One of the new crazes these days is monthly boxes. Be it manly food, cool indy gift ideas, or shaving products, these monthly subscription services are popping up everywhere. One of which is the Wet Shave Club, who asked us to do a review of their starter kit. I generally like to dig deeper into product offerings like this to find out what makes them tick and this one was very interesting. Like most companies that source various products from multiple manufactures, The Wet Shave Club switches up the items fairly regularly.
The most common question we get from Shaving 101 readers has always been, “Where do I start?” Having published many reviews of various brushes, razors, blades, and accessories, we easily see how someone taking his first steps in traditional shaving can quickly get overwhelmed with the choice of products on the market today. On the other hand, with the recent resurgence of interest in traditional shaving, many high-quality and economically priced products have appeared. There are more traditional shaving products available today than since the use of the double edge razor tapered off in the 1970s. Rather than focusing on one particular piece of the equation, this article presents an overview of what goes into your first shaving setup and what you need to take into consideration for your own needs.
If you’re viewing our website, perhaps you’re trying to find out if there is a better way to shave. Perhaps it’s because you’ve found wet shaving and love the experience you receive from an excellent, smooth, and pain-free shave using our tried-and-true methods of shave cream, hot water, a brush, and a fine razor. James Wood, an entrepreneur and Air Force veteran, was introduced to a shaving system over 20 years ago that worked: Lab Series Maximum Comfort Shave Cream. The thing that set this cream apart from the rest was its use of benzocaine, a mild numbing agent. This formulation helped its users achieve pain-free shaves, albeit synthetically, with a high degree of customer satisfaction. Jim was a loyal customer until a few years ago when Lab Series changed the formulation and took out the benzocaine. Customer reviews on the Lab Series website filled with expressions of dissatisfaction with the new “advanced” formula. With 90 reviews of the shave cream to date, it only averages a two-star rating out of five. Frustrated, Jim sought alternatives to his favorite cream, and when nothing comparable was found, he did what any successful entrepreneur would do: he made his own.
Previously I reviewed the Wm. Neumann & Co. 1911 Shave Soap, a masculine, woody, yet balanced fragrance made with citrus, sandalwood, rosewood, vanilla, cardamom and nutmeg. This frangrance is described as "a smooth, masculine, and timeless American classic reminiscent of John Browning's legendary Model 1911 Colt .45." I paired the Shave Soap with the 1911 Pre-Shave Oil for an even better shave.
There are some things that simply should not be used when traveling: Travel Weights (that fill up with water so that you can have dumbbells on the go) or the Travel Infrared Sauna (that assembles into a personal wet sauna suite in case you need an immediate increase in humidity). When it comes to shaving, however, there are many travel products that can be helpful when you are away from home. Usually travel products are under-sized, which can make using the product awkward or less comfortable. The Parker Travel Safety Razor proves that you can have both comfort and portability in a quality travel razor.
This article by Shaving 101’s Mike Sandoval is featured in the July 2013 issue of Cigar Advisor Magazine. The article describes the problems with modern cartridge razors and aerosol creams, and why many men are caught in a vicious cycle of shaves that suck. Mike encourages men to go old school: use a double edge safety razor for a comfortable and enjoyable shave. He also describes the benefits of using a shaving brush to get a closer shave and softer skin. He also explains that traditional shaving is a fun hobby -- particularly for cigar enthusiasts -- because collecting tobacco accessories and shaving accessories are very similar with vintage and new gadgets, and products that are available in many different styles and scents.