Thread: One thing to improve the overall experience

If you had to pick one thing that you bought that greatly improved your shaving experience overall, what would it be?

So far I am still fairly new to all of this. I have collected four razors, and currently three of them have been honed on my own on a norton 4/8, one from the person on here that I bought it from (easily the best edge). I am still working off of my beginner kit from Vintage blades, simple webbing and leather strop, fairly small rooney badger brush, and currently AOS sandalwood creme, occasionally Ill start with a Williams base and only a little creme, but thats just for fun.

Currently the only aftershave I use is Old Spice classic, but we can ignore the debate about the formula changing please!

I'm kind of itching for something new. I've been contemplating a few different things...

• Paying to get one or two of my razors professionally honed again. This was one of the first things I thought of, but I think I have pretty much ruled it out since I can get a shave ready edge myself, and making it smoother and more comfortable is part of my learning
• Getting a finishing hone, something like a 12k maybe... again it's appealing, but I have heard it is dangerous to start aquiring hones in an effort to find a smoother edge. I'm never really sure if I have maxed out the capability of an 8k hone, so this is up in the air.
• A scuttle. Warm lather is so nice, and filling my sink is getting a little old, even if it is effective and cheap
• A new brush, maybe with a bigger knot and longer handle. I find I get lather all over my hands as I work with it, makes it tricky to clean up then get to the razor, or it makes a slipping hazard!
• A new strop, a three inch looks really appealing! If i went with this option I would also get some Crox or diamond paste I think to use with my old strop, which might also help me on my way to a keener edge.
• A nice new soap/creme/aftershave. This might be one of the cheaper options (maybe...) but I'm not sure really how much it will change my shave. I don't have particularly sensitive or special needs skin, and some days i dont even use aftershave. My soap and creme experience is very limited, and im not really sure where to go now. Kind of stuck in a "well it works so why change it" rut, too many options really!

So anyway, even if it is not listed above, what is one thing you think would really improve things overall? If you have recommendations on a favorite something, im all ears! Shared experience is always appreciated!

Thanks guys!

On a bang for the buck basis, L'Occitane Cade Shaving Balm.

Nothing that I bought. learning to hone properly was the game changer for me.

If you have a proper sharp razor you can shave with water and get good results. If it ain't sharp you can have every shave tweak in the world and it won't amount to a hill of beans.

I agree with thebigspender, learn to hone. Being able to have a perfect razor everytime. Makes you feel good to knowing you have honed it yourself. I have 6 razors and one real nice coticule which i can do most things with, im happy with my set up.

The three things that will improve your shave are time, technique and a sharp razor.

I think a new hone is out of the question. Now, like I said earlier, I can get to a shaving sharp razor with my current honing skills, even starting from an awful edge or a breadknife (made that mistake once =\) my razors pass whatever tests you want to throw at them, and I do get smooth shaves from them.

I have one wedge that was finished by someone here on a different hone progression and then with a pasted strop, and I can immediately tell the difference between that blade and mine that come right off 8k and go to an unpasted strop. It isn't as much a sharpness issue, it is a smoothness matter. Both deliver smooth shaves, but the razor that was pasted does it a lot more gently!

So let me rephrase my question, not looking to get a smoother shave, what would make your shaving more enjoyable, more luxurious maybe?

Originally Posted by nalbonen4

So let me rephrase my question, not looking to get a smoother shave, what would make your shaving more enjoyable, more luxurious maybe?

In that case, a quality soap or cream is the first step to a more luxurious shave.

TOBS Eton College, Mitchell's Wool Fat and a nice Omega Boar brush. I've debated a scuttle for quite a while but about 90% of the time I face lather so it would in my case it would likely be a unnecessary expenditure. I've recently figured out that a touch up pass with just a super hot water splash and some baby oil gel (instead of a lather) produces some wonderful results. If you try it and don't like in the touch up role, it's quite nice as a preshave (i.e. wash your face with really hot water, apply baby oil gel and then lather over the top.)

I vote for the scuttle. I bought one from SRD and it's wonderful. Much larger than it looks on the website, I find it makes, and keeps good hot lather for several passes. Enjoy!

Ive

My Scuttle was a great buy for me, nice warm lather every morning is soooo luxurious