So about a year ago I bought some TOBS lavender and sandalwood scents. I think they work great, but my wife hates the smell and says they smell to flowery. So since I'm finally running out of shaving cream, what other scents do you guys like?

I tried the C.O.Bigelow stuff but didn't like the "cooling" feeling that it gives you.

[Edited on February 17, 2013 at 8:15 PM. Reason : .]

2/17/2013 8:14:22 PM

so after reading up on this I was sold. Just bought my first wet shave stuff. Got a Lord Premium Safety Razor as many have said its a great razor for pretty cheap. Got a Van Der Hagen luxury kit with brush/bowl/stand/cream. Got a 35 sample pack of razors and an alum block. Will get skin food from the store tomorrow. I am excited for my first foray into wet shaving and I have no doubt I will be upgrading to a better brush and razor once I have the technique down. Looking forward to not have the tugs and razorburn I get with cartridges.

2/18/2013 2:26:00 AM

^^ i really like bay rum...it's probably my favorite

^ welcome to the club!

2/18/2013 7:30:41 AM

Soooo, my first brush has finally given up on me. Up until today the bristles hardly shed on a regular basis. Today it felt like half the bristles were on my face. It was one of those cheapo Van Der Hagens from target.

I'm debating whether to get a nice quality brush for under $25-30 or just go get another one of the VDH brushes.

Do you guys really think it makes that much of a difference? What would you recommend?

[Edited on February 24, 2013 at 3:28 PM. Reason : ]

2/24/2013 3:28:02 PM

Don't know if it matters all that much if you're only looking to spend $25.

Out of curiosity, how long did it last you. I've been using a cheap badger brush from Harris Teeter ($15) for the past year and a half and it still works great. Has lasted longer than I thought it would.

2/24/2013 5:43:19 PM

this tweezerman badger has served me well at $13: http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-2801-h-Mens-Shaving-Brush/dp/B000G647Y8/

same thing, escali brand: http://www.amazon.com/Escali-100%25-Badger-Shaving-Brush/dp/B003WR3QSG/

2/24/2013 7:13:30 PM

^^Lasted me since about last June. I'm not really worried about longevity obviously...I was just interested to know if it makes that much of a difference in terms of how it feels when you lather. But then again, if your $15 brush lasted a year longer than my $8 one....

Quagmire: which one do you like better? That escali seems to have near perfect reviews...

[Edited on February 24, 2013 at 10:09 PM. Reason : ]

2/24/2013 10:08:09 PM

So just used mine for the first time. No cuts but still have to get the technique down. Didn't get a close shave at all and ended up finishing it off with my mach 3. Will get better with practice I hope.

2/25/2013 1:59:45 AM

^^^ Yeah that tweezerman is the one I got from Harris Teeter. Works great for me.

^ I'm sure it'll get better. I think I was scared I was going to carve my face off the first few times I tried it so I didn't get a real close shave either

2/25/2013 6:46:26 AM

^ ah, i wouldn't have thought to check HT for wet shaving brushes

Quote :

"which one do you like better? That escali seems to have near perfect reviews..."

i don't own the escali, i have the tweezerman...but the tweezerman looks more like the escali in that picture

i suspect they're the same thing, made by the same company and slapping a logo sticker on it, depending on who they're shipping it out for...i doubt you'll go wrong with either

i've had mine for...2 years?...and so far, i've only lost a 10-15 bristles

granted, i only shave an average of 2-3 times per week, so take my experience for what it's worth...but it's leaps and bounds better than the old boar hair brush that i keep as a backup

2/25/2013 8:42:26 AM

^^how many passes did you make? I usually make three passes. With grain and two across grain east to west and west to east. I have sensitive skin so the extra closeness I would get for going against the grain south to north is negligible and i'd rather not have to worry about rash and irritation.

2/25/2013 8:45:13 AM

for some reason, i can go ATG on my neck and the sides of my face, but forget it on my chin, upper lip, etc...whether it's poor technique or sensitive skin or a combination of the two, it's just begging for major irritation

for the second pass (i usually only do two total) on those sensitive areas, i go E-W or W-E depending on which side of my face i'm on

2/25/2013 9:01:11 AM

^^ If I shave everyday, then usually one pass is enough for me. Although I don't work in an environment where they care if you shave or inspect you or anything. If it has been a couple of days, then I'll do two passes. I think the only time I do three passes is if its been a few days and I'm getting ready for some special occasion or something.

As far as against the grain and cross grain, I realized through this process that a lot of my facial hair doesn't grow north to south. So the first pass is with the grain, and the second pass would be against the grain. But from my jawline and below, my beard grows in an outwards direction. So going with the grain for me, is going from chin to ear.

Before I realized this, I just assumed my beard grew in a north to south direction, and I was getting bumps and nicks (especially on my neck) by just going from top down. It wasn't until I let my beard grow out for a few days and really looked at it closely that I realized my cheeks/sideburn and the chin are the only places that grow north-south. So once I figured that out, I was able to start shaving easier

[Edited on February 25, 2013 at 11:12 AM. Reason : I just realized you probably weren't talking to me ]

2/25/2013 11:09:58 AM

nope, but it's all good haha

2/25/2013 11:19:36 AM

Quote :

"Out of curiosity, how long did it last you. I've been using a cheap badger brush from Harris Teeter ($15) for the past year and a half and it still works great. Has lasted longer than I thought it would."

aaaand the knot came out of the handle today on my brush. Thats what I get for opening my mouth

3/7/2013 12:43:51 PM

Edwin Jagger brushes FTW

3/7/2013 3:19:05 PM

Haven't shaved for about two weeks. Beard makes me feel manly.

3/7/2013 3:21:14 PM

Quote :

"Haven't shaved for about two weeks. Beard makes me feel manly itchy."

3/7/2013 3:22:19 PM

Haven't really felt itchy now.

3/7/2013 3:27:42 PM

Haven't shaved in about 5 months. Beard makes me feel normal

3/7/2013 3:47:59 PM

Post a pic then.

3/7/2013 4:53:50 PM

back on the shaving train again. it was finally time to lose the beard, though i am still sporting a mustache/balbo for the time being. love the smell of aqua velva in the mornings.


need some more cream.

4/10/2013 9:06:50 AM

holy hell i butchered my neck last night. i look like i have MRSA this morning

8/20/2013 7:40:26 AM

i finally gave up on my merkur 11c...i don't know if i've simply never gotten the hang of shaving properly or my skin is stupid sensitive or the design of the merkur just didn't work well for me...or a combination of all of those...but i don't think i've EVER shaved with it and not nicked myself or had very sensitive skin afterward

i'm sticking with the mid-60s gillette tech K2...it's so forgiving that i can shave with regular shaving cream and warm water from the tap without irritation or cutting myself

it doesn't get as close as the merkur and it's difficult to get into the philtrum, but it's still a better shave that leaves me smoother than using one of the multi-blades

1/31/2014 8:35:14 AM

Without wading back through 13 pages, my wife is looking for gift ideas and as I am about to re-enter the work force, I need to get on board with this shaving my whole face thing again (you will be missed, mountain man scruff). That said, can I get just a basic rundown of what all I will need to get going? Here is the list that I have in my head. Feel free to add to it or to suggest alternatives:
Ravor: Either
Merkur Long Handled Safety Razor
http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Long-Handled-Safety-Razor/dp/B000NL0T1G/ref=sr_1_4?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1417979583&sr=1-4&keywords=merkur+34c
or
Merkur Heavy Duty Double Edge Razor #34C
http://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Heavy-Double-Razor-Included/dp/B000QYEK88/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1417979583&sr=1-1&keywords=merkur+34c

I don't really know the difference other than one is on sale, but I seem to recall people pleased with the 34C.

Razor Blades:
I know that people love Feathers, but apparently they are hella sharp and best for when I have some experience shaving, so I was thinking Merkurs.

Soap:
Taylor of Old Bond Street Lavender Shaving Cream Bowl
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0031OOHB0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=11CVYKCQGY5S7&coliid=I2IJD9VHEJBW0I&psc=1
or
Burt's Bees - Bay Rum Shaving Soap(Disc)
http://www.amazon.com/Burts-Bees-Shaving-Soap-Disc/dp/B00014DZGQ/ref=sr_1_6?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1417980065&sr=1-6&keywords=burt%27s+bees+shaving

Alum Bar:
?

My wife bought me a kit last year that has a mug and brush, so I may see how those work first before seeking replacements. Am I missing anything?

12/7/2014 2:23:57 PM

Aftershave of some sort, if you'd like.

I use an alum bar.

TOBS is great. You can find sample packs if you're not settled on a particular scent.

12/8/2014 12:08:12 AM

Quote :

"Razor Blades: I know that people love Feathers, but apparently they are hella sharp and best for when I have some experience shaving, so I was thinking Merkurs."

Just get feathers. Merkurs are garbage. you'll realize quickly why everyone loves the feathers and honestly you aren't going to butcher your face with a DE razor. It's more about learning how your facial hair grows and the proper stroke technique. As in, don't just go against the grain your first time or you could have a miserable first experience. My recommendation? lather, North to south, rinse, lather, east to west, rinse, lather, west to east, rinse, witch hazel, after shave, profit. a 3-pass shave like this will get you just as close as anything against the grain. good luck.

12/8/2014 9:39:29 AM

Thanks for the advice! So, either of those two razors should work just fine?

As for aftershave, I use:
Burt's Bees Aftershave 100% Natural 2.5 Oz
http://www.amazon.com/Burts-Bees-Aftershave-100%25-Natural/dp/B001RVOOG2/ref=sr_1_3?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1418051998&sr=1-3&keywords=burts+bees+aftershave

12/8/2014 10:35:33 AM

yeah, both of those will be fine. I don't really have any experience with the long handled version. I have fairly big hands but still prefer the feel of a normal length handle. I would personally go with the 34c (hefty). The added weight of the razor helps glide the blade through the hairs as opposed to using more pressure from your hand on the stroke.

12/8/2014 10:58:47 AM

Guys. I finally did NO SHAVE november for the first time in my life. I also didn't shave yet. Almost 40 days and I barely even have 2 inches of hair sticking out on the goatee side and an inch terrible looking stubble on the sides. The damn crap itches. Think I am shaving it off tomorrow!

12/9/2014 1:25:08 AM