Traditional shaving soap in a bowl, and brush

I've been shaving with a Gillette Mach3 and using foaming shave cream from puberty.

Now I realize (better late then never) that I would improve things a lot by starting using a traditional shaving brush and shaving soap in a wood or ceramic bowl. It would be economical in the long term, ecological (no aerosol spray cans, no waste) and airport friendly. I'm looking for shaving soap that doesn't have sodium lauryl sulfate in it.

Do you have any recommendations for travel sized or not models and brands? It doesn't have to be a "super or silvertip Badger brush with a tortoiseshell barrel" but I'd like it if most of the material is natural, yet affordable. I know if I want pure badger I'll have to buy a made-in-China product since badges are a protected species in North America and Europe, but on the other hand, they are a crop nuisance in mainland China.

I'd also like suggestions on products that are travel friendly to be put in a leather Dopp kit.

Thanks
Frankie

I use a shaving brush an mug exclusively.Regular can shaving cream makes my face break out in a rash.I use BURTS BEE'S Bay Rum shavins soap.It is hard to find but worth it.When I find it I buy all the store has.I have also used goats milk soap and really liked it.For my "ditty bag" I use a Swedish folding cup.You can find them in Coghlin"s camping supplies.For deoderant I use a natural deoderant stone.They are a mineral salt that is anti bacterial.You can find them in health food stores.They are nice because they don't melt in high heat.A friend who served in Iraq told me about them.
I hope this helps.
BOATMAN
John

Frankie, There are enire forums dedicated to wet shaving that can give you great answers. I use a MERKUR razor. www.eBarbershop.com is my favourite online vendor.

I know it's not what you are looking for, but I use shaving oil. A tiny bottle is travel friendly and lasts for ages.

A

Thanks for sharing, boatman, Chris, and ame.

I know a site that you're looking for. Try Best Grooming Tools.
There are a lot of nice and high end equipment there.

The cheapest shaving soap, Williams (about $1.50) at any drug store, doesn't have sodium lauryl sulfate in it. It has potassium stearate, sodium tallowate, pentasodium pentetate and tetrasodium etidronate. But no sodium lauryl sulfate. LOL. Rinse well and most people can use it without reaction. Some guys get into the habit of just toweling off the excess, and you can get away with it with most canned stuff, but dried soap isn't good for the mug. I usually shave in the shower so rinsing is quick.

I use a coffee mug for the soap. Got it as a gift, with flowers as I remember it.

As for a brush I got a Berma-Shave brush better than ten years ago and a spare for about $5 each at a drug store and I still haven't worn out the first one. Not much to look at, simple red and tan plastic handle, blond bristles. The bristles are described as "natural" on the box.

Point here is that if you look at the European shaving kit and accessories your going to find out you can spend considerable amounts of coin. Spend some time looking at the high-end on-line specialty stores selling shaving gear and your going to think you need to send a small fortune to scrape off a beard. Not so. Head down to your local drug store and you can get stuff that is cheap and works.

It is no longer possible to buy the quick and dirty double-edged razor at any brick-and-mortar store I know of but the blades are easy to find. Most any drug store carries them. If you want the double-edge razor itself you have to go on-line or visit an antique shop or flea market.

If a straight razor is more your style the best deals on new ones are on-line. There are a very few brick-n-mortar stores that sell them left. you can get old ones at flea markets and antique stores but you really need to know what your after and what your looking at. It is easy to buy a use one that isn't shaped or sharpened well and then get turned off to the entire process. Using a straight razor is something of an art and it takes time to learn, do right, and maintain the blades. All useful skills and character building.

If your busy, impatient, and just want to scrape off the beard with minimum fuss and muss, as opposed to the near ceremonial nature of using a straight razor, your going to like a double edged razor better.

Many straight razor users keep a 'safety' razor handy for when they are in a hurry and don't have time to do it right and enjoy the process.

I like to think that I learned to shave at 40, for alot of years I either ran an electric razor over my face or scraped it with a mach3 and whatever shaving cream came in a can and advertised it was for sensitive skin, which is what I assumed I had. Nowadays as long as I take my time, my skin holds up like a rhino, and I enjoy the shaving ritual. Maybe shaving is wasted on the young...

I'll go with Art on this - I have the same knock off shave brush, more important than badger is to get it hot, wet, and take your time lathering your face, you could do that with a paintbrush if you had to. While I'd love to say I'm using my dad's old gillette double edge, truth be told I use disposable razors and Williams soap, and they do a decent job. Although truth be told after I picked up a cake of Taylor on Bond Street sandalwood on a trip to England I have to say it was a real treat for my skin as long as it lasted. And I only get 1 or maybe 2 shaves out of the disposable blade, I know you can do better but I only shave every third day or so, I have a job and a wife that tolerates 5 o'clock shadows.

All told I'm happier and better shaved than I was with an electric razor all those years.

I use the same BURMA-SHAVE brush.Been using it for over six years.I didn't know how long they would last and bought all that was on the clearance shelf.I have three,new still in the box.If you PM me Frankie I'll try to send you one.I dont think postage to Canada would cost all that much.
Boatman
John

Interesting... but I don't use any soap or lather at all. I find it gets in the way of fine-tunning the edge of beard... When I first started shaving (ie. 13) much of it was simply copying Dad and using his razor but as I got older I purchased my own electric razer and shaved full face. That never really satisfied me as the electric would give me burns from pressing the skin to much while trying to get that close shave. I eventually went back to a wet razor and ever since I grew the beard, I've gone sans soap/lather. I don't have any more nicks that I did with lather (actually fewer) and my skin has toughened as I aged. Oh and I don't use after-shave; alcohol is murder on your skin. A hot towel is by far the best.

Gillette Mach3 Turbo - although I must admit the lube strip does make it a bit more comfortable, the biggest advantage is the flexible head.

i wish they would bring back the Gillette Techmatic.i had one in the Army-60's-and it was great.really sharp and no need to have blades handy,just turn the lever and a new section of the razor band would come into use.it had high and low settings,very handy when you had just a small kit. i used a mug and brush and still have the brush on a bathroom shelf..make sure you store it on the base..i got lazy and just tossed it in the mug and the brisles are sort of out of shape..another tip--if you use a straight razor don't run it under really hot water!..when you touch it to you skin the heat will make your hand jump and you might cut youself--i know..a wind-up razor might be handy for a BOB if you just need to get out of harms way for awhile.
i still have the Techmatic and got enought refills from ebay to have a shave with it once in awhile..

Generally, I don't shave in the bush. When I travel, I often opt for a Mach 3 - I shave once in the shower and do a second pass with shave oil in front of a mirror; a Mach 3 and spare blades, shave oil, sm. chip of alum block, and small mirror, and $12 US Brawn Travel Shaver (2 AAs) are in my dop kit for short-term use while traveling.

At home wet-shave with a Merkur Slant-Bar (long), a Merkur Silver-tip Badger Brush (stainless steel) and Col. Conk soap ($1.50 US), and finish with an alum block and then a dab of Nivea for Men Sensitive After Shave Extra Soothing Balm.

Shaving with a safety razor takes a bit of time, but its a great shave - especially for guys with heavy, coarse beard growth.

I started with a regular Merkur HD (long) before moving to the Slant-bar razor. I buy blades in bulk - I like the platinum Merkur and Feathers and get about 5 or 6 good shaves from a single blade.

Sometimes you can find inexpensive, used saftey-razors online.

As mentioned by another member, an Alum Block is an inexpensive anti-bacterial deodorant, and is also a great after-shave that closes pores and stops minor knicks from bleeding. I use My Nik is Sealed for nicks that need it.

There are lots of online recipes for crafting your own shaving soap: http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soaprecipes/a/cpshavingrecipe.htm

I've never tried making it myself, but shaving soap is usually a good quality soap with about 2 tsp. of Bentonite (or other clay: Kaolin, Rhassoul or Fuller's Earth) mixed in for every pound of soap in the batch.

There are also many of safety razor and straight razor tutorials online: http://www.youtube.com/user/mantic59

Best shave I ever got was from a Vietnamese barber with a straight razor and hot towel. Freaked me out when he shaved my whole face. His wife offered to thread my eyebrows but I passed - both good barter skills though.

I saw this youtube video. The guy is funny.

Frankie,

I used to use Noxzema Shaving Lather in a tube with a badger brush. I'm sure the brush was 25+ yrs old when I started using it, it was my Dad's. Best shave ever. I used to pick up a couple of tubes of the lather when I went back to Canada, sadly it is no longer available. Apparently it was made by P&G but was discontinued a while back.

There is an online source that says they get theirs' from Italy, but at $18 a tube its pricey. Might just get myself some for Father's Day/Birthday. I'm worth it!!

http://www.razorandbrush.com/nox.jpg

Thanks. I'll try Williams shaving soap and Omega Made in Italy boar hair shaving brush. Inexpensive and easy to find in our local drugstores.

François