VDH soap and boar brush found at Walgreens. Still use their soap sometimes. Their boars arnt bad but start losing hair after awhile. Their badger l had was a shedder and never stopped shedding.
Starting soaps
- Thread starter Hawkeye_90
- Start date
VDH soap was my first soap and Williams my second. My first razor was a gold Tech. My second was a Super speed. I used a Super speed today with MWF.
I believe that Arko was the first soap that I tried, and then I bought a puck of VDH from a drug store. Later, I went on Amazon and looked for highly reviewed shave soaps; this led to the purchase of Proraso green.
Everything was good up to that point. Then I started reading this forum and things spun out of control.
Everything was good up to that point. Then I started reading this forum and things spun out of control.
I started out around 2008 in my early 20's. I consistently got bad shaves from cartridge razors on my neck and was looking for something better. Found a blog, did some research, and went with a Merkur or two which did not give good shaves given their aggressiveness and my lack of technique. Bought a 50's Super Speed on eBay and got great shaves.
Creams at that point were mostly TOBS, GFT, and Truefitt & Hill (is this one still around?). I got the best shaves from TOBS Avocado but it always left my skin a little itchy for some reason. I remember GFT Violet being a very psychedelic shade of purple.
Drifted away from DE shaving due to time constraints and came back in 2020 roughly. A very different marketplace at that point from what I encountered in 2008.
Edited to add: since I came back I've settled on a Timeless razor, synthetic brush, and a mix of soaps at varying price points that work well for me. The sheer quantity of soaps available today is amazing compared to what was available in 2008.
Creams at that point were mostly TOBS, GFT, and Truefitt & Hill (is this one still around?). I got the best shaves from TOBS Avocado but it always left my skin a little itchy for some reason. I remember GFT Violet being a very psychedelic shade of purple.
Drifted away from DE shaving due to time constraints and came back in 2020 roughly. A very different marketplace at that point from what I encountered in 2008.
Edited to add: since I came back I've settled on a Timeless razor, synthetic brush, and a mix of soaps at varying price points that work well for me. The sheer quantity of soaps available today is amazing compared to what was available in 2008.
Would you mind giving more details on how you perceive it? Why did you find it so different?
In 2008, all the standard advice was to either get a Merkur of one kind or another (depending on your budget) or explore eBay for vintage razors.
Today, we have so many manufacturers to choose from across the globe. Just off the top of my head you've got Timeless (my favorite, so I mentioned it first), Blackland, Wolfman, Karve, Haircut & Shave, Rockwell, Razorock, Lambda, Henson, Fatip, etc. Anything you could want, in any style, at any price. That did not exist in 2008.
For soaps (actually creams back then) it was either the traditional British brands of TOBS, GFT, Truefitt & Hill, or, if you were really adventurous, something called (I think) Kiss My Face whose primary scent ingredient was peppermint, which did not work well with my skin.
Today, again off the top of my head, you've got: MdC, SV, B&M, A&E, Grooming Dept, Declaration Grooming, Macduffs, Noble Otter, Mammoth, Pinnacle Grooming, Master Soap Creations, Tallow and Steel, Henri et Victoria, Wickams, Chiseled Face, Ethos, Fine, and soooo many more. Not to mention the old school formulations that are more available today than in 2008 like Tabac (rip), MWF (rip), La Toja, Haslinger, etc. So much more choice today. It's been over a decade since I considered one of the old British standards other than CF Lime. That scent is like no other.
Thank you very much for the answer, I really appreciate it. I was not active back then and I don't know much, hence why I was interested to find out more.
In 2008, I was only starting to shave and I got a Gillette Mach 3 and a Tabac set (flagrance, after shave and soap). Tabac was good, but I wanted to keep it cheap, so I used Palmolive and other generic products.
Few years after, I wasn't happy with the results so I did a bit of research and I acquired a Muhle R89. I still have the razor but I don't use it anymore. When I wanted to be fancy, I was using TOBS or GFT.
Another 5 years have passed and then I got into straight razors, where my world opened. Somewhere last year I started to read this forum more and more and I expanded my attention towards soaps and brushes as well, so I found out how much I missed during all this time. I am also missing a bit more than 10k EUR from my account, but I am not gonna blame you guys for this.
By the way, my favorite DE razor is also a (stainless steel) Timeless.
Cheers!
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Thank you very much for the answer, I really appreciate it. I was not active back then and I don't know much, hence I was interested to find out more.
In 2008, I was only starting to shave and I got a Gillette Mach 3 and a Tabac set (flagrance, after shave and soap). Tabac was good, but I wanted to keep it cheap, so I used Palmolive and other generic products.
Few years after, I wasn't happy with the results so I did a bit of research and I acquired a Muhle R89. I still have the razor but I don't use it anymore. When I wanted to be fancy, I was using TOBS or GFT.
Another 5 years have passed and then I got into straight razors, where my world opened. Somewhere last year I started to read this forum more and more and I expanded my attention towards soaps and brushes as well, so I found out how much I missed during all this time. I am also missing a bit more than 10k EUR from my account, but I am not gonna blame you guys for this.
By the way, my favorite DE razor is also a (stainless steel) Timeless.
Cheers!
I should add that the specific Merkur recommendations in 2008 were either the 34c or Futur. Both of which were rather aggressive for a new convert. I tried both early on and hated both.
I do have fain memories of 34c being popular. As for the aggressiveness, I found that even the R89 was a bit too much me that time. In my case, it turned out to be due to shaving with poor lather, mostly because I was not spending enough time to get it rich and creamy.
Bath soap.
My first razor was a Fatboy (still love it) and I used an old painting brush to make green proraso lather with 
strange my neck got super red? 
I always recomment Stirling to newbies because it is super great value for the buck
(and PAA ck-6 is the best I have tried…yet)
strange my neck got super red? I always recomment Stirling to newbies because it is super great value for the buck
(and PAA ck-6 is the best I have tried…yet)
KCG Razor and Cremo from wally world, but I quickly bought some VDH soap locally and an unnamed badger brush from A*son. Trying to use up that VDH soap. Not bad though. then I started making my own shave soap and bought some Arko!
When I started wet shaving in 1969 I started with Gillette Foamy in a can. 
I was young to be shaving, but I had a mustache and side burns before I could drive. I've also used bath soap in the shower and even Jergens lotion (when out in the woods/field). These were't ideal, but they got the job done. I don't remember what I used when I transitioned to a better soap and a brush.
I was young to be shaving, but I had a mustache and side burns before I could drive. I've also used bath soap in the shower and even Jergens lotion (when out in the woods/field). These were't ideal, but they got the job done. I don't remember what I used when I transitioned to a better soap and a brush.
Which one? Thanks
I started with Windsor. That’s a nice one but Arlington is my favourite.
Try Cell Red, Proraso Red, and Pucks, pucks are cheap and they have some really good ones from RazoRock. I have a truck load of TOBS and GOFT, i purchased due to watching YouTube. Now I can’t stand them and their chemical smells and burn.
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
Razor I started with was a Gillette slim bought at a garage sale, Soap I bought was Nivea sensitive cream , Proraso green + Arko stick. Still use them all to this day but not as much, that Arko lasts a long time, bought 3 sticks and still have 2.5 sticks left after 6 years of use 
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.I started with Burma-Shave pucks before they got discontinued, I still miss that one, I wish I had known, I would have bought every one I could find, but they disappeared fast from stores around here. The next one I found that I liked was T&H 1805 cream, then hiatus to a couple of years ago and running through higher end artisans.
- Thread starter
- #39
Looking back I wish someone would have told me about Williams, arko, and derby when I was starting.
I started with canned goo and then grew a beard. Back to shaving and I started with creams - Proraso, of course. I still have half of the tube, but I suspect it might not be in the same condition after 15 years. My first soaps were Razorock, more of a croap, but some nice ones. I was on the forum by the time I tried soaps and had plenty of helpful reviews to guide me.
Lately it's Canada, MdC or SV.
Lately it's Canada, MdC or SV.
