Clueless Girlfriend from the Chi!
Hi ALL!
I am new to straight razor and only started researching it because my boyfriend has been complaining about his razor. He has had straight razor shaves at the barber and always talks about how he loves his shave. He is into vintage everything! bicycles, records, musical instruments...etc.. the old soul type of guy that he is, I thought he would love to just make the switch to straight razor, (he already uses a brush and cream to shave), so i thought this would be a great gift for him.
This is what I've learned so far, (please excuse my ignorance and correct me if I am wrong) and I would prefer to keep razor, brush, and bowl vintage. I have been watching items on ebay and etsy, just need a little direction on what to keep my eye on and what to pass up.
BLADES: for beginners a 6/8 size with a french point or round point is best.
What are the best blade types to use?? I did see some Damascus steel blades, are those any good?
The HANDLE: I'm very clueless in this part, and there are so many variations. What are are good quality handles made out of?
BRUSH: I read everywhere that Silverpoint Badger brush is the best. Who makes the best brushes? (vintage companies, unless this is not recommended)
Bowl: I've been seeing a lot of wooden bowls that I really like. I'm just not sure what type of wood is the most durable and what companies are the best qualities.
And as far as the shaving soap/cream what is the best natural/organic plant based shaving soap out there? I've seen some that are handmade on etsy, and Dr. Bronner's shaving cream.
Thanks a lot for the help!
Pax~