This is just another incarnation of a popular theme...... but it's always interesting, and perhaps people's choices have changed, so here goes... You are being stranded on a desert island. You may have the following, and ONLY the following: ONE brush. ONE straight razor (plus ONE hone & ONE strop) OR ONE DE razor (plus ONE brand of blades) OR ONE SE razor (plus ONE brand of blades) ONE hard (or semi-soft) shave soap OR ONE shave cream (either tube or tub) ONE alum block or styptic pencil ONE aftershave That's it. That's all. No pre-shaves. No lotions. No balms. No colognes. No witch hazel. Hardness of water is whatever you'd find on your typical desert island. All consumables, such as blades, soaps or creams & aftershave would always be in perpetual supply - of the same brand. No switching to something else once a cream, for example, was used up. Can you deal with only one choice of the bare essentials? OR would you find the lack of choice too frustrating, and grow a beard instead? Your final option would be to ignore all of the above, and be issued with one brand of multi-blade cartridge razor, and one brand of aerosol canned goo. What are your choices? Why those particular models or brands? My Choices: Omega 10066 Boar Brush Merkur 42N (1904) DE razor Feather Blades Williams Mug Soap Styptic Pencil Pinaud Clubman Virgin Island Bay Rum After much thought, I opted to go the basic, utilitarian route. My only concession to "luxury" is the more expensive Feather blades. But my choices were not based on economy. With the kit listed above, I can achieve a BBS shave each and every time. Just as I can with my Slant, my Tabac etc. etc. So, my choices will entirely fulfill all my practical shaving needs, fully. I feel, however, that if I had opted for a selection of luxury items, then I would find myself wanting more luxury items. I'd always be craving more variety. But with these choices, and good technique, I'd still achieve my ultimate BBS shave. And that's the bottom line.
Mitchell's Wool Fat grated into a stick. If that's not allowed then I'd go with La Toja stick. My brush would be my Thater Stout 2 My razor would have to be my Bump Fighter with the bump fighter carts. And the after shave would be Aqua Velva Classic Ice Blue, even though I'd prefer Nivea balm instead.
My soap :MWF, Arko or Tabac. I love them all equally. My Brush: A Semogue 620 because I think it would last forever. It would have been a Turkish HH#6 but I'm not sure how durable it would be. My Razor: The Merkur Vision MY Bladeerma sharp (my favorite blade) from Russia , not Turkey. MY Alum Block: It's priceless. I like the Bestshave Red Block (it's not a pure block , it's a compressed alum, but it works for me) My AS: That's the easiest Osage Rug, smells like medicine but I Love it. Plus it feels good when rubbed on sore muscles and joints.
I think mine would go something like this; BRUSH- Tweezerman (it's my only badger brush, and I think on that deserted island I would need a little scritchyness in my brush) SOAP- MWF RAZOR- Merkur Futur BLADE- Voskhod STYPTIC PENCIL- would be good for other cuts sustained by living on a deserted island AS- Pinaud Clubman Classic Vanilla
I play this game alot. I call it my job. Well, it's never a desert island but with all the security it might as well be (and a few months in Anniston Alabama is real close.) Razor: Rolls Viscount Traveler - This covers a lot (single edge, stright, strop, hone, etc.) Brush: Vulfix Turnback (way under rated little brush) Soap: Arko Stick Aftershave: Armani Double edge: Darwin
EJ 89L with nothing but Voshkods Vulfix 404 VDH Deluxe AV Ice Blue No need for styptic or Alum because this combo don't need it! Done.
Ok, I have to go to California for a week. Strangely, None of what I put in my Crusoe kit ended up in my choice for travel kit supplies. Here is what I went with and why. Green 7 O'clocks-got a bunch of them and needed to give them a try in more than my 89 Gillette iddy biddy travel tech-bought the travel kit version of this and haven't tried it yet, we"ll see tomorrow evening....(crosses fingers) The Dridecker-easily replaceable (if needed) and travels well Speick stick-good performance/scent combo knock off Skin Bracer (green stuff) -mentholated goodness and I've never really used it day after day after day
Cream - GTF Coconut Brush - RV Shavemac D01, 2Band, Flat-top Razor - Feather AC/SS Blades - Feather Pro AS - GTF Lime Skin Food Styptic Stick
I kind of had this experience when I went on vacation with the family to Northern Minnesota. Here was the line up: Soap or Cream (depends on how you look at it): Vitos Classic Shave Cream Brush: Omega 10065 Razor: Merkur 1904 Closed Comb Blade: Israeli Personna Alum or Styptic: left both at home on purpose AS: Skin Bracer
Brush - Copper Hat Pure Badger Razor - 63 Slim Adjustable Blades - Vintage Blues Soap - Dragonfly Dreaming "Young Spice" Alum - Razo Rock A/S - Pitralon w/Vit F Wouldn't be to hard for me as more or less this is the setup I keep coming back to.
Oh, this is easy! It's the kit I just took to Montauk for a week!! Speick Stick Isreali Personna Semogue Custom 2010 Boar iKon Deluxe OC on the long handle... shave with it and then chop down trees and hammer nails... No alum or WH and no AS..I am stranded on an island..no-one to smell nice for and it would attract flies!! Can I exchange the AS for a balm just so my skin stay soft? If so, my Desert Island choice would be Barbasol Pacific Rush!!
Brush: Vulfix 247 pure badger Soap: Col Conk bay rum Razor: Geneva "Eagle" (customized by Glen) Razor Maintenance: RupRazor strop and a barber hone Aftershave: Florida Water/Witch Hazel mix
Brush: D.R. Harris Soap/Cream: Proraso in green tube Razor: EJ DE89L Blades: Feather Aftershave: Speick After Shave Lotion
This is so tough... all my other products will feel bad after i post this... But if i had to have 1 of everything this is what it would be... Brush: Vulfix 404 Soap/Cream: TOBS sandalwood Razor: CoonCat handled Gillette NEW Blades: Voskhod Aftershave: AV extra menthol pure sport
Brush:- TOBS pure badger (its the only one i have at the moment) Soap:- MWF Razor:- Merkur 34c HD Blades:- Feather Aftershave:-L'Occitane aftershave balm.
Wait a second... I would use a straight... because then i have a hone to sharpen tools on . Then Williams to keep the bugs of from the scent . For the aftershave I would probably stick with AV menthol... as if its hot a little splash can cool ya down. For the brush... probably stick with the 404. A nice tough brush that has backbone to keep it stiff and use full for a long time... Or a massive brush to use hairs to a fire...