Starter Gift Pack.

JohnnyO

JohnnyO

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Dumbarton
Like many of us I've given various shave related items to friends and relatives over the years. Now I'm just wondering, based on your own experiences and preferences, what starter kit would you put together to give to a new wet shaver. Remembering that they have no previous wet shave experience whatsoever. The only restrictions are that the items should be stock and reasonably available in your own home country, and affordable. My own package would be;

Myrsol Emulsion
Edwin Jagger badger brush
Edwin Jagger R89
Astra Blades
Myrsol Blue Shaving Soap
Stytic pencil and Thayers Witch Hazel.

But, I just know, that you've got a more suitable package in mind !

JohnnyO. o/
 
Vintage 5/8 shave ready straight razor.
Leather & canvas strop.
Finishing hone with slurry stone.(everyone who uses a straight should eventually be self reliant on maintenance).
Morrisons shaving gel.
Old spice aftershave.
Shaving oil.
Styptic pencil.
Moisturising cream.
 
starter kits are something that is not given damn near enough attention or thought to. Most companies will just toss a few items together, charge full price for them, and add a small bundling fee on top of that, all in the name of "convenience".

It should reflect the intended users style, and the givers personal style. Meaning, it should fit the person who gives and receives the gift. That is the hardest thing to do, even considering the amount of variant razors are made by each company.

If a person who gets the razor, brush, and soap, is a classic style person.. peruse the section of brushes that doesn't have fake plastic rat heads as handles.
 
And when you pick things out for the person, please, only get decent things that will be useful.

Don't get the van der hagen brush and bowl set for example.

say they like vintage cars, go online and look for a decent cereal bowl and try to get it with a photo of their favorite vintage car in it. nothing like unwrapping a custom lather bowl with a photo of the silver ghost in the bottom to make one feel special.

Also, you can get places to put a photo of anything onto, and into almost any product these days. more effort, but effort does show one cares.
 
I'd say a great starter kit is the Le Grelot and accessories currently in the BST thread. It's a honed straight razor, leather strop, synthetic brush and soap to be getting on with! Cheaper than buying the items separately by all accounts and hassle-free for someone just getting involved in straights. Add an ASB or AS and you're set for many months.
 
JohnnyO said:
Like many of us I've given various shave related items to friends and relatives over the years. Now I'm just wondering, based on your own experiences and preferences, what starter kit would you put together to give to a new wet shaver. Remembering that they have no previous wet shave experience whatsoever. The only restrictions are that the items should be stock and reasonably available in your own home country, and affordable. My own package would be;

Myrsol Emulsion
Edwin Jagger badger brush
Edwin Jagger R89
Astra Blades
Myrsol Blue Shaving Soap
Stytic pencil and Thayers Witch Hazel.

But, I just know, that you've got a more suitable package in mind !

JohnnyO. o/
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...so many great performing inexpensive products...I have previously gifted:

- Muhle R89
- Polsilver / Shark
- Palmolive shave stick / Prorasso green
- RR Plissoft or Omega Boar
- Nivea ASB
- Prorasso AS
- Alum block & styptic matches
 
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Whosthedaddy said:
Shaving soap could be better

I'm having trouble finding a decent lather from it.

Many other soaps perform better for less £
Click to expand...
Is that the Myrsol Blue Shaving cream? I was wondering how it is and created a thread asking about this product. If so, can you please tell how is the performance, smell, lather quality?
Thanks a lot
 
Works very well indeed for me Sezster, I often use the emulsion as a pre shave however the Myrsol Blue lathers well with a fairly wet brush ( by my standards at least ). I just don't shake the water out my Vie-Long after it's been sitting in warm water pre shave , run it round the puck in the container a few times and then face lather. It doesn't give one of those immense, foamy, aerated lathers so beloved of u tubers ; rather a smooth, creamy paste type of the type I prefer. Slip and protection are good. Not really a strong scent, just a mild cool, clean aroma which marries well with the Myrsol Blue EDC. Which is itself more of a skin scent than a powerhouse. Hope this helps.

JohnnyO. o/
 
Sezer1974 said:
Is that the Myrsol Blue Shaving cream? I was wondering how it is and created a thread asking about this product. If so, can you please tell how is the performance, smell, lather quality?
Thanks a lot
Click to expand...

I've not smelt the Myrsol Blue before but very much reminds me of a La Toja strong soap scent? The wife thinks it smells of fresh linen.

It's an odd consistency and not quite figured it out on how to get the best of the lather? It's not like a cream for bowl lathering and too soft to even load the brush from the tub.

The lather I have got from it has been OK but suspect its quite water temperamental and too much and you'll have a bowl of Bubbles on your hand.
 
Greetings

My suggestions would be more or less the same as Johnny's
Razor: Jagger or Muhle 89 (any variant/sub model)
Blade: Astra
Brush: Razorock 24mm Plissoft Standard or Bruce handle
Soap and Cream: Speick Stick and Cream
Post Shave: A Simple tube of Astral Cream (soft) or Nivea Sensitive Balm

I would humbly suggest that unless the 'newbie' has a Desperate Dan wire beard this combination should serve him well either to start out, or to stay with indefinitely.

Regards
Dick.
 
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wayne mattison said:
I think the perfect starter kit would be
Muhle R89
Omega boar brush (any under £10.00)
Palmolive shave stick
Voskhod blade
99% pure Aloe Vera Gel.
This isn't a starter set it is, if you stay off forums, a kit you can shave with every day for the rest of your life and get wonderful shaves from.
Click to expand...

Greetings

I agree 100% but ONLY if you stay off forums! :D

Regards
Dick.
 
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