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Looking to get started for under $50

M

majeiks

Hello -

I've been reading around furiously the past couple of days and I'm learning a lot and thoroughly enjoying the passion many of you exhibit with this hobby / lifestyle. I have never shaved with a DE before and am looking to get started.

Could you provide some recommendations to help me get started for under $50? I currently do not have any equipment.

Matt
 
ironfisted

ironfisted

Hey Matt, I'll offer up a few blades (Dorco and Astra - sorry, those are the only ones I have) and a very mild Frank's DE that I used for a couple of weeks before I switched to a Gillette Slim Adjustable. I'll PM you to coordinate mailing the stuff to you. So far I really like the Gillette and if you keep an eye out here you should be able to pick one up for under $40. I was fortunate enough to get one from Sooperman8, with 100 Astra blades for $37. Also keep an eye out in the BST for Newb starter kits, and you may find one with a razor and some creams.

Rob
 
DougieB

DougieB

Very obtainable goal.

Vintage Gillette's are reasonable, and arguably as good as most modern razors.

Potential sources...
On-Line
B&B BST... you can participate as a buyer and post wanted to buy
Ebay
Etsy
ShopGoodWill.com

In the Wild...
Thrift stores
Antique shops
flea markets
garage sales
auctions
estate sales

Soaps:
Budget friendly performers are
Arko and Palmolive sticks. Probably on line
At retail you might find VDH deluxe or luxury at CVS, Wallgreens.... etc as well as VDH luxury brush. Mine was $10 and a good performer.

IF you are going to bowl lather, a puck sized coffee mug can typically be found at a thrift store / goodwill.

Blade samplers are readily available from many of our vendors here on B&B.

This should land you well within your $50 budget. Once you narrow in on a blade you like look for a bargain on 100. This can range from $10 - 40 depending on source, brand, delivery... etc. It's conceivable that this could still fall within the $50 budget. That's about a years supply.

In the future... you can stay within that $50 budget easily if you only do one small thing ...

Never... ever ... read this forum again.

Hope this helps.
 
P

pipskicks

Sorry about that, Amazon has a very competitive price, or look at the BST, if not for that set, then even someone elses...
 
mblakele

mblakele

That is a tight budget, but http://www.italianbarber.com/accessories-kits?sort&filter_id=102 has a $42 starter kit and shipping would probably take it to about $50. It looks like reasonable stuff. It is out of stock right now, but the page says it will be back next week.

If you want to build your own, here is a modest suggestion. To save on shipping I am going to pick WCS for everything. You could find similar items at Bull Goose or other vendors, too.


Total: $50

Another approach is to get everything but the razor and blades, and keep shaving with cartridges while you learn to make good lather and work on prep.
 
PugslyCat

PugslyCat

Matt,

Welcome to B&B!

If you still have canned shaving cream you can still use it with the DE razor. I mention that so that you don't have to buy soap, mug, brush and optional lathering bowl at the same time you are buying a razor and blades. Conversely you can get the lathering stuff now and the cutting stuff at a later date, just to spread out the payments. I am also partial to separating the two functions as that worked well for me, but I seem to be the only one.

Another shaving soap to look for is Williams. It comes in a blue and white box for about a dollar a puck.

Sally Beauty, a salon supply shop, usually has Marvy synthetic brushes for under $5. I started with one and still use it in a pinch. It's a cheap way into the game but not really recommended.

Walgreens will often have the Van der Hagen boar bristle brush for about $10. I use one on weekends. They also have VDH Deluxe soap for 2/$5.

Target has lately started selling a Van der Hagen badger brush, also for about $10. Some people say it is kind of scratchy. I haven't tried it. Target also sells the VDH Luxury line of soap for about $4.

Discount stores like Family Dollar or Dollar General often have 5-packs of blades for $1. They aren't great blades, but they are mostly what I have used in the last year with no real complaints. 5/$1 is also more expensive than buying 100-pack cartons online, but getting a pack or two of blades locally might let you put off a larger expenditure for a while.
 
dgerson

dgerson

Remember that despite all the posts you see on here to the contrary, you do NOT need to buy EVERYTHING all in one shot. Get a brush (Tweezerman, Van DerHagen, etc.) and some cheap good cream or soap (Proraso is always a good bet here). Keep using your razor. Keep your eye out for a cheap DE. There are plenty of solid ones sold on the BST in the 5-10 range all the time. They may not be beauties, but they'll shave you properly. Blade sampler packs aren't that much money. Heck if you need some blades, PM me and I'll drop you over a bunch to try out. Get some aftershave when you feel like it, or when you're next at the grocery store. You don't NEED fancy aftershaves. Some generic witch hazel would be fine, but Clubman is sure cheap enough. I know you may feel like you need to "compete" with the posts you see on here but take it slow and you'll probably enjoy yourself even more.
 
oscarc

oscarc

majeiks, I started with less than that. I bought a 1967 Superspeed from razoremporium.com for $20. In Walmart you can buy a van der Hagen set (bowl, brush, and soap) for $12 or so. I bought a 10 blade package (generic, but I think they're Personna) for under $2.75 in the grocery store. Got a Clubman AS for $7 in Walgreens. My wife hates the smell, so I just got Thayers witch hazel at the health food store for $7.50. Either way, you can start cheap. As long as the razor is good enough, everything else can be bought cheap. When you acquire some experience shaving with the Personnas, get a blade sampler. Whatever you do, try the Feather blades only when your technique is solid.
 
D

darkxshiki

welcome to B&B.
i agree with oscarc. the van der set is a decent start point ( what i started with, i passed it on to a friend that loves it). i would take it slow and slowly progress into a DE. i think having a brush and soap is a major step towards a DE. you can shave with a can goop but a soap and brush make even shaving with a cart razor better.
 
M

majeiks

oscarc said:
majeiks, I started with less than that. I bought a 1967 Superspeed from razoremporium.com for $20. In Walmart you can buy a van der Hagen set (bowl, brush, and soap) for $12 or so. I bought a 10 blade package (generic, but I think they're Personna) for under $2.75 in the grocery store. Got a Clubman AS for $7 in Walgreens. My wife hates the smell, so I just got Thayers witch hazel at the health food store for $7.50. Either way, you can start cheap. As long as the razor is good enough, everything else can be bought cheap. When you acquire some experience shaving with the Personnas, get a blade sampler. Whatever you do, try the Feather blades only when your technique is solid.
Click to expand...
It seems the drug stores are a great place to pick up a few of the essentials to get me started. Then once I become more familiar, I'll be better at figuring out what I want to try. Pretty sure I've used Old Spice AS before. Is that a valid option?
 
M

majeiks

darkxshiki said:
welcome to B&B.
i agree with oscarc. the van der set is a decent start point ( what i started with, i passed it on to a friend that loves it). i would take it slow and slowly progress into a DE. i think having a brush and soap is a major step towards a DE. you can shave with a can goop but a soap and brush make even shaving with a cart razor better.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the encouragement!
 
M

majeiks

mblakele said:
That is a tight budget, but http://www.italianbarber.com/accessories-kits?sort&filter_id=102 has a $42 starter kit and shipping would probably take it to about $50. It looks like reasonable stuff. It is out of stock right now, but the page says it will be back next week.

If you want to build your own, here is a modest suggestion. To save on shipping I am going to pick WCS for everything. You could find similar items at Bull Goose or other vendors, too.


Total: $50

Another approach is to get everything but the razor and blades, and keep shaving with cartridges while you learn to make good lather and work on prep.
Click to expand...
Excellent rundown. Thanks for breaking it down by item and price! That's going to help a lot...

Matt
 
Mick

Mick

majeiks said:
It seems the drug stores are a great place to pick up a few of the essentials to get me started. Then once I become more familiar, I'll be better at figuring out what I want to try. Pretty sure I've used Old Spice AS before. Is that a valid option?
Click to expand...

Anything that you can pick up locally is a boon to your product selection. Nice thing about local soaps and after shaves, you can smell them before you decide to buy them.
 
M

majeiks

turtle said:
Anything that you can pick up locally is a boon to your product selection. Nice thing about local soaps and after shaves, you can smell them before you decide to buy them.
Click to expand...
Very good point. Nothing better than a little field research!
 
B

BallisticBurrito

You can go to walmart and get a VDH starter set with soap, ceramic bowl and a boar brush for $10.
Or the soap itself for $1.60.

I got 100 Crystal blades from west coast shaving for $12..not going to find much of a better deal on blades than that, lol.
 
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