Gents,
Before you read any further I'd like you to keep in mind that this is all harmless debate, so don't blow a gasket or get your panties in a bunch. Also, I will paste a review from another site here, as an example, and while I agree with it in general, I don't agree with ALL of it or defend that point of view 100%.
I have posted a couple of discussion threads about price/performance issues with products and I think I have been misunderstood. I am not trying to argue against expensive products, but some things I've read beyond this site have made me think about a few things.
Let's start with the fact that some people seem to think that because a product is "store bought" or available at your corner grocer then it must suck, why? I'm sure a lot of you reading this love and would defend Proraso to death, have you forgotten that a few years ago it was locally available at Target? I strongly believe that some products are over rated simply because they are fancy imports not available to the general public in your country of origin. Proraso, for instance, is a good product that SOME (NOT ALL) may consider a luxury item, at least here in the U.S. In reality, it is a classic drug store product in Italy, available at any 2 bit supermarket, just like Old Spice, Aqua Velva, Clubman, etc.
Take Tabac as another example. It is in no way bad, good stuff actually. Depending on where and when you buy it (if you live in the U.S.) you will pay anywhere between 8 to 13 dollars for one puck. Folks, it's SOAP! plain and simple. Is it slippery? yes, smells nice? yes, comes in a cool little bowl? yes.
C'mon!!! 13 bucks for a bar of soap!!!??? It is NOT that special, go to Germany and you'll realize it is just another soap for the average joe of the "store bought" variety. By the way, this goes both ways, some Europeans would pay similar prices for, say, a bottle of Aqua Velva. Would you want to pay 16 bucks for a bottle of Aqua Velva? well, if you answered "no" then think again, because that's what you are doing when you buy that bottle of Proraso. It has witch hazel you say? you can get a big bottle of witch hazel at Target for 1 dollar.
Last, but not least, I feel people here bash cheaper products for no reason because they are cheap. You know what? after experimenting and asking for advise and finally figured out how to lather up with Williams. Yeah, I know, I must be crazy, an idiot, have no sense of taste, etc etc etc... You know what? it works, and it lathers well. Is Williams the best soap? Nope! however, I don't think it deserves to have a haters club like some of you have going on simply because:
A) it doesn't work for you
B) you don't know how to use it
C) it's cheap and locally available
D) doesn't have a fancy french, italian or german name.
Some cheap products (like Williams and Van der Hagen) get glowing reviews EVERYWHERE ELSE but here. You can argue that you never know who posts those reviews, but that argument goes both ways, you don't really know who is all here.
The conclussions I draw here would be:
1.- It's SHAVING! it doesn't have to be fancy and expensive to be good and comfortable. You don't NEED to spend 50 dollars on ONE aftershave in order to fight razor burn. If you want to have a nice after shave or cologne for a special occassion that's perfectly understandable, however you don't need to smell like a businessman to go fix factory equipment.
2.- You don't need to make a public museum out of your private bathroom. You have a shave den? great, enjoy it, just don't bash a product like, say, a shaving brush with a plastic handle because the high society will think wrong of you. Some of us don't want a shave den and don't want to spend 400 bucks on an ivory handle so we can leave a good impression at the country club. Some of us have a PRIVATE bathroom and want a utilitarian brush. This is just an example though.
3.- Read the ingredient list and you'll see that your 50 dollar soap isn't much different than the 10 dollar one. (Again, I don't mean Williams here, so don't even try)
4.- Newbies, your face will most definetely NOT fall off if you use a cheaper brush, a cheaper cream/soap, or if you don't use a very specific type of razor. This is what is most confusing for newbies and you guys sometimes get so caught up in the "fancy" stuff that you are absolutely NO help. How come that when a newbie shows up here asking for a CHEAP soap to start with someone always recommends AOS, Gentleman's refinery, etc.?? Oh, and this one is my favorite: A newbie will post something like "hi guys, this will be my first wet shave and thought about getting either williams, VDH, or C. Conk, which of those 3 would you recommend?" and then more than one of you will say "Tabac" or "AOS"
5.- Canned goo does NOT suck if it works for you. Yes, I said it. Soap works great for ME and I like the experience of a traditional shave with a straight (or a DE) and a brush and soap. If those things don't work for you and a can of Edge is what works for you the best then it does not suck. The same applies to a Mach 3, Gillette 27, Schick 69, etc.
6.- Some of you are always talking about how much money you saved when you switched to a DE or a straight. Really? how about the so called AD's that you are always talking about? Are you really saving that much when buying fancy expensive cream every week?
Anyway, here's the review I mentioned earlier, this is someone reviewing VDH soap on Amazon, you can go on Amazon.com and see it for yourself if you don't believe me. Again, I don't really agree with ALL of it but it made me re-think a few things. Read on and come up with your on conclusion.
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Got this kit for about $8.50 at a Wal-Mart.
And, considering the price, its an awesome value.
Here's the thing about brush shaving, its really nice. It feels good on your face, it results in a nice close shave, and its honestly kinda fun to do it the old school way.
The bad part is, you go on the internet and find out that there's a super elite group of people who will tell you that THIS brand of shave soap is the best soap and you should only use THIS brand of badger brush because the other types don't compare and how you can only use THIS kind of razor because the other kinds will somehow destroy your face and make shaving the kind of unspeakable horror only sick, twisted people dare entertain their minds with.
The point I'm trying to make is this: there is actually a community of shaving snobs. People who've actually invested over a hundred dollars in particular, elite equipment to SCRAPE LITTLE HAIRS OFF THEIR CHINS!!!!
So they see this cheapo set and turn their noses up at it, because its ONLY EIGHT DOLLARS and you can BUY IT AT WAL-MART!!!
I do like wet shaving. Its a good shave. I shave with a double edge safety razor (a Merkur) and this particular kit. And it works out GREAT!!!
So here's my review:
THE BRUSH: Its a boars hair brush, and its fine. It lathers well, it works the way it should, its not rough on my face at all. Yes, it has a plastic handle. WHO CARES?!?!?!?! Its the HANDLE of a friggin BRUSH!!! Do your hands start on fire if they touch plastic? Do you get an allergic reaction if your fingertips handle a brush thats not metal or wood? If you answered "No" to both those questions, then you're fine. Complaining about the material of a shaving brush handle makes you a snob.
THE BOWL: Its a bowl. The soap sits in it, it holds steady when you lather. Its fine. You know why? Because its a FREAKIN' BOWL!!! How do you honestly complain about a bowl? It functions, it doesn't offend the eye, its fine. Don't be a snob.
THE SOAP: Honestly, I've tried so many canned shaving creams its ridiculous. I'm a man with sensitive skin and it doesn't matter how moisturizing the cream was, I still had nicks and cuts and irritated skin. So imagine my surprise to find this soap to be a key part of a very clean, enjoyable shave. I seriously get better results from this soap than I do with my gels and creams. Way to go, VDH shaving soap. Are there better shaving soaps? Probably. Do I care? No, because this one leaves my face moisturized and refreshed, costs 1.80 per bar, and I can actually get it without ordering it over the internet.
BOTTOM LINE: A great wet shave kit, especially for the price. Avoid the snobby opinions and give it an honest shot. If you're not a total tool you'll probably be surprised by how nice this kit is.
There are plenty of things in this world where the level of craftsmanship and attention to detail make a huge difference. Guitars are such a product. Automobiles are another. Shaving brushes and bowls are NOT!!!
Don't be a dumb shaving snob, just go shave your face, then start investing yourself in something thats actually important.
Before you read any further I'd like you to keep in mind that this is all harmless debate, so don't blow a gasket or get your panties in a bunch. Also, I will paste a review from another site here, as an example, and while I agree with it in general, I don't agree with ALL of it or defend that point of view 100%.
I have posted a couple of discussion threads about price/performance issues with products and I think I have been misunderstood. I am not trying to argue against expensive products, but some things I've read beyond this site have made me think about a few things.
Let's start with the fact that some people seem to think that because a product is "store bought" or available at your corner grocer then it must suck, why? I'm sure a lot of you reading this love and would defend Proraso to death, have you forgotten that a few years ago it was locally available at Target? I strongly believe that some products are over rated simply because they are fancy imports not available to the general public in your country of origin. Proraso, for instance, is a good product that SOME (NOT ALL) may consider a luxury item, at least here in the U.S. In reality, it is a classic drug store product in Italy, available at any 2 bit supermarket, just like Old Spice, Aqua Velva, Clubman, etc.
Take Tabac as another example. It is in no way bad, good stuff actually. Depending on where and when you buy it (if you live in the U.S.) you will pay anywhere between 8 to 13 dollars for one puck. Folks, it's SOAP! plain and simple. Is it slippery? yes, smells nice? yes, comes in a cool little bowl? yes.
C'mon!!! 13 bucks for a bar of soap!!!??? It is NOT that special, go to Germany and you'll realize it is just another soap for the average joe of the "store bought" variety. By the way, this goes both ways, some Europeans would pay similar prices for, say, a bottle of Aqua Velva. Would you want to pay 16 bucks for a bottle of Aqua Velva? well, if you answered "no" then think again, because that's what you are doing when you buy that bottle of Proraso. It has witch hazel you say? you can get a big bottle of witch hazel at Target for 1 dollar.
Last, but not least, I feel people here bash cheaper products for no reason because they are cheap. You know what? after experimenting and asking for advise and finally figured out how to lather up with Williams. Yeah, I know, I must be crazy, an idiot, have no sense of taste, etc etc etc... You know what? it works, and it lathers well. Is Williams the best soap? Nope! however, I don't think it deserves to have a haters club like some of you have going on simply because:
A) it doesn't work for you
B) you don't know how to use it
C) it's cheap and locally available
D) doesn't have a fancy french, italian or german name.
Some cheap products (like Williams and Van der Hagen) get glowing reviews EVERYWHERE ELSE but here. You can argue that you never know who posts those reviews, but that argument goes both ways, you don't really know who is all here.
The conclussions I draw here would be:
1.- It's SHAVING! it doesn't have to be fancy and expensive to be good and comfortable. You don't NEED to spend 50 dollars on ONE aftershave in order to fight razor burn. If you want to have a nice after shave or cologne for a special occassion that's perfectly understandable, however you don't need to smell like a businessman to go fix factory equipment.
2.- You don't need to make a public museum out of your private bathroom. You have a shave den? great, enjoy it, just don't bash a product like, say, a shaving brush with a plastic handle because the high society will think wrong of you. Some of us don't want a shave den and don't want to spend 400 bucks on an ivory handle so we can leave a good impression at the country club. Some of us have a PRIVATE bathroom and want a utilitarian brush. This is just an example though.
3.- Read the ingredient list and you'll see that your 50 dollar soap isn't much different than the 10 dollar one. (Again, I don't mean Williams here, so don't even try)
4.- Newbies, your face will most definetely NOT fall off if you use a cheaper brush, a cheaper cream/soap, or if you don't use a very specific type of razor. This is what is most confusing for newbies and you guys sometimes get so caught up in the "fancy" stuff that you are absolutely NO help. How come that when a newbie shows up here asking for a CHEAP soap to start with someone always recommends AOS, Gentleman's refinery, etc.?? Oh, and this one is my favorite: A newbie will post something like "hi guys, this will be my first wet shave and thought about getting either williams, VDH, or C. Conk, which of those 3 would you recommend?" and then more than one of you will say "Tabac" or "AOS"
5.- Canned goo does NOT suck if it works for you. Yes, I said it. Soap works great for ME and I like the experience of a traditional shave with a straight (or a DE) and a brush and soap. If those things don't work for you and a can of Edge is what works for you the best then it does not suck. The same applies to a Mach 3, Gillette 27, Schick 69, etc.
6.- Some of you are always talking about how much money you saved when you switched to a DE or a straight. Really? how about the so called AD's that you are always talking about? Are you really saving that much when buying fancy expensive cream every week?
Anyway, here's the review I mentioned earlier, this is someone reviewing VDH soap on Amazon, you can go on Amazon.com and see it for yourself if you don't believe me. Again, I don't really agree with ALL of it but it made me re-think a few things. Read on and come up with your on conclusion.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Got this kit for about $8.50 at a Wal-Mart.
And, considering the price, its an awesome value.
Here's the thing about brush shaving, its really nice. It feels good on your face, it results in a nice close shave, and its honestly kinda fun to do it the old school way.
The bad part is, you go on the internet and find out that there's a super elite group of people who will tell you that THIS brand of shave soap is the best soap and you should only use THIS brand of badger brush because the other types don't compare and how you can only use THIS kind of razor because the other kinds will somehow destroy your face and make shaving the kind of unspeakable horror only sick, twisted people dare entertain their minds with.
The point I'm trying to make is this: there is actually a community of shaving snobs. People who've actually invested over a hundred dollars in particular, elite equipment to SCRAPE LITTLE HAIRS OFF THEIR CHINS!!!!
So they see this cheapo set and turn their noses up at it, because its ONLY EIGHT DOLLARS and you can BUY IT AT WAL-MART!!!
I do like wet shaving. Its a good shave. I shave with a double edge safety razor (a Merkur) and this particular kit. And it works out GREAT!!!
So here's my review:
THE BRUSH: Its a boars hair brush, and its fine. It lathers well, it works the way it should, its not rough on my face at all. Yes, it has a plastic handle. WHO CARES?!?!?!?! Its the HANDLE of a friggin BRUSH!!! Do your hands start on fire if they touch plastic? Do you get an allergic reaction if your fingertips handle a brush thats not metal or wood? If you answered "No" to both those questions, then you're fine. Complaining about the material of a shaving brush handle makes you a snob.
THE BOWL: Its a bowl. The soap sits in it, it holds steady when you lather. Its fine. You know why? Because its a FREAKIN' BOWL!!! How do you honestly complain about a bowl? It functions, it doesn't offend the eye, its fine. Don't be a snob.
THE SOAP: Honestly, I've tried so many canned shaving creams its ridiculous. I'm a man with sensitive skin and it doesn't matter how moisturizing the cream was, I still had nicks and cuts and irritated skin. So imagine my surprise to find this soap to be a key part of a very clean, enjoyable shave. I seriously get better results from this soap than I do with my gels and creams. Way to go, VDH shaving soap. Are there better shaving soaps? Probably. Do I care? No, because this one leaves my face moisturized and refreshed, costs 1.80 per bar, and I can actually get it without ordering it over the internet.
BOTTOM LINE: A great wet shave kit, especially for the price. Avoid the snobby opinions and give it an honest shot. If you're not a total tool you'll probably be surprised by how nice this kit is.
There are plenty of things in this world where the level of craftsmanship and attention to detail make a huge difference. Guitars are such a product. Automobiles are another. Shaving brushes and bowls are NOT!!!
Don't be a dumb shaving snob, just go shave your face, then start investing yourself in something thats actually important.
only because it's a English luxury SC and the scent is unbeatable! But the performance is equal.
