Unnecessary crap, I tried two and I wish I hadn't. I've heard the same from many others. Save the money and get an alum block if you wanna buy something.

It's like a giant styptic pencil -- it might even be the same stuff but I recall people saying they were different.

Anyways anytime I do anything but a WTG(with grain) shave I slide it over my still-wet face and you can really feel it sealing the pores up, great for those who are quite susceptible to shave-breakouts.

i love my proraso pre, the menthol is great and it actually does seem to soften things up a bit.

i shaved with a feather blade this morning. ninjas wept. i STILL have no 5 o'clock shadow at 9pm. steady concentration is a must, I had a few small nicks but damn those blades are nice.

I like the Proraso pre/post cream (same cream, can be used for both). Eventhough I can't compare it since I haven't tried anything else yet. I also own the Art of Shaving scentless preshave oil so I'll report once I tried it (only used it once).
I'm up to the 3 setting on mt Futur now and I think I'll try against the grain tomorrow but with a lower setting.

Also won an ebay auction for like 4 Euro that has two DE razors (can't ID them as the picture is crappy) and two packs of blades. ++EV no matter what kind the razors are

Exactly my experience. What was most interesting was the medium sized cut that they gave me that I didn't even feel.

Ninjas indeed.

Wilkinson Sword Quattro imo

Great thread, a feel a new hobby coming on.

So I received a Art of Shaving kit (brush, 3 sets of creams) as a groomsmen wedding gift a year ago. Honestly, I have never looked at it as I always have shaved with a electric. But now I want to bust it out and get going.

Background: Fine hair, sensitive skin, shave every 3 days or so, pretty weak spotty beard

Question: Seeing how I have a kit with no razor, can someone recommend a good safety razor?
-Where do you order from?
-Heard merkur HD is good beginner, any other budget alternatives?
-Good beginner blade?
Thanks guys...

http://www.shavemyface.com/ has everything you need.

For noobs trying blades, go with West Coast Shaving's sampler pack. He even tells you which order to try them in.

Pre-shave: I don't use any particular product for this. If I'm shaving w/o showering first, I prep with a warm washcloth and will rub in a coating of Proraso cream during part of that. C O Bigelow brand cream sold at Bath and Body Works is Proraso cream in an American package. Highly recommended. I mostly use soap (Tabac, Kent, various shave sticks) but will go with the Proraso occasionally to mix it up.

Shave oil: meh. I've found it's not worth the hassle of it gunking up the blade and being hard to rinse off.

One note on lather: you see in the tutorials how after soaking the brush, you should get it dry again to load up the product. True, but don't neglect adding water back in during the mixing. I think lots of guys try to shave with the mix too dry, causing dragging and skipping.

For my money the best travel razor is the Bic Sensitive disposal. Single blade and cheap.

My daily combo is the Merkur Barberpole Slant 39c with either a Feather or Kai blade; but I do mix up blades just because I have so damn many different ones. For starter blades I'd recommend either Derby or Crystal (same blade as 'Israeli Personnas')... but the West Coast sampler is definitely the way to go to figure out your own preference.

I just ordered that economy sampler pack from WestCoastShaving, and got a Gillette Adjustable Slim from someone over at badger and blade.

Hopefully this will work out, if not Im only out 30 bucks...

You would be able to unload the stuff on the trading board at B&B without any problem.

+1 except for hot water sprinkled on the face instead of cloth. Hot water, Proraso, no showering pre.
I'll try the red Personna blade today. It'll be the first "hardware" not made in Germany I'm trying :P

Sampler pack looks awesome unfortunately I guess it's not going to be worth the hassle to ship to Europe and I can't find anything similar here :/

I finally realized that my unscented shaving cream from The Art of Shaving is causing me to break out. After a bit of google searching, I found out that many shaving creams and soaps use coconut acid/oil, which is highly comedogenic. I've ordered some pure glycerin soap; we'll see if I can get a half-decent lather out of that.

Also found out that the facial cleanser I've been using is also highly comedogenic. WTF?

I was an adamant wetshaver but have cut it out now that I have the daily grind of a job. I found this Alba Botanicals mint shaving cream that gives me a better shave than a DE when used in the shower.

Just attempted to book a shave at Truefitt & Hill in Vegas. Found out they're closed. :/

Man, I don't wanna go all they way down to Mandalay Bay to hit up the Art of Shaving. Bah.

T&H will reopen in the Mirage.

This thread made me get a 3 piece wet shaving set from amazon.

It came with a badger brush, merkur classic, and bowl. I also got a colonel conk shaving soap and 100 derby blades. The razor is a little small but they weight is well balanced. I can't compare the soap and blades because I haven't tried anything else yet but I am satisfied with them and they get good reviews.

It does take a little longer to shave because you have to prepare the lather and shave in passes but it is worth the effort.

It feels more like an art: preparing the later, brushing it on your face, and hearing every hair getting cut off cleanly. I look forward to shaving now.

It has only been 2 weeks but my skin is smoother for longer and I get no irritation like with my fusion. I will never go back to cartridge razors. Thanks 2+2

Art of Shaving was awesome. Worth the walk. Night and day better than the other straight razor shaves I've had. I was shocked.

I'll hit up Truefitt & Hill on my next trip.

Castle Forbes shaving cream is well worth checking out. It's expensive at $35 but you don't need to use much to build an impressive lather.

Recently I have had good results with the Musgo Real shave cream and aftershave.

For those who like shaving soap as opposed to cream (i.e., me), and are aware that beef tallow makes the best soap,

be advised that tallow in soap is becoming a thing of the past. The PETA contingent has won. High end shaving soap makers are switching their formulas to vegetable bases.


I'm starting on a program of laying in enough tallow-based soap to last the rest of my life.

...contrary to Tyler Durden's statement in 'Fight Club', a Badger and Blade poster whose parents make artisan soap says according to his dad, human fat doesn't make very good soap. I don't want to know how he found out, but there it is.

FWIW I use the Art of Shaving pre-shave oil, cream and post-shave balm with a Merkur razor and Derby razor blades. The most expensive part of the whole thing for me is the pre-shave oil. It definitely runs out the fastest. $22 plus s/h for a 2 oz. bottle that might last me six weeks if I stretch it. But it really helps me. I have a coarse beard that grows fast, and the oil makes my shave much smoother. After running out of oil a couple days ago, I found out how to make my own for a lot cheaper.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4745645_make-preshave-oil.html

2 parts castor oil, 1 part olive oil, and 6-7 drops of essential oil for fragrance (I use sandalwood). Pour all that into a small container and shake vigorously. You can find all three ingredients at Sunflower or any Whole Foods-type store, I imagine. The castor oil cost me $10 for an 8 oz. bottle...could have gotten more, but I wanted to see how it went first. Essential oil cost me $10 for 1 oz., but you only need drops at a time. The blend works just as well as the bought stuff, and I figure it's about 1/8th the cost. I'm sure you can fine-tune the ratios to make it thinner or thicker.

Might have to check out the Nancy Boy products. I got turned onto Art of Shaving after having my first straight razor shave at the Mandalay Bay location. My wife loved it so much that I bought the whole kit.

The Oil Cleansing Method

Scottie I think the Art of Shaving stuff in general is pretty good but often overpriced- especially any equipment, they mark it up a TON.

I found their pre-shave oil to be way to viscous, it gummed things up for me. Truefitt & Hill's pre-shave is fantastic, but costs an arm and a leg. As noted about, I use Feather's pre-shave conditioner - put some on my face and also mix some into the lather before I apply. Helps with the shave and also makes my skin soft as a baby's bottom. And I have a baby right here, trust me his ass is SOFT.

So my Truefit & Hill shaving cream is nearly gone. I need some suggestions for something to get that I can use with my brush. Should I get a cup or bowl, too? I've been mixing in my hand.

Moss Scuttle. Love mine. Fill it full of hot water before I shower, dump and refill while I brush my teeth, fill and mix up later & then let it sit while I do my pre-shave oiling. Nice warm later waiting for me, and it stays warm for my second pass.