GOT MY 1st razor!!, so how much should i spend on everything else?

hey everybody so after all of your advice, i decided that for my first razor to go with a whipped dog form Larry (as well as a strop kit), it has not arrived yet but now im wondering where i should get everything else, i know i want a badger brush and a good soap to lather up with but am not sure what else is actually necessary for my first shave? i have seen a brand of badger brushes named LUXOR PRO for about 10.00 $ us on ebay and wonder if i can expect something good for that little money? and what is a good inexpensive soap to use for beginners that wont take to long to get. (is there any available at Walmart or other common stores that will help avoid shipping time?)

any help is appreciated, thank you

you can get a soap/bowl/brush set (or just the soap) made by Van der Hagen at walmart, walgreens, target, etc; there are two different ones- the one I've seen most often comes in a green box and has a boar brush, the other I think comes with a badger brush. I would stay away from a cheap badger like the one you mentioned; the boar that comes with the VDH set isn't great, but probably better than a super cheap badger. I actually have a silver tip badger from Larry at whipped dog, and I like it a lot; probably the most cost effective quality badger brush I've found. Don't automatically shy away from boar brushes, though, as you can get a really great brush relatively cheaply. Good luck!

As a newbie that started with a cheapo Badger, I can highly recommend a boar as your first brush. While the Semogue Owners Club is more costly than a cheapo Badger, it really isn't that much more. The Omega boars are also good values.

I would echo what MBR1965 said. Van der Hagen makes an ok set and soap. It's a good soap to learn how to build a proper lather. It's one of the soaps I keep in my rotation.

I second OKAllen's suggestion that you consider a boar brush. Semaogue has some great options other than its Owner's Club (it's top-of-the-line brush). I own a Semague 2000, which I got for around $20, and it's a great brush. The 1305 (smaller than the 2000) is also highly recommended. Once broken in, I've come to prefer my Semagoue over my more expensive silvertip badger brush.

The only caveat to getting a boar brush is that it has a break-in period. The bristles are a little stiff and the brush does not hold as much lather until about the 5th shave when the ends start to split. Oddly enough, split ends on badger brush is a very good thing. Once broken in, the brush holds lather a lot better, softens up, and gives you a nice massage sensation (lifting whiskers pre-shave). The second thing to keep in mind is that a boar needs to be soaked for several minutes before using. It performs a lot better when it is not dry. In contrast, with a badger you just splash water on it and go.

I'll be an echo here.
The Van Der Hagen set is easily the quickest to get ( depending on where you live ) and inexpensive. I use the soap two to four times a month and always buy more when I run out. I think it would make a good soap for your first real shave :)

I think you should get the best you can afford. Or you could opt for the cheapest you can find and down the road try something better and see if the difference is worth it. Or just be happy with whatever you get, learn to use it and be done.

I say, if your looking in the $10 range go for the VDH shave kit. The boar hair brush holds up well compared to their Badger hair brush offering (although the handle is a lot nicer). IF you would consider a shave cream I would suggest RSC (Real Shaving Co.) it's leaps and bounds IMO over VDH soap. It's found in Rite Aid around here, and I think Walgreens carries it.

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Originally Posted by MBR1965

you can get a soap/bowl/brush set (or just the soap) made by Van der Hagen at walmart, walgreens, target, etc; there are two different ones- the one I've seen most often comes in a green box and has a boar brush, the other I think comes with a badger brush. I would stay away from a cheap badger like the one you mentioned; the boar that comes with the VDH set isn't great, but probably better than a super cheap badger. I actually have a silver tip badger from Larry at whipped dog, and I like it a lot; probably the most cost effective quality badger brush I've found. Don't automatically shy away from boar brushes, though, as you can get a really great brush relatively cheaply. Good luck!

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+1 to this

Between the 2 vdh sets the green box has a smaller bowl better brush but not as good soap. The black set has a much better bowl but a cheap ass hollow handled brush and a better soap. I have a silvertip badger from whippeddog and its my goto brush. If your looking for a shave cream bath and body works sells C. O. Bigelow which is made by proastro and is a good easy to find menthol cream.

I went with a Vulfix boar brush for about $8 from Classic Shaving on the net. I still use it about once a week and after four years still works great. If you go that route, they also have quality soap that's pretty inexpensive. Erasmic comes to mind and is a favorite of mine. It's available from West Coast Shaving. You don't even need a bowl or mug. Just face lather.

Also, if you want to try out mug lathering, you don't need to buy any specialized or fancy shaving bowl or mug while starting out. You can definitely use a coffee mug/cup as your shaving bowl.

Interesting to hear the positive comments about even inexpensive boar brushes (versus the lowest-end badgers). I have a Kent VS80 boar brush--at least, I assume it's boar--that cost me about $8 at CVS pharmacy in the US. Since brush-talk is so often all about the badgers, I have always felt that I shouldn't like it as much as I do! But it's well broken in to relative softness while still keeping a strong backbone, and it tapers well to help me get the moustache area or other detail work.

My other brush is a high-end silvertip badger, but I rotate them evenly since I like the cheapo boar brush so much.

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Originally Posted by deepweeds

My other brush is a high-end silvertip badger, but I rotate them evenly since I like the cheapo boar brush so much.

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I actually have the exact same experience. The two brushes I use the most is a silvertip and a CVS $8 boar. While I love the feel of the silvertip on my face (it's like rubbing my face with a kitten) the boar lathers hard soaps much, much better.