starter kit recommendations

[callherpetrol]

My boyfriend'd birthday is coming up, and I've decided to get buy him some shaving accessories, since he rarely shaves because it irritates his skin and is not enjoyable. I've read some information on this forum, and am wondering if these items are recommended for a starters kit on a low budget, or if something else is better.

For a brush, I'm thinking about either the Crabtree and Evelyn brush for $35 or the Tweezerman for $10.

For a cream/soap, I'm thinking of the Kiss My Face shave cream or Honeybee Spa shaving soap.

I have no idea what razor he uses to shave with, but would it be a good idea to include one in his gift? if so, which razor should I get?

thanks

 

[Austin]

Welcome to the forum. Get him the C&E shave brush. The KMF shave cream is good. Buy him a Merkur Heavy Duty razor from www.qedusa.com . This will all come in for under $80. Good luck.

 

[Queen of Blades]

My boyfriend'd birthday is coming up, and I've decided to get buy him some shaving accessories, since he rarely shaves because it irritates his skin and is not enjoyable. I've read some information on this forum, and am wondering if these items are recommended for a starters kit on a low budget, or if something else is better.

For a brush, I'm thinking about either the Crabtree and Evelyn brush for $35 or the Tweezerman for $10.

For a cream/soap, I'm thinking of the Kiss My Face shave cream or Honeybee Spa shaving soap.

I have no idea what razor he uses to shave with, but would it be a good idea to include one in his gift? if so, which razor should I get?

thanks

Hi and welcome!

Either brush will work. My husband has both.

Are you located in the US? If so Target carries Proraso shaving products (Spa section, near cosmetics). Their products are excellent.

The Merkur HD is a good starter razor.

BTW, What can we call you?

 

[PalmettoB]

Welcome aboard. Your boyfriend is a "lucky dog".

 

[Nick]

Joanna, You can call her petrol.

My boyfriend'd birthday is coming up, and I've decided to get buy him some shaving accessories, since he rarely shaves because it irritates his skin and is not enjoyable. I've read some information on this forum, and am wondering if these items are recommended for a starters kit on a low budget, or if something else is better.

For a brush, I'm thinking about either the Crabtree and Evelyn brush for $35 or the Tweezerman for $10.

For a cream/soap, I'm thinking of the Kiss My Face shave cream or Honeybee Spa shaving soap.

I have no idea what razor he uses to shave with, but would it be a good idea to include one in his gift? if so, which razor should I get?

thanks

Welcome aboard!

That's a very thoughtful gesture on your part. If you're thinking about getting the HD from QED, Charles the owner can be a great resource to help you out.

Lastly, to ensure success, after you've given him all the goodies, shoot him our way and we'll make sure to get him sorted out with regards to their proper usage, and hopefully we can help take care of his skin irritation.

(BTW, is there a name you go by?)

-Nick

 

[Queen of Blades]

JoAnna, You can call her petrol.

I'm American. It's gasoline or nothing!

 

[Leisureguy]

A tube of the Proraso shaving cream (the green tube) will be fun: it has a wonderful chilling feel. And it's a good shaving cream and easy to lather. While you're in Target, you could pick up a small bowl (roughly hemispherical, about 5" across, 3" deep, in some color other than white) for him to use as a lathering bowl. That helps develop the lather, though shaving creams are easy to lather onto the face. But the bowl is fun.

 

[Scotto]

Ditto on the Proraso (available at Target) and the Kiss My Face (available at health food stores). Or better yet, dump him - any lady who buys shave stuff for her man will be very popular around here.

 

[icecow]

you can get a tweezerman for $9 shipped here:
http://beautyrose.stores.yahoo.net/twdeshbrform.html

Ideally, a tweezeman now and a evelyn & crap later after he gets his method down would be good. Then the tweezerman would be his backup.

I only have a tweezerma because I'm feeding my money to razor acquisition.

I like the tweezerman but have had no other.

Here:
http://www.cottonblossomcrafts.com/
you can get a Merker Hefty for $25 or 'splurge' and get a Merkur Progress for $37. You can get 100 feather blades for $24-$25. And maybe a Tayors of Bond shaving cream for $14.

Or you can go cheaper and get 100 Isreali, or Derby blades for about $15 on ebay.

Cheap shaving creams include kiss me, proraso, and the one at Trader Joes. Conk Shaving soap can be had for $4ish. I got my conk in the gent store in the mall.

I bought 10 weishi Razors from cottonblossom. You can buy one for $18 + shipping = $24($) or so or 10 for $60 + shipping. I never used one but they are supposed to shave pretty good. They haven't even arrived.

totally cheapest route:
razor ($13ish):
If you want, I'll send you one for $6+$3 handling(pain in the arse/you have to want it at least $3 bad if I'm going to deal with packaging it) and actual shipping cost.

brush ($9):
tweezerman

blades ($15ish):
isreali, derby

cream($3-$6):
proraso, or kiss me

Total: $40-$43ish

 

[Magruder]

I have one of the Tweezerman brushes. I strongly suggest getting the C&E brush instead.

The entire bristle load of my brush fell out on the third or fourth time I used it. Probably the hot, nearly boiling water softened the glue. I re-glued and it has been fine since, but you shouldn´t have to repair something after just a few uses.

 

[ada8356]

Or better yet, dump him - any lady who buys shave stuff for her man will be very popular around here.

If only I could be so lucky to find this kind of woman!!

 

[jduffy]

I second the idea of getting an inexpensive bowl and preferably with straight sides so the lather doesn't just go sloshing over the edge. Learned this the hard way by trying out different bowls. You can get a nice bowl at Target for cheap.

The C&E brush is perfect. High quality and low price. Can't ask for more.

Please consider getting an After Shave Balm as well. When you get the Proraso Shaving Cream also pick up the Proraso After Shave Balm. It will be in a white box right next to the Proraso Shaving Cream. I've gotten a bunch of friends to try it and they love the stuff. It's a great way to finish a good shave.

 

[khari]

Wouldn't the Art of Shaving starter set be a great way to start? Brush, cream, pre-shave, and aftershave balm all for $35. That works out to a bit less than you would pay if you were buying KMF and the C&E brush, plus you get a few extra items he can try out. It can be found here. As for razors, it's hard to beat the Merkur HD.

 

[Birds]

Brush: C&E for $35.

Why?

Brushes come in different levels of "scrubbiness". If someone has sensitive skin then a softer brush may help reduce skin irritation with some people, but one pays more for softer brushes. The C&E brush for $35 is a tad bit scrubby, but less scrubby than some lower priced "pure" badger brushes. The C&E brush is a good quality brush at a good price.


Razor: Merkur HD - a fixed head (non-adjustable) razor

Why?

Learning to keep a consistent angle with a DE razor is a challenge when first starting out. Having an adjustable razor is nice, but it can make things a bit more challenging because the angle one holds the razor at may vary depending on how "open" or "closed" one sets the adjustable razor. A fixed head razor, such as the HD, will always be used at the same angle and this helps to eliminate some variables as one is getting their feet wet.