Wet Shaving and the TSA – How to avoid your electric razor and still carry-on
How does an air traveler stay lightweight (carry-on) and still stick to Wet Shaving? When one is required… [more]
Double Edge Safety Razor vs. Modern multi-blade marvel Gillette Fusion – head to head shootout
Double Edge Safety Razor vs. Modern multi-blade marvel - Gillette Fusion - which wins? vs. Old… [more]
The Evolution of the Shaving Scuttle – from brush warmer to luxury lathermaker for Classic Wet Shaving
The modern Shaving Scuttle, what is it, and why add one to your Wet Shaving Kit? The shaving Scuttle… [more]
Shaving Mugs, Shaving Bowls/Lathering Bowls, and Shaving Scuttles for Wet Shaving
Shaving Mug, Shaving Bowl / Lathering Bowl,or Shaving Scuttle for Wet Shaving Why would I want to use… [more]
What about Alum Blocks and Styptic Pens / Styptic Pencils for Wet Shaving?
Alum Blocks and Styptic Pens/Pencils and Wet Shaving Growing up, a jar of Alum powder from the drug… [more]
Choosing a Shaving Brush for Classic Wet Shaving
How do I choose a Shaving Brush for Classic Wet Shaving? You’ve selected your safety razor (maybe… [more]
Safety Razor 101 – What are the various types and which one do I want?
So, you're new to Safety Razors...you've read about the joys of shaving with a double edge razor blade,… [more]
Choosing an Edwin Jagger Safety Razor for Classic Wet Shaving
Try an Edwin Jagger Safety Razor for Classic Wet Shaving So, you want to 'dare to be different' while… [more]
How many razors do you use in one 3 pass shave to get BBS with comfort?
Can you get better results on your 3 Pass Shave with more than one Safety Razor? So, we talked… [more]
Choosing A Merkur Adjustable Safety Razor for Classic Wet Shaving
How to choose a Merkur Adjustable Razor In addition to their extensive line of classic double edge safety… [more]
Shaving 101
Piecing together a good, inexpensive shaving kit for the new wet shaver on a budget
Can you get a good start wet shaving for under $10?
One of the drawbacks to switching to classic wet shaving is the startup cost, right? $50+ for a safety razor, $25+ for a shaving brush, $15+ for shaving cream…is there an economical way to try the manly art of classic wet shaving?
The $8.64 economical starter shaving kit
(early 2012 pricing, not including shipping):
Lord Racer Razor with Racer Double Edge Razor Blade – $3.75 bestshave.net
No. 6 Horsehair Shaving Brush – $2.45 bestshave.net
Arko Shave Stick – $2.39 shoeboxshaveshop.com
Add in an aftershave of your choice (and maybe an alum block and styptic pencil) and you’re good to go!
The $8.64 economical starter shaving kit in photos:
Lord Racer Safety Razor with Lord Racer Double Edge Razor Blade
The Lord Racer safety razor (review here) is a good deal at under $4.00 with a blade. You can get replacement Racer double edge razor blades for under $0.06/ea in quantity 100 blades (vs ~$4.00 for a Gillette Fusion cartridge).
No. 6 Wooden Handled Horsehair Shaving Brush
The No. 6 Horsehair Shaving Brush (review here) is a great deal at under $3.00. Give it a good hot soak and wash it a couple of times with dish detergent to reduce the ‘stank’…then give it a few shaves and you’ll forget it ever had an odor. Nice backbone, but not harsh. Good for face lathering with the Arko shaving stick (or your shaving soap/shaving cream of choice).
Arko Shave Stick - under $3.00 in low quantity - nice scent and good lather
The Arko shave stick (review here) comes from Turkey, and is a tallow-based shaving soap. It’s got a citrus cent and, combined with the No. 6 brush and a little face lathering, whips up a very nice lather very quickly and easily. (I was really surprised at how quickly and easily it lathered up!)
Don’t forget to have a look at our article on double edge razor blade economics!
Featured Posts
Lord Racer Safety Razor for Wet Shaving
The Lord Racer safety razor – a good choice for a new wet shaver? Lord puts out an inexpensive safety razor under the Racer brand. The Racer is made from some sort of synthetic (Del-Rin?) and is stylistically similar to the Wilkinson Sword Classic, but without the metal insert in the handle, making this razor [...]
Double Edge Safety Razor vs. Modern multi-blade marvel Gillette Fusion – head to head shootout
Double Edge Safety Razor vs. Modern multi-blade marvel – Gillette Fusion – which wins? vs. Old skool vs New Skool – Safety Razor with Double Edge Razor Blade vs. Gillette Fusion ProGlide Power Razor – who will be triumphant? Being frustrated with my TSA forced travel razor option (Remington Electric), and being faced with [...]
Big Roc (or impostor?) – Another Chinese Twist To Open (TTO) Double Edge Safety Razor
The Big Roc Twist To Open (TTO) Safety Razor for Double Edge Razor Blades The Big Roc looks very much like the Weishi 9306 (another Chinese knock-off the Gillette SuperSpeed from the 1960s), but weighing a bit more on the grip, and with a more pronounced ridge on the top of the head. It has a [...]
Double Edge Razor Withdrawals?
It’s only been a day but I’ve got the Double Edge Razor DTs! Travel in the modern world presents a problem for the safety razor afficionado looking to take his classic wet shave on the road. TSA doesn’t allow you to bring double edge razor blades in your carry on (you can bring your favorite [...]
Is wet shaving with a safety razor addictive?
Safety Razor Shaver’s Anonymous? OK…you’ve probably read on lots of shaving sites about how, before they discovered (or re-discovered) the manly art of shaving using a double edge razor, they loathed shaving. Shaving was a chore. Shaving was drudgery. It was to be avoided. Then, after purchasing a safety razor (perhaps a Merkur 34C HD, [...]
Choosing A Merkur Adjustable Safety Razor for Classic Wet Shaving
How to choose a Merkur Adjustable Razor In addition to their extensive line of classic double edge safety razors, Merkur has a few adjustable safety razor models: the Merkur Progress, the Merkur Futur and the Merkur Vision. (All are descendants of the the Gillette Adjustable safety razor, which debuted in the 50s. and be sure [...]
One pass, two pass, three pass…more?
Three Pass Shaving with your Double Edge Razor – Take your wet shaving game up a notch! So, you lather up, you pass your double edge razor over your face, you call it a day, right? Hey, you’re using a safety razor, maybe a nifty Merkur razor like you’ve read about on the web? (Maybe [...]
Choosing A Merkur Safety Razor for Classic Wet Shaving
Which Safety Razor? How to choose the right Merkur Razor Merkur has a full line of double edge safety razors, ranging from the reproduction of the classic Gillette Safety Razor of 1904 (fittingly named the Merkur Model “1904”), to the basic Merkur 33C HD, to the Slant Bar Merkur 37C HD, to the Merkur Futur [...]
Can a Man Relearn the Manly Art of Shaving From A Lovely Young Lady?
Manly Art of Shaving OK – queue the demo So, LuLu led us to the demo station. Quite the setup…granite countertop. Fancy Sink. Products nicely displayed. She started by asking me how I used to shave? I gave her an abbreviated of the 11 step process from “In Search of a Close Shave”. She frowned [...]
Close Enough for a Man – But Shaved for a Woman?
The Manly Art of Shaving for the Ladies, or…”Close enough for a man, but shave for a woman?” (with apologies in advance to the Irish Spring folks) So, shaving with a pre-shave oil, a brush and proper lather, etc. is the manly art of shaving, right? Sure, it was odd having the lovely LuLu re-teach [...]
- Lord Racer Safety Razor for Wet Shaving
- Double Edge Safety Razor vs. Modern multi-blade marvel Gillette Fusion – head to head shootout
- Big Roc (or impostor?) – Another Chinese Twist To Open (TTO) Double Edge Safety Razor
- Double Edge Razor Withdrawals?
- Is wet shaving with a safety razor addictive?
- Choosing A Merkur Adjustable Safety Razor for Classic Wet Shaving
- One pass, two pass, three pass…more?
- Choosing A Merkur Safety Razor for Classic Wet Shaving
- Can a Man Relearn the Manly Art of Shaving From A Lovely Young Lady?
- Close Enough for a Man – But Shaved for a Woman?