Been lurking

Decided to sign up. Just bought my first DE Razor online and have a sample pack of blades on the way.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/290956644913?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

How'd I do? Seemed from my reading the vintage Gillette's were pretty highly thought of.

Now I just need some tips on preshave oil, soap and/or cream ideas, and a decent starter brush.

Congrats on your first DE purchase!
I personally do not own this Razor, but as you said, most of the vintage Gillette have good reviews. I have a Gillette Fatboy and thats pretty darn good.
In regards to soaps / creams / pre-shave, there are HEAPS out there, and you will have a lot of opinions on them. Personally I have Proraso Pre/Post aftershave cream as well as Floid pre-shave oil and Trumpers Skin food (althogh I have only use Floid as a pre-shave).

Creams and Soaps are something you are going to have to personally experiment with and see which ones you like. I suggest going for smaller sizes to begin with, and then work your way up. I think that Creams are easier to lather than soaps (for beginners) but others may tell you differently.

If you're starting out, in regards to brush, I guess you have a few choices, Synthetic, Boar and Badger. I went with Boar when I started, then went for cheap Badger, and now have a mid-range badger. Once again, see which ones you like.

DE shaving is all about experimenting and finding what works for you (thats part of the fun). Good luck, and do let us know how you get along.

+1 for the Blade sampler! Thats also very important, try as many as you can, and find something that works for you!

Welcome! That's a ball end Tech, a great choice for starting out, so you did just fine. Read the tutorials, watch some videos, and don't be afraid to ask questions. You'll get plenty of good advice here. Enjoy your shaves!

Welcome to B&B!!

Welcome to B&B!

Welcome to B&B.

Hello and welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard!

Welcome to B&B!

Hello and welcome to B&B!!

Ben

Ditto to what everyone said above. The Tech is very mild, so do not be tempted to apply pressure. Mild or not pressure is your enemy. Videos are available and they help immensely, especially with lather creation. If a picture is worth a thousand words and a video must be worth a googol.

Welcome to the forum !!

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome aboard!
Enjoy finding what works for you.

You'll enjoy this site more as a member. Welcome.

Welcome!