Buying my first setup! :)

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tom10168
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 2:57 am

Buying my first setup! :)

Post by tom10168 »

Wow there are a lot of "first DE shave" threads in here! :shock:

Well, add me to the list of <100 post posters, saw Mantic's videos on an unrelated forum and now I'm hooked.

I'd like to get some suggestions before I make my first purchase.

-- ...I realize I'm not going to be very popular here because I'm starting out brushless, solely because of money. A decent silvertip brush is around $60 starting(and some of the Rooney's are almost $400!) and I'd rather start out brushless and see how it goes. -- I also plan on eventually getting a Feather straight razor. Adventurous is he who has not seen. :)

So anyways, blah blah blah, here's the stuff I plan on getting, recommendations? Different shop? I have what I guess is sensitive grain, I can use my Quattro or Fusion WTG every day but I can only do ATG like every five days or so and not going ATG leaves me already looking like 5 o clock shadow, I haven't shaved in weeks so I haven't tried SW/WS(ever)

Keep all that in mind. :)


MenScience Brushless cream

Truefitt and Hill comfort aftershave


Merkur HD classic - for a grand total of $88. I'm also wary of all this so I figure non-scented, low-irritation stuff will help me with break-in.

I'd like to get a GOOD, BIG brush and a nice bowl and you're looking at $150 easy right there, so I'd rather do it right the first time and just hold off for now. How'm I doing here guys? :)
Rob

Post by Rob »

Hey there, Tom. Welcome to SMF. Mantic's videos are top-notch and I know for a fact he's helped a lot of guys get into wetshaving and achieve a great shave.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who said you need to buy a $60 silvertip as your first brush? An EJ Best Bader brush from Crabtree & Eveylyn is a popular starter brush at $35. (http://store.crabtree-evelyn.com/acc130147.html) Another great newbie brush, which I do own, is the Savile Row SR-204 at $44. (http://www.qedusa.com/) Finally, an Omega Syntex brush, which I do own, at just over $10 is a fine brush. (http://www.odsoap.com/id19.html model SB-7)

I highly recommend you start out with a brush. And with prices like the ones mentioned above, I am sure you can find the money to do so. Seriously, the ~$10 Syntex is a fine brush and would be fine for a newb.

The T&H aftershave you mention is fine. But you can get great aftershaves at your local stores for considerably less money. Nivea makes a balm that many here absolutely rave about. I think it will cost you $7 or so. Lumene, available at CVS, is one I highly recommend. I think it's $8. Afta, which is dirt cheap at Wal-Mart (around $3), is nothing to be scoffed at. TJ Maxx and Marshalls commonly have aftershaves on sale for $10 or less. Proraso makes a superb aftershave and you can get it at Target in the 'spa' section for around $12 or so.

As far as a shaving cream goes, you can pick up some Proraso cream at Target in their spa section for $7. It's an excellent cream. Palmolive (in the red tube) is a good cream as well. You can find it at CVS for $3.

The Merkur HD classic is a fine newbie razor. No need to change that! :)

There's a common misconception that getting into wetshaving, or DE shaving in general, costs a lot. Not true. Judging by the prices I've just laid out for you, you can easily get started in wetshaving for $16 plus tax plus the cost of the Merkur. That should be no more than $50 total.

Good luck and welcome to SMF!
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fallingwickets
Clive the Thumb
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Post by fallingwickets »

For the 100 bucks you are spending, here is what I woukd do.

Vulfix brush 60
Shave cream/soap 20
A very decent razor from the trading forum here: 20 max.

100 bucks and you have a set up fit for a KING

Clive

p.s. Welcome to SMF.
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-=seth=-
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Post by -=seth=- »

I agree with the above, even a cheap bristle brush is a huge improvement on using your fingers to rub the shaving cream on, a brush really improves the quality of the shaving cream (you’ll also find yourself using less shave cream)

also if your thinking about the cost of the razor, blades for a DE razor are much cheaper than for cartridge razors such as Gillette, long term and your actually saving money
tom10168
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 2:57 am

Post by tom10168 »

I'm currently not shaving, which is cheaper than anything. :)

Anyways, after more browsing(you seriously could read forever since there are no undisuputed... or even debatable ties for ANYTHING)

I'm going with this Omega brush which is like $15, it good really good feedback on this site http://barclaycrocker.com/mm5/merchant. ... ode=PRO52N ...the regular is like $2 less but I splurged for the large size. :)



I'm going to go with a T&F Lime cream in a tub because well... BarclayCrocker has it. They also have the HD $5 than ME.com which is nice.

I'm also dropping aftershave... at least for now. I've never used it before in my life, so it's something I can add later I guess, it isn't really a necessity.

cream if anyone is interested.

Something I don't like -- Everyone keeps saying that these creams last forever etc. etc. which is good.... except I want to be caprcious and whimsical and try tons of them, but they all come in 6 oz. tubes. :(

EDIT: Oh yeah, I realize this is semi OT but for the creams that come in tubs am I basically just sticking my finger in and taking a small dab out?

It seems so.... rudementary. :)
Rob

Post by Rob »

Looks like you're all set. But aftershaves are fun! And yes, just get a dab of cream by dipping your finger in the tub. Good luck!
tom10168
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 2:57 am

Post by tom10168 »

Well, I can't find an aftershave at the site that really interests me much, but I did find my shaving cream in a smaller size(and a tube!) which makes me happy. :D

Just so you guys know, I saw some of the aftershaves mention that they have vitamin E in them, and you'll also see this on various lotions and all sorts of skin products.

It's all hogwash. Vitamin E is in fact good for your skin, but it needs to be ingested, not applied topically. Your skin cells don't know how to use E on its own and it needs to be fed through your system first.

Just like protein helps build muscle, but it certainly wouldn't work tying meats around your arms when you lift weights. :)


You can read more about it here
http://www.naturalproductsmarketplace.c ... itamin%20E


And a more relevant link is here http://www.clavin.com/clavin_labs/update.html
(Paragraph 5, two after all the links)

There, I contributed something. :)
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xChris
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Post by xChris »

No need to swing for the fence on your first at bat. There are plenty of acceptable products in all categories (brush, soap, cream, A/S) that is most likely readily available locally, and at inexpensive prices.

Omega, Surrey, Van der Hagen, Tweezerman brushes
Surrey, Van der Hagen, & Williams mug soap
Palmolive, Proraso shaving cream
Aqua Velva, Nivea, Neutrogena Razor Defense aftershaves

I'll send you a PM about acquiring some products (ADs are already starting, heh!) without buying a whole tub/tube.
Chris
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DEF
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Location: Tulsa, OK

Post by DEF »

Here would be my recommendation for a good start-up kit, all available from one vendor -- www.qedusa.com. E-mail Charles first at qed@quod.com to confirm availability.


Merkur "Classic" hefty Double Edge chrome razor #34C ($28.00)
Omega Boar Bristle Brush ($12.50)
Tabac Shaving soap refill ($5.95)
Taylor of Old Bond Street cream (tub) ($13.50)
QED soap (5 oz. tub) ($9.50)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total: $69.45 + Shipping

Then go to your local drug store and get Nivea A/S balm for about $6. This will give you a good base to build from and will expose you to three basic product categories -- tallow soap, cream, and glycerine soap.

Regards,
Doug
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xChris
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Post by xChris »

Don't forget to peruse Rob's post about getting free samples too: Snail/E-mail addresses to request soaps/creams/aftershaves
Chris
Leisureguy

Post by Leisureguy »

My own recommendations for the beginner shaving kit.

Most brushless shaving creams are sort of icky, but Nancy Boy is quite good. Give it a go.

I think you'll enjoy the experience. You can use the alum bar as your only aftershave for a while. It really does the job.
Last edited by Leisureguy on Sun Jan 14, 2007 1:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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mantic
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Re: Buying my first setup! :)

Post by mantic »

tom10168 wrote:Wow there are a lot of "first DE shave" threads in here! :shock:

Well, add me to the list of <100 post posters, saw Mantic's videos on an unrelated forum and now I'm hooked.

I'd like to get some suggestions before I make my first purchase.

-- ...I realize I'm not going to be very popular here because I'm starting out brushless, solely because of money. A decent silvertip brush is around $60 starting(and some of the Rooney's are almost $400!) and I'd rather start out brushless and see how it goes. -- I also plan on eventually getting a Feather straight razor. Adventurous is he who has not seen. :)

So anyways, blah blah blah, here's the stuff I plan on getting, recommendations? Different shop? I have what I guess is sensitive grain, I can use my Quattro or Fusion WTG every day but I can only do ATG like every five days or so and not going ATG leaves me already looking like 5 o clock shadow, I haven't shaved in weeks so I haven't tried SW/WS(ever)

Keep all that in mind. :)


MenScience Brushless cream

Truefitt and Hill comfort aftershave


Merkur HD classic - for a grand total of $88. I'm also wary of all this so I figure non-scented, low-irritation stuff will help me with break-in.

I'd like to get a GOOD, BIG brush and a nice bowl and you're looking at $150 easy right there, so I'd rather do it right the first time and just hold off for now. How'm I doing here guys? :)
Tom, welcome!

First, which "unrelated" forum did you come to us from (just out of curiosity)? MenEssentials?

I'm not sure you can "do it right the first time." 8) I think its safe to say almost all of us have gone through some "stages" where we think we've settled on something, only to discover something "better" six months later into the learning curve. For now, why not start out with an inexpensive kit: Proraso/Omega boar brush (US$12), Tweezerman badger (US$10-15 depending on source), or a Crabtree & Evelyn pure badger brush (US$35); Surrey Glycerin Shave soap (US$1.25), Palmolive lather shave cream (US$4), or spurge with a Truefitt & Hill shave cream (~US$15); and a Mach3, Sensor Excel, or equivalent multi-blade (but don't go over three blades--forget Quattro or Fusion). This kit's a lot less expensive and will get you started. Meanwhile you can continue to learn and discover your own personal tastes.

--Mark
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texasPI
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Post by texasPI »

Tom, have you ever used a shave brush before? If not, why would you like a big brush? Do you mean the handle or the brush head? The reason I ask is because I started off with a Vulfix 2234 and liked it well enough and then thought to myself that i wanted a bigger brush. So, I bought a Shavemac 436 and that thing was HUGE (for me) and I ended up selling it after only a few uses. I think a good medium sized brush would do nicely. Also, why not get any of the lather shave creams like Taylor of Old Bond, Truefitt & Hill, Trumper etc. These can be used with and without a brush.
Erik

"Work like you don't need money,
love like you've never been hurt,
and dance like no one is watching."
Aurora Greenway
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texasPI
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Post by texasPI »

Tom, forgot to mention that you can also post a WTB (want to buy) thread on the selling and trading forum here. Assuming that you don't mind secondhand products. I have a Tweezerman brush and some shaving cream samples I'd be willing to part with at no cost to you if you PM me your address. :)

EDIT: Typos
Erik

"Work like you don't need money,
love like you've never been hurt,
and dance like no one is watching."
Aurora Greenway
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Chaps
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Post by Chaps »

Tom---Welcome to SMF. The Omega Boar brush you are getting is a good brush. Its not badger, but so what? I and many others started out with a Proraso/Omega Boar brush and even though I have 3 other badger brushes, I keep the Proraso/Omega Boar in my rotation. As a matter of fact, I used it today with my Proraso soap. However, Rob is right. You can get a great Savile Row 204 Super Badger from QED for $50. I got one upon Rob's recommendation and I love it. Again, welcome and now you see what happens when you ask, "How'm I doing here guys?" :D :D

Danny
Danny

"Because I prefer the cool, clean sweep of the tempered steel as it glides smoothly--" Cary Grant as he is shaving in a scene from "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House"
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