Thread: Shaving utensils

I guess I'll look into samples or just getting one good cream and an aftershave. Guess I was making it more of a hassle than it needed to be. Oops!

Originally Posted by BaseballPlayer

I guess I'll look into samples or just getting one good cream and an aftershave. Guess I was making it more of a hassle than it needed to be. Oops!

Don't worry, it happens to most of us when we take up a hobby and over think things a bit.

Bob

Originally Posted by BaseballPlayer

I guess I'll look into samples or just getting one good cream and an aftershave. Guess I was making it more of a hassle than it needed to be. Oops!

Not at all. Wanting to investigate so that you start of right is a good thing. I'm with the simple is better crowd. I have never used a pre-shave, nor an after balm, but some guys swear by them. The recommendation of Tabac is good, and I"d suggest Mitchell's Wool Fat. Known on our forums as MWF. That and a tube of Truefit and Hill cream. The MWF has, to my nose, almost no scent. So it doesn't clash with the scent of a cream. Ideal for the combination IME.

Get a lather bowl, a cereal or small soup bowl will do, and put a dab of cream in the bowl, lather on the puck until you load the brush, and then go into the bowl and combine the two for uber lather. Get a good DE razor to supplement your straight. Feather, Gillette 7O'Clock Yellow DE blades. Just IMHO.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Not at all. Wanting to investigate so that you start of right is a good thing. I'm with the simple is better crowd. I have never used a pre-shave, nor an after balm, but some guys swear by them. The recommendation of Tabac is good, and I"d suggest Mitchell's Wool Fat. Known on our forums as MWF. That and a tube of Truefit and Hill cream.

Get a lather bowl, a cereal or small soup bowl will do, and put a dab of cream in the bowl, lather on the puck until you load the brush, and then go into the bowl and combine the two for uber lather. Get a good DE razor to supplement your straight. Feather, Gillette 7O'Clock Yellow DE blades. Just IMHO.

+1. I'd suggest a Truefitt & Hill hard soap, it'll last longer than the cream.

If it makes you feel any better about shelling out the cash, I bought one puck each of Tabac, MWF, and T&F "1803" several years ago, and I'm still working through them. They're substantially better than Proraso (a "Tier 3" in Obie's list). IMHO, the T&F is better than Tabac or MWF.

You can use almond oil for a pre-shave. It's inexpensive (at the grocery store) and works well. Not necessary, but it might be useful if your technique is "under development".

If you get into fragrances and scents, that can get expensive. I've never needed an aftershave. If you have any problem with post-shave irritation, use a balm (no alcohol!) or a bit of almond oil, not an aftershave. I think Nivea has been recommended by other people.

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

If it makes you feel any better about shelling out the cash, I bought one puck each of Tabac, MWF, and T&F "1803" several years ago, and I'm still working through them. They're substantially better than Proraso (a "Tier 3" in Obie's list). IMHO, the T&F is better than Tabac or MWF.

Yes, hard soaps do last a long time but if you have never used a brush before to make lather creams may be easier to learn with as the lather easier. Either way you have to learn how to make a lather and each cream/soap may like to be treated a little differently.

Now here is the problem with making lists of soaps/creams and placing them in tiers by performance. For the last 3 days I have been using Proraso in the green tub and a boar brush to lather with. It made a nice lather that allowed me excellent 4 pass shave with a straight razor. I also have Tabac and MdC in my rotation along with many more soaps and creams. Are Tabac and MdC better? I suppose so but Proraso still works just fine for me as does Arko. I do not have sensitive skin but Obie does so I am not as judgmental on soaps/creams. OTH that is what makes Obie's ranking of soaps/creams useful, he really notices the differences that others may not. If you want to play safe get one of Obie's top tier recommendations for sure.

Bob

The advise to stay simple is not to go with samples. Learn how then experiment, having a dozen soaps trying to figure each one is what is going to make the learning curve go up. Just get a decent soap and brush and learn it. Then order all the samples you want, then you will know if they are working for you. Tc

Well I think I found something I'm going to try. That way I can focus on getting a good lather and shave and then experiment from there once I have the technique down.

Although I see you say you have made your decision I will add my two cents. I have only been at this a year this month, I bought a few things in the beginning that I thought I would need that I ended up not using due to hassle factor. First I bought pre shave oil, at the end of the day I have found that with a good warm shower and lather the oil is just a pain in the butt and not a necessity. Second I bought a couple tubs of soap after reading that most guys have whole rooms devoted to just soaps, at the end of the day there are lots of soaps I would love to try and one day I will but messing with several soaps when trying to learn lather is a mistake and advise that I did not heed. As mentioned simple is the way to go and stay for awhile the same soap or cream which ever you go with and I nice after shave. Prep is a huge part of getting a decent shave at first in my opinion. If you don't have good prep you will struggle a bit. One suggestion I will make is shaving cream. Shaving cream IMO seems to lather a bit easier and is not as picky I guess I could say as some of the soaps I have. I use CO Bigelowes and it has a nice menthol cooling scent and feel and at Bath and Body works it is like $5 for a small tube. Again I am not a pro by any means these are my simple observations and I just hope to help with frustration and wasting money. I have jumped in with both feet and could not be happier, in the end it is your shave and enjoy it best of luck sorry for the long post :/

Originally Posted by BaseballPlayer

Well I think I found something I'm going to try. That way I can focus on getting a good lather and shave and then experiment from there once I have the technique down.

Good luck then and keep us posted how things are going.


Bob

Just adding my 2 cents. I have pre-shave cream and honestly dont notice a difference when I use it and when I dont in the actual shave. I do seem to enjoy shaving more when I use it but that seems to be due to 2 factors
1 I only use it when I have lots of time to enjoy the shave
2. The scent is nice on my face while I lather up the soap.

Late on when you got some spare cash try it but dont consider it a necessity