Robinson Crusoe - The Bare Bones Desert Island Kit

Discussion in 'General Shaving Talk' started by mwleach58, Jul 28, 2011.

  1. mwleach58

    mwleach58 Active Member

    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.
     
  2. Williams Warrior

    Williams Warrior Well-Known Member

    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.
     
  3. newb

    newb Resident Newb

    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 Blade:perma 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.
     
  4. tomnat

    tomnat accepting applications

    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
     
  5. gregindallas

    gregindallas Rolls Razor Revivalist

    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:D (and a few months in Anniston Alabama is real close.:D)

    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
     

    Attached Files:

  6. battle.munky

    battle.munky Has the menthol.munky on his back!

    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.
     
  7. battle.munky

    battle.munky Has the menthol.munky on his back!

    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
     
  8. cryhavoc

    cryhavoc Member

    Gillette 48-50 Super Speed
    Derby
    FS SilverTip
    VDH Deluxe
    Aqua Velva Blue Ice
     
  9. Bullwinkle

    Bullwinkle Member

    Cream - GTF Coconut
    Brush - RV Shavemac D01, 2Band, Flat-top
    Razor - Feather AC/SS
    Blades - Feather Pro
    AS - GTF Lime Skin Food
    Styptic Stick
     
  10. Adama

    Adama Member

    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
     
  11. TheCopperHat

    TheCopperHat Member

    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.
     
  12. MikekiM

    MikekiM Well-Known Member

    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!!
     
  13. Dulouz

    Dulouz Active Member

    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
     
  14. Johnny

    Johnny Little Boy Blue

    Brush: D.R. Harris
    Soap/Cream: Proraso in green tube
    Razor: EJ DE89L
    Blades: Feather
    Aftershave: Speick After Shave Lotion
     
  15. Regan

    Regan Well-Known Member

    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
     
  16. alpla444

    alpla444 That's sweet!

    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.
     
  17. Regan

    Regan Well-Known Member

    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... :)
     

Share This Page