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  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Default an introduction and the newbie check-list

    Hey all, Pike here. A 19 year old American who has been introduced into this culture of retro-shavers!

    So the situation is: I'm a student and run on a student budget. Most of my days, I'm strapped for cash. I've been putting a few bucks aside here and there to get the things for my straight-edge razor kit one at a time, and I've been really statisfied so far.

    So, from looking around the resources of this site, I gather this is essentially all I will need, assuming I don't get really into honing and whatnot:

    badger hair brush (and stand to let it drip dry)
    bowl/mug for lather
    some sort of cream or soap
    good old fashioned linen-leather strop
    some form of "treatment cream" for the leather strop (?)
    the razor (of course)

    There's a skin/beauty store within the city that I know sells the razors for $70 and $120 (for the higher end). Does $70 sound like a generally good price to pay for a mid-grade razor to start off with (to which, I will probably get a nicer one in the future)?

    Also, before I start shaving with the razor, would you guys reccomend going to a barber shop and getting a professional shave so i can get a general feel on how to start off?

    Finally: do all strops have to be "treated" with whatever treatment cream or are they fine without them?

    Thanks all.

    Sincerely,
    Pike.

  2. #2
    JAS eTea, LLC netsurfr's Avatar
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    Sep 2006
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    Default

    If I were trying to put a shaving kit together for the minimum money and still have quality components, I would start off with a razor and strop from Kenrup that will cost in the 65-75 range. I would skip the bowl. Use a cereal bowl, large mug, or even just a plastic whip cream container. I would pick up a Crabtree & Evelyn best badger brush. I leave the other components to your imagination. YMMV and all of that...

  3. #3
    Senior Member Ditch Doc's Avatar
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    Aug 2008
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    Winston-Salem, NC
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    Default

    get a shave ready razor from the classifieds here, a Vulfix brush, Make your own strop paddle to begin with, and then buy the strop you want.

  4. #4
    Senior Member cassady's Avatar
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    Aug 2008
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    Default

    I'm new to shaving as well, and my one addition to other folks' suggestions would be some decent aftershave lotion -- straight razor shaving is much closer than what I was used to, and the aftershave really helped with post-shaving sensitivity.

    I am using aftershave from The Body Shop, which seems to work well.

    Best of luck!

    cass

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