I was taught to shave with a Gillette DE and canned foam of some sort (whatever was Dad's favorite at the time). I still use Gillette DE's but not the canned stuff.
Merkur HD -- still have... haven't used in weeks Vulfix 2198 -- long gone Taylor's Avacado -- love, still have and use Proraso soap -- still have, using tomorrow Wal Mart/CVS US Personna blades -- still have in back of medicine cabinet.. don't use
The new beginning ... Around March 2006. -Gillette Thin Handle (will be sold maybe one day ill get a mint version in return) -Israeli Personna's -Tweezermann pure badger -Proraso Green (2 times 500 ml prof barber tubes I thought that will be all I need to lather for atleast 5 years) -M7 YSL aftershave (my 1st hi-end aquisition a/s wise) -Carley's clear&smooth moisturiser. -No EDT's in house. weeks after that the disorders started with GFT creams, T&H products, tons of aftershaves, discoverd the world of EDT and EDC.
1964 - My first shave Gillette SS Gillette stainless steel blades Williams shaving soap Rexall brush Fast forward to 2002 Gillette slim adjustable (still in my rotation) US Personna blades (in drawer) Burma Shave soap and brush (LIS)
My first shave was, if I remember correctly: Merkur Futur w/ Merkur blade Men U premiere Synthetic eshave Green Tea I don't bother with any of these anymore, I keep a jar of the White Tea cream on hand because I like the scent, just too bad that it burns like battery acid when I try and lather my face with it. As for the Merkur blades I would rather stub a cigarette out in my eye than let one of those near my face ever again. Nowadays if it doesn't say Puma or TI then I really don't want to know. Regards, Alex
Merkur HD - Yes Vulfix 2234 Super - Yes Merkur Blades - Occasionally Taylor's Avocado, Old Formulation - Yes, but almost gone Taylor's Rose, Old Formulation - Yes QED Lime soap - Yes Trumper's Coral Skin Food, Yes
Ohh.. The memories.. Long Time ago.. In a galaxy.. No wait.. I have always wetshaved, but it was cartridge (GII and Sensor) and canned stuff from the beginning.. First Proper wetshaving setup was: Wilkinson Sword Black Plastic DE Wilkinson UK Blades Wilkinson Black Bowl Soap Wilkinson Boar Brush This held on for quite some time..Until one day I found a googled a wetshaving forum.. And as they say.. HAPPY SHAVING!!!
My very first wetshaving setup (after using 1 or 2 disposables, that is): Gillette Sensor (still have it, not in use anymore) Dad's Gillette Classic SC (he now uses it again, thanks to me) Dad's boar brush (I bought him a badger brush recently) some Denim A/S but I didn't use it for that as I always thought that A/S are colognes - I gave up pretty soon as the scent didn't last very long on me... (not in use any more) Several years later, when I rediscovered wetshaving last winter it looked like this: (my first straight, a Dovo 5/8 was already on order as a christmas-gift as I knew I wanted to get into shaving with straights) (still in use) Merkur HD (still in use) Merkur blades (still in use) MP best badger (23mm) (still in use) Olivia SCs (still in use) Bernd Wahr SS (not in use anymore) the very same bottle of Denim A/S (gave it away to my brother) after a few days into wetshaving I knew I liked it and all kinds of ADs started to kick in. Four months later my room now looks like a barber-supply-store :rofl
I started with the Proraso collection from Target: Merkur HD Sample blades from John Omega Boar Brush Proraso Pre/post Proraso cream Proraso ASB I still use the HD like it was my best friend
when I was just 14, daddy bought me my first razor, a Schick injector I believe, with a cheap brush, and a tube of Noxzema shave cream, which I used for many years. At that time, I was living in Israel, I had another cream called Lavendor, which I recently rediscovered. I think maybe, just maybe, I used canned garbage 6 times in almost 39 years of shaving.
Me too except my wife bought me a Merkur Futur. I still use this combo when I want a barber shop day.
My beginning... 1950 Gillette Super Speed razor Astra Superior Platinum blades Van der Hagen Glycerin soap Tweezerman badger brush Nivea Sensitive AS Balm (yes, I know it's an old thread but a useful one for newbs)
I love it when someone pulls out an old thread from the archives and gives it a new life. That said: Merkur 23c (long handled classic) bought 2002-2003 Williams Mug Soap Burma Shave Boar Nivea balm I no longer have the Merkur or Burma boar but Williams is my Wednesday soap and I still use the Nivea just I use the sensitive variety now. My first DE was a Gillette Knack if I'm not mistaken bought back in 1989 and used Barbasol or Edge Gel.
Nice Necropost find! lesse here: '57 Gillette Tech (ball end, 3 piece) Burma Shave brush Williams mug soap Wal Mart Personnas Old Spice And yeup, still use all of them from time to time
The rise of Dash Maverick • Grandpop's '59 fatboy (no longer use- keep it safely stored away) • Drugstore Personna (no longer use) • Williams Mug SS (still use) • VdH boar (still use)
Since you don't need a DE to be technically wet shaving: Mach 3 VDH boar brush VDH glycerine SS CK Eternity AS I still use the CK occasionally and I've gone through two pucks of VDH soap, though I prefer the deluxe to the glycerin and I don't currently own anymore. The VDH boar fell apart and I won't buy another. I still have one Mach 3 cart. I'll use if traveling by air, but plan to replace it with a Sensor or Trac2 eventually. When I went to DE shaving, I started with my Gr. Grandfather's Super Speed and Wally Word Personas. The blades have been replaced with those I like better, but the Super Speed is still a favorite.
VDH Starter Kit (all gone except for the bowland I just use it as a holder) Parker 22R (Still have it, don't use it) Thayers/Humpreys/Generic witch hazel (every Day!)
Muhl Pure Badger Brush C&E Nomad Soap Merkur 38C Razor Israeli Crystal Blade Ahava AS (had it on the shelf from old gift) -I still use and enjoy all of the above.
Me too. Since the question is about the "obsession" part, not how I started the simple task of shaving, my starting lineup. Williams soap (still in the rotation) Tweezerman badger (still in the rotation) Weishi Razor (soon moved to a Merkur 23C. I later PIFed the Weishi. The Merkur is theoretically in the lineup, but probably won't get used much again). Merkur blades (all used up, not likely to buy any more) Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm. (At first I thought I should use something, later decided it wasn't necessary). Technically, I stayed with my Atra for a while after starting to use brush and soap. I'd already bought the Weishi and the Merkur, but wanted to learn one thing at a time.