Thread: Received Art of Shaving gift set... Some Q's!

There is absolutely NOTHING sissy about my custom ordered pink feather artist razor with optional power puff dangling tang charm. NOTHING!!

I'd say skip the Feather and just get a shave ready straight from one of the vendors here. It'll be ready to go so you don't need to worry about a whole lot of prep time. Just be careful when stropping. For a look at how NOT to strop find somewhere in one of the threads(I'm sure somebody here knows exactly where to find it) the video of the barber useing a hanging strop. I call him the "Strop Slapper". When I first started my stropping technique was ALMOST as bad. Fortunately I, like yourself, discovered SRP.

AOS lavendar smells alright and so does their sandalwood. their other creams i don't care for at all. the product itself is a fine cream. the overall price of shaving soaps or creams, although it seems like alot, really isn't so bad. a tub of cream will last you months and months and months. so break that down over the cost and it isn't so bad.

the same goes for a razor. i think its prudent when starting out to wait and extra week or 2 if needed inorder to save up a couple extra bucks and get the right equipment at the start. the overhead cost of straight shaving is not exactly cheap, but thats really it. once you buy your cream/brush/strop/razor you are set for a very very long time. and a real razor will last you your entire life, which is alot less $ then the cost of blades for a lifetime

it should also be mentioned that if you buy yourself quality items that if you decide that straight shaving is not for you that you can come to this website and put them up for sale and they will be bought up almost instantly for almost purchase price. its not that much risk in the situation.

preshave - your already have ...you can use normal cheap hair conditioner in the shower to soften your beard if you want
cream/soap - you already have it. 5$ proraso at target is great stuff also
brush - you already have one
razor - 30$'ish for a good one that will come shave ready from a member here.
strop - need one, i'd suggest www.thewellshavedgentleman.com , hang it from your towel rack in the bathroom or door handle.
bowl to make lather - use a cereal bowl or a big coffee mug from your kitchen
aftershave - you already have ... also witchhazel works great for 3$ lasts forever

that isn't too much to spend initially, and if you buy the strop/razor and don't like it put them up for sale here.

take your time learning. there is no need to rush, it really is a learning process with terrific and improving results week after week.

~Jared

ps. i work in midtown. if you go in there i'd be willing to give you a normal razor that i bought on ebay, restored and i'll hone so that your cost will be even less. i'd just ask for 15$ to cover what it cost me to buy.

Hey JScott, thanks a million! Thats a great offer and I'd love to take you up on it. However, I would like to try the feather for a few shaves first... I'd hate for you to do this huge favor and then I find out straight razors are not for me.


On another note, I got ancy and decided to use my new products minus the razor (still waiting on the feather) with my ol Schick Quattro. Typically I'd shave with Neutrogena shave gel after the shower. This morning i got out of the shower, put a bit of the cream in a mug, a drop of pre-shave oil in the mug, then worked a lather with the brush.

I know I am not even a quarter of the way there, but I CANNOT BELIEVE how big of a difference simply changing my cream and my application has made. My skin has NEVER felt this smooth, and I even rushed through the shave because I was late.

I see VERY STRONG addiction starting here!

Thanks again to everyone!!

I have AOS Lavender hard soap and it's one of my favourite soaps, just have others have said they are just a little overpriced for what they are. If you already have AOS products just use them and be happy, they aren't bad at all.

I would start with a straight. Buy a pre-honed shave ready one from someone on here (Lynn, John, Joe, Tony etc.) and all you'll need is a hanging strop to use with it every day. You'll need to send it off every few months to be honed if you don't want to learn yourself. I've had a go at honing my own and it's not too hard if you follow Lynn's DVD, but it's still not easy. I'm still very much in the learning phase and I send my main razors out to be honed.

I too live in a small apartment. I made a small loop of cord attached to my hanging strop, which I use to hang it on a doorknob, or the end of a radiator when I strop my razor. It works fine as long as it's something reasonably solid.

Take the plunge, I'm sure you won't regret it!

Joel Ferman did a very thourogh review on the Feather Artist Club RG just a short time ago on B&B. I for one would not start by using that razor. In another post he showed some pics of his bloodied face after his first shave with the Feather!

It is interesting to note that he is now giving up the DE and Feather and returning to a straight razor.

Start with a pre-honed straight razor , strop and an abrasive pasted paddle strop. Get the hones later.


Just my two cents,