Advice for newbie shopping spree

[eagerbeaver]

So i need some input on what I am about to buy after stumbling upon DE shaving... But first I'd like to say hello to everyone. You all seem very welcoming and informative. I enjoy the fact that I haven't seen any trolls in this forum and everyone has a great attitude. I am entirely new to this, but I have done extensive research and I know what I want based on my beard type and skin type.

I am 27. My beard is on the thick side. My skin is soft/oily but I don't get any razor bumps or ingrown hairs. I currently shave with a overpriced/complicated Gillette Proglide (I know) every other day. I'd like my shave to be as close as a shave as possible without shaving ATG.

***Merkur Progress - I know I should probably start with a fixed/less aggressive razor... But since my beard is thick, I'd need to upgrade after getting used to DE shaving. So to save money, I am getting this since its newbie friendly. I've looked into antique gillettes, but i saw the conversion chart and noticed Progress has a superior adjustment band. I also don't care for playing ebay (although I love the TTO; wouldn't get a chinese TTO) Cheapest I've found is $55+shipping for the Progress. Am i right? I live in Cali.

***Tabac shaving soap - Well reviewed, lather near full proof, moderately priced. Cheapest @$16

***Tweezerman badger brush - great for the price. good compromise for newbiews. $12.50

***Metal shaving brush/razor stand - need a recommendation on one that will fit tweezerman. Saw bad reviews for Col. Conk due to corrosion

***razor blades - so many options. everyone says Derbies are good starting point. Personnas and Feathers are what I'm guessing I'll eventually move too. This probably has the most variables, so i'll most likely start off with a sampler.

Any advice and input on the above would be greatly appreciated. When in doubt, please see the above description of my hide/fur. Thanks for all the valuable info and err keep up the good work umm I mean shaves.

[captp]

First recommendation is to read my post 500th Post Newbie PIF. You might get lucky and save yourself some money for a start.

[eagerbeaver]

Thanks for the warm offer. I have some cash to spare and I don't really need freebies. So I'd like to leave that to a kid or someone less fortunate. Advice is all I am after.

[Price]

I wouldn't worry about getting a stand to fit the tweezerman. You're going to want to upgrade it eventually (trust me), and a brush dries just fine standing up if you use a modicum of care. (That last point is a fairly big point of debate, and I'm sure you can find plenty of arguments on either side here. I believe Gary Young knows a thing or two about brushes, and he's a stand-up guy.)

Tabac is well-liked, but it isn't the easiest to get a good lather with. If you're fairly confident in your lathering skills, though, you ought to be fine with it.

I'm a straights guy, so I can't help you much on the razor or the blades, but it looks like you've already pretty much done your homework there.

Good luck, and welcome!

[Greyfox]

Welcome to B&B.

[Slash McCoy]

For $55 plus shipping, you could get a fairly decent Gillette FatBoy, or an Adjustable Slim for considerably less. For $5 or so, you could get a user grade Tech. The Progress is a nice razor but I would hesitate to spend that much money on something that has not stood the test of time and can't be resold for the purchase price. YMMV of course and this is only my personal observation which is perhaps skewed toward vintage razors for the pride of ownership thingie. You won't be disappointed with a Progress, but myself I would rather have vintage.

Good soap choice but I like VDH at less than $2 at the drugstore or wallmart. Your money. Again, you won't be disappointed with it if cost is not an issue.

The tweezerman has a lot of fans, but you are spending way more for your razor and even more for a soap than you are spending on your brush, and getting sort of a minimalist brush. Equally cheap but IMHO much more brush for the money is the black badger from Star Shaving Supply. I like the balance it hits between holding lots of product and having good scrubbly exfoliation properties. I got mine for I think $8.99 but I see now it is going for $11.99. Many badgers I find too soft on the face. The slightly stiffer and bigger brush is also better at coaxing a lather from more stubborn soaps. Now the Tweezerman you MIGHT be disappointed with, or you might think it is pretty cool, YMMV again, and even if you go for a bigger brush you may like lil' tweezy for a travel brush.

As for the stand, yeah, nice to have, but I get by without one. Don't be too quick to dismiss plastic. Can't corrode! Cheaper, too.

As for blades, you have done your homework but think about getting a sampler pack initially. It is nice to be able to try a half dozen different blades for cheap before buying a lot of 100. And the Derby is very kind to a newbie face but yes, you might want something a little stronger within weeks of your first DE shave. Israeli Personnas are a good choice for a "grownup" blade in most razors. With an adjustable like your Progress or a Gillette adjustable, blade choice is not nearly as much an issue as it is with a fixed razor. I have used ASR Personnas, Wilkies, etc from the drugstore in my FatBoy with acceptable results.

Myself, I usually use straights, but occasionally I will break out the FatBoy or a Rolls just for a change of pace. My first razor ever was a black handle Gillette TTO so I do have a background in DE, but converted to straights many years ago. If you think there is a chance that you too might switch to straights in the future, I will offer one more observation. A vintage DE can be resold for generally what you paid for it, if you choose not to keep it. The sale can finance the purchase of another straight razor!

Good luck in your shaving endeavors and welcome to the board.

[maxman]

Welcome!
My advice is to get a better brush, a Vintage razor and a blade sampler
You might like the Gillette Red Tip. Especially if you have a tough beard.
If you get a better brush right off the start, you'll whip up nicer lather which in turn will give you a better shave (barring any newbie mistakes, hey we all make 'em ).

Tabac will do you nicely, check out the vendors here for samples and whatnot. It might be good to have a few around to find out what works best.

A stand is nice for display purposes, but definately not needed.

Don't forget to pick up some Scrubbing Bubbles to clean up the old razors if you decide to go vintage.

[captp]

So i need some input on what I am about to buy after stumbling upon DE shaving... But first I'd like to say hello to everyone. You all seem very welcoming and informative. I enjoy the fact that I haven't seen any trolls in this forum and everyone has a great attitude. I am entirely new to this, but I have done extensive research and I know what I want based on my beard type and skin type.

I am 27. My beard is on the thick side. My skin is soft/oily but I don't get any razor bumps or ingrown hairs. I currently shave with a overpriced/complicated Gillette Proglide (I know) every other day. I'd like my shave to be as close as a shave as possible without shaving ATG.

***Merkur Progress - I know I should probably start with a fixed/less aggressive razor... But since my beard is thick, I'd need to upgrade after getting used to DE shaving. So to save money, I am getting this since its newbie friendly. I've looked into antique gillettes, but i saw the conversion chart and noticed Progress has a superior adjustment band. I also don't care for playing ebay (although I love the TTO; wouldn't get a chinese TTO) Cheapest I've found is $55+shipping for the Progress. Am i right? I live in Cali.

***Tabac shaving soap - Well reviewed, lather near full proof, moderately priced. Cheapest @$16

***Tweezerman badger brush - great for the price. good compromise for newbiews. $12.50

***Metal shaving brush/razor stand - need a recommendation on one that will fit tweezerman. Saw bad reviews for Col. Conk due to corrosion

***razor blades - so many options. everyone says Derbies are good starting point. Personnas and Feathers are what I'm guessing I'll eventually move too. This probably has the most variables, so i'll most likely start off with a sampler.

Any advice and input on the above would be greatly appreciated. When in doubt, please see the above description of my hide/fur. Thanks for all the valuable info and err keep up the good work umm I mean shaves.

Thanks for the warm offer. I have some cash to spare and I don't really need freebies. So I'd like to leave that to a kid or someone less fortunate. Advice is all I am after.

O.k. no problem. I will always recommend an adjustable because you can set its aggressiveness.

According to the Wiki on aggressiveness, the Progress at 5 is a bit milder than my Futur at 1, so it's not really aggressive, but I'm not sure how high the Progress goes. The Futur at 1 is pretty mild to me, so the Progress should be even milder; it goes to 6+ which is at the high end of aggressiveness; changing blades in NOT dangerous, like some folks here claim. The handle can, however, be slippery if it gets wet and soapy.

How big is the Tweezerman? Bigger than a Vulfix 2235 (my brush)? The Vulfix fits my Dovo straight/brush stand (I use the straight slot for my Futur), it runs almost $100, and I've had no problem with rusting; it's a good solid, fairly heavy stand. Vulfix makes some cheaper brushes than the 2233, 34, 35 (larger versions as number goes up, but basically the same brush, I think). They range from about $50-70. Their 1000A is about $25, but I've never used it, so can't really comment on quality.

Blades. I like Merkur, a lot of users here don't. They're not quite as sharp as Feathers, but I get as good and comfortable a shave with either. Feathers are a bit cheaper than Merkur, so I'm leaning toward switching to them. Sharks are a lot cheaper, especially in bulk, as cheap as 16 cents a blade, about 1/3 the price of Merkur or Feather, but not a sharp as either. I still get a good comfortable close shave with Shark, and may even switch to them. I was seriously disappointed with the Red Israeli Persona which so many users here love.

Don't let people scare you away from Feather as being a killer. You should be able to set a Progress or Futur low enough that it causes no problems. I keep my Futur set around 3 for any blade I use and have no problems with any of the 5-6 blades I've used.

Soap. Wow, too many to recommend one really. Everyone will recommend a different soap. Personally, I like Mama Bear and Col Conk; some folk have real problems with Conk, but I find it easy to lather and cheap. Mama Bear, my current favorite, has the largest variety of scents on the planet (well, maybe not, but it sure seems so)

Hope this helps and good luck in your choices.

[inspiringK]

Welcome and good luck.

I guess the Progress is not a bad choice, especially at that price. It is nice to limit variables in the beginning (so an adjustable may not be a great start), I suggest also considering the Merkur HD.

The brush is fine, start out with whatever. I'd be inclined to buy a cheap boar before a cheap badger. Actually you can get really good boar brushes for less than $25. (Maybe forget the stand and spend the extra dough on a better brush.) TABAC also appreciates a slightly stiffer brush - like a boar.

Derbys are contentious. I suggest starting with something else. You would do yourself a favour by trying the Feathers sooner rather than later, but another inexpensive blade with less bite is also a good idea (see Astra or Personna). Best choice would actually be a blade sampler pack, most vendors carry them.


You will soon know what you like, just keep experimenting.

[Eric V]

Welcome to the B!

Advice? Sure ... and it is free!

Get a better brush for starters. Some of our vendors offer discounts. Simpsons or Saville Row are great brushes at 'reasonable' prices.

Do get a sampler pack, as you mentioned.

I used a Progress for quite a few years, and was happy to move it out of my rotation for a mix of other new and vintage DE's. It is a good enough razor, but never offered me a sweet shave. My favorite DE right now is an EJ Barley. I think the same EJ head can be found on less expensive razors. I like the weight and balance of the Barley. I like the feel of the antique Gillette Slim Adjustable and Fat Boy better than the Progress.

I use a plastic shaving stand. Cheap, does the trick, and I simply use it for letting my current brush dry until storing the brush on it's base.

I think Tabac is a good starter soap.

Of course, this is all personal opinion. Have fun shaving!

[eagerbeaver]

Wow, thanks for all this advice guys. It really throws a wrench in my plans.

***Now the main issue I have with getting a vintage Gillette is there are so many options with varying conditions and reputations. Not to mention, EBAY auctions seem pretty vague in their descriptions. I've heard good things about the fat boy. Can anyone recommend a good vendor on ebay that sells quality Fatboys?

***If I go that route, i can probably afford a $50 brush. What can I get for that price? What is the consensus at that price?


***Or, if I end up sticking with the progress and go for VDH at $2... I could get a $30 brush. What can I get for that price? What is the consensus at that price?

[inspiringK]

Fatboys can be expensive or cheap, so can Slims. I'd say anything from $25 and upwards (sometimes way upward!!!) depending on what type of deal you happen to snag. The idea of a new razor isn't bad, both Merkur and Edwin Jagger make good quality products at low costs - The finish on an EJ is often nicer, the Merkurs often have a bit more aggressive shaves (not a bad thing).

For $30 you can pretty much get any Semogue boar brush you want. $30 is a low end Badger or High end boar - boar is cheaper because it is more available than badger. Many prefer the badger because the bristles are softer, but you will find a lot of people on this forum who prefer boar brushes for the extra back bone they provide.

If this gets too complicated, just guess...

[captp]

Did I mention that if 10 B&Bers reply to a request for advice, you'll probably get at least 11 different opinions on everything...except maybe Williams, where you'll get only 2

How many B&Bers does it take to change a lightbulb?
All of them, but they'll tell you about their razors first.

[Slash McCoy]

***Now the main issue I have with getting a vintage Gillette is there are so many options with varying conditions and reputations. Not to mention, EBAY auctions seem pretty vague in their descriptions. I've heard good things about the fat boy. Can anyone recommend a good vendor on ebay that sells quality Fatboys?

Ebay is something of a crapshoot. Like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates. I would stay away from the more pristine condition Fatboys because you will be paying about twice what they are worth as shavers due to their collectibility. A user grade FatBoy can be a good buy. Try a high bid of $30 or $35 and if you don't get it, try to snag the next one with the same top bid. Sooner or later you will connect on something showing a lot of plating wear but in otherwise good shape. A Slim is not as highly sought by collectors and you could maybe go up into a higher grade razor and get a good bang for your buck. Ask the sellers questions, like if the adjusting ring locks up well at the clicks, if the doors close well, if the razor rattles or not when closed up and shaken, stuff like that.

I don't see anybody really specializing in selling FatBoys. Usually you see someone who has one for sale. I have seen obvious Slims being sold as FatBoys. In fact the one Slim I have was called a FatBoy by the seller. Nobody else was fooled, either, so I got it for a fair price for a user Slim, I think $20.49 or something like that.

For a first vintage DE, you want a mechanically sound and functional razor that will shave dependably. Cosmetic condition is secondary. Unused and unopened is not what you want. You will be paying the same price that a collector would pay, and half of what you would be paying is just for the privelege of opening the package, because you half the value when you open it. Surface wear and scratches are your friend, because they reduce the price for you without sacrificing shave quality. Your use of the razor will not depreciate it one bit. It will continue, if anything, to slowly increase in value, so you can be assured of getting your money back if you ever decide to sell it.

I think the best thing you can do with ebay is to be patient. Don't try to beat the other bidders. Offer a fair bid late in the auction and if somebody is willing to pay more, bid on the next one. Look at what similar items are selling for, and keep your bids in the lower 30% or so of the range. If you win every auction, you are paying too much. If you win one out of 3 or 4, you are doing about right. If you are winning 1 out of 10, you are a tightwad and maybe missing out on some good stuff-- or maybe just crazy like a fox. If the pics are no good, ask the seller to post better ones. Make sure the one nobody seems to want is a good one before bidding on it. There will always be another one to bid on later.

Watch out for the shipping. Some sellers inflate the shipping beyond all reason, even to the point where they can let the item go for a buck and make ten on the shipping.

The best auction bargains are usually had when the auction ends in the wee hours of the morning. The more bidders watching the item at the end of the auction, the worse your chances of snagging it at a good price. The fewer, the better.

Since there apparently are no rules against using sniping software, and since so many ebayers are using it, you may as well use it too, particularly when you see an item that you simply MUST have regardless of the price. what these programs do is calculate the turnaround time between you and ebay's servers to select the optimum time to submit a winning bid. They also can automate bidding and rebidding against other bidders. I don't use it myself; not out of ethical concerns but simply because all the things I absolutely must have, I already have.

Look at a seller's feedback rating. A positive feedback rate of less than 95% should be a warning sign. Remember to check for the item location. It takes a lot longer to ship an item from Elbonia or Nontoonyt or Wackybackystan or Timbuckthree than Springrield NT. Expect some overseas packages to take as long as a month to arrive.

[eagerbeaver]

Thanks again for the info.

Would one recommend the Semogue 1305 boar brush or the Tweezerman badger brush?

[dpm802]

Don't obsess too much about choosing your first round of gear. No matter what razor/blade/soap/blades you get, you'll want to try someting different after a week or two. Nobody gets the perfect kit together right off the bat.

At the beginning, having ANY brand of gear is better than none at all. You'll learn more about wet-shaving from actually mixing up some lather and putting blade to face than you will in a year of reading forums.

Tabac is a great soap, but its usually considered a cold-weather scent. You might not like it as much during the spring and summer. Generally, Musgo Real is a good choice for Springtime, and Proraso, or the Bigelow equivalent, is great for Summer. You can also find some good variety from Kiss My Face creams, which are available locally.

If it hasn't been mentioned enough, get a blade sampler pack. Its one of the rites-of-passage around here.

And finally ... Welcome to B&B, and Happy Shaving!

[dpm802]

Thanks again for the info.

Would one recommend the Semogue 1305 boar brush or the Tweezerman badger brush?

Semogue 1305, for sure. Just remember that it takes several weeks of use to break it in before it really shows you what it can do.

[eagerbeaver]

Ok, Ill lock in the 1305.

Should I get VDH, Proraso, Tabac or Col. Conk soap. Or, would any of these be decent choices for that brush?

[franstjohn]

Ok, Ill lock in the 1305.

Should I get VDH, Proraso, Tabac or Col. Conk soap. Or, would any of these be decent choices for that brush?

Any one of the soaps you listed will give you good service. Starting out, you may want to add a cream to your shopping list. On a whole, they are easier to lather than a soap and give a good protective lather. Proraso and Tabac put out good quality creams and you can also pick up Cremo, Real and Kiss My Face (KMF) creams locally and they are all fine products.

Keep us posted and welcome to the forum.

[Mr. Scruffy]

Wow, thanks for all this advice guys. It really throws a wrench in my plans.

***Now the main issue I have with getting a vintage Gillette is there are so many options with varying conditions and reputations. Not to mention, EBAY auctions seem pretty vague in their descriptions. I've heard good things about the fat boy. Can anyone recommend a good vendor on ebay that sells quality Fatboys?

***If I go that route, i can probably afford a $50 brush. What can I get for that price? What is the consensus at that price?


***Or, if I end up sticking with the progress and go for VDH at $2... I could get a $30 brush. What can I get for that price? What is the consensus at that price?

Have you had a chance to check the listings in the BST?