Thread: Shaving kit to be used in barber shops

Hi

People here (in the UAE) go to barber shops once or twice a week. But I am worried about the hygiene and generally don't like the cheap quality stuff they use (Shaving gel and after shave etc).
So I am looking to buy a shaving kit which I can with me. Since it would last me a long long time, I don't mind paying around 350$ for the kit.
The shops generally use disposable blade straight edge razors and clear shaving gel, so I rather stick with those ( I don't want confused looks in the shops and I don't think I can maintain and sharpen a razor well).

The only thing I ordered so far is the after shave from antica barbieria colla Antica Barbieria Colla Online Shop , cant wait to test it

I was also looking at the Feather Artist Club SS Razor but can't find anyone who actually used it Feather Artist Club SS Razor - Folding

Any recommendations on what I will need/am missing would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Feathers are great. I use one every now and then. As far as replaceable blades, they are the best imo. Be warned though, they are incredibly sharp and not very gentle.

Originally Posted by bpatton

Feathers are great. I use one every now and then. As far as replaceable blades, they are the best imo. Be warned though, they are incredibly sharp and not very gentle.

That is what worried me, I am looking at their professional blades which look like nothing I seen before, they are called feather pro guard. I hope the saloons here know how to handle it, I haven't seen anyone use it.

As for the brush and soap, I was hoping to just use a clear gel as an alternative. Would that work well?

Well you will be missing some of the benifits that a good soap gives, but if you get the pro guard blades they will be a little safer to use it had a guard built on the blade for beginners. Tc

Have you considered learning to shave yourself?
Then you would have an incentive to seek out the best brushes, creams etc.

Originally Posted by JOB15

Have you considered learning to shave yourself?
Then you would have an incentive to seek out the best brushes, creams etc.

I tried to shave a few times my self, I get acceptable results with not many cuts but that is for basic styling. I can't do advanced styles my self, I simply can't do it as well as a pro.

I read that the feather Artist Club razors are very sharp, I will test it first with a gel, if that doesn't work I will opt for a brush and cream and figure something out with my barber.
In case the gel doesnt work, penhaligons has some interesting shave creams that I would love to try. Specially the Bayolea.

Originally Posted by ygate

I tried to shave a few times my self, I get acceptable results with not many cuts but that is for basic styling. I can't do advanced styles my self, I simply can't do it as well as a pro.

I read that the feather Artist Club razors are very sharp, I will test it first with a gel, if that doesn't work I will opt for a brush and cream and figure something out with my barber.
In case the gel doesnt work, penhaligons has some interesting shave creams that I would love to try. Specially the Bayolea.

Proraso do a clear gel. I use it on holidays . It would work well for styling I guess

You'll also need cream & or soap, and a quality badger brush with a mug is recommended. (Of course, you can just face lather if you don't want to carry a mug). Good luck!

In the UAE you can easily (and cheaply) find Nivea shaving creams (blue or white tube), plus various Nivea gels and foams in the can. Nivea makes quality products, including after shave balms (that work IMO better than after shave lotions) and the ubiquitous Nivea skin creams and lotions.

Most traditional shavers rather use soaps or creams and avoid gels and foams out of a can, but Nivea gel has had good reviews.
No Proraso in UAE as far as I know, but I'd rather use Nivea anyway.

You may however find Tabac in some supermarkets (e.g. Lulu Hypermarket near Emirates Mall in Dubai) which some people just love. In the same hypermarket I have occasionally found Feather safety razor blades and some safety razors. Nothing special, but they get the job done. I may even have seen some Parker razors.


Feather products (either Feather Artist Club or double edge safety razors and the respective blades) can also be purchased on eBay.com directly from Japanese sellers, paid through PayPal, and I never had to pay any UAE Customs duty on such orders, at most a Customs handling fee of around 10 Dhs at the main post office.
UAE Customs just don't seem to be interested much in razors and shaving goods.

Feather safety razor blades have a scary reputation that I find that largely exaggerated and undeserved.
Most Feather safety razors by comparison, have a reputation for being rather mild.

The Feather AC system is an entirely different game, and needs to be handled with care. I very much doubt wether a typical barber in a local UAE barber shop knows how to handle one of those proficiently.
In other words, I'd rather do it myself.

I suspect that local barbers may find it easier to get used to a Dovo type shavette that can even take safety razor blades; but this is a system that - even though I can get decent shaves from - I consider flimsy and do not care for at all.

I do use Feather AC DX razors fairly regularly when travelling and get good shaves from them.
If you want to go the straight shaving way, the added benefit of this system is that they do not require stropping and honing, something that you or your barber would first have to come to grips with.

Companies like Mühle (Germany), Esbjerg (Austria), Edwin Jagger and D.R. Harris (both U.K.) etc. ship to the UAE and while the shipping costs may seem high, you don't have to pay European VAT (around 20%) and UAE Customs is often nil, which makes the entire purchase much cheaper.
If your purchase exceeds 100 Euros, I believe Mühle and Esbjerg even pay international shipping costs.

Good luck,


B.