About 3 months ago, I picked up the Merkur 4 piece set as seen on the classic shaving site...URL http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/i ... 283748.htm.
This razor/brush combo is currently the only wet-shaving equipment that I own. While I primarily bought this set because of the ascetics, its functioned as well as I hoped.
However, if I could go back, and do it all over again, I think I'd follow the advice in this thread, and build out my own set. Given my initial investment, I could have bought a number of razors, blades, brushes, and shave creams, and resold what didn't work for me on the selling and trading forum.
Just my 2 cents.
What shave set do you recommend?
I think sets are what everyone thinks they need becuase it has everything all in one. However most of the razors I have heard people reccomend for noobs would never come in a set. Because of this I would tell you to find a good razor and brush and use them and then search for a set later on when you know what you would like.
I have an off-line friend I lent a Gillette Slim to and he was hooked. He got the Proraso brush and was all set. Of course he wanted something that dressed up the bathroom and he ordered the Futur set from Classic Shaving. (Great guys! He mentioned SMF and got a great price and tons of other goodies as well) Well he ended up thinking the Slim was actually a better razor than the set. I told him to live with his set for a while and then see how it is. Now he likes his set and is very comfortable with it. So try some basic stuff out first and then post what your feelings are about that razor/brush performance and ask for reccomendations based off of that info.
I have an off-line friend I lent a Gillette Slim to and he was hooked. He got the Proraso brush and was all set. Of course he wanted something that dressed up the bathroom and he ordered the Futur set from Classic Shaving. (Great guys! He mentioned SMF and got a great price and tons of other goodies as well) Well he ended up thinking the Slim was actually a better razor than the set. I told him to live with his set for a while and then see how it is. Now he likes his set and is very comfortable with it. So try some basic stuff out first and then post what your feelings are about that razor/brush performance and ask for reccomendations based off of that info.