One step at a time!

[Bumsi]

OK,

Humbly I accept I am fresh meat in this arena...

That admitted, I need the following according to some gents here now that I have a DE on the way to get started. Suggestions for a starter kit please.

1. Brush
2. Cream or soap
3. Alum? Whatever that is, I'll Google it.
4. Witch hazel (92 year old guy down the street says he may have some, wish he still had his razors).
5. After shave (I assume we are not talking Williams pre-electric shave I've been using).

regards,

Bumsi (you really do not want to know)

 

[Doubledgeislife]

I would have to say get the Van Der Hagen shaving kit. You will get a shave brush, a puck of shave soap, and a small lathering bowl. You will be able to pick this up at wal mart for less than 10.00 . A styptic pencil can also be found at Wal mart for 1.00 or less, aftershave I go to Walgreens for Because they have The Pinaud Clubman Classic aftershave for 7 or 8 dollars. All of these items have served me very well and with the exception of the aftershave, wal mart is the one stop shop for my shaving needs.

 

[Mad Man]

Hey Bumsi,

did you have a budget in mind for all the items - ? Then we can recommend products to suit. Also, are you biased towards boar or badger for a brush? (one of my team members here who is REALLY into wet shaving now can't use boar brushes due to religious constraints).

 

[Bumsi]

I would have to say get the Van Der Hagen shaving kit. You will get a shave brush, a puck of shave soap, and a small lathering bowl. You will be able to pick this up at wal mart for less than 10.00 . A styptic pencil can also be found at Wal mart for 1.00 or less, aftershave I go to Walgreens for Because they have The Pinaud Clubman Classic aftershave for 7 or 8 dollars. All of these items have served me very well and with the exception of the aftershave, wal mart is the one stop shop for my shaving needs.

Thanks, I'll check it out...never thought of Wally World for wet shaving. Go figure.

 

[DMT]

If you look online you can find some really good starter kits. Shaving.ie offers a VAT deduction to people outside the European Union and postage from Ireland it quite cheap compared to other countries http://www.shaving.ie/categories/Safety-Razors/Safety-Razor-Starter-Kits/

 

[Bumsi]

Hey Bumsi,

did you have a budget in mind for all the items - ? Then we can recommend products to suit. Also, are you biased towards boar or badger for a brush? (one of my team members here who is REALLY into wet shaving now can't use boar brushes due to religious constraints).

No real budget in mind. I happened onto this site while trying to research wet shaving, saw an adjustable razor for sale that looked like one my dad had. So, I just bought it and decided to get this party started. I would rather proceed on the conservative side until I heal from the initial plastic reconstructive surgery after my first few shaves and I really understand what I am doing. As for boars = good eating, badgers = mean lil critters. I sure they do not taste the same and understand from reading here so far badger is better (not as tough). However, I have no clue as to what right looks like -- yet! That is why all you folks here are intrusted with my wet shave future at the moment. Be aware, I'll hunt you down like an old girl friend if you treat me wrong.

Btw, I saw a post earlier and the guy had enough brushes to paint Saint Louis for Christs sake. Unbelievable!

 

[DMT]

Do you like washing your face with a face scrub? If so, boar is a good choice because it's scritchy (very good for exfoliation if you face lather). If you prefer something softer go for badger. Making a lather with a Boar brush can a little more time when compared to a Badger brush but both get the job done. Personally I prefer to use my boar brush for my soaps and my badger for my creams.

 

[savagejoerude]

I am one who believes you can get great shaves without spending an arm and a leg and If you are testing the waters then go easy on your wallet. Most everything I'll recommend can be had at Wal Mart...+1 on the Van Der Hagen kit. That will give you a decent brush, great soap and a great little bowl. VDH will always be a friend. I'll bet 90% of wet shavers keep VdH soap in their rotation. Find some decent blades. Most of the drug store blades suck. Wal Mart has Wilkerson's which are OK. Witch Hazel is available almost everywhere. After Shaves are easy too. Clubman is great also easy to find is Aqua Velva. I'm pretty fond of the Musk. The Blue is good too. Forget Alum. Get a styptic pencil and some kind of glycerin soap to use as a pre shave wash. Clearly Natural is a good choice and is cheap.(Dollar Tree). Remember that prep is everything. Don't skimp here. There is a reason it's called WET shaving... Do your homework as to prep, angle, pressure. I did and it paid great dividends...After you have your technique down then the whole world of wet shaving is there for you to enjoy. Pretty soon you will have 10 razors 8 brushes and enough soaps and creams to shave an army... And that's only after 6 months...lol Good Luck & Happy Shaves!!!

 

[FL shaver]

OK,

Humbly I accept I am fresh meat in this arena...

That admitted, I need the following according to some gents here now that I have a DE on the way to get started. Suggestions for a starter kit please.

1. Brush
2. Cream or soap
3. Alum? Whatever that is, I'll Google it.
4. Witch hazel (92 year old guy down the street says he may have some, wish he still had his razors).
5. After shave (I assume we are not talking Williams pre-electric shave I've been using).

regards,

Bumsi (you really do not want to know)

You realize that you are standing at the edge of the precipice, right?

I say skip the training wheels and jump right in!

1) Semogue 1305 or Tweezerman badger
2) Cella red tub or Proraso cream
3) I don't use alum. Maybe a styptic pencil instead?
4) Get the generic witch hazel from Target or your local drugstore
5) This is pretty personal. I use 444 aftershave balm from Portugal.

I, too, like a glycerin soap prewash (Ach Brito Glyce Lime). But maybe you consider that later. Blades are very important. You're going to have to sample a few or more before finding which blade is effective in your razor on your face.

JUMP!

 

[johnh]

Don't worry, before long you'll be buying all kinds of stuff and still wanting more.

 

[celestino]

Don't worry, before long you'll be buying all kinds of stuff and still wanting more.

+1 Hee hee. then you may not think the gent with all those brushes was so crazy after all. Good luck.

 

[Lion and the Fox]

Bumsi, all of these suggestions are great. Welcome to the Badger and Blade!

 

[Mad Man]

"hunt you down like an old girlfriend"

Careful laddie, custom titles aren't just for Xmas, they're forever...