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Dirt cheap wet shaving

Marco

B&B's Man in Italy
Wet shaving has been described as an Art, a manly ritual, a return to the wisdom of our fathers and grandfathers. However you describe it, it’s certain that, when properly done from skilled hands, it is a very enjoyable experience and can truly give a wonderful, close, comfortable shave. But let’s focus for a moment our attention on the economic aspect of what has also become a hobby for many of us. Can wet shaving really be inexpensive? Yes, Sir. Can I get the same results from budget stuff that actually works on par with their pricey counterparts? Yes, Sir. Can I avoid buying super expensive items and be equally satisfied? Yes, Sir. Of course I’m not saying that you do not have to purchase a luxurious brush or a decorated razor if you want, but only that those things are not strictly necessary in order to be happy with your shaves. When it comes to traditional wet shaving the higher cost does not equal the better performance. By keeping this in mind I’d like to start a thread in which we give luster to cheap stuff that simply does the job and pretty well, too. Let’s list all our favourite low cost set-ups and comment on the tools we list. The basic idea is to make a dedicated thread where, day by day (and not necessarily every day), we add new combinations of budget wet shaving items that we love using.

Today I used the following, amazing (for me) set-up:

Brush: Semogue 1800. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Semogue brand and consider their boars, all very reasonably priced, among the finest available on the market. The 1800 with its stunning wood handle and lovely shaped knot is one of my favourite. Nice backbone, ultra soft tips and excellent latherability with both soaps and creams. Got it from Chris at Shaving.ie for €12,95.

Soap: La Toja stick. I love using shaving sticks and La Toja is an all-round winner for me. I discovered this Spanish gem while I was in Madrid three years ago. I did pay my sticks €1.50 each at the local “El Corte Ingles” shops and am currently finishing my second soap. Delicious “salty” scent, superior lather, amazing slickness.

Razor: Gold Dollar straight. I got this very cheap Chinese razor from Alfredo (Doc226), who was also very kind to professionally hone it for me. My expectations for this $2 (!) straight were not high, but I was wrong. The steel is of good quality and easily keeps a keen and smooth edge. A true surprise!

Strop: A practice strop from Tony Miller, the Strop Master. It is a simple Horsehide piece of leather with no Dee rings, no caps and no second component. Just a plain piece of wonderfully smelling leather, with a superb finish and a very light draw. Got if for $12 with my Premium strop.

Aftershave: Proraso splash old formula. This is probably my preferred Proraso product. It is a classic barbershop lotion, hence very popular and sought after among experienced wet shavers. Nice “menthol kick” and great post-shave feel. Here in Rome a 100ml glass bottle costs around €4.50 at any local supermarket.

Now it’s your turn!
 
I'm working on a pretty inexpensive setup right now. Granted, I'm very new to this. I'm still learning what I'm using. I'm a DE shaver. I shave at 5 am, there's no way I'm putting a knife to my neck at that hour. Maybe when I get out of the military I can make the switch :)

Handle: Vintage Gillette Tech ($4 plus shipping from ebay)
Blade: Wilkenson Swords from Wal Mart ($1.79 for 10 blades, these have to be some cheap knock off version but they're working)
Soap: Van Der Hagen Deluxe ($1.95 at Walmart)
Brush: Van Der Hagen Natural brush (I got ripped off, but I wanted one now: $9 at Walgreens... I could have gotten a Tweezerman for that)
Aftershave: Straight Witch Hazel followed by Nivea Energy Aftershave Balm (Total combination probably $7 at the PX)

I'm going to be working towards a slightly softer brush (maybe a good quality boar... B&B Essential maybe?) and a scented Witch Hazel. God that stuff is offensive 10 minutes after waking up. I've got a sampler of inexpensive blades coming (Astra greens, Derby and BIC), so my costs will climb a little, but not a lot. I may be getting some fun soaps for Christmas. I'll end up blowing a ton of money on this in six months. There, I said it. But for now it's good and cheap.
 
Although I usually use a brush and more traditional shaving soap or cream, I often use one of these:

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or these:
$vebl-creamshave-mangovanilla8oz-web.jpg$vebl-creamshave-cocolime8oz-web.jpg

Very moisturizing, slippery, protective, and effective. And very inexpensive for a large tube (under $10). No expensive brush or more traditional shaving soap or cream necessary!
 
Nice thread Marco. Maybe we can show that it really is a cheap alternative to shaving before the AD kicks in.

First DE Razor A 1970 Gillette Black Beauty TTO. $5.00 on ebay.

Brush VDH Boar at CVS. $7.99

Soap / Cream Proraso Red Tube. $10.00 and worth every penny.

Blades Wilkinson Swords, 10 pack at Wal-Mart. $1.76

After Shave Balm CVS brand Nivea knock off for sensitive skin $4.99

I was doing ok at first. It must have been the Proraso that put me over the edge with my Acquisition Disorder. It certainly couldn't have been this forum. lol
 
Relatively cheap, but in the spirit of full disclosure, this is not my top rotation except for the blades and soaps;

Brush: Semogue SOC

Blades
: Rapira ($6.50/100); Voskhod ($12/100); Wal-mart Personna Platinum Chrome ($10/90).

Soap: Various Razorocks; Various Sticks - Arko, Lea, Palmolive. ($2-$6)

Cream: Proraso Red, Musgo Real ($10-12)

Razor: Vintage Gillette Flare Tip Superspeed ($15-20)

Aftershave Balm - Nivea for Sensitive Skin ($5)
 
Here's my set-up from this morning:

Arko $1.50
Semogue 1250 $14
Gillette '40s style Superspeed (I think I paid $12 on the B/S/T)
Blades Astra SP $8 for 100 on eBay
Pinaud Bay Rum $6 for a 6 oz bottle.
 
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Brush: Semogue 830 $24.00
Soap: Arko stick $2.39
Razor: Magic Razor shavette * $7.99
Strop: N/A
Aftershave: Aqua Velva Ice Blue $4.99
Razor Blades 20 blades from a Feather 10 pk. $4.50

_______
$43.87
* Spilo Magic shavette at Sally's : http://www.sallybeauty.com/Magic-Razor/SBS-730700,default,pd.html?cm_vc=SEARCH

While not for every one, I can get a DFS on the cheap.....and with a 3 pass and touch up can get a BBS shave with this setup.
 
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Brush- 3€
Soap - EU Palmolive 0.75¢
Razor - Merkur 1904 15€
Aftershave - 4711 4.50€

My only brush, AS and razor.
 
Brush: Simpson's Commodore X2: $45.00
Razor: Merkur Progress: $40.00
Blade: Gillette 7 'O Clock Green: .22
Cream: La Toja, purchased in Spain for Euro 2.50
Aftershave: Thayer's Rose; $8.00 for 12 oz.
Skin Bracer: $4.99 for 7 oz. bottle.

While you can argue that the razor and brush are not inexpensive, they are both going on 27 months of use, and I anticipate a few more years out of both. The rest of the items, are very inexpensive considering how much use I get out of them. I would have used at least 130 Mach 3 blades by now at an average of $2.25 apiece, excluding shave cream. When I think about it, I am shaving for much less than before.
 
Turkish #6 horse brush $2.45
Salsa bowl $.50
Yuma razor $1.98
Alum bloc $2.50
VDH Deluxe $1.89
Shark blade $6.49/100
Clubman $6.99

While I have more expensive brushes and razors, the ones listed above are my favorites. The Yuma is a bbs beast and the #6 is a workhorse.
 
+1 on the Arko and Magic Razor.

Brush: Semogue 830 $24.00
Soap: Arko stick $2.39
Razor: Magic Razor shavette * $7.99
Strop: N/A
Aftershave: Aqua Velva Ice Blue $4.99
Razor Blades 20 blades from a Feather 10 pk. $4.50

_______
$43.87
* Spilo Magic shavette at Sally's : http://www.sallybeauty.com/Magic-Razor/SBS-730700,default,pd.html?cm_vc=SEARCH

While not for every one, I can get a DFS on the cheap.....and with a 3 pass and touch up can get a BBS shave with this setup.
 
vintage Slim given to me by my grandpa = Free
vintage Persona74 from that same awesome grandpa = Free
Omega best badger won from an Above The Tie vendor contest = Free
superlather of Tabac soap and cream both PIF'd to me from a very generous member when I first joined = Free
vintage Old Spice aftershave also from my granpa = Free

total cost for a nice, relaxing shave = Priceless :001_cool:
 
Wonderful thread Marco
Me me see what my "cheap" set up is with out sacrificing any performance.

Brush: Semogue SOC, not cheap but not expensive either. Top quality.


Razor: Gold Dollar rescaled. $5

Soap: Arko $2

Strop: Star shaving 2 inch strop $16

Aftershave: The Veg $7
 
Brush: Semogue 820 - somewhere around $20 and it's probably my favorite brush

Razor: Any vintage straight or DE will be very cheap, even brand new they are a one time cost and will last forever.

Soap: Arko $2, wonderful stuff aside from the scent, Speick stick is great, smells good and a slightly more expensive $5

Strop: can get practice strops from several vendors for around $20

Aftershave: Aqua velva beats out all other aftershaves! and you can get 7oz for $4 most times

Cologne: hey even good fragrances are cheap, Azzaro, Quorum, Brut, Grey Flannel, Drakkar Noir, Halston, Kanon, etc. can be picked up at marshall's or TJ Maxx or online for under $15 a bottle
 
It's quite easy to get some great products at low cost. The problem is that while each one is inexpensive but when you buy a whole lot of them it still adds up.
It's also quite difficult to judge with straights since the initial cost can be high for a few hones and strops and can take some time and effort to learn but then you can get razors very cheaply and hone them. You could argue this with most expensive products like creams and soaps that will last a long time but a good straight can last lifetimes with no additional cost, just some time and care.
shaving sticks are great value for the performance and extremely convenient and there's some good creams that are very cheap.
I also think boars in general are excellent value and even the best are very inexpensive.

having said that I can think of three combinations that can be had very cheaply:

#1

brush: i have an omega boar I got from a market in egypt some years ago. I don't remember what it cost but the professionals are about £8 new here and it would have been even less over there.
soap: arko. it's all been said really. I personally love the smell and who doesn't love the performance and price. about £3.
cream: ingram menthol. more cooling than proraso and much cheaper. £1.70
razor: i'd have to agree on the gold dollar. I have four that I have honed myself to varying success. one was my first attempt at honing and a bit of a miss at first (i've got it shaving now but took off a fair bit of metal while learning so it's smaller than the rest now) one is great and my newest two are outstanding shavers. you can get real bargains on old straights but gold dollars are so cheap that they are great to learn on and it doesn't matter if you mess up. About £3 with free postage from hong kong but they do take a few weeks to be delivered.
aftershave: I have an alum block that I also got from a market in egypt years ago. again can't remember what it cost but sure to be dirt cheap and it has lasted years.

probably less than £15 total before honing.

#2

brush: I have a vulfix vs5 that I didn't really like at first. The knot is quite thin for the loft and it felt quite stiff. After a few uses it broke in properly and it's now supersoft, splayed out a bit, great for creams and small enough to be my travel brush. it cost about £7. I am considering getting a vulfix 404 grosvenor which are mixed badger and boar and only about £10 so seem interesting.
soap: palmolive stick. 50p in a bunch of shops here. it's a smaller stick but still lasts a while and works great.
cream: palmolive classic cream. £1.40. smells great and performs well.
razor: shavette. I have three of these I got from ebay for about £3 each and they take half a standard DE blade so don't need any strop or honing stones and time. simple. you can get them as cheap as £2 with some blades included if you want to wait for them from hong kong.
aftershave: nivea sensitive aftershave balm. This can vary in price for some reason. I see it in places like boots for about £7 but other smaller shops have it for about £3.50 and Amazon had it reduced to £3 for a while when I got some (it's £3.50 now but seems to go up and down). I only seem to need a couple of drops (any more starts to feels greasy) so 100ml should last a while. great value.


again less than £15 total before blades.

#3

brush: I have a no name boar I got from ebay for £5 with a stick of arko so the brush cost about £2. It's surprisingly acceptable and useable for that price. It is quite stiff but it did soften some after splitting and I like the bulb shape.
soap: erasmic stick. comes in a plastic twist up container same as tabac or more expesive deoderant sticks. about £1.50 if i remember right. I really like the performance and the glycerin in it makes it great but the smell isn't really for me.
cream: erasmic cream tube. again about £1.50 and again the smell isn't for me. I can see why others would like it and the smell seems to be popular in reviews. It's not a bad smell just quite boring.
razor: shavette £2-£3
aftershave: I use normal witch hazel with a few drops of lemon oil, lemon juice and olive oil which completely covers the smell. £1.50 for 200ml.

less than £9 before more blades.

you could probably get by for less than that but these combinations give a bit of variety. theres a cream and soap and it would last for a while. long enough for a newbie to evaluate properly or to get by shaving for dirt cheap and not have to buy more product very often.
blades would probably be the most costly thing to replace. maybe another £10 per 100 but i've seen supermax for £6 per 200 and if they are the same as the super stainless that I have and like you'd be still set for a long time.
i'd say after some experimentation, it's very possible to get great shaves for let's say less than £20 a year. it doesn't have to be expensive but its fun trying different things.

1.00 GBP = 1.59005 USD

you could also go cheaper in the long run by buying a good straight for more initial cost.

razor: swedish steel.

I have a c.v. heljestrand no 7 and a johan engström. eskilstuna made arguably some of the worlds best razors. They can be pretty expensive and hard to find but well worth it for the quality and while that's not the point of this thread it's not the case in sweden. Mine were bought for me by my girlfriend who lives in Eskilstuna so were way cheaper than what I see them being sold for. I think the helje was about 250 kr and the engström about 150 kr including delivery. Thats about £40 for both and I see heljes on ebay for about £150 or more once cleaned up and honed. Mine were both in excellent condition. Still shiny and no rust or discolouration or anything like that at all. They seemed unused and only needed a bit of polishing on high grit stones (I used my DT then PHIG).

Bought online by someone who doesn't know much about straights so it's probably possible to get even better deals. Maybe I got lucky since buying online can be hit and miss but I had a quick look in a couple of antique shops when I was in eskilstuna and theres plenty there so it's possible to see them before buying and get something great maybe just as cheap. Most of what I saw was framebacks or in ok condition but i'm sure if one looked for a more than a few minutes there's sure to be a lot supercheap. I may go hunting for longer next time i'm there. When I was there in february we also happened to wander into the rademacher forges where the razors I have were probably forged. I didn't know that at the time and wasn't sure if we were allowed to be in there since it seemed to be a working forge with hot coals and people at work. I should probably also go back there and have a proper look, besides it's nice and warm with the fires in there.

It makes me wonder if it's the same idea with sheffield steel and somewhere like spitalfields market in london or elsewhere in england. There seems to be a bunch of sheffield blades on ebay and the large photos show them a lot of them to be in good condition.

say £15 for the razor, £30 for hones, £10 for a strop and £5 for a brush, soap and cream so about £60 overall to get started with a decent razor but it will last forever and adding subsequent razors is cheap.
 
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Brush: VDH Boar $5-$6
Soap: Williams or VDH Delux $1.50-$2
Razor: Lord Tech $1.50 picked up during vacation to Mexico about two years ago
Blade: Derby $.07-$.08
After Shave: Barbasol Pacific Rush or Brisk $1.75
 
Excellent idea for a thread. Proraso soap and cream, Omega boar brushes, and my NDC Gillette Super Speed are a few of my inexpensive but high performing items.
 
My original cheap start up

Brush: VDH $7.99 (Target0
Soap: vdh $1.99 (Walmart)
Razor: Gillette Ball End Tech $2.00 (ebay)
Aftershave: Aqua Velva Ice Blue $4.99 (Walmart)
Razor Blades Sampler Pack $12 for 90

Now

Brush: Rudy Vey Custom $70
Soap: Tabac $40
Razor: Tradere SB $115 (Used)
Aftershave: Captains Choice Bay Rum $15
Razor Blades: Gillette 7 O'Clock Black $2.75 for 5

Gets more expensive when RAD sets in...
 
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