As the title says, several years ago I bought a van der hagen with blades on a whim. Used it with canned foam off and on until the blades dulled. I moved on to creams(C E Bigelow and Creamo) ditching the cans for good, but still using a cartridge razor. This summer I came across an article and decided to take things seriously and did some research. Restarted with a EJ de89 and haven't looked back. Have been PIFed several different types of soap samples, a brush and a gillette short comb (had to research that) that I haven't used yet. Having a pleasurable time finding the perfect blade and soap combo now. Does anyone else care to share? Especially some of the newer converts.
What got You started? (Van der hagen)
- Thread starter MrHinkle
- Start date
Shaving was always torturous for me. Ingrown hairs and irritation made it the worst thing I had to do. I did some research and it led me to traditional wet shaving. I didn't really understand then how literally going back in time would solve my issues, but I was desperate. I went (don't laugh) to CVS and bought a cheap badger brush and some Williams soap. They didn't carry razors so I ordered a Merkur. That started my journey. Now having has gone from a chore to a joy.
Welcome to the forum, thanks for sharing your story.
I got started with a VDH razor, but I had heard to stay away from the blades, so I started with Astra Plats, from there I got PIF-ed different soaps, creams, razors, and blades! Now, my favorites are the Razorock Teck 2 with either Nacet, Dorco Prime, Perma Sharp, or Parker blades. I also seem to now prefer soaps over creams, though I do still use creams from time to time.
If you're in the US, may I ask what region you are in? None of the CVS's near me have ever carried William's and I wish they did!
A few years back the VDH premium shaving kits started showing up at Walmart (the one with the boar brush, soap, and green ceramic bowl.) The idea of brushing on lather sounded interesting and comfortable so I bought it and gave it a try instead of buying another can of Barbasol. And it was interesting and comfortable. I used this with my Dorco Pace 4 cartridges for awhile, though I wasn't impressed with the brush's shedding tendencies and replaced it after a few months with an EJ medium BBB that was sold through Duluth Trading (this is still my only brush and I see no reason to replace it.) The bowl was dropped and broken soon after purchase, but I glued it back together and continued to use it until just recently when I found a different bowl that matched the bathroom decor better, and I keep using the VDH luxury soap that's sold everywhere now because people keep buying it for me as throw in gifts and I have extra pucks.
The DE shaving started recently when I noticed the price of the Dorco cartridges rising over $1.50 per cartridge and I thought it might be interesting to give DE a try. Bought a $10 Super Speed on eBay, ordered a sampler from tryablade, and I'm getting better shaves with it than I ever did from the cartridges though I bought a Slim to use as my primary now to get more efficient shaves. This board has been great for finding ideas to improve my technique.
Acquisition syndrome has not been much of an issue. Bottom line is I just want a good shave.
The DE shaving started recently when I noticed the price of the Dorco cartridges rising over $1.50 per cartridge and I thought it might be interesting to give DE a try. Bought a $10 Super Speed on eBay, ordered a sampler from tryablade, and I'm getting better shaves with it than I ever did from the cartridges though I bought a Slim to use as my primary now to get more efficient shaves. This board has been great for finding ideas to improve my technique.
Acquisition syndrome has not been much of an issue. Bottom line is I just want a good shave.
Welcome, @MrHinkle, to B&B!!
My son converted me. He started DE shaving to "save money" (a friend got him into it trying to "save money", too), and he got me interested in wet shaving. I did tons of research, and he gave me a tub of Proraso Red soap to get me started. My wife bought me a Merkur razor and a blade sampler (based on my research).
@AngryIrish, CVS up here in the Northeast (Maine, in particular) carries Williams from time to time, as does Market Basket (grocery store) for 97 cents!! Walmart used to carry it, but I haven't seen in there in a while.
My son converted me. He started DE shaving to "save money" (a friend got him into it trying to "save money", too), and he got me interested in wet shaving. I did tons of research, and he gave me a tub of Proraso Red soap to get me started. My wife bought me a Merkur razor and a blade sampler (based on my research).
@AngryIrish, CVS up here in the Northeast (Maine, in particular) carries Williams from time to time, as does Market Basket (grocery store) for 97 cents!! Walmart used to carry it, but I haven't seen in there in a while.
A very bad can of a dollar store foam is what lead me down the wet shaving path about 3 months ago. Lead me to search the internet finding Mantic59 YouTube videos. Which lead me on my search of about two weeks for a brush(I stubbornly try to buy things local), finding finally an AoS sandalwood starter set at Sam's, with an ever so small badger. Couple more weeks has me almost passing by VDH TTO in a Kroger's. About a week later join B&B, through reading realize I need to try different blades. Try everywhere I can think of local, VDH's and "Walgreen's" only blades available, succumb to the inevitable, as far as blades go, and order from the evilnet 
B&B has let me progress at a much faster rate in my skills IMO. A lot of great information and ideas here.
B&B has let me progress at a much faster rate in my skills IMO. A lot of great information and ideas here.
I started with a parker shavette because safety razors looked girly to me. I wanted to be Rambo.
So I'm braver than all of you.
However, I only used it to shave the right side of my face once and never been used ever since.
So I'm braver than all of you.
However, I only used it to shave the right side of my face once and never been used ever since.
If you have a store near you that carries Top Care health and beauty, maybe look there. Tends to be smaller regional chains. The only places around here I find Williams soap also contract with Top Care. Top Care | Health And Beauty Care
Those same stores are likely to have Israeli Personna double edge blades.
I used to dry shave regularly with a Mach3. So I'm tougher than you.
And I have a vintage S. R. Droescher Blue Diamond SR being refurbed and honed which I plan on trying when it is completed.
I'll have to check out a Brookshire's near me.
I used to dry shave regularly with a Mach3. So I'm tougher than you.
Brothers, brothers...you're both tough!!
i got some Cremo Cooling to use with my fusion and mach3, i kinda liked it so i started googling about cremo and saw they had a brush, which led me to googling other brushes...and then gogling soaps....and forums.... etc. I got a razorock monster brush and some soap samples and started using them with my carts with very nice results.
then at a family gathering we were talking about aftershaves and colognes and old spice from the 1980s and i was asking if anyone ever did "old timey" shaving with a brush. my dad and my uncle both said no. But my grandma was like - oh yeah me and your grandpa used to to that, you can have his razor, go look in the cabinet.
So i looked..., and there was a perfect condition 1966 L4 Gillette Slim Adjustable sitting ontop of an old alum block wrapped in wax paper!!! I've probably looked in that cabinet a hundred times in my life and never noticed that razor or wouldn't have even known what it was. there's also an old spice mug with a reeaaallly worn out rubberset boar, but i left those in their spot for now.
So since that day it's like I fell down a well. i spent more time watching other guys shave on youtube than i probably ever spent shaving myself in my entire life LOL
then at a family gathering we were talking about aftershaves and colognes and old spice from the 1980s and i was asking if anyone ever did "old timey" shaving with a brush. my dad and my uncle both said no. But my grandma was like - oh yeah me and your grandpa used to to that, you can have his razor, go look in the cabinet.
So i looked..., and there was a perfect condition 1966 L4 Gillette Slim Adjustable sitting ontop of an old alum block wrapped in wax paper!!! I've probably looked in that cabinet a hundred times in my life and never noticed that razor or wouldn't have even known what it was. there's also an old spice mug with a reeaaallly worn out rubberset boar, but i left those in their spot for now.
So since that day it's like I fell down a well. i spent more time watching other guys shave on youtube than i probably ever spent shaving myself in my entire life LOL
i got some Cremo Cooling to use with my fusion and mach3, i kinda liked it so i started googling about cremo and saw they had a brush, which led me to googling other brushes...and then gogling soaps....and forums.... etc. I got a razorock monster brush and some soap samples and started using them with my carts with very nice results.
then at a family gathering we were talking about aftershaves and colognes and old spice from the 1980s and i was asking if anyone ever did "old timey" shaving with a brush. my dad and my uncle both said no. But my grandma was like - oh yeah me and your grandpa used to to that, you can have his razor, go look in the cabinet.
So i looked..., and there was a perfect condition 1966 L4 Gillette Slim Adjustable sitting ontop of an old alum block wrapped in wax paper!!! I've probably looked in that cabinet a hundred times in my life and never noticed that razor or wouldn't have even known what it was. there's also an old spice mug with a reeaaallly worn out rubberset boar, but i left those in their spot for now.
So since that day it's like I fell down a well. i spent more time watching other guys shave on youtube than i probably ever spent shaving myself in my entire life LOL
Wow! It's nice finding an heirloom like that!
You should feel lucky for that.
At a bladesmithing meet up in 2006 Tim Zowada had given a panel on the differences between making knives and making straight razors. He also made a lot of comments on the difference in the shaving experience. I have been intrigued ever since. Off and on over the last few years I've lurked here and elsewhere, learning a bit about wet shaving because of that experience.
Bought a VDH TTO to learn on a few weeks back when I noticed the price difference between a tuck of DE blades vs even the cheapest cartridges, figured I'd save some money while upgrading my shave. Boy was I wrong!
Bought a VDH TTO to learn on a few weeks back when I noticed the price difference between a tuck of DE blades vs even the cheapest cartridges, figured I'd save some money while upgrading my shave. Boy was I wrong!
i definitely do !!! it was a great razor to learn DE shaving with. After about 6 months with it, i've started to try new razors since i think i'll be sticking with DE shaving from now on, i don't want to mess up or wear out the Slim with too much use.
grandma's house has a few other cool things, like medicine cabinets with the razor disposal slot into the wall. and my uncles old stash of 80s bottles - old spice , english leather, british sterling, skin bracer....there's even some hai karate !
I started with a Merkur 23C, an Omega boar brush and Proraso Green.
I was on vacation and watched a video on how to shave with a safety razor on a popular "manliness" website. Read an article on another popular website straight after on the top five razors, and a Merkur (I think it was a 34c?) was number one. Luckily there was a department store in the town I was in that sold Merkurs. Picked up a 23C with the long handle as I thought the longer handle would be easier to transition from a cart razor. Tried it once with foam from a can, and was in a pharmacy the next day and saw an Omega brush and Proraso green cream. Five or so years down the line, and a lot of money spent, here I am!
I was on vacation and watched a video on how to shave with a safety razor on a popular "manliness" website. Read an article on another popular website straight after on the top five razors, and a Merkur (I think it was a 34c?) was number one. Luckily there was a department store in the town I was in that sold Merkurs. Picked up a 23C with the long handle as I thought the longer handle would be easier to transition from a cart razor. Tried it once with foam from a can, and was in a pharmacy the next day and saw an Omega brush and Proraso green cream. Five or so years down the line, and a lot of money spent, here I am!
The VDH razor is what got me started. I was looking for alternatives to cartridge shaving when I stumbled across the VDH. I bought it immediately and realized there are alternatives.
A little over a year ago i was at a discount store called Ollie's. And stumbled across a micro one touch set for 10 bucks. It came with 12 blades and a stand. I've seen it advertise on tv for 19.95. I was curious so i picked it up. I happily sheved with this using barbersol for the first 3 months. One day i came home from work and noticed that my kids sprayed my supply of shave foam all over thr place. I went to Wal-Mart and the VDH luxury brush and mug set. I though to myself lets see those boogers make a mess with this. This was the first time using soap and did not fully understand what shaving lather looked like. That first week i was having trouble with disappearing lather and the worst case of razor burn in my life. I almost gave up on soap. I surched the web for lathering techniques wich led me to B and B. I discoverd the marco method wich gave me great lather and a new found love for soaps. When my VHD boar brush fell apart i once again took to this form and made my first post. I was lead to omega brushes and orders one off Wal-Mart.com. some time after that i read about magnards on the this site. I found out that it was only 1 hour away and packed up the family to check it out. Brad treated me like family and even entertained my four kids with a game of guess the smell while i shopped. For this reason i only buy my supplies from him online. With costumer service like that i will never shop anywhere eles.
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