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Suggestions wanted

gthomas04

gthomas04

...was Drubbing's first. AKA Captain Tightarse
Can any of you experienced users suggest to me a combination bowl/soap. I hope to persuade one or other of my children that it would be nice gift for fathers day. I am at the moment using the Prosaro cream that came with the budget kit from mens biz. Enjoying every minute of it, although looking at some of the stuff the pricing scares the crap out of me. Just feel I am not doing the complete job unless I am lathering out of a bowl as I remember my father doing oh so many years ago.

Thanks in advance.
 
For lathering creams, I just use a $3 bowl from Target that was a decent size and matched the colour of my bathroom. For soaps, I usually just buy the version that comes with the bowl, and just replace the soap when necessary. Don't worry too much about price as the stuff does last ages. As a cheap alternative, you can buy a shave soap stick like Spieck and mill (grate) it into a bowl such as these.

The English Shaving Company - Edwin Jagger shaving accessories, shaving creams and aftershaves
 
gthomas04 said:
Can any of you experienced users suggest to me a combination bowl/soap. I hope to persuade one or other of my children that it would be nice gift for fathers day. I am at the moment using the Prosaro cream that came with the budget kit from mens biz. Enjoying every minute of it, although looking at some of the stuff the pricing scares the crap out of me. Just feel I am not doing the complete job unless I am lathering out of a bowl as I remember my father doing oh so many years ago.

Thanks in advance.
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I'm not a bowl latherer but from what I've seen unfortunately most proprietry soap/bowl set ups cost a lot. You might be able to nab a nice old bowl on e-bay but otherwise go to your nearest kitchen shop. You can find some really nice earthenware/stainless containers with lids and just make the soap puck fit. Or even Vinnies has a load of containers which might suit. I use a few plastic plastic herb containers for my soft soaps. You can grate any hard soap in to any container. I make shaving sticks out of soaps and get nice vintage stick holders off the bay for a few bucks a pop.
 
Pjotr said:
I'm not a bowl latherer but from what I've seen unfortunately most proprietry soap/bowl set ups cost a lot. You might be able to nab a nice old bowl on e-bay but otherwise go to your nearest kitchen shop. You can find some really nice earthenware/stainless containers with lids and just make the soap puck fit. Or even Vinnies has a load of containers which might suit. I use a few plastic plastic herb containers for my soft soaps. You can grate any hard soap in to any container. I make shaving sticks out of soaps and get nice vintage stick holders off the bay for a few bucks a pop.
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Thanks for the suggestionss - might have a poke around the back of the kitchen cupboards and save the kids a few bucks (they can buy me a new razor instead!)
 
gthomas04 said:
(they can buy me a new razor instead!)
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That would give you a measurably better return on investment. I've not bothered with buying bowls either. I use soap mostly, but if it doesn't fit my plastic bowls, I grate it and pack it in.

Shave companies do charge well over the odds for wooden bowls, but once bought, you can reuse for years, of course. Keep an eye on ebay, I'm sure you could pick up something similar very cheaply.
 
Drubbing said:
That would give you a measurably better return on investment. I've not bothered with buying bowls either. I use soap mostly, but if it doesn't fit my plastic bowls, I grate it and pack it in.

Shave companies do charge well over the odds for wooden bowls, but once bought, you can reuse for years, of course. Keep an eye on ebay, I'm sure you could pick up something similar very cheaply.
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Just had a cruise around ebay - love the deals ,mostly out of the US, for 500+ blades at a time (hell I am 61 now, I would have to leave the balance to someone in my will). The other thing I was looking for was a nice stand, but like the bowls looks like I might have to make my own! Boy they charge like the proverbial wounded bull for those things.
Never mind having fun learning all about my new hobby.
 
gthomas04 said:
Just had a cruise around ebay - love the deals ,mostly out of the US, for 500+ blades at a time
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and so it begins...

Stands are other items that's aren't really neccessary, but nice to have for display. I've 3 kids so I can't leave anything out, they'll eat it, stick things in each others ears, bury them, or shove them in the DVD player.

I'd hold off on bulk buying blades til you've established the ones you like. There are some that seem to be all the same, but there are significant differences between the feel and performance of the big sellers: Derby, Reds, Astra, Feather, Gillette etc
 
Drubbing said:
and so it begins...

Stands are other items that's aren't really neccessary, but nice to have for display. I've 3 kids so I can't leave anything out, they'll eat it, stick things in each others ears, bury them, or shove them in the DVD player.

I'd hold off on bulk buying blades til you've established the ones you like. There are some that seem to be all the same, but there are significant differences between the feel and performance of the big sellers: Derby, Reds, Astra, Feather, Gillette etc
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Probably should have said the 500+ buys amuse me more than anything - I am still using my first box of 5 Derbies that I got a month ago so dont think I will be lashing out on any bulk purchase! Fortunately all my kids now have kids so there is noone at home to stop me leaving sharp objects wherever I so desire.
 
Less than 5 blades a month - is that shaving most days?

3-5 shaves per blade is the norm with these things. With 5 being pretty rare.
 
Drubbing said:
Less than 5 blades a month - is that shaving most days?

3-5 shaves per blade is the norm with these things. With 5 being pretty rare.
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Probably true, but due to financials, I like to drag every last ounce of goodness out of a blade, and I did have 10 days in Hospital where the shaving was only every 2nd or 3rd day.

Also I admit to the practice of using a blade until I notice a distinct drop off in performance I wait till the blade tells me it wants to be changed.
 
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gthomas04 said:
Just had a cruise around ebay - love the deals ,mostly out of the US, for 500+ blades at a time (hell I am 61 now, I would have to leave the balance to someone in my will).
Click to expand...

I'm 31 and my son will be left at least 500 of these in the will......

GBE_1.png


GBE_2.png


4000 NOS Gillette Bleue Extra Blades, manufactured c.2000. If I use a blade per week (at about 3 shaves per week) then it is 80 years supply.

And that is just the biggest stash of any one type of blade that I have. Last count was 12,000 blades, enough until I am 260 years of age. Better find that fountain of youth and have a swim daily.
 
Gthomas, Razormonsta is abnormal.

He is preparing for either an invasion of aliens or zombie apocalypse.

Anyway I didn't get to the post office today; mercy pack in the mail tomorrow ;)

5 shaves on a razor is something I doubt many people on here have ever done, given that mostly we have so many blades we could use them once and not run out.
 
Razormonsta said:
4000 NOS Gillette Bleue Extra Blades, manufactured c.2000. If I use a blade per week (at about 3 shaves per week) then it is 80 years supply.

And that is just the biggest stash of any one type of blade that I have. Last count was 12,000 blades, enough until I am 260 years of age. Better find that fountain of youth and have a swim daily.
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I guess the biggest question must be Why? Were they on special and you cant resist a bargain? perhaps you are expecting the apocalypse and figure they will be great trade items? I am far too new here to call anyones sanity into question but dear god 12,000 blades!
PS see my post "Problem solved" for answer to problem that started this thread.
 
gthomas04 said:
I guess the biggest question must be Why? Were they on special and you cant resist a bargain? perhaps you are expecting the apocalypse and figure they will be great trade items? I am far too new here to call anyones sanity into question but dear god 12,000 blades!
PS see my post "Problem solved" for answer to problem that started this thread.
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No, they stopped production. Blade qualities suddenly go from great to mythical and they become a tradeable commodity. Blades? Don't go there! Don't worry, I've questioned the sanity of blade collecting from day one. There are more blade collectors here. I think they're fair game.
 
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MoabBoy said:
PIF? ;) or trade?
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Saving for a rainy day! Would happily trade @ 2:1 for authentic Super Iridiums (and not the new Polsilver ones).

gthomas04 said:
I guess the biggest question must be Why? Were they on special and you cant resist a bargain?
Click to expand...
They were the last of the bulk NOS GBE's in existence for sale. I had my eye on them for a while, had the cash, and when the stock went from 3 cases to 1 (plus another case in 100-packs at a slightly higher price) I acted.

We were still in Iridium mania at the time, and I needed to jump on a nice quantity of good blades. The person selling these bought 2 pallets as a runout from Gillette UK a few years ago. They had been selling them in the 100-packs, while also making the cases (2000) available. Most of the vendors like WCS had these in stock, so I guess that one of them ran low and bought 2 of the last 3 cases.

gthomas04 said:
perhaps you are expecting the apocalypse and figure they will be great trade items? I am far too new here to call anyones sanity into question but dear god 12,000 blades!
Click to expand...
I figured that I might be able to eek out some good blades with these as trades. I really wanted ~200 Authentic SI's but nobody ever offered me any. I would also love a nice stash of Gillette Spoilers, Swedes and some Schick Platinum Plus.

There is always the option to sell them later on. They apparently still make these but the packaging is different - they come in a cardboard box. Still distributed in France but no longer made at Annecy like they were years ago. Some conjecture if mine are Annecy or PPI St Petersburg manufacture. I tend to think they are PPI.

I also wanted a good holding of one particular blade. Could always sell them later on, even trade for razors.
 
As I said I would trade 2:1, then it is me putting up the 2. We pay our own postage.

I think most of the guys who have tried my samplers like the GBE's. Bit interesting working out how to get them out of the dispenser though!
 
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