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Opinions on Choices

I'm new here and joined specifically to get some opinions on the items that I've decided I'm going to purchase to start wet shaving. I've used the cartridges and they, excuse my Latin, suckus magnus because they're very awkward to use when trimming a beard. I've also tried to use several electric rotary blade razors (the ones with the three floating heads) and they bother my neck resulting in severe irritation. Because of this, I've started doing research and have determined that investing in a D/E razor along with a decent brush, etc., will be a worthwhile investment. I've done a lot of research on wet shaving products and will be ordering from classicshaving.com due to their excellent variety. I'm sure its redundant but I'd like to ask some more experienced users about their opinions on the products I've decided to purchase as follows:

1 Merkur "Classic 1904" Safety Razor [Not the HD Merkur for $30]
1 Vulfix Best Badger Brush [Is the V pronounced as a V in English or a W????]
2 Extra Packs of Merkur SS Platinum Blades
1 Classic Shaving Soap - Lavender [Aftershave is a different scent, will the two scents conflict because I've heard that some shaving soaps are heavily scented and lingers even after proper rinsing]

Thanks for any advice, I really appreciate it!
 
1. The HD is a very good beginner razor (not sure about the 1904).

2. Vulfix brushes are fine.

3. Merkur blades are fine. I'd order some Feather blades too from Classic so
that you can try two types (I don't think they have the Derby Extras).

4. I would recommend you start with a cream instead of soap... say Taylors for example.

If you want a starter kit, you might consider getting three of the Proraso products for a set-up... the pre/post cream, the green shave cream, and the aftershave balm. I think you'll find that all of these get rave reviews here... they are also a good value.

(classicshaving carries all of this stuff.)
 
1. Merkur 1904 is a very good DE in my opinion. I actually started with a HD but have since bought all the Merkur fixed head razors and the 1904 is currently my 'go to' razor. Merkur's most under rated razor IMHO.

2. Vulfix makes a good brush and I started with a Vulfix 2235 Super. I still have it but recently upgraded to a ShaveMac 22579. If I was determined to buy a 'best' Badger brush, I would personally go with the Crabtree & Evelyn $35 Best Badger brush [which I currently have in my brush rotation] and gets very high marks by all who own one. If I could spend a little bit more I'd buy a little better brush to begin with: either a ShaveMac or a Savile Row.

3. I also started with Merkur blades and they make a good blade. There are many others out there to try and 'letterk' [on the forum] even sells a sampler pack if you want to try all the major blades.

4. I agree with Aaron, I think you would be better served to start with a cream; and the Taylor's is a great value in a cream. The Avocado is a very popular Taylor cream and always gets rave reviews for performance.
 
Ditto on the previous comments. You've made fine choices, but it would be good to have a couple of different blades on hand in case the Merkurs didn't agree with you and your technique. Also, I would say try a good cream (Crabtree & Evelyn's Sweet Almond Oil comes to mind, and it's on clearance now) to make the learning process easier.

You may want to consider checking out junk shops and thrift stores for adjustable DE razors. I found my beloved 1960 Gillette adjustable at a thrift shop for $3.50! It is worth a try, and you may just fall in love with an "antique" razor.
 
The 1904 is a fine razor. I have one and really like it. Rather than two packs of Merkur blades, I echo the sentiment of buying one pack of Merkur and one pack of Feather, and/or buying the sampler pack. There's a lot of variation in how individual respond to blades, so you're going to have to explore a bit to find the one best for you.

Also, I would go with the Edwin Jagger Best Badger from Crabtree & Evelyn: gets high ratings from everyone.

The Taylor Avocado shaving cream has received a lot of praise. And I REALLY like the J.M. Fraser's from Canada.
 
Leisureguy said:
The 1904 is a fine razor. I have one and really like it. Rather than two packs of Merkur blades, I echo the sentiment of buying one pack of Merkur and one pack of Feather, and/or buying the sampler pack. There's a lot of variation in how individual respond to blades, so you're going to have to explore a bit to find the one best for you.

My first and still only razor was the HD, and it has simply performed beautifully for me. The 1904 looks like a great razor, and I really believe fixed head is the way to go to start, but I cannot comment on the 1904 specifically.

However, Leisureguy, and the others, make great comments about blades, and it really is a crapshoot because everyone finds different razor/blade/face combinations that work for them. I suggest you keep your current face:cool: , but try many different blades with your new razor, including the pack of Merkurs that you're buying. But get the Feathers as well, and get some Derby's too, or go with letterk's sample pack. Either way, find a blade that works for you, there are lots of choices.

Also, one word of warning that no one has mentioned yet, do NOT use the blade that is packaged with the razor, simply toss it. It has traveled a long way, been bumped around for who knows how long, and it may be very dull or damaged beyond you ability to detect. Don't risk it, just throw it away and start fresh with a blade from the pack.

Leisureguy said:
The Taylor Avocado shaving cream has received a lot of praise. And I REALLY like the J.M. Fraser's from Canada.

And, as has been said before, a good cream, with your Vulfix brush and a bowl would probably serve you better. My new love is Proraso Green. It's inexpensive, easy to get, and it is very good and easy to use. Just an almond-sized dollop on your wet brush and you'll have some great lather to work with.

As with any opinion you'll find here, your mileage may vary (YMMV) so after your research you'll still have homework to do, but that's actually the fun part.

Welcome to wet shaving, and welcome to B&B as well. Keep us posted on your results and don't hesitate to ask more questions.

Peace,

Pierre
 
Wow, thanks a lot for all of the opinions. After considering what a lot of you have said, I am going to purchase a variety of blades but for now I'm just purchasing one pack of Merkur and one pack of Feather blades. I'm working on a very limited budget in that I need to preserve as much money as possible so I think I'm still going to go with the soap simply because it's cheaper. If I don't like it, I'm sure that my father keeps a tube of shaving cream for the sake of comparison.

The worst part of this ordeal for me is the fact that almost everything I would like to try I have to order from the internet because I live in rural PA where there are practically no shops that sell decent products. The nearest city where I could browse a fine cutlery store is in east PA in Pittsburgh and that trip is sure to cost more gas money right now than is worth. I've found here that most shipping charges come to about $5 and above so I'm trying to order from one source which is why all of the items listed came from Classicshaving.com. I know that the Vulfix brush is going to be a good accessory, but I really wish that I knew what the differences feel like between pure, best, and silvertip brushes. Anyone care to comment for me? Thanks.
 
For only $4 more you could get the Proraso Green tube... I just think that would be a better start than the soap.

Others will have different opinions, but if you go with a cheaper brush now, you will be fine and it will just give you something to look fwd in the future... if you don't have a baseline then it will be the best brush you've ever used!:tongue_sm
 
Yeah, this is more or less a trial and error run. Of course the more into it a person gets it's only reasonable that they buy more expensive accessories to enhance the experience.
 
Hey thanks for the advice on working the lather. I'm so used to those damned aerosol cans with the plain ol' fingertips that I could scream. I also realize that I'll have to go out and see what kind of creams/soaps/balms I can find around here to avoid the need of purchasing new off of the internet every few months. As for the blades, though, it looks like I'll have to order those seeing as how Merkurs are imported from Germany and the Feathers, well I'm not sure where they come from :tongue_sm . I guess once I find what I like I can order in bulk and then from there just keep getting small packages of varying kinds until I find the ones that work for my style. Now I just have to wait for my purchase to arrive which, from experience with normal mail and the fact that its coming from CA to PA, could take a while...a looooooong while! :bored:
 
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