Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Lavender
Lather: Derby Lavender cream
Brush: Vie-Long #14033 mixed horse-badger
Razor: vintage Ever-Ready1914 SE with a GEM SE blade
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Beard care: Big Red Beard Factory Balm and Big Red No7 Beard Comb
Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Peppermint
Lather: The last of my Arko Cool Mint shaving cream
Brush: Vie-Long #13051M unbleached pure horse
Razor: GEM 1912 SE with a GEM SE blade
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Proraso Liquid Cream After Shave
Beard care: Big Red Beard Factory Balm and Big Red No7 Beard Comb
To quote myself from a post I made over at my favourite shave forum:
If the brush whips up a good lather and it feels okay on your skin, then it’s a good enough brush in my book – a more expensive brush will feel better / last longer / look better, but it won’t shave better.
With that in mind, here is my current brush collection minus my travel brush* and shaving-at-work brush** (click the pictures to make them bigger). None of these are budget breakers, and all of them makes great lather and feels great-to-good on my face.
*) A lovely Omega 50014 boar
**) An okayish Body Shop synthetic
Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Peppermint
Lather: Arko Cool Mint shaving cream
Brush: Vie-Long #13051M unbleached pure horse
Razor: Yuma razor with a fresh Super-Max Stainless
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest 80 Below
Beard care: Big Red Beard Factory Balm and Big Red No7 Beard Comb
Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Peppermint
Lather: Arko Cool Mint shaving cream
Brush: Vie-Long #14033 mixed horse-badger brush
Razor: Racer razor with a Personna Super
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Beard care: Big Red Beard Factory Oil and Big Red No7 Beard Comb
Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Peppermint
Lather: Mama Bear’s Awakening
Brush: Vie-Long #13051M unbleached pure horse
Razor: Racer razor with a fresh Personna Super
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Beard care: Big Red Beard Factory Oil and Big Red No7 Beard Comb
Pre-shave: Dr Bronners Liquid Magic Soap, Peppermint
Lather: Proraso Eucalyptus & Menthol Cream
Brush: Vie-Long #12705B natural white pure horse
Razor: PaGillette 1958 TV Special Superspeed with a Feather
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Beard care: Big Red Beard Factory Oil and Big Red No7 Beard Comb
Pre-shave: Dr Bronners Liquid Magic Soap, Peppermint
Lather: Mama Bear’s Awakening
Brush: Vie-Long #14033 mixed horse-badge
Razor: PaGillette 1958 TV Special Superspeed with a fresh Feather
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Beard care: Big Red Beard Factory Oil and Big Red No7 Beard Comb
Pre-shave: Dr Bronners Liquid Magic Soap, Peppermint
Lather: Arko Cool Mint shaving cream
Brush: Vie-Long #13051M unbleached pure horse
Razor: Parker 22R Twist To Open with a Treet Platinum Super Stainless
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Beard care: Big Red Beard Factory Oil and Big Red No7 Beard Comb
Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Liquid Lavender Soap
Lather: Mike’s Natural Soap with Hungarian Lavender
Brush: Vie-Long #12705B pure white horse
Razor: Cadet TTO-13 Twist To Open with a fresh Green Astra
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Beard care: Big Red Beard Factory Oil and Big Red No7 Beard Comb
