shaving soap and brush

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unky_gumbi

Joined
Aug 28, 2009
Messages
7,951
So I am just getting sick of shaving with plain old canned shaving cream and would like to switch over to a good brush and soap.
I have a fairly course beard and sensitive skin. I am sure there are other guys here with similar facial hair and skin. I also have a nice big scar in the but of my chin, about 2" long 3/16 wide and 1/8 high, so shaving with a straight razor or DE is out of the question unless I want to slice it off every time:o

I want to get back to enjoying shaving because right now I hate it, there is nothing special about it and its just a chore.

Any help? I could use it
 
My favorite soap is Prorasso. Be advised the soap is better than the cream. This stuff has been around for a couple hundred years for a reason. Runner up would be Truefit and Hill West Indian Lyme which is really nice too but a good bit more expensive.

Good luck on the brush. There are many. I would stay to a 22-23mm brush to start and go with the best badger hair you can afford. Bigger brushes become mops and aren't as nice IMHO.

For what it's worth, I wouldn't avoid a nice DS razor like the Merkur HD because of the scar. I use a straight and personally feel it would be fine too, but you are the best judge.
 
http://www.thegentlemensquarter.com/category.php?cid=1

Armani Black Code and Lime Margarita are my personal favorites.


Guys with scars have shaved long before the invention of the cartrige razor. It can be done with a staignt razor and it can certainly be done with a DE. A DE can be even more mild and more safe than any just about any cartridge can.
 
Thanks, I tried a DE razor some time ago to see if that would be easier on the scar but its not:( Right now the Gillette Fusion is working the best for not catching it, but still does once and a while.
 
So I did a little local online window shopping and found this I may not be the best but I can pick it up tomorrow, and order a better brush and one of the suggested soaps, that way I use this stuff up just as the good stuff gets here. Then I can throw the starter kit remnants into my travel bag and never have to worry about forgetting it behind at one end or the other.

HCSchluge: When you say 22-23 brush are you referring to knot size or bristle length? Every online dealer that I look at that supplied measurements listed both.

Gollnick: this is one nasty and ugly scar. It is a zig-zag across my chin. I got it when I put my head through a windshield in a car accident some 20 years ago.
 
I really like michel's wool fat soap, or anything from straight razor designs ( I have the vetiver, bay rum, and a sampler of blood orange), or Spiek which you might find locally. you could also look into microderm-abrasion kits to smooth down that scar, but don't hesitate to grab a DE, you'll get much better feel than a cartridge, and if your careful, you'll be fine.
 
I followed this link and have been extremely pleased with this product.

Gollnick said:
http://www.thegentlemensquarter.com/category.php?cid=1

Armani Black Code and Lime Margarita are my personal favorites.


Guys with scars have shaved long before the invention of the cartrige razor. It can be done with a staignt razor and it can certainly be done with a DE. A DE can be even more mild and more safe than any just about any cartridge can.
Click to expand...
 
gadgetgeek said:
I really like michel's wool fat soap, or anything from straight razor designs ( I have the vetiver, bay rum, and a sampler of blood orange), or Spiek which you might find locally. you could also look into microderm-abrasion kits to smooth down that scar, but don't hesitate to grab a DE, you'll get much better feel than a cartridge, and if your careful, you'll be fine.
Click to expand...

I don't think micro abrasion will work on this scar, I will take a picture of it tomorrow and you will see what i am talking about. I had tried a DE about a month after the accident because of the problems I was having with catching it while shaving. After a month I just gave up on it because the cartage razor didn't catch it as much. I don't think I would trust a straight razor right now with the way my elbows are either, but I wouldn't mind trying one after they heal up.
 
A few months ago I discovered an Indian made shave cream by the name of Biotique Palmyra Shave Cream. Amazingly slick, cushioning, and easy to lather. It easily performs on par with any of the big name, high dollar creams on the market. I know, because I have tried them all at one time or another. Here are a couple links to reviews done on the shaving sites, and if you do a quick search on those sites, you will see much more information in various threads.


http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?ltr=B&t=16273

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?ltr=B&t=128280

Now, to the good part. I managed to locate a very unique (and cheap) source for this stuff. Because I am able to get it so cheap, I decided to get open up my own store where all I have is this cream. My cost to you guys is just pennies over my actual cost after figuring in shipping and packaging materials. I do not need the $$, so I pass my savings along to everyone else. The price you will pay through me is about $5 less than anywhere else you can get it too. If you would be interested in trying some out first, PM me and I will send you out a sample.

If you would rather try a soap, I would highly recommend trying some of the soaps handmade by JoAnna at The Shave Den Store. Here is the link to that:

http://www.theshaveden.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=11

For a good starter brush, you outta see if you have a Crabtree & Evelyn near you. Go and get the C&E Best Badger brush. FOr about $30, it is a damn good starter brush.

Regards,
Jason
 
OK so here's the big ugly scar that I have to deal with every time I shave. Yes I know my face looks a little raw in the pictures, I had started to grow a beard, but the itchy stage was driving me nuts, and I don't like having a beard, that's why I want to make shaving special again. No need to give my shaving tips, that was last nights, just get the beard off shave, I have gone back and shaved properly now

DSC01244.jpg


DSC01243.jpg


This is just how the cut healed up even after they cleaned up the edges, the piece of glass that did it actually ended up inside my mouth, 23 stitches to close it, 9 on the outside, 6 dissolving internal and 8 inside the mouth.
 
Gollnick said:
http://www.thegentlemensquarter.com/category.php?cid=1

Armani Black Code and Lime Margarita are my personal favorites.


Guys with scars have shaved long before the invention of the cartrige razor. It can be done with a staignt razor and it can certainly be done with a DE. A DE can be even more mild and more safe than any just about any cartridge can.
Click to expand...

She does make a very good product, very nice lady as well.

My personal favorite is Taylor of old Bond streets "Sandalwood" shave cream. It's amazing. I bought a couple of tubs last time I was in London. When it's all gone......I'll just buy more.
 
For shaving soap, look no further than Tabac. Best. Hands down. End of story. As for brushes, allow me to save you a fortune.... There is NO FREAKIN DIFFERENCE between a high dollar badger brush and that el-cleapo that you can find in Walmart. Spend 1.99 on the el-cheapo and laugh all the way to the bathroom in the knowledge that there's a thousand suckers out there that are waiting for their 59 dollar badger brush to come in the mail. While your brush is gonna do the same thing, and do it just as well, as their ripoff badger brush.

To recap... Tabac. Shave soap. Best ever. Don't waste your money on the exotics. This stuff LATHERS. Your face becomes the big peach colored thing under all that luxurious and super slick lather. :)
 
Ok, its not that I didn't believe you, but that's a little (or a lot) bigger than I thought. maybe an adjustable dialed right down?
I will have to dispute what harry has to say a bit, my "high dollar" badger is way better than my cheap boar, but the boar still does the job, and sheds more. but to each his own.
 
I don't know if I will go high dollar right away, but I did find a badger hair one for about 35 cnd, I think that may be a good place to start:confused:and if I like it I will just upgrade as I go. The DE I tried was an adjustable turned down as far as it would go and still cut. It was my fathers, my brother got the brush though. I think it was a good brush because its still going strong.
 
I think you can shave with a DE if you're slow, careful, and creative around the scar. I have a scar across the top of my head that I have to be careful around when i shave it. In fact, I will soon have 2 more scars up there to look out for. I have 5 stitches in the top of my head forward and right of the old scar. Won't be able to shave until it heals.
I guess you could use a DE on your face and use a cheap electric to shave the scarred area.
 
I guess you could use the shaving powder made for black dudes. Then, you wouldn't have a blade touching your face at all.
 
All good recommendations from others, here's some of mine:

Proraso or Omega are very efficient and 'kind' shaving creams,but if you don't like the smell of eucalyptus oil then avoid them.

Taylor of Old Bond Street has a large range of very,very good creams. They lather excellently and are efficient,good selection of scents. Mr Taylor's, Eton College and particularly, Lavender are my favourites.

Don't use soaps much,don't know why really perhaps because blades behave differently with it than they do with cream. A cheap but good one is Colonel Conk's Amber.

As for brushes, I would like to suggest a synthetic one made by Men-U it's from Italy. Badger brushes are only as good as what you pay for them in my experience,you need to spend I'm afraid. Boar is OK but takes some running in and sheds a lot,don't last that long.This synthetic brush is 6 years old,shows no fatigue and lathers marvelously,dries well and hasn't shed a bristle so far,outperforms a run of the mill badger.
 
My lady and I make soap, so I just make my own. Lathers better than I could have ever hoped, and I can make it smell exactly how I want it to! I'm using some cedar-scented stuff right now. :cool:
 
LX_Emergency said:
She does make a very good product, very nice lady as well.

My personal favorite is Taylor of old Bond streets "Sandalwood" shave cream. It's amazing. I bought a couple of tubs last time I was in London. When it's all gone......I'll just buy more.
Click to expand...


My favorite, too. A fantastic lather when used with my Muhle-Pincel
brush....
 
Harry Callahan said:
For shaving soap, look no further than Tabac. Best. Hands down. End of story. As for brushes, allow me to save you a fortune.... There is NO FREAKIN DIFFERENCE between a high dollar badger brush and that el-cleapo that you can find in Walmart. Spend 1.99 on the el-cheapo and laugh all the way to the bathroom in the knowledge that there's a thousand suckers out there that are waiting for their 59 dollar badger brush to come in the mail. While your brush is gonna do the same thing, and do it just as well, as their ripoff badger brush.

To recap... Tabac. Shave soap. Best ever. Don't waste your money on the exotics. This stuff LATHERS. Your face becomes the big peach colored thing under all that luxurious and super slick lather. :)
Click to expand...

Can't agree on the brushes. A hundred dollar brush from a quality
manufacturer will last you a lifetime and can in no way be compared
to crappy sticks from a discount store.

Wouldn't drop $400.00 for a Vulfix, though....
 
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