What Razors for my boy's Rite of Passage

**mstrincredible** · 07-31-2012, 06:42 PM

My oldest boy is going to start shaving in the near future and I want to buy him a Razor for his next birthday as a Rite of Passage. I am also going to teach him how to shave with his new gear.

What's your thoughts on what Razor, blades, brush, soap, cream, and after-shave to get for him?

I don't know where to start??

**atticus92** · 07-31-2012, 07:16 PM

Well Im a noob here so Ill give my recommendations on what has worked for me so far

Edwin Jagger DE89
Id say any sample pack of blades will do
Col. Conk soap whatever scent you think he may like, the soap is really easy to load and make lather with
Probably a cream as well, Proraso, TOBS, Musgo Real, etc. (really enjoying the Musgo Real lately)
Aqua Velva, Nivea Energy Splash, Nivea ASB

These have all worked for me since I started wet shaving. I think the razor is pretty mild, and really easy to learn with. I found myself really enjoying the Gillette 7 o'clock blades. I spent very little on a brush, which is one area I should have splurged on a bit. The brush I bought (tweezerman) is great for the price but I find it to be way too scritchy. So that is what I would go all out on. Good luck, hope your son enjoys it just as much as the rest of us on here do.

**Samjax** · 07-31-2012, 07:53 PM

Great advice from Atticus!

I started my son out with a late 1940s Superspeed and the VDH shaving kit from Target along with some Shark SC blades. Of course now that he's got the hang of it, he has added a Fatboy and iKon OSS/Bulldog...3 or 4 other brushes and has taken ownership of my Nancy Boy Signature. :)

**Topgumby** · 07-31-2012, 08:10 PM

Tech, Tabac, Omega 49, sampler pack of blades and some Bay Rum.

Good on ya for starting him right.

**SplitHair** · 07-31-2012, 08:27 PM

The feather stainless is a very mild razor to learn DE shaving with. A bit pricey but a great rite of passage gift that will last a lifetime.

**KcHighLife** · 07-31-2012, 08:44 PM

Here is what I set mine up with. http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/kc_highlife/5702898734/

**Hubsche1** · 07-31-2012, 08:54 PM

I wish I'd started with a Superspeed, personally. So that's what I'd recommend.

Otherwise, yeah, a DE89 would do it too.

**johns777** · 07-31-2012, 09:01 PM

My first DE razor was a Super Speed so I vote for that, very gentle and somewhat forgiving razor. And like others have mentioned a blade sampler pack so he can try different things to see what he likes.

**sir-nix-alot** · 07-31-2012, 10:03 PM

Muhle R89
Tub of Proraso
L'Occitane Aftershave Balm.

**duokun** · 07-31-2012, 10:51 PM

you cant go wrong with a 1940's SuperSpeed. great razor, and the TTO design means there is less to go wrong for a new shaver when loading the blade. Its what i started with back in January and i love that razor. Also, i feel you cant go wrong with Prorasso shaving cream, although i haven't tried the new formulation. Clubman aftershave is also always a winner. that or Old Spice. makes ya feel like a man.

**buma** · 08-01-2012, 02:20 AM

since everyone here is touting the super speed, I'll go for the other newbie razor - the tech. It may be mild, it may be kinda on the boring side, but what a razor to start with! Combine that with a month's supply of your favorite blades, a good horse hair brush, a tube of Prorasso / C.O. Bigalow, and a bottle of witch hazel and after shave, and he'll be well on his way!

**Jcabbage** · 08-01-2012, 04:21 AM

keep the scents young and fresh if anything. i dont think i would have liked brut or tabac when i started shaving. always loved old spice though.

**BallisticBurrito** · 08-01-2012, 04:40 AM

If one is working on a budget..then DE89 and the $20 starter kit from Target..fancier/higher end than the one from walmart.

A lot of young kids probably wouldn't be into using a vintage razor..they'd just view it as "eww..some dead guy's old razor".

**JonM** · 08-01-2012, 04:48 AM

How about something like a Weishi? You can get them brand new, they come in a case, they're TTO, and they're rather mild shavers.

Oh, and they're cheap. If he doesn't like it, you haven't lost much.

**Stanley Alan Taylor** · 08-01-2012, 06:09 AM

Depends a lot on the kid, I'd think.

For a razor, some would probably love something new and super shiny, others something vintage, and others just whatever dad happens to use. I'd guess most kids would fall into the first or last groups.

For brush/soap/cream, I'd consider finding a combination that you're sure makes lather-building relatively easy, to keep from discouraging the young guy.

For scents, I like the fresh/light idea. Or you could go all-out from the beginning and go straight to The Veg!

**Slash McCoy** · 08-01-2012, 06:40 AM

Blades? As in DE?

My recommendation is to offer suggestions in the following order:

Vintage Straight. Uber Kewl. A living link with the past. Yes, a dead guy's razor... a dead guy who might have been dead for 80 or 100 years or more. And the razor just keeps on shaving and shaving and shaving...

Vintage Gillette adjustable. Classy! Classic! Nearly as Kewl as the straight. Adjustable means after he gets the basics down pat with the razor left on "2" or so, he can then experiment with the adjustment and tailor it perfectly to his shaving style and his brand of blade. He will never need a different razor. In this order: Slim Adjustable, Super Adjustable, and FatBoy. The FB is excellent but collectors keep the price up. The Slim has a slightly longer handle and lower head profile, allowing a tighter shave angle than the FatBoy. The Super Adjustable, well, the black handle just doesn't do it for me. But really, functionally it is just fine, and will still last forever. The Super Adjustable comes in regular and long handle versions.

Vintage non-adjustable. Less Kewl. Simple, but then again, the adjustable is simple if you just leave the adjusty thingie alone. Cheap. A Tech can be had for as little as $5. A SuperSpeed, twice that.

New DE. I am not aware of anyone currently making adjustable DE razors other than Merkur. Most any popular new DE razor will fit the bill. Some are cheap, some expensive. None have the KEWL factor of a vintage, though. But if your son is all "ewwww" about shaving with a vintage razor, better go with a new one. If he doesn't want to use it, he won't use it well, or learn to use it any time soon. Stubborn teenagers are most easily led down the path that they already want to follow. However you do this thing, the end result will still be your boy wet shaving with traditional gear and not spending your mortgage payment on six bladed vibrating aloe lubricated bluetooth enabled cartridges.

**Griffo** · 08-01-2012, 07:19 AM

Originally Posted by atticus92

Well Im a noob here so Ill give my recommendations on what has worked for me so far

Edwin Jagger DE89
Id say any sample pack of blades will do
Col. Conk soap whatever scent you think he may like, the soap is really easy to load and make lather with
Probably a cream as well, Proraso, TOBS, Musgo Real, etc. (really enjoying the Musgo Real lately)
Aqua Velva, Nivea Energy Splash, Nivea ASB

These have all worked for me since I started wet shaving. I think the razor is pretty mild, and really easy to learn with. I found myself really enjoying the Gillette 7 o'clock blades. I spent very little on a brush, which is one area I should have splurged on a bit. The brush I bought (tweezerman) is great for the price but I find it to be way too scritchy. So that is what I would go all out on. Good luck, hope your son enjoys it just as much as the rest of us on here do.

I can't argue with this, all good stuff

**WoodfordReserve-Neat** · 08-01-2012, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by mstrincredible

My oldest boy is going to start shaving in the near future and I want to buy him a Razor for his next birthday as a Rite of Passage. I am also going to teach him how to shave with his new gear.

What's your thoughts on what Razor, blades, brush, soap, cream, and after-shave to get for him?

I don't know where to start??

Razor: Krona,Tech, 1940 style Superspeed,Blue Tip Superspeed
Blade: IP red pack, Astra (definitely a sample bundle from a web vendor)
Shaving Cream Proraso/C.O.Bigelow, AOS Sandalwood
Shaving Brush You can get a nice starter silver tip Vulfix for a fair price...some are a little floppy but a good buy, IMO.
After Shave Here is where you may want to play safety since a lot of the younger DE wet shavers don't want to impress their girlfriends with the 'Old School' scent. I bought my 18 year old the Adidas AS and he likes it. An AS like Aqua Velva Ice Blue will make some of his early mistakes like razor burn feel better...the scent will dissipate in a short time and not clash with his preferred Cologne (same with Osage)

HTH

**mvk** · 08-01-2012, 08:25 AM

My sons and I all started with Gillette Super Speeds and after using many different razors I still think that's a great way to start. They all started with a VDH kit also.

**Acmemfg** · 08-01-2012, 08:30 AM

If you have something....anything that may have an heirloom air about it, that would be an exceptional gift.
If not...yeah, an EJ 89, nice, name brand brush (though not my favorite, Simpson Berkely readily comes to mind) a tub of Cella, a tube of some cream-Bigelow maybe?, a pack of decent blades and a old school mug (again...heirloom here is ideal). Oh..don't forget a bottle of Pinaud Clubman!!!