Edwin Jagger Best Badger Shaving Brush

I had heard a lot of chatter about how much of a difference a good shaving brush makes. I didn't know first hand, since most of my shaving was done with a boar hair brush someone gave me.

I received an Edwin Jagger for Fathers Day. It's a Best Badger with a faux ivory handle, and it is all I have used since I took it out of the box.

Imagine the difference between driving a Maserati and a Pinto. That's about the feeling.

The brush lathers so much better than my boar brush that it isn't even possible to do a fair comparison. The lather these guys on the shaving vids on Youtube get? I can do that now. With far less effort, I get way better results. I can stir up a mountain of cream in no time, and it stays ready until my last pass. Plus, it's much softer and comfortable on my face.

One problem I have with this is that I need to reevaluate all my soaps with the new brush. So far I have only used Lavanda and Mikes.

Honestly, though, this isn't a problem I mind having. I'm looking forward to trying everything again and seeing how it all works under new circumstances.

Resources

There are a lot of sites on the internet that you can go to for information on wet shaving.

One site I really enjoy is Badger and Blade. The forums there are so full of good information, good links, good supplies and good people that I haven't been able to scratch the surface after more than a year.

If you have a question, it's likely been answered there. If not, ask! Someone (several someones, in all likelyhood) will be along shortly with some clarification.

If you want to get started in wet shaving, B&B has advice, tutorials, vendors, reviews, links, and a buy/sell/trade marketplace where you can find absolutley anything you'd need.

Check it out at http://badgerandblade.com/

There are plenty of other fine shaving forums that I haven't explored yet, so I can't give any recommendations for them. But you should be able to find one or several that suite you.

Another great site is Youtube. There are so many videos on wet shaving I don't even know where to begin. The subjects cover the entire range of knowledge, including face, bowl and palm lathering; shaving creams vs sticks vs soaps; badger (and grades thereof) vs boar vs horse vs synthetic; straight, single edge and double edge razors; blades and strops and hones and techniques and...

Well, you get the idea.

Once you have decided on what you want to get, some vendors I have used include BullGoose Shaving, The Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, and Mikes Natural Soaps. I have had great experiences with each of them, and I am affiliated with none. I get no kickback for guiding anyone to them, I'm just telling you how it went for me.

One thing there doesn't seem to be a lot of is brick and mortar stores (as opposed to internet storefronts). The area I live in is an absolute barren wasteland as far as B&M stores go. I did get to go to Merz Apothecary in Chicago, which has so much stuff geared toward wet shaving that it's almost overwhelming.

If you are in an area where you can find a shop like that, by all means check it out - the advantage of being able to see, touch and smell the things you are thinking of buying is incomparable. Especially if it's colognes, aftershaves, scented soaps, etc. There is no way to know how you will like a scent based on someone elses review.

Musgo Real

My tube of CO Bigelow was running low, and I figured it was time to try some new products. This made my list based on rave reviews from multiple sources.

Musgo Real is a product of Portugal, and has been around for over a century. It's made with lanolin and glycerin, which helps the razor glide over your skin, and keeps your face moisturized afterwards.

I noticed right off how quickly it lathers - I had to work a bit for Proraso/CO Bigelow. Musgo Real lathers fast and it lathers big. It's a little difficult for me to gauge the necessary water requirements for this stuff, but so far the shaves have been really nice. 

The scent is unusual - not perfumed, but sort of earthy. I don't mind it at all; it's a nice break from the usual.

I'd like to try this product with a badger hair brush; from what I've seen it makes a massive difference in the amount of lather you get and how well the brush applies it to your face.

Anyway, this is a good product, and has my full recommendation. It's fighting tooth and nail for a spot on my list above Proraso, and it might just win.

Prorasso Red

I finally recieved this in the mail. I have been looking forward to using it - Proraso shave cream and sandalwood: two of my favorite things in one! It had to be a win-win.

So use it I have; 1.5 times now, actually.

The first time I brought it to work with me so I could shave after my morning workout. They let us shower and shave after, so its not like I was ducking work. I went ahead and started taking out my supplies: Razor, check. Proraso Red, check. Aftershave, toner, face wash, moisturizer, check check check check. Brush and lather bowl, check che- aww hell.

Yes, I forgot my lather bowl at home, and had to improvise. There was nothing there I could find to use, so I ended up lathering up in the palm of my hand. No the most ideal situation, but what could I do?

The lather was a little too dry, as I expected, and seemed a little 'heavy' on my razor. But the shave went off just fine. No nicks, no burn.

The scent was great - I was not dissapointed in the sandalwood; I must admit though, I missed the menthol in the Proraso Green.

It wasn't the best shave I've done, but it wasn't bad. I figured I'd just chalk it up to the missing gear.

So this morning I tried again, at home, with my lather bowl. I performed The Routine as always, and broke out the Red. One thing I've noticed is that Red is a little runnier than green. I have to squeeze thre Green out of the tube; the Red almost falls out on its own. I don't know why this is, or what is so different about the formulas. I think I will order a bonefide Proraso Green next time, and see if maybe the difference is CO Bigelow vs. Proraso (although from my understanding the only thing that changed is the packaging).

So anyway, back to this a.m.'s shave: I got a nice lather out of the Red, and set myself to smoothing out my face.  I made sure not to over/under hydrate the soap this time. I applied it to my face about three times (once per pass). Again, it seemed that it was a little 'heavy'; by that I mean it thickened up and sort of gummed up my razor a little. Overall it wasn't bad, but it didn't seem as smooth as the Green.

Post shave I was a little bit raw, perhaps because I don't have the menthol as a buffer. The shave was decent, and I like the smell of the product.

I'm going to continue to work with it and see if I can get the kinks out. So far though, Proraso Green keeps the crown.

My stuff

It occured to me that the things I use are pretty under represented on this site. I aim to correct that.

Lets start with the Razors.

I have three Gillettes - a Fatboy, a 40's era Super Speed, and a '67 Super Speed.

The Fatty:

Note the numbers near the head of the razor - this is the adjustment dial.The lower knob twists to open the butterfly doors.

The '67:

This isn't mine, just a picture of a similar razor.

And the 40's (Gillette didn't mark specific years of manufacture until the 60's I believe. Correct me if you have better info):

This is also not mine. Just a picture of the same type. This one is much cleaner than mine.

The brush I will have to take an actual photo of - more on that later.

The lathering bowl:

I picked this Cappuccino mug up at Target for $4. It does a decent job.

C.O. Bigelow Shave Cream:

This has been the most successful cream for me so far. I really like the Menthol in it.

AoS Peppermint Face Wash:

The peppermint really helps give you a kickstart in the morning. I love waking up to this scent.

AoS Toner:

Toner is a vital part of keeping your skin healthy. Google it now, thank me later.

AoS Sandalwood Aftershave Balm:

This is the stuff that kicked off my personal shaving revolution. Once I tried it there was no going back.

Lucky Tiger Moisturizer (that's right, I kick it old school.):

Good stuff - been around since the '30s I think...

And of course the Bay Rum:

This is what your Grand Dad's barbers shop smelled like. I told you - old school.

So apart from the things I can't add photos of yet, that is my set up. The razor blades will be added on an as used basis.

So there you have it. Add a bathroom sink, a washcloth, and my face, and you have my complete morning ritual.

Proraso

So this morning I tried my Proraso Aloe and Green Tea shaving soap. It comes in a small tub about the size of a coffee cup, and I think it ran me $10 at Merz Apothecary in downtown Chicago.
I started with The Routine, of course. When I went to lather the soap, I noticed it looked like whipped cream. Fortunately it was more solid than that - it has the consistency of ice cream fresh out of the freezer.

I began lathering it up and the scent hit me. I wasn't quite sold on it - my first guess was lavender (I hadn't actually read the label when I bought it). A little bit flowery for my taste, but not overwhelmingly so.

The soap lathered fairly easily once I transitioned to my lathering bowl, but I'm still trying to find a balance between enough soap and enough water to keep it slick. I was a little concerned while it was in the bowl, but once I had it on my face I was pretty much reassured.

The lather went on thick and smooth, but my mixture was a little dry. This wasn't a major issue, as I didn't end up with any more nicks than usual (one or two, and they were pretty little). Still, I want to find the right fit for this particular soap and see how it performs at peak efficiency.

I like the Prorasso cream (the kind that you squeeze out of a tube like toothpaste) so I have high expectations for this soap. Hopefully my novice hands will be able to make it happen.

My Stuff

I am using a 1940's vintage Gillette Super Speed double edged safety razor. I have another Gillette Super Speed from 1967. I bought the razors for about $12 including shipping on Ebay.

My brush is a Boar bristle of unknown make that was given to me by a generous member of a forum I belong to.
I bought a stand for my razor and brush for $40. For my Col Conk's soap I use a small wooden bowl I found in the pantry, and lather up in a cappucino mug I picked up at Target for $4.
Some C.O. Bigelow (aka Prorasso) shave cream cost me $10, a can of Prorasso cost me $9, and I was given a puck of Col Conk's Bay Rum shave soap.

I ordered a sampler pack of razor blades, too numerous to list here. I will name them off as I use them. The cost was around $30.

And of course the scents and skin care:

Clubman Bay Rum. Very inexpensive and smells like an old fashioned barber shop.

Art of Shaving Peppermint Face Wash. Awesomesauce.

Art of Shaving toner. Unscented, good for the skin. Tightens the pores.

Art of Shaving After Shave Balm, Sandalwood. One of my favorite scents and a fantastic after shave. Very soothing.

Lucky Tiger Moisturizer. Old school goodness.

Michael Jordan cologne. Smells as good as he plays.

Once a week I use french green clay mask to clean my face thoroughly. Its inexpensive and very effective.

So I'm off and shaving. Bear in mind that I have several soaps and blades to experiment with. Once I figure out what works best for me I'll cut the recurring costs down substantially. Especially when the occasional after shave or brush pops up for a birthday or Christmas ;)