Sure, I've gotten a great deal with an old Gillette razor, but in the retail (or new, if you will) I've had a few hits and misses. By misses, I mean I paid it, used it and had immediate buyers remorse or just asked myself "why?" But this attempt at a long thread isn't meant to bash our terrible buys but celebrate and/or spread the word of our BEST buys in the world of brand-new, modern, NIB or whatever-you-want-to-call-it wet shaving goods. Here's my 2 cents. Brush - Omega Professional (xxx049, i think?) Boar Bristle Brush. For the $10 I spent (still on sale online at one of the retailers, I don't want to plug). This thing is amazing. In my use, I don't need to soak the brush, just wet it. And the lather it creates with Proraso is thick and plentiful with cream just the size that goes on a toothbrush. I always thought Badger was the be all, end all. But I have a Best Badger brush and I still reach for the Omega Professional, 75% of the time. Razor - This is debatable and This one was tough for me. But I got to go with price and shave experience and that goes to a Feather Popular. For the $18 I spent, I haven't got a bad shave. To me, Mild razor + Sharpest, smoothest blade = awesome results. IMO, if the the Feather Popular had a metal handle and less plastic in it, it would be razor Hall of Fame worthy. All opinions are welcome (translation: there's no right or wrong, its an opinion).
For 'bang for the buck,' it is tough to beat the value of the Omega 48 & 49 boars. Others claim the VDH brush is also a great value (it is probably the least expensive), however there are some compromises in overall performance and quality of knot. For vintage razors, the relatively low price and top-flight performance of many of the Gillette Super speed models still make them a good value.
I agree with the Omega '49. That's a great brush at a great price. I'd say the VDH deluxe set for $9.99 is probably one of the best deals out there. Everything you need but the razor, and all decent quality too. Not the best of the best, no sir. But it gets you there and gives you the experience. For new razors, I'm going to have to say the Weishi 9306. For $9-$20 (depending on where and what you buy), this is a quality razor that isn't going to let you down.
Not much I can add as a really new user. I will say that I bought the VDH Luxury set and the brush knot completely separated from the handle a week in. I'm planning on epoxying it and PIFing it off with a few other things to help out a new shaver on a budget...
Razor- None that is new IMO. Maybe the Feather Popular but I can't say because I haven't used it. I won't buy any pot metal razors and stainless steel razors are too expensive and unproven (and may or may not rust). For vintage defenitely the Micromatic line of razors. They're built like brick ****Houses and are no where near the crazy fad prices of DEs and for me they shave much more comfortably. Blades: For SEs, Injectors, and DEs definitely go for Personna. Personna makes the only SE blades. Sure they are almost twice as expensive as most DE blades but they last at least twice as long. Some even get 14+ shaves out of one blade. Their injector blades are much cheaper than the Chinese Schick blades. The DE blades are extremely sharp (and smooth) and don't carry the high price of Feather blades. They are also made in the USA. Brush: I disagree with the recommendation for the '49 or any of the $10 Omegas. The knot is good but the hollow thin plastic handle cracks very easily. Go up to the $20 solid acrylic handle Omegas or Semogues. They will last much longer. Soap: Arko hands down. I've tried much more expensive soaps and Arko keeps up with and even outperforms many of them. I have sensitive skin and Arko always works for me. If you can't stand the chemical scent just leave it open for a few weeks the scent will go away. Insanely cheap.
Brush: The Turkish $2.45-2.55 horsehair from BestShave.net and the silver tip badger from Franks of China at $27 including shipping. Soap: Arko or Palmolive shave sticks. Blades: Most are really priced right. Razor: A near mint shape Gillette adjustable Black Beauty, a good buy even at the high used prices today.
I will add one more. The Kent Infinity Silvertex is a great buy on a synthetic brush at around $20 - 28 depending on source. http://www.themodernman.co.uk/kent-infinity-silvertex-ivory-shaving-brush.html?___SID=U
The $10 I spent on the VDH Premium set is the best $10 I've spent in a long, long time. Since I can buy the Deluxe soap that comes with the kit for $2, if I split the difference left over, that's $4 for a nice bowl of decent weight that fits the palm of my hand really well, and $4 for the brush. The brush is not beautiful, but the handle seems to be solid, and I have no fear of breaking or cracking it. And since I bought it, it's shed 2, maybe 3 hairs. I would expect most new brushes to shed one or two in the beginning. It does it's job very well, and with the one soap and two creams I use regularly, it whips up gobs of lather. And the best part is that it started me on a wetshaving journey that I will reap the benefits of for the rest of my life, and sent me searching for forums like this one. That's a bargain at 5 times the price, and on the short list of the best decisions I've made in the last 30 years. MHO.
For a brush I think the Thaters are under valued. Soft tips, wonderful flow through, lather machines. If best buy means value then the Thaters are an incredible value
Hard to argue against either the Semos or the Arko. Both are proven products with a loyal following in a quite crowded field. I haven't personally had any experiences with cracking on the Omega handles (48 or 49). I've had some scratching of the chromed exterior, but so far no handle failure. I am aware that there have been some chipping problems on some painted Semogue models, having experienced it myself firsthand.
Right now at Stirling you can pick up a 3 piece for $8, and a boar brush for $6. That's not a bad price..
Here is my Omega 10810. To be fair I dropped it once on my hardwood floor. It has three big cracks like this one all around the handle. Many other hairline surface cracks. I didn't notice any when I dropped it. It looks like they just developed from little hairline surface cracks. All are located near the knot. Still works but it is in the garbage now. That is why I got the Semogue 830. No cracks and no paint to chip. Oh also I've heard the black plastic ring around the Omega knots can crack just from normal usage.
