"What was the first Shavetool that clicked for you?" Contest.

[Sargon]

While most of us enjoyed our first shave with traditional shaving gear, There is something special about the first shavetool that you try that really clicks for you, be it a soap you love, a brush that just works for you, or a razor that is just stellar. So, in honor of beginnings, both of Shavetools.com's first month and of your own early days wet shaving, we're holding a small contest.

To enter, share the first shavetool that just clicked for you, perhaps with a short anecdote about it. The contest will run until the end of the month. The winner (CONUS only, sorry ) will be determined randomly via random.org, and will receive a Vie-Long Boar brush.

[cpowill]

I would say it was a combination of TOBS Eaton College and a Tweezerman badger Brush.

[soloz2]

I'm just a noob, but have been considering wet shaving for a while now. I finally bought a VDH deluxe kit from Rite Aid for $11 about a week ago and have been getting better shaves and enjoying my morning shave more than ever before. I'm going to order a better brush and DE razor soon, but for now Im enjoying working on my technique and trying new products from local stores.

[the_edski]

Great contest Sargon! I would say that the first thing that clicked for me was when I tried my 2nd cream. I had been using Proraso for about a month, but couldnt get a good lather. So I went out and bought a tube of KMF and thats when I first saw the "explosion" of lather that i had seen members talk about. I took some lessons away from the KMF and have been making great lather with any soap or cream ever since!

[Go West Young Man]

I had been DE shaving for a few months and was having the usual breaking-in period struggles.
Upgrading my brush a few times helped, getting away from the cheaper drugstore soaps helped, but I was still ending up with a torn up face more often than not.

The day it finally clicked was the day a nice (and unfortunately long-forgotten) member PIFed me an NDC Tech. Suddenly the whole "no pressure" thing made sense, and my shaves got immeasurably better. The nice part was that I took that new approach and applied with a Merkur and realized how great this whole thing could be!

[BrianL]

Surrey soap (now VDH) was the first thing that really clicked for me, I was still using a cart, but man that shave was miles ahead of what I was used to.

[Smooth_Shaver]

For me, it was a Merkur 32c that my wife got me as a Christmas present. The first time that I used it I just knew that I was never going back to those mass marketed cartridge razors.

[SteveWY]

The first "click' was stumbling across my first DE razor, a '57 Gillette Super Speed Flare Tip. I found it at an antique store for $5, picked up some discount store blades and went to work. The RAD, SBAD, BAD, etc. continued. The second really good "click" was Proraso cream and a Tweezerman badger brush. Th final and most important "click" was finding my standard routine blade (Astra SP) and pulling it all toegther as my technique has come into full stride.

[JBagKY]

Great idea for a contest. The first thing that really clicked for me was switching to TOBS Mr Taylor's cream. I had been using a soap that I just couldn't get a lather with no matter what I tried. Yeah, I had a crappy brush, but getting a rich full lather from that Mr Taylor's finally made it all worth it. I eventually upgraded my brush and then got really good at using that soap, but once I got the lather with the cream down, I was completely hooked and knew that this was the way for me to shave.

[kentclark]

First click for me was using a more efficient razor (first an Old Type) and making fewer passes and next was making better lather by taking my time and watching the bubbles/consistency.

[insomb]

i think truefitt and hill trafalgar with an alum block was when i started really getting into my shaves.

[SuperChris]

Please count me in. I have been traditional shaving for about 6 months now and the first really comfortable shave I got was from TOBS Mr Taylors. I have gotten better in my technique so I can get good lathers from most of the stuff I have but the Mr Taylors was the first. Thanks for the opportunity.

[joamo]

I had decided I was tired of the barbasol can and ordered some Dragons Blood soap from Beechstreetbungalow on Ebay. I went from dreading my 5 minute every other day shave to "ooh I get to shave again today!!"and spend 15 minutes doing it. The scent and the creamy lather I was whipping up had made shaving fun. And so it began...

[vitaman]

Thank you for the contest. The first shave tool that clicked for me was my 1965 Slim Adj. DE razor. I started with a Super Speed and had many good shaves. I purchased a Slim about 3 months into wet shaving and it all just clicked from there. I started getting consistent BBS shaves with the Slim on 5 using a Personna Red as my blade. Three years later my Slims are my go to DE razors.

[lamdigs27]

Great idea for a contest. I've been hooked since day one. It was a gift from my girlfriend. Merkur barber poll 38C with matching silver tip brush, C&E sandalwood soap, C&E sandalwood after shave. Since then I've acquired a much larger assortment of shave related goods.

[OkieStubble]

The first shaving related purchase that really clicked for me was a Green Rubber Marvey Shaving Mug. And after two years in this hobby it is still the one item that is used the most. As most other wet shavers, I shaved at the sink because I didn't want to waste water shaving in the shower. The problem with that is I think I am probably the messiest shaver on these boards.

My shave cave is carpeted around the sink area. After my shaves I almost have to use a wet vac for clean up. No matter how hard I try to stay neat during shaving, the bathroom still ends up looking like someone had a lather pie and water balloon fight. The Marvey Green Rubber Shaving Mug has totally revolutionized my shave experience.

It has allowed me to shave while in the shower. filling the mug with water lets me turn off the shower head and rinse in the mug, saving me time, clean up and water. My wife really appreciates me being able to keep all that shaving destruction confined in those glass sliding doors.

[jay67212]

What really clicked for me was Proraso green soap, the Proraso white pre shave cream and a Omega Boar brush. The pre shave was great for getting the hairs softened and I loved the menthol of Proraso. I loved the smell of the menthol in the morning!

[global_dev]

great contest, and enjoyed reading those anecdotes above this post... I have 2 experiences that really emblazoned in memory the essence of "clicked"... while i loved a feather stainless DE and it did a great job from 0 experience to fine shaves, what i recall more impressively was a fat barreled NEW with an astra blade. first shave with it and i just couldn't get over how great a shave i got so easily and the 2nd was using the Hart straight. That straight was the first velvet squeegee edge and i just had to stop and admire the sensation...

[CyberJCM]

I tried all kinds of soaps and creams in the beginning. Some were good, some were not so good. But the first that clicked and gave me the best lather I'd had yet, as well as continue to have was Razorock. I believe it was the Fresco and the XXX. I knew there was something special about these when I first opened the tub for a sniff and went, "Oh wow!" Hadn't had that reaction before to a soap/cream scent and I was in love. I applied the Marco Method and I have not looked back. All the RR products continue to simply rock for me!

Thanks for the contest opportunity!

[brother cavefish]

i have my 2nd new brush in 17 years and it is fantastic now i have 5 and 3 are vie longs , love them and stayed with my E& C soap but started trying creams