Pre-shave: Dr Bronners Peppermint Soap
Lather: Nivea Shave Cream
Brush: Wilkinson Sword Badger
Razor: Merkur 39C slant with a Green Astra blade
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Proraso Liquid Cream After Shave
Beard care: Big Red Beard Balm and Big Red No7 Beard Comb
Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Citrus
Lather: Mike’s Natural Lemongrass & Eucalyptus Soap
Brush: Wilkinson Sword Badger
Razor: Phillips Philite with a fresh Feather blade
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
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: Mike’s Natural Pine & Cedarwood Soap
Brush: Wilkinson Sword Badger brush
Razor: GEM 1912 SE with a GEM SE blade
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and BodyShop Maca Root Face Protector
Beard care: Big Red Beard Factory Oil and Big Red No7 Beard Comb
Pre-shave: Arko shave stick
Lather: Arko shave stick
Brush: Turkish No7 ‘horse hair’
Razor: Wilkinson Sword Classic with a 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
Pre-shave: Dr Bronners Liquid Magic Soap, Lavender
Lather: Derby Lavender cream
Brush: Turkish No6 ‘horse hair’
Razor: Wilkinson Sword Classic 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
Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Liquid Peppermint Soap
Lather: Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum Shaving Soap
Brush: Vie Long 14033 mixed horse/badger
Razor: Wilkinson Sword Classic with a Treet Platinum
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Liquid Peppermint Soap
Lather: Col Conk’s Bay Rum
Brush: Semogue TSN 2012 LE mixed boar/badger
Razor: Wilkinson Sword Classic with a Treet Platinum
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Liquid Orange Soap
Lather: Orange EO Soap
Brush: Vie Long 13051M pure unbleached horse
Razor: Wilkinson Sword Classic with a fresh Treet Platinum
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Liquid Orange Soap
Lather: Mike’s Natural Lemongrass & Eucalyptus
Brush: Semogue TSN 2012 LE mixed boar/badger
Razor: Parker 22R TTO with a Wilkinson Sword
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Proraso Liquid After Shave Balm
