Are there any components of a shave that you find, as long as it is there, the brand, price bracket or quality is irrelevant? In my case it is both the alum block and styptic pen/match. I've used multiple brands for either of these items and found that they all, respectively, offer the same result. To me, an alum block is just an alum block; and a styptic pen is just a styptic pen. Perhaps I need to try more brands...I used to feel the same way about brushes until I tried a few more brands (although I have seen occasionally even experienced wet shavers claiming that the brush you use doesn't ultimately make a massive difference to your shave).
Shave cream. Creams by Caola Alfa, The Body Shop, and Kiss my Face work just as well, and sometimes better than creams costing double or triple per ounce. Brushes, blades, etc. There is almost always a cheaper substitute that will garner you he same effects. Inexpensive brushes don't necessarily equal cheap brushes, but there is usually a huge difference between say, a $10 badger brush and a $50 badger brush. The difference becomes much less noticeable between a $100 brush and a $300 brush. At that point, brand name and handle materials are the biggest differences.
This ^^^. I can get just as good of a lather, just as good of a shave from a $10 Omega boar as my most expensive badger, and everything in between. I enjoy them all.
There are a bunch of razors, blades, stones, strops, brushes, soaps, and everything else involved where a cheaper alternative that may work as good or better exists. I am aware of the products I use. I just look at each as different. Not as a cost per shave or as good as alternatives. That said, alum and styptic, as long as they aren't some crazy harmful chemical, yes. Same.
In my experience, alum blocks is a case where it's about finding the cheapest and biggest block available on eBay and call it a day.
How about strops? I am trying out the straight razor and only own the one strop at the moment, just a basic, narrow Dovo strop. Does, say, the Illinois #835 offer better stropping than a basic Dovo or vice versa? I understand that leather is an incredibly variable material and cheaper strops may wear out quicker, and of course a wider strop is easier to use, but are different strops, with the same technique on the same razor, more effective than others?
According to some studies, you're missing out on Alzheimer. Doubts and unknowns alone has left my block on the shelf for most of my shaves now.
You can buy a Rimei or a Wieshi razor for three or four dollars. You can buy a Merkur for thirty or forty. You can buy more premium razors for hundreds. There is a difference. Not much, but there is a difference in feel, finish, weight. Any of them will give a great shave. I do have a few that were under three bucks that aren't very useful. Overall poor finish and the parts sort of fit. You don't get a good shave from them without a lucky blade alignment. They just feel cheap. The top performing blade for me is Kai. It seems to be the most expensive too. Others costing much less are very good. I have some cheap ones too that are very good. From what I have found, price does not seem to be related to performance when it come to blades. I like all my brushes. Most are cheap. Two are slightly more than cheap. I have no expensive brush. The top performing soaps and creams for me are TOBS, Bodyshop, and Palmolive. I do have some that are cheaper and some that are more expensive, For me they all pale in comparison to the three I mentioned. I have one alum block and one styptic, the thought never occurred to me to try a different one. I suspect it doesn't matter at all.
Not necessarily! Alum is nothing more than another tool in your den, no more or less important or expendable than anything else (except maybe the blade itself). I personally find it useful for many things - the obvious one of course is that, I believe, it has some minor healing qualities, much like a gentle styptic pen. I also like it because if you rub it on your fingers, gripping your wet shaving gear and your skin becomes infinitely easier. It also gives the most wonderful pain. It's a great indicator of how well or badly the shave went I think it is also used just to dry out the skin after a shave?
A quality strop is just that. There are many strops that are quality and as many that are junk. Illinois makes good strops. The differences are most commonly appearance, draw, second material. Me, I prefer shell cordovan and linen. English bridle is nice too.
Cost on strops goes up depending on 4 factors. Width, length, thickness, and material. A quality Japanese shell horsehide 3" wide, 4mm (or thicker) strop, can cost upwards of $400.
There are well performing shaving items across the hardware/software spectrum. I'm currently using Dorco pace 4 carts, VdH deluxe shave soap, a RazoRock Plissoft brush and Skin Bracer AS and getting excellent shaves consistently with no irritation, something I could not say about many of my other more expensive razors/blades/brushes and soaps.
Yes, all of them. I only care about the bottom line when shaving. The products I use are irrelevant as long as together they deliver a great shave.
Cheap and inexpensive are 2 different things!! Some of the best soaps are the cheaper ones. Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
Both an antiseptic and an astringent. It keeps nicks from getting infected & it closes pores and tightens skin. Some folks apply it to shaved areas after rinsing off lather. The skin needs to be wet as it does dry up moisture. I rinse it off after I've cleaned my brush and bowl. Others say they leave it on. It does give sharp feedback - a nice sting- if you have any errors. I always follow it with AS, and depending on how loud the alum was, a moisturizer. I was not aware of the possible connection to Alzheimer. I got rid of aluminum pans for that reason.
I wouldn't worry about alum, you're not ingesting the alum at all unless you're doing things very wrong; that was what caused things like aluminium pot syndrome. Some of my best setups are Treet black beauties (<$12 for 200) and Arko soap (again super cheap) and it's an amazing shave. Brushes brand does matter, boar is great until you go for a lesser manufacturer, which I won't do anymore, it's Semogue or Omega or nothing at all for pigs. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
