime Glycerine Soap - Did nothing for me, except irritate my skin.

Blades
Derby, Sharks. They were fine when I was starting out, now they do nothing for me.
Astra Blue, Merkur - Couldn't get them to work

General:
Bay Rum & Sandalwood - Soaps, cream, ASB, cologne, I just don't care for them.

 

[ricardo9505]

I meant repurchased when I said I'd replace the DR Harris, Cade and Mike's. It is my most recent soap purchase, and I don't have as much experience with it as the others, but I actually agree with your description of the lather as "soft". Enjoy the time with your daughter. My "baby" just turned 18, but the time I spent with her has helped turn her into a lovely young lady. I've always told her that she can bring home any boy willing to treat her as well as I do.

Mike

Oh, sorry. Yes, great soaps. and happy adventures my friend. You have been past the what we now call the"tween" years, 10-12, and teenage years I hear are always "interesting". hahahaha
I've done much volunteer work with kids, and troubled teens here in NYC for the past 12 years and when my kid came along I already had the patience and mentality. Only struggle was her being a premie. lil' tiny 1.1 lbs.

 

[bhorsoft]

Not a fan of Thai Gillette or Merkur blades.
eShave aftershave balms. I love the creams but the balms are meh.
Castle Forbes Lime shave cream. Great performer, but I just don't get much of a lime scent from my jar. (heresy, I know).
Taconic Bay Rum cream. Average performer, average price, below average Bay Rum scent.
4711 Aftershave Splash. Almost the same scent as Florida Water. I prefer the Florida Water.