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Revisiting Your First Equipments
- Thread starter Timor1322
- Start date
It took me a bit to get everything together for my visitation with the past. I had a little problem picking what to get because I started with soap and brushes in Germany after getting out of the army. Of course my weapon of choice back then was a Schick tracer. So I didn't pick Tabac, wilkenson sword, or even the PX obtained William's. I also didn't replace my Mühle silvertip picked up with the other soaps at Karstadt. No i want to replecate my first de shaves.
Semogue 1800 I got rid of a long time ago. I picked up a 34g and a proraso omega boar brush on BST from a member from Denmark. I figure the omega has a bigger knot, but, is close enough. I think actually the grade may have been better, but, I could be wrong. What stands out the most is the wood handle finish chipping and looking bad. Something that may not happen again as I think I abused it. Either way these two are close enough.
I started out with persona red's so I obtained a tuck. My usual blade is a wizamet si. I remember never liking the personas, but, I tried them for a while. Sat this point I was getting everything on Amazon and lurking on B&B for info. My first two soaps to use with this combo was B&M le petite chypre latha and proraso red. The whole line.So I decided on proraso green this time but it is still proraso so counts I will use the preshave, soap, balm, and, splash. I found a sample of unscented latha soap since it is discontinued. Rather than get 3 sets of latha in different scents I decided to use this and I have me petite chypre from the softheart release. I get the spirit and I was really disapointed with latha slashes back then since they didn't have alcohol or any kind of staying power. It was more a skin food. I will cheat just a bit here using one of my current balms possibly nivea sensitive that I started using in Germany in the 00's. i do have.witch Hazel which I also started using early on. the proraso I got used to, but, I don't remember latha. I loved the scent and was upset they never released it in one of their other bases and jumped on softheart of it.
I have went through a lot of AD since 2016 and many purges. I didn't keep the 34c long and also switched up blades. so I am looking forward to this. I wonder if my technique has improved. I still rush. I still need to work on my technique. But I got a good shave off my Rex Envoy on it's third run today. I get decent shaves with my .38 timeless bronze. I don't care for open Combs so the bronze .73 is not my jam and the last open comb I am buying. I have had it for a while and it was my favorite until the Envoy I think. I also got a brass karve with plates C, D, and, G SB plates that I have used three times.I'm still looking for a grail, but, I have improved a lot and I imagine if I take my time I will get a much better shave than I was able to the first time around.
I think I'll go with proraso first though I don't remember which I tried first. I want to say latha, but, it could have been either. In the morning or Monday.
Semogue 1800 I got rid of a long time ago. I picked up a 34g and a proraso omega boar brush on BST from a member from Denmark. I figure the omega has a bigger knot, but, is close enough. I think actually the grade may have been better, but, I could be wrong. What stands out the most is the wood handle finish chipping and looking bad. Something that may not happen again as I think I abused it. Either way these two are close enough.
I started out with persona red's so I obtained a tuck. My usual blade is a wizamet si. I remember never liking the personas, but, I tried them for a while. Sat this point I was getting everything on Amazon and lurking on B&B for info. My first two soaps to use with this combo was B&M le petite chypre latha and proraso red. The whole line.So I decided on proraso green this time but it is still proraso so counts I will use the preshave, soap, balm, and, splash. I found a sample of unscented latha soap since it is discontinued. Rather than get 3 sets of latha in different scents I decided to use this and I have me petite chypre from the softheart release. I get the spirit and I was really disapointed with latha slashes back then since they didn't have alcohol or any kind of staying power. It was more a skin food. I will cheat just a bit here using one of my current balms possibly nivea sensitive that I started using in Germany in the 00's. i do have.witch Hazel which I also started using early on. the proraso I got used to, but, I don't remember latha. I loved the scent and was upset they never released it in one of their other bases and jumped on softheart of it.
I have went through a lot of AD since 2016 and many purges. I didn't keep the 34c long and also switched up blades. so I am looking forward to this. I wonder if my technique has improved. I still rush. I still need to work on my technique. But I got a good shave off my Rex Envoy on it's third run today. I get decent shaves with my .38 timeless bronze. I don't care for open Combs so the bronze .73 is not my jam and the last open comb I am buying. I have had it for a while and it was my favorite until the Envoy I think. I also got a brass karve with plates C, D, and, G SB plates that I have used three times.I'm still looking for a grail, but, I have improved a lot and I imagine if I take my time I will get a much better shave than I was able to the first time around.
I think I'll go with proraso first though I don't remember which I tried first. I want to say latha, but, it could have been either. In the morning or Monday.
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I love proraso a green. Pleasant menthol just lovely. I enjoyed using a boar brush after so long. The 34g was smooth as I remember and more efficient. my technique has improved since 2016. There was a bit of iritation directly afterwards from buffing, but, no weepers and nicks. Not pictured is the witch Hazel and alum. the only thing I added that wasn't there back then I added hyaloronic acid.as I am liking it lately. Alum stung a bit, but, by the time I let the balm dried everything felt good. Results were a close DFS+ in trouble spots. Not as close as yesterday with the Rex Envoy, but, for a 34g not bad. With a little more work BBS may be possible. We'll try b&m latha next.
JCinPA
The Lather Maestro
Well, I don't have the original stuff I got after joining B&B. But I decided to take this literally and go to my First, first equipments. My dad used an electric so I got my granddad to teach me to shave when I was in high school, and the first razor I had was this Schick adjustable. Of course I don't still have it, but found this one on the 'bay. I got the bicentennial mug when they came out (1976?) but of course lost that over the years, but again, found this on the 'bay. A buddy who does flea markets found this brush for me and I intended to reknot it, but what the heck, it looks like it could have been at the local pharmacy back in the early 70's, so I cleaned it and will use it, as is. Got a few Williams pucks recently because I wanted to revisit it. I started with Williams and a brush like that with my granddad, but he then turned me on to Barbasol which he was starting to use. I came back to Williams in the Air Force and shaved with it for years until folks here told me I couldn't do that. Something along the lines of "that may work in practice but it will never work in theory." 
Yes, it's not great, but it does work. And I have an old Shulton bottle filled with Indian Shulton-recipe Old Spice upstairs, forgot it for the photo. Blades are new Schicks from Amazon.
Sooooo. Tomorrow will be my "high school shave" day. I'll post up how it goes.
Yes, it's not great, but it does work. And I have an old Shulton bottle filled with Indian Shulton-recipe Old Spice upstairs, forgot it for the photo. Blades are new Schicks from Amazon.Sooooo. Tomorrow will be my "high school shave" day. I'll post up how it goes.
My first razor was a Trac II as a teenager in 1976. But my first DE, after getting on B&B was a brand new Merkur Classic 33C in 2011. I still have and use both and they both still look brand new because I take good care of both.
JCinPA
The Lather Maestro
Following up my post from yesterday. Had a great shave!
Tuesday's shave
Pre: Shower
Razor: Schick Adjustable, circa 1970's
Blade: Current Schick injector
Brush: Vintage SolidSet boar, original (not reknotted)
Soap: Williams, current production
After shave: Thayer's WH, followed by Indian Old Spice in vintage bottle
DFS shave 9.0/10
This was my setup back in the early 1970's when I was in high school this was how I started shaving, minus the Thayer's.
Obviously, this was not THE original equipment, that is long gone. But I found a near-mint Schick injector on the 'bay, a buddy found an old brush in a flea market and gave it to me, and I found a Williams bicentennial mug on the 'bay, as well. When Gramps taught me to shave, this was my basic setup, and we went to buy a brush a the corner pharmacy. This brush may be older, but it was similar. I was going to reknot this, but for the original equipment thread, I decided to use it today. I think I'll leave it alone. I have enough brushes, and this is kind of quaint. It's very soft for a boar, and well-broken in.
The shave was excellent, I set the razor for 3 since I've been using mild razors lately, and the blades are surprisingly sharp and smooth. Hard to screw up the angle with one of these. Great vintage shave today. Great memories. I wish I had never "graduated" to the multi-blade carts. I started using Barbasol in college, but went back to Williams in a mug with carts in the Air Force, finally back to DE when I joined here, and now to my original. Full circle!
Edit: I tried to date this razor and it's interesting. They were made from 1965-1972, but the first M1 had "Dial" in the spine label. The next, the M2 had "Adjustable in the spine label but it says there was a black dot and cross in the dial, which mine does not have. Mine has the dial shown on this M1, but a different spine label. This is the one I used, though, if memory serves.
Tuesday's shave
Pre: Shower
Razor: Schick Adjustable, circa 1970's
Blade: Current Schick injector
Brush: Vintage SolidSet boar, original (not reknotted)
Soap: Williams, current production
After shave: Thayer's WH, followed by Indian Old Spice in vintage bottle
DFS shave 9.0/10
This was my setup back in the early 1970's when I was in high school this was how I started shaving, minus the Thayer's.
Obviously, this was not THE original equipment, that is long gone. But I found a near-mint Schick injector on the 'bay, a buddy found an old brush in a flea market and gave it to me, and I found a Williams bicentennial mug on the 'bay, as well. When Gramps taught me to shave, this was my basic setup, and we went to buy a brush a the corner pharmacy. This brush may be older, but it was similar. I was going to reknot this, but for the original equipment thread, I decided to use it today. I think I'll leave it alone. I have enough brushes, and this is kind of quaint. It's very soft for a boar, and well-broken in.
The shave was excellent, I set the razor for 3 since I've been using mild razors lately, and the blades are surprisingly sharp and smooth. Hard to screw up the angle with one of these. Great vintage shave today. Great memories. I wish I had never "graduated" to the multi-blade carts. I started using Barbasol in college, but went back to Williams in a mug with carts in the Air Force, finally back to DE when I joined here, and now to my original. Full circle!
Edit: I tried to date this razor and it's interesting. They were made from 1965-1972, but the first M1 had "Dial" in the spine label. The next, the M2 had "Adjustable in the spine label but it says there was a black dot and cross in the dial, which mine does not have. Mine has the dial shown on this M1, but a different spine label. This is the one I used, though, if memory serves.
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So I did it today
BBS but a mixed bag
The handle on the EJ DE89? is still clunky, slippery and akwardly bottom heavy and it's a very mild.
The Feather in it cures this and makes this still an efficient shaver.
The brush is a wet floppy mess and I dislike it as much as on day one. It will be packed far far away and forgotten. Had I then not switched to boars I doubt that I would have kept up with wet shaving.
Proraso green is still a staple in my den and I use it regularly so no suprises there.
BBS but a mixed bag
The handle on the EJ DE89? is still clunky, slippery and akwardly bottom heavy and it's a very mild.
The Feather in it cures this and makes this still an efficient shaver.
The brush is a wet floppy mess and I dislike it as much as on day one. It will be packed far far away and forgotten. Had I then not switched to boars I doubt that I would have kept up with wet shaving.
Proraso green is still a staple in my den and I use it regularly so no suprises there.
This was my initial setup when I first started using a DE razor & brush back in 2014, which is also when I first joined this forum. At that time, I also started with Edwin Jagger creams, so recently ordered a sample since it's been a few years since I've had any on hand. I had already been using the Neutrogena Face Lotion for many years.
It was fun to revisit this setup again earlier today.
Razor: Edwin Jagger DE89 & Weber Handle
Brush: Omega 11047 Mixed Midget
Cream: Edwin Jagger, Sandalwood
Post Shave: Neutrogena, Triple Protect Face Lotion SPF 20
It was fun to revisit this setup again earlier today.
Razor: Edwin Jagger DE89 & Weber Handle
Brush: Omega 11047 Mixed Midget
Cream: Edwin Jagger, Sandalwood
Post Shave: Neutrogena, Triple Protect Face Lotion SPF 20
I found two of these mugs for a very reasonable price and have them enroute. I'm thinking leave one natural and buff and shine the other!Well, I don't have the original stuff I got after joining B&B. But I decided to take this literally and go to my First, first equipments. My dad used an electric so I got my granddad to teach me to shave when I was in high school, and the first razor I had was this Schick adjustable. Of course I don't still have it, but found this one on the 'bay. I got the bicentennial mug when they came out (1976?) but of course lost that over the years, but again, found this on the 'bay. A buddy who does flea markets found this brush for me and I intended to reknot it, but what the heck, it looks like it could have been at the local pharmacy back in the early 70's, so I cleaned it and will use it, as is. Got a few Williams pucks recently because I wanted to revisit it. I started with Williams and a brush like that with my granddad, but he then turned me on to Barbasol which he was starting to use. I came back to Williams in the Air Force and shaved with it for years until folks here told me I couldn't do that. Something along the lines of "that may work in practice but it will never work in theory."
Sooooo. Tomorrow will be my "high school shave" day. I'll post up how it goes.
View attachment 1319856
My vintage Williams will have a new home.
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