The Beginning

:sihns011

My first rig was the following:

Ming Shi
PIF Blade Sampler
VDH Boar
VDH Soap
Brut ASB
Brut AS

I gave the Ming Shi away. Originally I called it a Big Roc because that was the name on the doors, but it turned out to be a rebranded Ming Shi.

I still have my first VDH brush and a tiny sliver of the original puck of VDH for sentimental reasons.

I also still use the Brut products.

I had to dig in the TSD archives but here was my very first SOS post on 04-27-2010:

Hot shower
AOS badger
Sue Bee's Brut soap
Schick Krona w/Derby blade
Brut ASB
Brut AS

I still have the soap, razor and Brut. I gave up on the Derby's and PIF'd AOS badger.

 

I have always wet shaved (just not properly;-)) with the exception of a brief period when I tried an electric. My original was a Sensor. Since I started doing the traditional thing though:

'67 Slim Adj (yes)
VDH deluxe (yes)
Burma Shave boar (nope)


I don't use the sensor anymore

 

Good idea, hadn't occurred to me to look for my own first post in that thread. It was in February, 2010, and I'd been into this whole traditional thing for nearly a year already, I think. It seems I used:

Ever-Ready 1912 SE razor with "Amazon" blade (an Amazon seller used to sell the same ones that Pella does).
Vulfix badger brush
TSD Blueberry soap. I'd bought four TSD samples, all gone now.
Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm

 

My kit when I returned back to D/E use and signed on to TSD:

Merkur long handle classic
Derby blades
Burma Shave Kit (soap, brush, mug)

I don't recall the aftershave, but all I had back then was Stetson or Old Spice, so it had to be one of them.

Still have all the kit, and use it from time to time.

 

good topic!

When I first started shaving it was with an electric. Then I moved on to a Gillette Sensor with canned goo.

My first DE setup was:

Feather "popular" razor.
Vulfix boar brush.
Classicshaving puck, vanilla scent.
Feather blades.
Gillette mentholated aftershave balm.

The razor was so light and mild that the Feather blades were no problem to use. My shaves weren't very good but I improved technique and moved on to different razors/ blades in about a year.

Oh yeah, I don't have that setup anymore. Gave away the razor and brush. Used up the soap, blades and aftershave; I developed a reaction to the aftershave and stopped buying it. The soap was too expensive for what it was. I do occasionally buy Feather blades.

 

Very Nice.

My first DE shave:

Merkur HD (Traded to Bob (BattleMunky))
Shark Super Chrome
Omega Boar (Gave to a friend to get him started)
Williams Mug Soap (Still have 2 pucks)
Styptic Pencil
AV Classic Blue (Yuck, never again)

 

First DE shave:

VDH Brush
VDH Deluxe shave soap
Merkur 34C
Blade - don't remember. It was from a sample pack, though.

Still use the 34C very often. Always keep the VDH Deluxe in the rotation.
Ditched the VDH brush for a Vulfix 406 that sees frequent use.

 

How can you say such a thing about the magic elixir that goes by the name Velva!

 

still have the brush and bowl. sold the razor and used up the rest.

 

I used to enjoy it and still have a full glass bottle of it in the drawer. However, the scent nauseates me and I doubt it will ever be used. I'm not sure what happened, one day I went to use it and I just couldn't bring myself to splash it on. I have been using Superior 70 for the last 8 months or so. I like a lighter quickly dissipating scent if I don't use plain witch hazel.

 

Wow, I hope that never happens to me. That stuff has quenched many fires for me, but there are alot of other nice splashes that can do the same.

 

For years I used a Gillette Adjustable Black Handle and canned gu. When I got into real wet shaving my first rig was:

Gillette Adjustable Black Handle (passed down to my son)
Personna Double Edge, and Derby (still used occasionally)
Williams SS
Ever Ready Boar Brush (still in rotation)
Gillette Cool Wave A/S

Now I use an EJ86, Gem Push Button, ER 1912, and Vintage Gillettes (Fatboy, Slim, Red Tip, New), and mostly barbershop aftershaves.

 

wet shaving
Body shop tub cream (oh how I miss it)
Body Shop synthetic brush (that...I don't miss so much)
Schick Xtreme 3, then quattro (not a chance)

DE start
Merkur 33c (still have and love it, but I have added a '47 Aristocrat-we don't get on well just yet...)
VDH Deluxe soap (yep)
VDH Boar brush (still have one, just not that one since it imploded mid-shave)

 

I started from Gillette Sensor and Gillette gel when I was... 15 or 16, I think...Never again!
Fast forward to 2008 when I 'discovered' wetshaving after some serious troubles with face skin and ingrowns...

Merkur 23C Long Handle classic - my first DE, was ordered from Moscow, still in use, love it.
Everest SC (use it rarely from time to time)
Shick boar brush (dropped on the floor and broken, no chance to restore)
Everest ASB w/cologne (got back to it and use it often)

My second wetshaving 'reborn' - a month ago...
8/8 W&B restored by Glen - thanks, Jeff, for it, I LOVE that old axe of war...
Muhle travel best badger brash
De Vergulde Hand soap - thanks, Jeff, that's number 1 for me!
Phyto Expert ASB

 

Razor: H1 Slim (nope)
Brush: VDH (yeah... not often though)
Soap: VDH (yeah... not often though)
AS or ASB: no idea

 

Good stuff everyone! See? It was worth pumping life back into this thread after 4 years dormant! ::git

 

My first real wetshaving experience with cream and brush was with an AOS sandlewood kit and I gillette fushion. My first DE shave came after i got my Merkur 34 C with blades. Its all still here and I still love them all. Although the merkur razor has fallen out of rotation lately. I need to dig it out of my dopp kit.

 

I started traditional wetshaving about 3 years ago with:

Merkur 34C razor - Have not used in about a year
Dovo pure badger brush - Still use nearly every day
Merkur blades - Only used these twice and then chucked them in the garbage
Kiss My Face shave cream - Still use from time to time

Now I usually use an Edwin Jagger DE89L razor and shaving soap. If I had to stick with only the above items forever, that would still be perfectly fine. Except for the Merkur blades.

 

Great Resurrection of the thread.

First equipment circa '69 - '70 was:

Gillette Slim Adjustable (1963) - Still have it and still use it sometimes.
Williams Soap - Always have it around and still use it sometimes.
Ever-Ready boar brush - Still have it, but really don't use it very much.
Blades were whatever cheapest brand my dad gave me to use - No way on God's green earth do I miss those.
Old Spice - Yep, especially on Sundays

Today:

So many great choices, but the ones I use most often today are:

1946 Aristocrat / Merkur Slant / Wm Gilchrist Faux Frameback / 1914 Ever Ready SE
MWF or DR Harris Marlborough / AOS Sandalwood cream.
Brush - Too many good ones to choose just one.
Blade for DE - Feather or Red Personna.
AS - DR Harris / Ogallala limes and peppercorns or Sage / Cedar

Man, this makes me want to go lather up with some of the neglected gear and shave again.

Will N.

 

AoS cream purchased many years ago
TBS Synthetic brush (long gone)
Merkur Futur (also long gone)