Shaving buying mistakes

[wayne_m]

I'm still relatively new to wet shaving but getting better every go. I have however found myself on a steep learning curve when it comes to blades,soaps and other accessories.
I've ended up buying stuff that looks nice but not necessarily the right stuff for me.
What have you bought that haven't worked out for you and is just sat collecting dust?

 

[John]

A merkur Vision it's a crap hat that misses parts of my face, you can adjust the blade gap into a potato peeler, starts rotting away if you don't strip it down and clean it so it's in the razor collection serving a quadruple life sentence for my mistake, you never know 30 years down the road it could have a cult following........snigger

 

[Uncle Bertie]

You'll sell it easily enough - they don't float my boat, but many like them.

 

[discodaz]

not a lot really,with hardware i keep what i like and sell on the stuff that isnt for me. i am not fabulously fussy when it comes to soaps and blades as while there are good and bad, there is a pretty narrow gap between them and the price is low enough that its not a big deal if you really hate something. there is so much to try and everyone is so different its a bit of a crap shoot but it is a lot of fun!

 

[Tardisbasher]

Gillette Fat Boy.
When I first got into traditional shaving, it was still possible to get one under 50 quid (although the replated jobbies were beginning to sell for more) and so being the obsessive acquisitioner I was, I HAD to have one and thanks an esteemed member of this forum, I got one aaaand....meh.
It gave an okay shave but nothing amazing. My technique was still improving to be fair and there's a lot to be said for shaving with vintage razors but after a while, I sold it on.
Having said all of that, I also let my straights sit in a rack for ages after losing patience with them, went back to them and now I pretty much don't use anything else, so as the saying goes "Never say never"....or something like that.

 

[moodymick]

Um.... anyone know the maximum number of characters available in one of these boxes?
Fatboy - overrated, Ranger Tech - bloody, anything vintage with teeth - meh!
Anything with the word Treet on it, or Sharks, Personna or Jewel
MWF, Erasmic sticks, any soap you can see through & MWF (bought it twice, disliked it twice - probably heading to BST soon).
I was going to say Boar brushes - but I only ever had one (Semogue 1305 - I liked the handle. Still do.), and although I personally did not get on with it - I'm not prepared to tar them all with the ...erm....same brush.

 

[Rottie]

I wouldn't say biggest mistakes, but if I knew now what I knew then, I wouldn't have purchased either my WS shaving brush, or Derby Extra blades

 

[alancrab]

They're not mistakes - just lessons on the journey [emoji12] and I'm learning loads [emoji2]

 

[Gordy]

Everything I used up until two years ago, it was all pure rubbish. Electrics, pre-electric shave, every single cartridge razor type, gels, foams, cans, they all added to the skin/shaving issues I had.
Only mistake I've made in the last two years was giving Derby blades a try, despite all the advice to the contrary. My potato peeler is sharper!

 

[Gordy]

Ranger Tech - bloody, anything vintage with teeth - meh!
Anything with the word Treet on it, or Sharks, Personna or Jewel

Was the Ranger Tech that bad? I've had a hankering for one for quite some time but you're not the first to say this.
With you on Treet and Shark, just abysmal.
My prior Personna experience nearly put me off trying one of the finest blades going, the Lab Blues. Have you tried them?

 

[SeanC]

A blue bowl of death. Fortunately I joined here before opening and using it, so it eventually went to a charity shop.

 

[Gordy]

A blue bowl of death. Fortunately I joined here before opening and using it, so it eventually went to a charity shop.

I bought the blue bowl of death after having had the previous black bowl. I'd loved the scent of the latter but I knew from the smell that I was never going to get on with it. Just a terrible product but unfortunately to the masses, it passes for a traditional soap. Still not as bad as the wooden handled boar brushes they sold to go with it.

 

[moodymick]

Was the Ranger Tech that bad? I've had a hankering for one for quite some time but you're not the first to say this.
With you on Treet and Shark, just abysmal.
My prior Personna experience nearly put me off trying one of the finest blades going, the Lab Blues. Have you tried them?

The Ranger Tech - Yes. Personally, I thought it was, to the extent that although it was mint I reckon the blade gap was shonky by manufacture.
Personna's I have tried a couple of different ones and particularly did not get on with the Israeli ones. As ever YMMV

 

[MPH]

I would only consider a mistake to be something that cost me a lot of money or injured me, anything else was just part of the learning experience.

I have tried many soaps, razors and brushes that I haven't liked, but I've always managed to sell them on, generally at a small loss. None of them yet have seriously maimed me (though there is still time!).

Having the BST on here is great, as it let's you experiment knowing that the worse case should be you only lose a little.

 

[hunnymonster]

The Parker 90R I bought to start with. I got very lucky and mine was actually symmetrical but if you overtightened the blade by as little as â…› turn, the TTO doors were prone to fly off across the room. Conversely, undertighten by â…› turn and the blade chattered like someone with verbal diahorrea

 

[chrisbell]

My mistakes are mainly along the lines of others - WS and Body Shop brushes, Treet, Derby and Shark blades, and Macca Root cream (good performance but awful aroma). As a personal one, I'd add TOBS lemon & lime shaving cream and MRGLO, as it turns out that lime oil makes my face sting badly.