Hello Everyone,
First, I want to thank everyone who posts on this forum. As a result of reading your many posts, I have learned a lot since starting wet shaving in mid-Oct, so I'm only going on three months. Once I started DE shaving, I knew that I would never return to the Gillette Fusion that I was using before. Good riddance to that piece of plastic!
Like many on B&B, I acquired a RAD and a SAD. At this point, it is only razors and soaps that I've gone a bit crazy over. I have yet to get the bug to buy more brushes or aftershaves.
I started with a Merkur 34c, purchased on Amazon, along with 100 Persona Blue Labs, 100 Astra SS, and 50 Feathers. In that purchase, I also ordered my first soap, which was Razorock XXX and Thayer Aloe aftershave. All was going fine and then I started to read the forum boards. That's when I got RAD and SAD
I read about vintage razors and knew immediately that I had to have them....many of them! The first that I acquired, on eBay, was a 1956 Gillette Red Tip A2. At the same time, I began reading about SE razors and decided to get a few of those too. To make a long story short, I successively bought, all on eBay, the following razors: GEM 1912, GEM Damaskeene, GEM Junior, GEM G-Bar, GEM Micromatic Clog Pruf, GEM Micromatic Open Comb, Every Ready 1912, Ever Ready 1914, and Schick Injector G1. I also bought from the manufacturer a Mongoose from the latest production run. And I ended up buying a Merkur 37c after seeing a few review videos claiming that it is so good.
As for soaps, here is my little collection (no creams): Razorock XXX & Essential Oil of Lime; Stirling Ozark Mountains, Tuscany, Coniferous, & Padre Island; WSP Rustic Shaving Soaps Barbershop, Mahogany, & Tobacco; Catie's Bubbles LPV; Dr. Jon's Anne Bonny, Hydra, Big Green Monster, & Black Label; Soap Commander Courage & Renewal; PAA CoD; Barrister & Mann Bay Rum; Tiki The Captain; Tabac Original; Ballenclaugh Thunder & Linen and Sour Mash; and Mystic Water Irish Traveler, Sweet Briar, and Eucalyptus & Mint; Shave Revolution The Gentleman -- Oud Wood & The Executive Vetiver. I guess that is 27 to date. Not bad for my first three months
Because I've not been shaving for too long, I can not make any definitive statement about which razor or which soap I like best, but I do have my preferences, so here goes:
This may sound surprising, but in my top three razors is the GEM Junior, which I picked up for $2.99 on eBay. It's in great condition with no plating loss and plenty of shine on the head. This is the model with the thin black handle. I find that it give me a great shave every single time without undue caution on my part. I also like the fact that it's relatively lightweight and very maneuverable. It is just a simple, good razor. I like it better than the Mongoose.
Speaking of which, I think that I jumped in much too soon given my inexperience. I could not get a nick-free shave with the Mongoose. The head was too large and heavy and often slipped as I was shaving. I know it's a great razor with exceptional build-quality, but I think it is better used in an experienced hand. As such, I sold it on eBay and I was able to basically break even after fees paid to list it. Maybe someday I will try again, but only after I've been shaving for a while.
Rounding out my top three razors is the GEM MMOC and the GEM Damaskeene. I read on these boards about the aggressiveness of the MMOC, so I took it very slow and careful when I started out. As a result, there was no problem at all. It resulted in a DFS without any nicks or irritation. The Damaskeene is also a wonderful razor. I always take care when shaving, but the Damaskeene does not demand as much caution as the MMOC and it results in a great shave. With my limited experience, I would say that it is similar to the GEM Junior in terms of feel and performance. I am amazed that these wonderful razors were perfected over 100 years ago! And on top of that, the build quality was excellent, which allows us to enjoy them to this day.
After reading mixed reviews about the G-Bar, I was pleasantly surprised that I've gotten great shaves with it. In my opinion, it is similar in feel to the MMOC, which makes sense because they share a flat head and require a steep angle against the face.
I've been quick to sell items that I do not love. Early on, I took a preference to SE razors, so I decided to sell my Gillette Red Tip on eBay. Like the experience with the Mongoose, I basically broke even on the resale. I also sold a few of my soaps. Scent is a very personal thing, so it is difficult to know if you will like something just by reading or watching someone's review. For this reason, I now prefer going to Pasteur's Pharmacy here in New York. They have a wide selection and the owner encourages me to open the soap containers to find ones that I like.
To date, I have sold both Shave Revolution soaps. They made great lather, but the scent was too weak for me. I prefer strong-scented soaps. I also sold Stirling Padre Island. Stirling Soaps are among my favorites, but I was not crazy about the scent of Padre Island.
My favorite soap at this point is Dr. Jon's Anne Bonny. I love the scent and often find myself opening the lid just to get a smell. A close second is Tiki's The Captain, which to my nose is a very nice cherry pipe tobacco scent that brings me back to when I was a kid visiting one of my uncles who always had a pipe in his mouth. I love the scent of Catie's Bubbles LPV, but I do not like the feel of the lather as much as I do Dr. Jon's, Tiki, or Stirling. Don't get me wrong, Catie's is a great soap, but for me it is not as slick as others. Maybe it's my inexperience in loading, so I will work on that.
Sorry for the long, long post. Thanks again to everyone who has posted on B&B. I've been lurking for a while and really soaking up a lot of valuable information about products and about technique.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.
Newbie checking in
شارك عبر الماسنجر
