Thinking of buying, is this a good kit for a beginner?

[78Cjfive]

I'm tired of my Mach-3 and cream from a can, and want to try something new. This is about as high as my price range goes for now, and was thinking of having this be my xmas gift..

Just wanted to get some advice from the pros ;-)

http://www.amazingshaving.com/page/amsh/PROD/cugs/cu176r

Thanks!

 

[twistedfinn967]

I would want more details on the razor and the brush...

 

[bcalvary]

If I were to start all over again on a budget. I would go to Wal-Mart and buy the bowl, soap, and brush kit for approx $10 or $15. This is the easy part, the hard part is relearning how to shave. Watch the manic59 videos, you will learn a lot. Now when you to go to DE razor, it’s best to start out with a less aggressive razor like a Merkur 34C. You will soon want to get more aggressive as you learn technique. I now use a 37C and 39C slant with Feather blades and for me it just can’t get better than that. I want to make sure you know that I do NOT recommend starting with a slant razor and feather blades. It’s just too aggressive until you learn or you will bloody pay.

 

[Mr. O]

VDH (Van Der Hagen) beginners shave set=$10 at most at your local Wal-Mart.
Aqua Velva Aftershave=$5 at your local Wal-Mart.
Awesome blade sampler pack from West Coast Shaving=$26 + shipping (Don't worry, this pack will last you a long time)
Post in WTB for a DE safety razor and scour the PIF/BST forum for safety razor=$10-25

Grand total=
$51-$67 based on purchase of a safety razor and sample pack. You won't get the nice stand but you'll have a quality brush, soap, good mentholated aftershave and a ton of blades.

Or

You can enter HERE for a 1 in 4 shot at winning a free shave kit for a newbie

Or

Enter HERE for a 1 in 2 shot at winning a free shave kit for a newbie.

 

[michiganlover]

I don't think that kit is worth the money, and many of them aren't.

Usually, you can assemble a superior quality shaving kit on your own.

The razor in the kit you linked to is likely to be a Parker, which if it is one of the older models of TTO is of rather low quality; Parker had some serious quality control issues in the past.

While the brush is Badger, it is going to be very low end Badger, and probably won't feel very soft on your face.

The bowl is useless for building lather in, which means all it can be used for, is holding your soap puck.

There are far better kits available. There are number of kits being sold by Bullgoose Shaving for example that feature well known products, and the pricing is reasonable:

Beginner kits @ Bullgoose Shaving

Bullgoose is also offering $4.95 flat rat shipping at the moment, so you can throw a blade sampler in your cart, and some other shaving creams/ shaving soaps, and not pay any more in shipping!!

 

[Leche]

I agree with the above posts. The bowl and stand are eating up the cost. Assemble your own kit, the VDH set is a good way to get you feet wet. The soap in that kit looks like relabeled Col Conks, the same makers of VDH. Also check the B/S/T here because good starter kits can be had for cheap and they will be better.

 

[Jim1968]

If you can swing the cost of a Merkur 34C, I would recommend that razor. It will last you a life time and is very good for a beginner. I have seen them on the web for about $35. The starter bowl and soap from walmart with get you by until you can get something better. Check out the newbie area for good tips and tricks.

 

[airplanedoc]

Keep a eye on the PIF area, and the BST you can probably find a good deal there.

 

[matato]

FWIW, I'm just starting out, but from my recent experiences, I agree with the other posters. You can do better than that kit! I wouldn't worry so much about a "complete" kit. Everything doesn't need to look pretty together (unless there's someone sharing a bathroom with you who says it does!) A cereal bowl will do you just fine. A coffee mug will work fine to hold the shaving soap if you decide to use that instead of a cream. Twist up a bit of coathanger to hold the shaving brush. Focus on what's going to be hitting your face because that's really what's going to make the experience most enjoyable. For a good, budget razor, there are plenty of antique Gillettes out there that are cosmetically flawed and have no collector value, so you can find them for under $10. These still shave wonderfully, though, and are still works of art even when the gold plating is wearing off! As a beginner, I've found the Tech to be very gentle & easy to use. Spend the rest of your money on a nice, well-reviewed brush, some blades and one of the three Ts.

 

[cvac]

In general, pre-packaged starter kits are not a good value. You are far better off assembling your own kit. You'll save money, and you'll have better stuff.

 

[Mink]

My heads up on this is to watch shipping costs. If you go to Amazon, you may be buying from multiple vendors and each will have a huge shipping/handling cost built in. I think you need an array of blades, a good starter brush, a decent soap/creme, and a razor that you can resell on this site if it doesn't work out. West Coast Shaving has smaller blade sampler packs ($15 or so), and an Omega Boar brush for less than $10. Proraso is available in a tube or hard creme that is very nice. (less than $10). The Merkur 1904 replica in open or closed comb is about $25. All of this is less than you were looking at. To learn how to make lather, with your new brush, you can pick up the VDH or Williams puck for a buck or two and practice making lather all day - and it costs almost nothing.

 

[talibeard]

Maybe stay away from sets at all; check the review section at B&B and the only real advice I want to give you is to lay your hands on the largest blade sampler pack you can find.

Good luck!