Need advise for starter shaving kit.

[KJamesJr]

I've been following these forums for a while. Lurking I think is a better term. Just recently I went into my local Walmart to pick up the refills for my cartridge razor (Wilkinson Sword, cheapest ones in town) to find they no longer stock them. I refuse to buy into the Gillette brands, and ones of the like, because the refills are insanely priced. I have owned them before as well. So that was pretty much the tipping point to finally get me to post here.

My first purchase will most likely be the Edwin Jagger DE87.

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Edwin-Jagger-...8&qid=1384060074&sr=1-4&keywords=Edwin+Jagger

I'm going with the faux ivory because I'm not partial to chrome and the handle is a bit longer than the DE89. This will most likely be my first and probably last safety razor I buy, or until the life is worn out of it. Then I'll get another one.

My question... and I'm sure you've heard it a million times, and it's probably all over these forums...

But what would you all recommend for an entry level kit or standard kit (brush, soap, razor etc...)?

Typically I just use Barbasol and my Wilkinson razors. I don't use any other products such as after-shave or pre-shave. I don't get ingrown hairs, my skin does not irritate or turn red, so I guess my skin just isn't sensitive when it comes to shaving. My beard is medium thickness. Typically I shave with the grain, then against it. I hear going against the grain is a no-no, but it doesn't bother me and it the only way I can get a really close shave.

As far as preference... I'd like a good smelling product(s), nothing overly exotic. My wife likes the 'old style' sent. Like Old Spice... and barbershop. Which is nice because it is a clean fresh sent I suppose. I know nothing about blades or the manufacturers that make them, and little about brushes, just what I've been reading up on here.

My budget is roughly $40 - $50 for the brush, mugs, soap, blades and whatever else (not the actual razor included). I know these things last a while but these things I'm willing to try out, and upgrade over time. The brush doesn't have to be top of the line, I just don't want hairs falling out on me.

Thanks for your time everyone, I'm going to do some more digging online and within the forums!

 

[seattleshaver]

The simplest way is to get the Van Der Hagen basic set from your local drug store (brush, bowl, soap) for around $12. It's what I still use. You've picked out your razor it seems otherwise just get a used Gillette Super Speed for <$20 on ebay.

Maybe get a $2 bottle of Witch Hazel and a styptic pencil and a bottle of Pinaud Clubman aftershave (all at your local drugstore) and you're done

Online you can frequently get 100 Astra blades for $11 shipped from Amazon.

 

[AZBronco]

Buy a sample kit with different brands of blades to try. It's surprising how different brands feel so you need to try a few to find out what works best for you. Good luck and welcome!

 

[Teppanyaki]

My suggestions-

Razor - Edwin Jagger you linked is a fine choice. A Gillette Tech (prewar, I would think, unless you want a very mild razor which implies postwar) would be an excellent vintage place to start as well. Krona Kruiser sells already replated vintage razors.

Brush - If you're going to buy a brush, I'd start with a $10 boar. Any Semogue or Omega would work well, I'd think.

Blades - A bunch of Astras. You can get a sampler pack later when you have your technique down.

Soap - Stirling pucks are $6, I think. Mike's Natural Soaps are $12ish from Vintage Blades. Both come in a variety of scents. There are a ton of other options as well. I've seen Tabac, Arko, Cella, Proraso, and RazoRock recommended as well.

Welcome, and enjoy!

 

[KJamesJr]

Wow thanks for all the quick replies! Most of suppliers listed are still foreign to me but I'll definitely look into them all.

@seattleshaver - I've seen the Van Der Hagen set. Like a dark green bowl and such. Every box I picked up at Walmart (sorry to keep referencing this store, in my area there isn't much to go by) contained broken bowls. Somewhere along the logistics of shipping and getting it to the shelf they were mishandled. They've had like the same three boxes on the shelf too, taking forever to restock them.

 

[Daner]

You can get the Van Der Hagen set from Amazon as well if you're getting your razor from there. Amazon have a very good returns policy if you get a broken one.

 

[danny munster]

id go the the art of shaving starter set to try out. just the brush itself is worth the $25. i still have mines and it works pretty well. i wouldnt go with a boar hair brush, too stiff on the face in my opinion.

 

[Eeyore]

i wouldnt go with a boar hair brush, too stiff on the face in my opinion.

That may be because you don't know (yet) how to use a boar properly.

Or your boar is a cheap one with clipped bristles *shudder*
(or just not broken in yet)

 

[Teppanyaki]

I should add - when I got my boar brush, I did the "accelerated break-in" wher you soak it for an hour then let it sit with lather overnight (repeat x 2-3 days). After day 2, I tried lathering and it felt like it had soft tips with very good backbone (B&B Essential brush). While not as velvety soft as my synthetic, it felt soft whi8le still somehow a little "scrubby." I love soft tips but I also really like the extra backbone and so my boar is now my favorite brush.

I have no idea how stiff/harsh the boar would have been initially without the soak/lather sitting overnight thing. Being an Omega knot probably also helped.

 

[seattleshaver]

I see people complain about not being able to whip up lather with shaving soap (as opposed to cream) but then complain that a boar brush is too stiff I use soap rather than cream and actually like the firmness of a boar brush. I did nothing to break in the cheap VDH boar brush.

 

[danny munster]

my first brush was a col conk boar brush. after i used a badger brush, i never looked back.

 

[Eeyore]

I see people complain about not being able to whip up lather with shaving soap (as opposed to cream) but then complain that a boar brush is too stiff I use soap rather than cream and actually like the firmness of a boar brush. I did nothing to break in the cheap VDH boar brush.

A good boar (Semogue, Omega, ...) has soft tips and strong backbone. The trick is in breaking them in properly, giving them enough drying time, and soaking for a minute before use. I feel many people use inferior boars (e.g. with clipped bristles or a non-dense knot), or never learnt the basics of using a boar brush.

 

[branford]

Welcome!

You may also wish to consider "starter kits" or other "beginner" items from B&B vendors, such as Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Shaving.ie, or any other well-respected vendor that can be found in the Vendor Forum.

A VERY high quality and inexpensive silvertip (or pure or synthetic) badger brush can also be purchased at Whipped Dog. I own two, and routinely recommend them to both beginners and experienced wet shavers. You are unlikely to find a better value in a silvertip brush.

If you like barbershop-type scents, I would recommend any Proraso cream or soap. Proraso is comparatively inexpensive, readily available and well-loved by most B&B members. (If you do not like menthol, note that all but the Red variety contain the ingredient)

Lastly, as to blades, I would suggest purchasing a sample pack from any vendor. Blade preference is so personnel that you must simply try a few to find what suits you. Blades range from mild Derbys, middle of the road Astra SP or Personna Reds, to very sharp Feathers. Given the very low cost of most blades, it would be unwise to skip this step simply to save a few dollars. When you finally find a blade that you prefer, then buy in bulk. A 100 pack of blades from $12 - 20 can easily last a year.

Good luck.

Edit: P.S.: I think the prior recommendation for the VDH set was for the Luxury Set, not the green bowl set found in many drug stores. I own the Luxury set, but would counsel against its purchase given your criteria and preferences. The soap is surprisingly good, but the brush badger brush is of the lowest quality and you really do not need to spend much of your budget on a "fancy" bowl at this point in time (a simple mug or dollar store cereal bowl will more than suffice if you choose not to face lather).

 

[UnCL3]

my first brush was a col conk boar brush. after i used a badger brush, i never looked back.

+1
I got a boar brush 25 years ago (I was shaving cartridge; switched to DE last month), and it was stiff and stunk for a few days.
Wife at the time bought me an expensive silver tip, and I never looked back either. You want stiff and comfortable and makes a great lather? I love my current Simpson Case 1 best badger for $50. Plus it travels well.

 

[KJamesJr]

Hey thanks for all the replies and support. I've been tooling around some retail stores today (Walgrees, CVS, Walmart etc) just to see what's in stock and who's got the best price around. So far, none have beaten Amazons prices.

I was reading a sticky here regarding badger brushes. It would seem like the best badgers are the way to go. Soft, yet firm. I would think if a brush is too soft, it wouldn't pick up much soap. It also wouldn't clean the skin very well. Just my thoughts.

Also, how do you all dispose of your razors? I don't really want anyone cutting themselves. Do you recycle them or what?

 

[branford]

Hey thanks for all the replies and support. I've been tooling around some retail stores today (Walgrees, CVS, Walmart etc) just to see what's in stock and who's got the best price around. So far, none have beaten Amazons prices.

I was reading a sticky here regarding badger brushes. It would seem like the best badgers are the way to go. Soft, yet firm. I would think if a brush is too soft, it wouldn't pick up much soap. It also wouldn't clean the skin very well. Just my thoughts.

Also, how do you all dispose of your razors? I don't really want anyone cutting themselves. Do you recycle them or what?

Unfortunately, the best products and deals are unlikely to be found at your local drug store in the USA. B&B affiliated and similar vendors, Amazon and Ebay are often a wet shaver's constant companions.

Note that the loft of a brush (height of the bristles above the handle) often determines its firmness. A shorter lofted silvertip or even a boar brush can be both incredibly soft AND firm.

Lastly, I dispose of my blades in a small tin piggy-bank that I bought in a dollar store. Others use old soup or vegetable cans. You can even purchase a cheap blade bank. Most of these storage options last for years, and then you may recycle at your discretion. Also, some blades such as Feathers and Derbys have dispensers that have a slot to dispose of used blades.

 

[Drbo]

The art of shaving starter kit is great. I use the brush daily. The kit was 25 bucks and came with a 25 dollar gift card towards a purchase of their larger kit, couldn't pass it up.

 

[Okla1911]

Razor - popular choice, you have it down. I went the ever popular Merkur 180 myself. Probably could have found a $10 vintage Gillette instead.
Blades - 100 pack of Astra SP's $9-11 + s/h - this is what I got for my starter kit. 1 blade that had a lot of good reviews and is among the most cost effective.
Soap/Cream - I went with proraso green cream. Until I get my technique down it was only 1 cream. If I were to do it over I would pick the proraso green soap. $10 +s/h
Brush: My starter was an Omega boar 10049 for about $9 + s/h. Knowing what I know now (I'm a face lather guy) the 49 is great value but a little too big for face lathering for me. In any event Semogue & Omega both have some great value boar brushes out there. Vinatgescent (online) retailer has Semogue boars for the cheapest I've found online (google for 10% discount code). The B&B boar from WCS is also a good boar for face lathering $20 + s/h. There are plenty of quality boars for $20 or less.
Bowl - raid the kitchen for something that fits your brush.
After Shave - Mine was proraso green to match $14 + s/h. You can also pick up something from the Walmart for cheaper - Aqua Velva, ect.
Styptic Pencil - Walmart $1.

Try and find all your goods from 1 online retailer to save to on s/h. Shop around online, there are tons of vendors. Royalshave for example has free s/h on orders above $25! So all in all:
$10 soap
$10 blades
$20 brush
$5-14 aftershave
$1 styptic pencil
$46-55 total

 

[Senshi]

I'm just going to go out on a limb here and say that the Boar brush that comes with the VDH (Van Der Hagen) set is garbage. The soap and the little bowl that come with it are great though.

I would recommend http an Omega set. You get a nice holder for your brush, along with a case if you're ever travelling. And the soap is very slick and has a nice cooling effect. Plus you could always just buy a puck of VDH and even another soap if you're in the 40 dollar price range.

http://www.amazon.com/Omega-46065-Shaving-Brush-Holder/dp/B000JXY8MO

You could get a lot of mileage with that Omega brush before you get another one. If you get the VDH set, you're going to be wanting to buy a new brush very soon.

 

[jarvis]

You can always just ease into to all the products--I kept using barabsol at first to get technique down, and recently I started with the proraso green sc. Don't feel as if you have to acquire everything to just get started...