I'm not sure if this is the right place for this but it concerns grooming

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this but it concerns grooming.

I'm wanting to get into shaving with a safety razor. I've heard that they're a much better shave and you won't be left irritated and prone to ingrown hairs and acne breakouts and things like that. They also end up cheaper than disposables in the long run.

After a bit of preliminary research, I've already decided what razor I'm going to get (Merkur Solingen HD (34C)) There's also a nifty little starter kit for it. Now this is going to cost around $150 AUD which I didn't mind initially but I'm just now wondering... what exactly am I paying for? I don't mind dropping $60 on the razor itself. But $80 for a brush? $25 for some sort of luxury shaving cream? And to top it off, the starter kit doesn't come with a stand but the place I'm looking at sells stands for $80-$115 dollars. I can accept that there might be some sort of difference in quality for the razor and I was on the fence about the brush. But just seeing that a fucking stand can go for $115 just makes me think they're taking the piss and the whole thing is a fucking meme. It's like... they can't run the same rort on men as they do with women and cosmetics and skincare shit so they do it with men and shaving. Just the same way that they can't sell earrings and other forms of luxury jewellery to men but they'll sell a gimmick "precision watch" that can tell time accurately 300m underwater.

I want to get the best of shaving with a safety razor but I'm worried that I'm falling into a consumerist gimmick trap. Nothing against people who don't mind paying extra for quality. It's just not "me." Would I be just as well buying a $20 safety razor and supermarket shaving cream that doesn't need a boar hair brush?

Other urls found in this thread:

mensbiz.com.au/mens-biz-standard-wetshaving-kit.html
shavershop.com.au/shaver-shop/safety-razor-008610.html?cgid=mens-razor-blades
shavershop.com.au/blade-shavers/mens-razor-blades/safety-razors/
maggardrazors.com/product/maggard-razors-basic-starter-kit/.
amazon.com/Merkur-Long-Handled-Safety-Razor/dp/B000NL0T1G
amazon.com/Merkur-Razor-Safety-Razor-Chrome-Slant/dp/B002CLDUZM
amazon.com/Col-Conk-Shave-Ounces-Variety/dp/B0071B7XCO
amazon.com/Feather-Razor-Blades-Hi-stainless-Double/dp/B004RWTQTS
reddit.com/r/wicked_edge/
s.aliexpress.com/fEvYfEVR
twitter.com/SFWRedditGifs

i only had minor problems the first 2-3 times shaving with a normal razor.
Y'all got fucking parkinson or are always shaving against the grain or smth, ask your dad.

meme. get a german one from amazon for 25 dollar and use shaving cream for 3

I was once like you asking about shaving with a DE on Veeky Forums. I went for it and enjoy it thoroughly these days.

Can you link the starter kit? I don't know much about availability for Aussies. But you can do much better than $150
1. Look for in house starter razors, stores like Maggard razors have Merkur clones that are much cheaper and nice to start out on
2. Get a cheap synthetic brush, much easier to use for a beginner and you may not need anything more
3. Some creams/soaps are worth the $25 price tag, but there are budget ones that work very well too. I can recommend some budget stuff but it'd help to know what cream you're looking at
4. You don't need a stand!

By the way, you're right about the "meme" aspect. Some stores upcharge using words like "luxury" and "men's grooming". With that said DE shaving can be had very cheap, you just need to do a bit of research and know what you're looking at and not fall for the luxury trap.

>Can you link the starter kit?

mensbiz.com.au/mens-biz-standard-wetshaving-kit.html

As you can see... the place itself is some sort of boutique. I figured I should go with something good yeah? Like... the whole point was to get away from cheapshit disposables. Now here's the lowest end of safety razor I could find at a retailer near me.

shavershop.com.au/shaver-shop/safety-razor-008610.html?cgid=mens-razor-blades

It's a generic one as you can see. I don't know if there would be any reviews on it.

shavershop.com.au/blade-shavers/mens-razor-blades/safety-razors/

If you see anything there you can recommend me that would be appreciated.

Buy a vintage Gilette from eBay for $20-$30 and some Barbasol or something comparable. If you get into it get some nice shaving soap and a brush, but don't expect it to irritate your skin much less than the foam. It's a hobby and the expensive stuff is meant for enthusiasts, obviously there are huge diminishing gains past like $100.

As for blades, I got a 100 pack of Astras for 13 CAD on Amazon and I'm happy with them. People also rave about Feather blades, which are slightly more expensive but sharper.

this. it's a much better shave, but a lot of people turn it into this expensive 15 minute hipster ordeal.
I just use a vintage gillette i got off of ebay for about $15 a few years ago. Grandpa's pine tar soap applied directly on face, and some astra blades (found after going through a couple blade sampler packs. cheap and good quality. feathers are also nice but more than twice as much.)

I have the exact razor from that picture. Merkur is great and so are their blade, but you don't need that full set. For the brush just buy one separately from amazon (but make sure it's like badger hair or whatever fancy animal hair it's supposed to be). You can also find murker blades and a basic metal stand for the brush and blade, and you do need a stand / something for the brush to dry on or else it will fall apart. Also I use colonel conk shaving soap, a preshave cream, and Nivea after shave cream (do not use anything with alcohol, get a cream). All of that you can get on amazon. Lastly you'll need an alum block to close off any small cuts, which is probably on amazon but I got mine from some shaving store. So basically don't pay 80 for the brush, just get stuff on amazon. It's a little more expensive from the start and you have to get used to shaving this way, but its been much better for my face. No ingrown hairs, less irritation, better shave.

Badger hair is best, horse and boar are cheaper and smell like shit. Avoid synthetic hair.

That + Get Arko soap best shit.

You're already getting some misguided advice in here user, that always happens on wet shaving threads on Veeky Forums. That kit is wildly overpriced and not worth it. Taylor of Bond St. (TOBS) isn't a particularly good cream and I have no clue about that badger brush. The only thing worth it there is the Merkur.

This is your benchmark for a starter kit: maggardrazors.com/product/maggard-razors-basic-starter-kit/. The razor in that kit is a cheap Merkur clone but it's well reviewed. You can still definitely go for Merkur. Other good options are the Parker 24c or Muhle.

You should check how much shipping/conversion is to AUS and compare it with other vendors. The Australian thing is throwing me for a loop because I don't know vendors. Some clicking around showed me that looking on ebay Australia is actually a good idea (although you have to be careful because it's good to have knowledge of vintage razors).

Ran out of words, cont. I also saw that people say purchasing from shaving.ie is more cost beneficial than from local Australian vendors. You may also be able to pop in a pharmacy and find some cheap Proraso or another soap to try out first. Whatever you go with though, make sure you get a blade sampler pack so you can experiment which ones work with your face. There are favourites people use, but anyone telling you one is the best is bad advice.

>Buy a vintage Gilette from eBay for $20-$30

The only one I'm seeing on eBay that seems reasonably cheap looks rusty and beat up. The nicer ones are too close in price to the midrange stuff at Shaver Shop and almost coming full circle to the Merkur. I think I'll just go with the Shaver Shop generic.

>a lot of people turn it into this expensive 15 minute hipster ordeal

Yeah... I want to avoid this. When I realized I was going to be paying $150 for memes I had to check myself.

You'll find literally no difference between a $30 safety razor and a $150 safety razor without giving up part of your life and reputation to being one of those cringy razor enthusiasts.

The brush is good tho. Grab a cheap one, and normal stick soap.
A cheap safety razor will be good enough. Do you shave daily? If you wait until your beard is longish before cutting it you'll be better off with a shavette.
The main differences with price are material and weight. A metal heavy razor is better, lets you use less force, but even a very cheap light plastic one will be better than disposable razors.

As someone who's used these for over 5 years I'll throw in my 2 cents.

The investment upfront is high but it's substantially cheaper long term. I still use the same razors now and they look great. Don't go over board on soaps, brushes and stuff.

Also, get a variety pack of the blades and find the one that works best before buying bulk. I'm someone who stay clean shaven with course hair so I use a slant razor with feather blades. Feather are the sharpest but harshest so if you're hair isn't tough go lighter and you won't destroy your face. Derby is popular but not super sharp so it can backfire if you're face fights it. The idea is it goes through no tug, lot less razor burn than the multiblade gelit and others.

Safety razors were the best decision I made for my face, no more razor burn and no absurd cost. I usually get 100 blades for $10, but it's been a while.Below are my suggestions, spend now and you buy blades in bulk once every couple years.

amazon.com/Merkur-Long-Handled-Safety-Razor/dp/B000NL0T1G

amazon.com/Merkur-Razor-Safety-Razor-Chrome-Slant/dp/B002CLDUZM

amazon.com/Col-Conk-Shave-Ounces-Variety/dp/B0071B7XCO

amazon.com/Feather-Razor-Blades-Hi-stainless-Double/dp/B004RWTQTS

For a brush you can decide, just get badger hair (silver or not) they hold up long term and break in fast either way. Omega is a great brand.

Go to reddit.com/r/wicked_edge/ and read the FAQ.

You don't need to spend more than $30 on the razor. Get a blade sampler pack so you can find the brand of blade you like the best, that will have the biggest impact on your shave. Start with a cheap brush to see if it's for you, and maybe you'll be satisfied with it.

I have shitty coarse black facial hair that grows in patchy. Always shaved with the hyped multi-blade razors and always got a shitty shave with irritation.

Saw a shit-tier safety razor at Walmart one day and figured I'd give it a try. Even with the shitty included blades, I immediately had a much better/closer shave. Yeah, I had a few small cuts, but better than a whole face of razor burn.

I've been using standard canned shaving cream (like Barbasol).

>The population of this website are so fucking retarded they don't even know how to shave.

Christ.

I've got a shaving kit which included a basic shaving soap, bowl and a brush, it's good enough. When I ran out of the soap after 5 months I bought a really good one for like 10 USD, Cella Shaving Cream.

I get a baby smooth shave constantly after 3 shaving attempts and I rarely cut myself, my face doesn't get ingrown hairs, irritations and pimples.

The razors are great, and 100 razors are going to last quite a long time.
(red dot above my lips is just something I have like those brown spots all over my face.

I used an electric razor for years, was ready to replace it with another when I read about safety razors on the Veeky Forums wiki. I decided to try it and I'm thrilled I did, much less irritation and way fewer ingrown hairs on my neck.

The only downsides are it takes more time than electric, so i have to wake up earlier than I used to, and still occasionally cut myself. I don't use that alum stuff though, just wait for the bleeding to stop and apply some neosporin.

I don't wet shave, though I'd like to try it, I just use barbasol with pre-shave oil. Wet shaving seems more hobby than function.

It is essential to use aftershave, but do not use alcohol-based aftershave, use a lotion/balm instead. If you want to use aftershave because of the fragrance, just get spray cologne and use that.

I know burgerbux are worth about 20% more than your currency, but I only paid $35 for the razor, $15 for pre-shave oil, $5 for a can of barbasol, $6 for a 30-pack of astras, and $15 for a 3-pack of aftershave, all from amazon. That's well under $100 for a considerable kit, and even if I'd added the brush and soap it wouldn't have put me much over $100.

Final thought, if you really care about your skin you should look for a good daily moisturizer with UV protection, and a night moisturizer as well. It's another few minutes out of your day, but it makes a difference and people, especially chicks, will notice.

Most importantly to good looking skin, eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, and most importantly, don't smoke.

This is what I've got plus some Proraso green and I'm even using it for balls/armpits too.

I got a 30 dollar one off amazon and 30 dollar boar brush. I use italian soap for the cream and blades are cheap

The safety razor its self does not matter quality wise. Its the razor blade that matters

I use this and its great. I just use good razor blades, $2 woolies brand shaving cream and have a nice shave.
s.aliexpress.com/fEvYfEVR

I got a set of everything except for soap off aliexpress for $20 or something. The blades were not sharp enough for me but everything else works well. After getting a good soap, aftershave, and alun stick I feel pretty set.

bought a discounter brand one that has 6 blades.
it uses the very same heads the razor in the pic has.

brand they come from is called "shave lab".
my actual one is by the german Ombia brand.

had pretty good results compared to Gilette ones. only con would be that you can get cut more easily but it doesn't matter much.

Lol the brush is like the most important fucking thing about your shave, fuck the razor. A badger brush and a good lather will make or break you.

>mensbiz.com.au/mens-biz-standard-wetshaving-kit.html
fucking buy it

Buy a silver tip badger brush. Get a straight razor. AND A FUCKING STAND! As the stand is useful for drying of your brush with the use of fucking gravity. AND get some Acqua di Parma shaving cream. FOR FUCK SAKE you shave every day either be a baller or fucking cheap the fuck out. A PEOPLE if your fucking brush irritates your skin that shits whack, it's not soft enough. Silvers tip brushe's feel like a virgins pubes that have been washed with conditionaire every single fucking day.

Wet shavings seems more like a hobby fuck off. You're just not skilled enough, I can wet shave in under 7 minutes. Electric makes your skin sensitive. Using a razor now will give your irritation and be a pain. Get a classical straight razor shave for the first time. BARBASOL has some much chemical bullshit in it your skin dries up, its makes you age quicker JUST FUCK THAT STUFF!!! True aftershave with alcohol is bad for the skin, however treating yourself once in a while won't harm you. What will harm you more is that barbasol...

Healthy skin is not only about your fucking diet, and not a healthy weight, yes a healthy diet will make you overall healthier and give your skin a boost yet it's about taking care of your skin. Smoking is bad for your skin but the amount of models I know that smoke and have flawless skin is pretty stupid desu. A bit of color wont hurt you laying in the sun for hours will and using tanning beds on a consistent regular basis will too.
If you want my routine I will post it.

...

im not reading the rest of the thread so fuck off if this is already in here somewhere but...

they have a good kit at target (idk if ur in america or not but whatever) thats liek 20 bucs for a cup, bar of soap, brush and stand. its decent quality, stand and cup are good enough for beginners, idk if the brush is good quality or not, i used it for liek a year with no problems before deciding to get a slightly more expensive one just because....anyway they are a good starting point. my razor i got for liek $20 and they sell sampler packs of blades, like 20 blades, 5 different brands or something liek that for pretty cheap, once you find the ones you like you can just order liek 100 of them on amazon. i prefer shavning this way, something about having a few days stubble come off with such ease is so fucking satisfying

its not that expensive if you dont go full retard and get what everyone says is the best right off the bat. figure out what works for you with teh beginner shit and upgrade from there.

fucking stands for $115 is a fucking joke brah

my nigga..i got that 100 pack of astras 3 years ago and still have like 20 left

Didn't read whole thread.
You don't need a stand. I keep my razors and brushes in the bathroom without a stand. Edwin Jagger de89 is a good razor and it's about 50. Blade sampler packs are good so you can figure out what works. I used to get them from westcoastshaving. I have a $100+ Simpson brush and cheaper $40 brushes and dont notice much difference. Proraso green is a good easy cream. You can get started with around $100 for a good setup.

Can you re quote me with correct formatting? It's hard to figure out what you're saying.

Please do, I'd like to see it.

Why pay so much, Just buy the cheapest shit you can and if it's for you spend a little extra

Bumping

I would like to hear your routine, since I'm worried about the canned foam now.

Why these products?