Merkur
Before I get into the post, I need to call attention to Merkur. I discovered an interesting piece of advertising as I was doing research for this blog post. It was too late for my razor purchase but what I found may affect your purchasing decisions.
They have a promotional image with the text: “Sorry Ladies, Men Only” present.
I know my audience and I cannot leave this piece of advertising alone. I noticed it and I’m making you aware. You’re free to choose to support or walk away from the brand. I leave the final judgment to you, the reader.
Wet Shaving
I recently discovered Wet Shaving. Think ‘old school’ and ’the old way’. It involves a single blade safety razor, soap and patience.
I’ve been wanting a better shave lately and figured I should make the leap. I’m a fan and will be keeping this up.
Below you’ll find some thoughts and general notes on what I’ve been up to when it comes to shaving.
West Coast Shaving
The fine folk at West Coast Shaving (link) are all about a quality wet shave. I received a bunch of random shaving supplies from them. They were a little ‘slow’ to ship but everything arrived in one piece and good packaging. I’d recommend starting with their site if you’re new to this world.
They also have some other razors for non-facial shaves. I’d recommend poking around at their offerings. I spent a ton of time on their site exploring options before I settled into my various purchases.
Non Facial Shaves
The fine folk at West Coast Shaving were good enough to put together a ‘Ladies’ Safety Razor Starter Kit that looks like a great option for legs. If you’re shaving more than your face you may want to check it out (link).
Soap / Shave Cream
Based on my research any soap/gel/etc with bentonite is going to be a winner. I personally prefer Sloppy Soap (link) for their soaps with bentonite. Naked Pink and Gray is my favorite for shaving.
Naked Pink and Gray has good slip, lather and works great for wet shaving. The only faux complaint I have is that the lather doesn’t last for the full length of a shave. You’ll want to apply it as you go along with a brush, it’s worth the extra effort.
Blades
I can’t make a recommendation on which blades are the ‘best’. This is going to be a super personal opinion and you’ll want to try more than one.
I’d recommend a sample pack (link). Every blade has a different profile and you’ll want to try more than a few to find what works best for the area of the body you’re shaving.
If you need more than one blade type/brand, don’t be shy. Shaving your head, face and legs tend to have a different ‘best’. No shame in multiples. It’s just a good excuse to have a couple different razors. 😊
My Choices
I have two different setups: one for home and one for travel. Below you’ll find what I’m using in both circumstances.
Home Kit
Travel Kit
- Merkur #25C Safety Razor (link)
- Parker Pure Badger Travel Shave Brush (link)
- Naked Pink and Gray soap (link)
- Razor cover in leather (link)