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pre-purchase advice

J

jm80

Hi,

I am new to this site, and the world of de shaving. I have been reading a ton of reviews and posts here, and finally joined. I am looking for some suggestions on getting my kit started. This is where I am at: I am excited and honestly look forward to a more intimate shave than my mach3 has ever provided. I have around $200 to spend on my initial items, and am looking for some advice. (I can up this another $50-100 if REALLY worthwhile, I am just trying to set a reasonable limit.) I am looking at soaps instead of creams, however I may eventually try creams. This is what I am thinking of buying, please make any comments to prevent me from making mistakes.

Razor: Merkur 38c? (long handled barber pole) about $50
Brush: T&H, Shavemac, Vulfix, or Simpson? $40-$100
Blades: a variety from west coast $20
Soap: Tabac, or Taylor of old or T&H? $15-$50
Aftershave: Recommendations????
Preshave: Recommendations?????
Stand: Recommendations??????
Other: Recommendations???????

My objective is for the holistic side of shaving, and making it a ritual. I like the wood and spice smells more than the floral variety. Also, I most likely will not purchase anything else major for it least 6 months to 1 year, and would like my brush to work very well with soaps, creams are more of an afterthought. Please feel free to make any and all suggestions to help me on my journey. I plan on purchasing sometime this week.
 
smrex13

smrex13

jm80 said:
Hi,

Razor: Merkur 38c? (long handled barber pole) about $50
Brush: T&H, Shavemac, Vulfix, or Simpson? $40-$100
Blades: a variety from west coast $20
Soap: Tabac, or Taylor of old or T&H? $15-$50
Aftershave: Recommendations????
Preshave: Recommendations?????
Stand: Recommendations??????
Other: Recommendations???????
_____________________________

Here are some of my thoughts:

Razor: I would suggest Edwin Jagger or Muhle over Merkur. I think the EJ/Muhle head is the best on the market, provides close shaves, and is easier for a beginner to handle.

Brush: I think any badger brush is going to be fine, but Shavemac seems to get great reviews (I have one on order)

Blades: Yes, a sample pack is the way to go.

Soap: Tabac is a wonderful soap that is easy to lather. I prefer it to Taylor. I've gotten my best shaves from Nancy Boy shave cream. But the effectiveness of a soap/cream really varies from person to person.

Aftershave: A splash of witch hazel is always a good idea before putting on an aftershave. I absolutely love Provence Sante Green Tea and The Shave Den Aftershave Milk. Both contains shea butter, which seems to be a wonderful way to soothe the skin after shaving.

Other: A cool lather bowl and/or shave scuttle. Take a look at dirtybirdpottery.com for an example of some of the best around.

More than anything, enjoy the journey!
Scott
Click to expand...
 
njpaddy

njpaddy

Would recommend you get an alum block when you order. Also witch hazel which you can get at a Walmart or drugstore pretty cheap.
 
dpm802

dpm802

Welcome to B&B!

With $200 to spend, you can assemble yourself one heck of a starter kit, with plenty left over for other things.

Everything in your list so far are good choices. Go for it.

The best advice I can give you starting out, is don't make the common Newbie mistake (like I did) of trying to do too much research before you get your first shave. Just go with the first razor/blade/brush/soap/aftershave that you can find.

Having ANY brand of gear is better than having none at all. And you will learn more in just a week of actually whipping up some lather and putting blade to face than you will in a year of reading forums and asking questions.

Just jump in and start doing it.
 
Last edited:
N

NatJag

smrex13 said:
[
Here are some of my thoughts:

Razor: I would suggest Edwin Jagger or Muhle over Merkur. I think the EJ/Muhle head is the best on the market, provides close shaves, and is easier for a beginner to handle.
Click to expand...

I would second the razor suggestion. Mühle R89, or EJ R89.

I would also suggest you consider a cream rather than soap as these are easier to lather for newbies compared to Soaps.
 
DESkydiver

DESkydiver

Welcome to B&B

I agree with an Edwin Jagger razor (I really like my DE 89L ~$36+) and have had a number of BBS (Baby Bottom Smooth) shaves from it.

I would start with a lower end badger rather than a boar. I used a boar for years and didn’t really know what I was missing. For a few dollars more it is well worth the extra few bucks. Truefitt & Hill has some “Pure Badger” brushes for $30 ($40 if you want The Wee Scot)

For soap (not cream) I would choose T&H Luxury soap over TOBS soap. (~$18 refill/$42 w/ bowl)

While your looking at the T&H web site, may as well look at their cream & cologne sample set ($19)… and don’t forget the 20% B&B discount code (BB10)

So far with razor, brush, soap & samples your looking at $94 ($113 if you buy bowl) +S&H Add your razors and your up to ~$115 - $135

Definitely get an alum block to roll over face after the initial rinse… may sting a little, but it has helped me develop a better technique by pointing out the ‘touchy’ areas. Let sit for a minute while you clean up / dry off your gear then cold rinse. (~$9-12)

Now you’re up to about $150 so there is the room you have to play with for your other items:

Pre-shave – YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary), might want to start with hair conditioner after your shampoo in the shower… your beard is hair after all.

Aftershave – To each his own (or your partners input). I would look at an aftershave balm to help soothe the skin after rinsing off the alum block coating. I really like GFT Skin Food

Stand -eh… as long as you rinse the brush well enough and a good shake you can do without, or get a cheap plastic one.
 
Last edited:
Blondie

Blondie

jm80 said:
Razor: Merkur 38c? (long handled barber pole) about $50
Brush: T&H, Shavemac, Vulfix, or Simpson? $40-$100
Blades: a variety from west coast $20
Soap: Tabac, or Taylor of old or T&H? $15-$50
Aftershave: Recommendations????
Preshave: Recommendations?????
Stand: Recommendations??????
Other: Recommendations???????
Click to expand...

Welcome to B&B!

Here are my suggestions:

Razor - Bucking the trend here, I would tell you to go with the Merkur 34C HD razor. The reason for this is because just about everyone on here uses or has used this razor. It's a good starting point, and when you come back for advice (which is likely) you will be able to get better suggestions with a razor more users are familiar with. Plus it is available on many sites that have most of the products you will be purchasing, saving you on shipping costs.

Brush - I would look at the Savile Row brushes over at QED. These are very dense and will work well with either soaps or creams. For sure stay away from Vulfix, as they are notoriously floppy and will be more difficult with soaps.

Soap - I would stay away from Tabac, as it can be finicky, and is regarded as an over-hyped soap by more experienced wetshavers. You may want to consider something like Proraso sensitive in the tub, as it lathers easily, and will give you great results when you are new.

Blades - Sampler pack is the way to go.

Aftershave - Proraso Balm is a great inexpensive aftershave.

Preshave - I use Proraso Pre/Post with every shave, every day.

Stand - I found an expensive razor and brush stand on ebay. It's chrome, and does the job for one brush/razor. I use an old spice/spoon corner stand for all the others.

Other - Styptic Pencil, Alum Block
 
saltypete

saltypete

Welcome to B&B! For aftershave I would invest in a bottle of witch hazel and an inexpensive ASB (I like Nivea's Sensitive ASB). If you want a good preshave treatment then IMO Proraso can't be beat for value. Enjoy your shaves!

Pete
 
C

cvac

Aftershave:

Witch Hazel plus Nivea Sensitive. Try that for awhile, then read the reviews in the aftershave section and think about what you might want to try down the road.

Stand:

I assume you mean for a shave brush. There are cheap plastic stands that most vendors sell. I have a clear one, but sometimes they come in different colors.

Cream/Soap:

Start with cream, not soap. Cream is much easier to lather and more forgiving for newbie mistakes.

Razor:

I would stay away from the long handled razors unless you're a very big guy with very, very big hands. Reason being long handle makes it harder to hold by the tip, which is what you want to do when starting out because it helps you to avoid applying pressure when you shave.

Brush:

Vulfix would be my last pick if you can afford to spend up to $100.
 
Drubbing

Drubbing

pcullens said:
Welcome to B&B!



Soap - I would stay away from Tabac, as it can be finicky, and is regarded as an over-hyped soap by more experienced wetshavers. You may want to consider something like Proraso sensitive in the tub, as it lathers easily, and will give you great results when you are new.
Click to expand...
For every post that whinges about Tabac there are 110 that say something positive - yes there's hype (not all of it serious), but takes nothing away from the product at all. And when you say its regarded as over hyped by more experienced shavers, you're pretty much talking about yourself and richmondesi, right?

It is a very easy soap to lather, and he could do far, far worse as a starter.

Even so, a cream is even easier to learn to lather with than soap, I think.
 
dpm802

dpm802

jm80 said:
Razor: Merkur 38c? (long handled barber pole) about $50
Brush: T&H, Shavemac, Vulfix, or Simpson? $40-$100
Blades: a variety from west coast $20
Soap: Tabac, or Taylor of old or T&H? $15-$50
Aftershave: Recommendations????
Preshave: Recommendations?????
Stand: Recommendations??????
Other: Recommendations???????
Click to expand...

Razor: 38C is a good choice.

Brush:The brushes on your list are a good choice. My recommendation for a good starter brush is the Edwin Jagger Best Badger in a medium size. Good all around, right in the middle as far as size and softness, and very easy to find from a number of vendors. With shipping, it will come in at the low end of your range, around $40.

Blades: The WCS sampler is perfect. It's sort of a rite of passage around here.

Soap: Others will disagree, but I say start with creams. Easier to lather, and much easier to find at Brick-n-Mortar retailers.

Aftershave/Preshave: Try and stick with a matched set, so whatever soap/cream you wind up getting, get the Pre/After shave that goes with it.

Stand: You don't need one.

Other:

  • A styptic pencil.
  • A high quality Witch Hazel like Thayers.
  • A scuttle. You can make-shift one at first, if you're not ready to drop $50+ on one of the branded ceramics.
  • Visit some of the "Girly Stores" at the mall, like Bath and Body Works, The Body Shop, Crabtree and Evelyn, Sephora, etc. You don't necessarily have to buy anything, just a good opportunity to touch and feel and smell some of the other brands of software up close.
 
Last edited:
C

cvac

The nicer T&H brushes are Rooneys, they are NOT made by Jagger. With the 20% discount B&B members get from T&H USA, they are a pretty good value. For example, you can get the equivalent of a Rooney 1/1 in Super Silvertip delivered to your door for $71.
 
pal

pal

jm80 said:
Hi,

I am new to this site, and the world of de shaving. I have been reading a ton of reviews and posts here, and finally joined. I am looking for some suggestions on getting my kit started. This is where I am at: I am excited and honestly look forward to a more intimate shave than my mach3 has ever provided. I have around $200 to spend on my initial items, and am looking for some advice. (I can up this another $50-100 if REALLY worthwhile, I am just trying to set a reasonable limit.) I am looking at soaps instead of creams, however I may eventually try creams. This is what I am thinking of buying, please make any comments to prevent me from making mistakes.

Razor: Merkur 38c? (long handled barber pole) about $50
Brush: T&H, Shavemac, Vulfix, or Simpson? $40-$100
Blades: a variety from west coast $20
Soap: Tabac, or Taylor of old or T&H? $15-$50
Aftershave: Recommendations????
Preshave: Recommendations?????
Stand: Recommendations??????
Other: Recommendations???????

My objective is for the holistic side of shaving, and making it a ritual. I like the wood and spice smells more than the floral variety. Also, I most likely will not purchase anything else major for it least 6 months to 1 year, and would like my brush to work very well with soaps, creams are more of an afterthought. Please feel free to make any and all suggestions to help me on my journey. I plan on purchasing sometime this week.
Click to expand...

I know that it is exciting when you begin considering everything you would like to have. To be truthful, you will not be able to just stop with these few items. There is just so many different things to try out. And if you are anything like me, you will want to try them all.

So I suggest that you begin with any of your original choices. They are all good. My only suggestion is that you might want to save money (especially on a top quality brush) by visiting the B/S/T forum and picking up some used items.
 
dpm802

dpm802

cvac said:
The nicer T&H brushes are Rooneys, they are NOT made by Jagger. With the 20% discount B&B members get from T&H USA, they are a pretty good value. For example, you can get the equivalent of a Rooney 1/1 in Super Silvertip delivered to your door for $71.
Click to expand...
I stand corrected. Thanks for the info. I'll edit my other post to remove the erroneous statement.

That T&H Roony 1/1 sounds like a pretty good deal.
 
drburt

drburt

As for razors, I started with a Merkur HD and it is a very good razor I think right now though I would say start with one of the new Jagger razors.
The brushes that you mention are all good brushes. I have both a Simpsons and a Vulfix. Don't be afraid of the Vulfix, I use it with soap all the time. It does a good job. I also think that the EJ BBB is a very good brush.
Tabac is a good soap. Any of the soaps from TOBS are good. I would also try some creams.
Get some witch hazel
Check the reviews on this site.
Best of luck
Burt
 
J

jm80

Thanks guys for all of the responses.

I have pretty much settled on ordering a shavemac silvertip. I think I am going to go with the muhle or ej, as the chrome platting does look better. I am still undecided on the soap vs creams thing. I like the thought of having one high quality soap to start out with and then branching off from there. So any thoughts on TH, Pen, or Aos as a first soap, and which you like the best. I know most would not recommended soap to begin with, but currently I shave so infrequently that I have more than enough time to start out on a soap. I am also looking at the scuttles and would like some input on the dirtybird 1.5 and how it works with soaps.

I still have to wait a few more days. I am waiting for a transfer into my paypal account, before I can order.

Thanks again.
 
TChewy

TChewy

cvac said:
The nicer T&H brushes are Rooneys, they are NOT made by Jagger. With the 20% discount B&B members get from T&H USA, they are a pretty good value. For example, you can get the equivalent of a Rooney 1/1 in Super Silvertip delivered to your door for $71.
Click to expand...

I didn't know B&B members got a discount from T&H. How do we get this discount? Is there a code?
 
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