How do folks. I am 45 years old and was just introduced to shaving at one of the Art of Shaving stores down in Orlando. I may be a "closet" shaver as I never liked going more then a day without a shave and for at least 10 years have used Pinaud shaving cream because it reminded me of an old timey barber shop. If there are any similar scents please let me know. I bought a couple of starter kits from the art of shaving (lemon and sandlewood) and really like the stuff so far. Open to any suggestions on any kind of soaps or balms. Only caveat is that I have sensitive skin. I use cartridge blades from Durco but in my limited reading looks like I may need to invest in a DE razor before too awful long. Anyway, I have a lot to learn and read but feel free to send me any comments or suggestions that you have
Welcome to The Shave Den! It's a great place to learn, share your experiences, and have fun. You're off to a great start. You might consider picking up a vintage Gillette Super Speed or a new DE razor like a Parker 99R. Both are great shaving razors. You can try a blade sampler to see what brands you like the best. I'd recommend purchasing 100 Astra SP blades and starting with those. Most folks like them, and you can get 100 for about $11 on Amazon. While you're on Amazon, pick up an Omega boar brush...can't beat 'em for the money. AOS shave creams are very good. Taylor of Old Bond Street is another good cream and a bit less expensive. I've used AOS and TOBS Sandalwood, and I prefer TOBS. Old school shave soaps like Arko and Tabac are excellent performers, although some folks are not partial to the scents. If you like barber shop scents, though, you'll probably groove with Arko and Tabac. Bath and Body Works carries C.O. Bigelow (rebranded Proraso) cream...another good one. Lots of folks here believe in sticking with the same razor, brand of blade, brush, and soap or cream until your technique is solid and repeatable. Check out the 30 Day Rule / Focus thread...lots of folks there are willing to help you get started. There's a new thread every month. The party never stops, though. You can join anytime. I'm glad you're here with us.
Welcome @Drakethib! Pinaud makes a line of aftershave / colognes that are classic, inexpensive, and may be available locally. Their Clubman AS is square in the middle of that Barbershop scent group. If you are familiar with Canoe cologne it's like that. Click HERE to see some discussions about Barbershop scent.
Welcome! I'm also from Texas. It's always good to have fellow lone star shavers. Where you go from here is really up to you. You probably have enough soap to last awhile, but if you just want a few options to keep it fresh...opt for samples from maggards.com or fellow wet-shavers. There are lots of good soaps out there. Pinaud is one of my favorites too. It is a "Barbershop scent." My other favorite barbershop scents are made by Barrister and Mann (Seville) or Stirling soap (Barbershop). You can also get a sampling of blades from maggards. A good vintage safety razor would help as well (I like Gillette techs or Slim's). With a small investment (for a safety razor, sample of blades, and soap samples), you should be well on your way.
to TSD @Drakethib I hope you enjoy it here. I'm sure you'll find alot of good people and great information here. I agree with you and I also think you should think of making a small investment in a good DE such as an EJ89 and a large sample pack or two of blades. If you like being shaved daily these two items alone may help the quality and comfort of your shaves greatly. Some nice soaps and a good inexpensive brush(I use a bestshave #6 horse hair) won't hurt either. Just in case your wondering WE ARE a BUNCH of SHAVING ENABLERS here.
, If you want a balm, I suggest Speick. It is excellent, however I can't use it anymore because of it's high glycerin content. If you have dry skin I'd recommend it. I'm moving towards splashes myself, and have had luck with Portland General Store.
High their from North Cackalacky. I grew up in Texas but left in 1967 for the army. Only went back to visit. Glad you joined us.
Welcome from the Great Garden State @Drakethib! Plenty of Texicans here to make ya feel at home. Dive on in, the water's fine! Enjoy your shaves!
also..... I enjoy Art of Shaving products. They are very good in my opinion. But there's a whole world of products as good at much easier prices. Join us in the shave of the day thread to get inspiration about other nice products and gear.
