Hey everyone. So my brother decided to give me his old Merker since he upgraded to a newer one. The problem is that he kept all of his accessories like the brush, stand, bowl, etc. I've looked on some different websites, and I've been able to find some sets, but they always include the razor which I don't need. Where can I find modestly priced beginners set that doesn't include the razor? Would I be better off buying all of the pieces separately?
Where can I buy an affordable safety razor shaving set?
- Thread starter Squanto
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I'd buy the components separately, to be honest - you'll get higher quality for the same price.
Brush - Omega or Semogue boar, starting at $8 (West Coast Shaving)
Soap - Stirling (well under $10)
Bowl - a simple miso soup bowl/salsa bowl/etc will work just fine. I have a wooden miso soup bowl that I ordered for $5.
You don't need a stand unless you like the aesthetic (I store my brushes bristle down in the bowl).
Brush - Omega or Semogue boar, starting at $8 (West Coast Shaving)
Soap - Stirling (well under $10)
Bowl - a simple miso soup bowl/salsa bowl/etc will work just fine. I have a wooden miso soup bowl that I ordered for $5.
You don't need a stand unless you like the aesthetic (I store my brushes bristle down in the bowl).
Yip, all you are really looking for is a shaving brush and some soap. Most good quality boar shaving brushes can be had for under $25 - typically, badger hair is more expensive than boar, so badger hair brushes at that price point are not nearly as good as the boar brushes.
And, plenty of the most well known and liked soaps can be had for around $10 a puck.
Since you already have the razor, the only other thing that may be needed is a blade sampler pack so you can see which blade you prefer - or just buy a box of 100 Astra blades online for less than $13 delivered.
And, plenty of the most well known and liked soaps can be had for around $10 a puck.
Since you already have the razor, the only other thing that may be needed is a blade sampler pack so you can see which blade you prefer - or just buy a box of 100 Astra blades online for less than $13 delivered.
I started out with an EJ brush ( bought online but can't remember where right now)
The soap I got from a health food store. Locally made puck for $2.50
Mug from Goodwill, nice earthenware for .50 (half off tag)
Not a lot of investment.
The soap I got from a health food store. Locally made puck for $2.50
Mug from Goodwill, nice earthenware for .50 (half off tag)
Not a lot of investment.
If you search Amazon for "Parker Pure Badger," the first hit is a $35 brush that's really, really good as a starter brush. It's a great all-around brush. For the money, it can't be beat. I never cared for any of the boar brushes I tried, and had a hard time lathering them. And the super-cheap badger brushes I tried were not very good at all. Had I started with either of those, I may have given up. You can use anything round-ish for a bowl, but if want to stay even more basic, (and affordable) buy yourself an Arko shaving stick. It's cheap as dirt, makes a nice, slick, easy lather, and you don't need a bowl. (Although a good warm soak will improve the performance and extend the life of your brush.)
Best of luck, brother, and welcome to wet shaving!
Best of luck, brother, and welcome to wet shaving!
Good cheap badger...Whipped Dog. Nuff said.
What I did when I started out, was scan eBay for a Chinese brush and stand combo, and settled on one for around $14 shipped. I also bought an old soup mug at a thrift store for a dollar. (soup mugs are larger than coffee mugs) and It worked for most pucks I bought at the time. The soap pucks came from Rays of Colorado 3 for $12 plus shipping. They can also be found on eBay. There are many good homemade soaps available on eBay cheap. Or you might try a local department store for a puck of Williams or VanDerHagen. At any rate, good luck, and welcome to the B&B.
Just go down to your local Rite-Aid and get the basic Van Der Hagen set for $10 which includes a brush, soap,bowl. That's still all I use.
+1
i started with the VDH kit as well. Got mine at target. I've also seen them in Rite Aid years back. It was like $20 and I still use the brush, bowl and stand.
Joel
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