Contrary to popular belief, a newbie to wet shaving can get the basic issue of gear and achieve incredible results with a minimal outlay of cash. I know this from experience as I myself am on a fairly tight budget and in short order with just a few bucks here and there, I've got an effective, even if modest, shave den. So if you're new to the classic wetshaving scene, read on, hopefully I can pass on some tips.
Razor: The whole single edge verses double edge debate will have to rage elsewhere. What I started with was a Gem Micromatic single edge (in fact it remains one of my go-to razors) but certainly an old school double edge Gillette would be a fine starter razor as well. This one boils down to personal preference. Local antique stores and of course ebay are good sources. Depending on how picked over your local antique stores are, you can find some good deals. Two of my 3 razors came from an antique store. The Gem Micromatic was $4 and my Gillette Slim Adjustable (1966 model) was $5. Of course ebay is also a great source for these razors as well. My "high dollar" razor, a 1912 Gem Junior fat handle, was an ebay find that I gave $8 for including shipping. Clean up and restoration of these things is pretty easy too. It involves no special skills and cleaners that you may have lying around the house even as we speak (see B&B for more details). There's certainly nothing wrong with high dollar custom razors but I must admit the results from my cheap razors have been so positive that I'm really not looking in that direction, you know the old saying "can't afford to pay attention." But seriously I doubt I would pay attention even if I could the razors I have consistently render remarkable results and I just think another old saying applies, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Razor Blades:This is where you will undoubtedly save the most money converting to wetshaving with a classic, old school razor. A three pack of Mach 3 blades runs $12-15. By contrast, I bought ten single edge blades at CVS just this morning for $3.99. Again, I leave the debate as to which brand is best, etc. for elsewhere but suffice it to say top of the line single edge or double edge blades, even if you have to order them on line are going to cost less than 50 cents a piece.
Brushes: This may be an area where it pays not to be too frugal. A VDH boar bristle brush can be had at any Walmart or Walgreens for under $10. Will they lather? Will they put soap or cream on your face? Sure it will. Is this brush a well made piece of gear that will last you for years? Definitely not. My own experience with VDH brushes has been less than impressive. If you just want to get started, knock yourself out but be warned they shed bristles at an astonshing rate and are quite stiff. For a few more dollars (that means under $25) good brushes can be had from Omega and/or Tweezerman. My current brush is a Magna I scored from a local antique shop for $6. It's probably a boar bristle (at some point, I'll re-knot it to badger) but for now, it's my one and only brush and I'm very satisfied with it. I think it's old enough that it has shed every hair that it's going to and the boar bristle is long past being stiff and in fact is quite soft. Again, lots of these on ebay too.
Soaps: Sure, there are a gozillion different soaps out there (not to mention creams) but since my subject has to do with being on a budget, I'll concentrate on the budget soaps I've used. Williams of course is the ubiquitous American shave soap and can be had for less than two dollars a puck. I've had mixed results with Williams. Some days it works like a champ and others it's too watery, too dry, etc. even on a bad day, it gets the job done though and even with less than perfect lather, I've never had irritation or a terrible shave with Williams soap. My personal favorite among the budget soaps is VDH. It's amazing to me these people can't make a brush but make such great soaps. They're cheap (less than $2 a puck) very available and lather like a champ. VDH Deluxe is a great, very user friendly shaving soap with a nice smell. It lathers effortlessly and seems a little less particular of technique and other variables. If you have very sensitive skin or just like a really slick lather, I would give a shout out to VDH Glycerine. I recently picked this up on sale for 62 cents a puck at Walgreens and man is it good.
Other Particulars:Once you've got the razor, brush and soap you'll need a mug for a lather bowl. No need to buy anything fancy, mine is a large soup/coffee mug a couple bucks anywhere or just open your cabinet and pick out a suitably burley coffee mug that you rarely use.
Witch Hazel is also your buddy. Lots of folks go for the custom Thayers Lemon scented, no alcohol, no glutin, no peanuts, no whales harmed in the making of this Witch Hazel, but I've found that Dickerson's Witch Hazel will do the job just fine plus I can pick it up locally for $3 or so. It's not after shave but it will cool your face down and help prevent irritation. It's also quite refreshing to splash it on even in the evening.
High dollar pre-shave lotions can be replaced by baby oil or olive oil. Several post-shave lotions are available for reasonable prices (Gillette, Nivea, etc.) but I've found that a simple aloe vera based body lotion works just as well for a fraction of the price.
It's really not an expensive hobby to get into, of course then the ADs (acquisition disorders, basically your first couple are so cool you start collecting) kick in and all bets are off. Just keep your eyes peeled for bargains and have fun. Soon you'll be getting BBS (baby's but smooth) shaves and look like a million even on a tight budget.
Razor: The whole single edge verses double edge debate will have to rage elsewhere. What I started with was a Gem Micromatic single edge (in fact it remains one of my go-to razors) but certainly an old school double edge Gillette would be a fine starter razor as well. This one boils down to personal preference. Local antique stores and of course ebay are good sources. Depending on how picked over your local antique stores are, you can find some good deals. Two of my 3 razors came from an antique store. The Gem Micromatic was $4 and my Gillette Slim Adjustable (1966 model) was $5. Of course ebay is also a great source for these razors as well. My "high dollar" razor, a 1912 Gem Junior fat handle, was an ebay find that I gave $8 for including shipping. Clean up and restoration of these things is pretty easy too. It involves no special skills and cleaners that you may have lying around the house even as we speak (see B&B for more details). There's certainly nothing wrong with high dollar custom razors but I must admit the results from my cheap razors have been so positive that I'm really not looking in that direction, you know the old saying "can't afford to pay attention." But seriously I doubt I would pay attention even if I could the razors I have consistently render remarkable results and I just think another old saying applies, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Razor Blades:This is where you will undoubtedly save the most money converting to wetshaving with a classic, old school razor. A three pack of Mach 3 blades runs $12-15. By contrast, I bought ten single edge blades at CVS just this morning for $3.99. Again, I leave the debate as to which brand is best, etc. for elsewhere but suffice it to say top of the line single edge or double edge blades, even if you have to order them on line are going to cost less than 50 cents a piece.
Brushes: This may be an area where it pays not to be too frugal. A VDH boar bristle brush can be had at any Walmart or Walgreens for under $10. Will they lather? Will they put soap or cream on your face? Sure it will. Is this brush a well made piece of gear that will last you for years? Definitely not. My own experience with VDH brushes has been less than impressive. If you just want to get started, knock yourself out but be warned they shed bristles at an astonshing rate and are quite stiff. For a few more dollars (that means under $25) good brushes can be had from Omega and/or Tweezerman. My current brush is a Magna I scored from a local antique shop for $6. It's probably a boar bristle (at some point, I'll re-knot it to badger) but for now, it's my one and only brush and I'm very satisfied with it. I think it's old enough that it has shed every hair that it's going to and the boar bristle is long past being stiff and in fact is quite soft. Again, lots of these on ebay too.
Soaps: Sure, there are a gozillion different soaps out there (not to mention creams) but since my subject has to do with being on a budget, I'll concentrate on the budget soaps I've used. Williams of course is the ubiquitous American shave soap and can be had for less than two dollars a puck. I've had mixed results with Williams. Some days it works like a champ and others it's too watery, too dry, etc. even on a bad day, it gets the job done though and even with less than perfect lather, I've never had irritation or a terrible shave with Williams soap. My personal favorite among the budget soaps is VDH. It's amazing to me these people can't make a brush but make such great soaps. They're cheap (less than $2 a puck) very available and lather like a champ. VDH Deluxe is a great, very user friendly shaving soap with a nice smell. It lathers effortlessly and seems a little less particular of technique and other variables. If you have very sensitive skin or just like a really slick lather, I would give a shout out to VDH Glycerine. I recently picked this up on sale for 62 cents a puck at Walgreens and man is it good.
Other Particulars:Once you've got the razor, brush and soap you'll need a mug for a lather bowl. No need to buy anything fancy, mine is a large soup/coffee mug a couple bucks anywhere or just open your cabinet and pick out a suitably burley coffee mug that you rarely use.
Witch Hazel is also your buddy. Lots of folks go for the custom Thayers Lemon scented, no alcohol, no glutin, no peanuts, no whales harmed in the making of this Witch Hazel, but I've found that Dickerson's Witch Hazel will do the job just fine plus I can pick it up locally for $3 or so. It's not after shave but it will cool your face down and help prevent irritation. It's also quite refreshing to splash it on even in the evening.
High dollar pre-shave lotions can be replaced by baby oil or olive oil. Several post-shave lotions are available for reasonable prices (Gillette, Nivea, etc.) but I've found that a simple aloe vera based body lotion works just as well for a fraction of the price.
It's really not an expensive hobby to get into, of course then the ADs (acquisition disorders, basically your first couple are so cool you start collecting) kick in and all bets are off. Just keep your eyes peeled for bargains and have fun. Soon you'll be getting BBS (baby's but smooth) shaves and look like a million even on a tight budget.
