Christmas Gift Ideas For The Shaver

As requested, I have put together a list of shaving related gift ideas. As many people's budgets vary I am including both low budget items as well as higher end items.

A Good Quality double edge (DE) Safety razor:

A good razor is key to getting a good shave. Here are a few suggestions for good quality razors.

Merkur "Hefty Classic" aka Merkur HD. This is a classic DE razor and is a favorite among wet shavers everywhere. You can't go wrong with this razor, and the price is right at $29.99. This is the one I recommend the most.
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Merkur Futur. This is an adjustable razor. While it provides an excellent shave (I have one myself), it is an aggressive razor as well as the heaviest of DE razors and I don't recommend it for someone new to wetshaving or someone with sensitive skin. $49.99
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Merkur Vision. This is Merkur's top of the line razor. If you're looking for a good, upscale adjustable DE razor, this is it. $99.99
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Razor Blades:

The razor blade is the key to a good shave. Different blades perform differently in different razors so some experimentation may be needed to find that perfect combination.

Personna. You can find these classic DE blades in Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens, and other stores. They're a reasonably good quality blade and the least expensive of the blades as well as easily available. I use them for my every day shaves and they do a decent job without undo irritation. When shopping for these, they may or may not actually say "Personna" on the package as they rebrand them for the various stores, but typically they'll be the only DE blades sold in this stores.

Feather. These blades are made in Japan and are the sharpest DE blades in the world. And they are indeed very , very sharp. While I like them for that really close shave, many men don't like them because they get more nicks and cuts as well as razor burn from improper use. $5.99 for a pack of 10.
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Derby A very good quality blade that is consistently sharper than the Personna, but less so than the Feather. $1.95 for a pack of 5

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Shave Creams/Soaps.

Here is my favorite part. The wide range of shave creams and soaps available is staggering. Choosing a scent depends in large part of the personality of the guy you're buying for, but there are some quite good ones out there. popular scents include rose, sandalwood, almond, lime, citrus, and lavender. A few suggestions:

Truefitt & Hill : My favorite brand of creams. Their West Indies Limes is my all time favorite cream. It provides very good lubrication as well as a wonderful scent. It can be purchased in both a tub or a tube. I buy the tubes as they are easier for traveling, but the tubs are the better value.
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This page shows a good selection of various creams and soaps available. All of them are of high quality and you really can't go wrong buying any of them.
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If you have a Target store in your area they carry the Proraso line of cream and soap products. The green tube of Proraso cream is quite inexpensive and is a good quality cream. It contains eucalyptus and smells a little like Vicks Vapo-rub, but provides a very refreshing feeling. Their jar of pre-shave cream is second to none in my opinion and smells the same as the cream.

Shaving Brush.

The shaving brush is a critical part of the shaver's arsenal. A good brush can make a difference on whether one get's a really good lather experience or just a so-so one. But the brush can also be the most expensive item as well.

There are basically two types of brushes available; boar bristle and badger bristle. Badger is further divided into different grades or qualities and prices can range widely from $40 to several hundred dollars. The one I use, which I won in a drawing, retails for $115.

The boar bristle brush is the least expensive brush available. The bristles tend to be stiffer and will break off at times during use. They do a decent job and are an ok starter brush. The best of these available would be the Proraso Omega brush available at Target for around $12. If you aren't sure if the person for whom you are shopping will stick with old fashioned style shaving, I'd recommend starting with one of these. He can always upgrade to a nice badger later on.

Badger Brush. Here is where things get more interesting, and more expensive. I'm listing some good quality brushes here across the range of prices and qualities.

Vulfix These are very high quality badger brushes in a range of qualities. $39.99 - $199.99

Simpson I really like the Simpsons. Mine is the Duke #2. Prices range from $50 to over $300.

A bit of googling and looking around can sometimes lead you to some sales and special offers on badger shaving brushes and is well worth the time. I recommend buying the best brush you can afford as it really does make a difference.

Some other nice items to add to that shaving kit:

If he uses or will be using shaving soap, a mug is essential. Get him one with his initials or favorite sports team logo.

If he will be using creams, a good bowl works wonders for getting a really good lather. A nice thick ceramic bowl is great as it will retain heat much longer thus providing a good warm lather through the entire shave. I avoid metal bowls as they cool too quickly. A cereal bowl will also work in a pinch.

A styptic pencil. Nicks happen.

A brush stand is nice as it allows him to hang the brush to dry. It isn't critical as brushes can be stood on end to dry, but a stand is classy. A razor/brush combo stand is great.

As you can see, one can spend a lot or a little to put together a decent shave kit, but as most men shave every day you know it'll be a gift he'll use.

If he's new to wetshaving there are a number of websites that provide tips and tricks for everything from getting a great lather to actual shaving techniques. many of the shoppng sites that I have linked here contain such advice and it's well worth reading.

Wetshaving is something of a cross between art and science. There is no perfect technique as everyone's beard grows differently, but certain things are consistent.

Prep is important and makes a huge difference. When practical shave right after a nice hot shower. I like using the Proraso preshave to help open the pores and soften the beard. After wetting the face with hot water I apply a light coatng of the preshave to my beard and let it work on it while I make my lather.

Getting the right cream/soap and water ratio can take some experimenting. The lather should be nice and moist without being runny. While lathering it up it should develop a shine or gloss to it. If it's shiny you're there. Too little water and it will be sticky. Too much and it'll be runny. Either way it won't do it's job. Apply the lather to the wet face using a circular motion with the brush and a light pressure. You can use a paintbrush motion to touch up any light spots.

A light touch with the razor avoids razor burn. I normally will do one pass with the beard's grain, rewet and relather and then do one pass against the grain to get it nice and close. This two pass methog works pretty well and avoids both irritation and ingrown whiskers.

To find that perfect blade angle, start with the razor head against the face and slowly bring the handle down until the blade just makes contact with the skin. This should be about a 30 degree angle which is perfect and will cut the whiskers without undo scraping of the skin.

After shaving rinse first with warm water to remove any remaining cream, then follow that with a refreshing splash of cold water to close the pores. At this point if you have any nicks (it happens) the cold water didn't close, use a styptic pencil on them. It stings a bit, but it works. Then rinse off the white styptic.

Finish off with your aftershave of choice. I like Pinaud's Bay Rum but many find it too spicy and don't enjoy that alcohol burn. Nivea makes a nice aftershave balm and the Aqua Velva Blue Ice balm is also quite good.

Shopping links
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I buy a lot from classicshaving.com and have always received excellent service. leesrazors.com is also an excellent place to shop.

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