Hello guys, my name is Marcel and I am from the Netherlands. My history: When I was 16 my parents gave me a Philishave electric razor, which did a proper job at that age. A few years later I had to shave more often than once or twice a week and the Philishave drove me nuts, irritation all over the place. Enter wet-shaving. Gillette Sensor first, later Mach 3, with or without turbo. I ignored the Fusion because the Mach 3 already clogged with regular use. The powered versions where completely out of the question. Some time ago I was tired of all the Gillette blades, when a friend told me he had bought a straight razor. Apparently that really made me think about alternatives to cartridges, especially since my dad never switched to cartridges and always sticked to DE shaving using his Gillette Super Speed. As a child I always found that very interesting. And scary at the same time... Anyway, since halfway march this year I jumped into DE shaving, got a blade sampler and a way too expensive but very minty Gillette Slim from the bay. Quickly followed by a short handled Super adjustable. RAD kicked in pretty quick and my guess is that I have about 25 razors at the moment. Mostly DE but also two SE and one injector. My most recent acquisition is a very good looking Gillette Criterion and I think I have fallen in love with it In fact, I think I love open comb razors in general. When it comes to shaving brushes I am quite a novice, I have a boar brush which is almost 20 years old, no clue what brand it is. Another brush I got is a cheap Omega boar I bought a couple of years back as a backup and for travel. Time for a decent badger! I use mostly Vergulde Hand and Monsavon shaving soap, but it's time I got some better soaps. Favorite blades at the moment: NOS Gillette bleue extra, Feather, Astra SP and Gillette Yellows. Well, that's about it, hope I enjoy my stay here!
Welkom bij de groep, Marcel! It's always a pleasure to meet somebody from Europe--by the way, De Vergulde Hand is one of the best shaving soaps ever created!
Welcome Marcel, It's a pleasure to meet anyone whose Dad was hip enough to stick with such a superior razor in the face of multi-bladed adversity... I hope you enjoy your stay aswell...See you around the Den.
Thanks guys, feels like a very warm welcome! I didn't know that vergulde hand shaving soap was regarded as a good shaving soap, as it is a low budget solution overhere. It does the job, but it also dehydrates my skin pretty quick.
I don't know about the Vergulde, but I do have quite the affinity for the Monsavon! How easy is the Monsavon to come by around your town?
Ja, I know it is cheap, but it is one of my top favorites. I absolutely LOVE the scent, lather and everything else about it.
It's not available here unfortunately, I picked up some bowls when I was on holiday in France. That stuff can be bought in just about any supermarket and pharmacie. It's cheap as dirt overthere 1,20 euro! Even vergulde hand costs twice that around here ;-)
Have you ever tried the Sanders soap? It smells nice, it has a good lather to it, and it works quite well. Not as good perhaps as De Vergulde Hand, but still more than adequate.
Welcome to The Shave Den, a great community of guys and gals that enjoy wet shaving, I hope you enjoy your stay! Be sure to sign up for the June Newbie Give-Away for a chance to win some great shave gear! You'll find the Welcome to The Shave Den Master Sticky, put together by our very own Queen of Blades, will help you find your way around the forums.
