We all hard to start somewhere. Before I got into wet shaving, I was a cart and goo user. I was using the ol' canned stuff and Bic razors for about 12 years, starting when I was 13 and had to start shaving. Eventually, I was getting so tired of being razor burned with an irritated neck, that I gave up shaving all together and just buzzed my beard down to stubble everyday for an entire year. I started to research different shaving techniques and stumbled upon the glorious and time honored tradition of wet shaving. I read and read about all the different types of gear, creams, soaps, and aftershaves before deciding on pulling the trigger and ordering my first shave set-up. My first wet shave set-up consisted of: -EJ DE89 -Derby Blades -TOBS Almond Shaving Cream -AOS Badger Brush my brother-in-law gave me -Every Man Jack Aftershave Balm This served me well for just about 6 months until I really got my technique down. Once I felt a little more confident with my shaves, I started to experiment with all the different variables wet-shaving had to offer. ...And I went down that rabbit hole for about another year until I came up with my current, perfect set-up. So, I was just curious as to what everyone's beginning set-up consisted of.
My beginner set was AOS trial/travel set with a weishi black chrome razor. The AOS came with a little travel badger brush. I used that set for about 6 months until Xmas when my wife and mother in law got me a merkur 180 as well as a tub of proraso green, 100 Astra sp blades and a Parker badger brush.
I was given a membership to the Wet Shave Club as a Christmas gift in 2015. My first shave was with the Wet Shave Club three-piece DE razor. I think I used a Personna lab blue blade. Satin Tip 'The Purest' synthetic brush and Proraso White soap completed the first DE shave. I was given several other shaving gifts that Christmas, including several soaps. I used the Proraso White for most of the next month and really enjoyed it.
VDH razor(not the blades!), C O Bigelow Premium Shave Cream(aka Proraso Green), VDH Badger Brush, Wilkinson Sword Classic(black case) blades and a glass bowl from Dollar Tree. Bigelow was from Bath & Body Works, Classic's were from Bed Bath & Beyond. Then the various AD's kicked in!
My first setup: Merkur 34C HD (actually trying to get rid of it), Astra SP, and TOBS Sandalwood. I didn't have aftershave or anything at the time.
Started out about 2 years ago after I read some article titled something like "Shave Like Your Grampa". Ordered a Merkur Progress razor and some Derby blades and off I went. Not only is it cheap (so long as you don't get an acquisition disorder) but I now actually enjoy shaving and my face is irritation free, something I hadn't been able to say since prepuberty. I'd always used a brush and nivea shave cream and still do but I have a nicer Omega brush now instead of a horse hair brush from the drug store. I've since discovered vintage Gillette razors but I still give the Progress a turn once in a while. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk
Weishi TTO Astra SP Proraso Green Tub Parker Best Badger Geo. F. Trumper Lime Skin Food Proraso Green AS
First shave: Merkur 34c with an Astra SP blade, Captain's Choice Bay Rum soap, Captain's Choice bowl and a Royal Shave best badger brush. Don't remember using any after shave or balm.
When I ditched the carts some years ago, my first set up was: Parker 22 R Omega 49 Shark SS Colonel Conk Lime I would keep a couple of pucks melted into an oversized mug to keep the depth down, and lather right out of that like the old days. That was my set up for several years until I tripped over a forum one day and fell head first into a really deep hole. Now I am a bald unicorn.
As I recall, my starter kit looked like this: Muhle R89 razor Edwin Jagger best badger and Omega synthetic brushes Feather blade C.O. Bigelow (same as Proraso) and TOBS Avocado creams Thayer's Lavender Witch Hazel Clinique for Men Post Shave Healer Pinaud Clubman
