If you could only have three (3) which would they be?

[Mark1966]

Well the title kinda gives a strong hint where this is going.

After raving about the Mike's soaps I wondered what others would consider their favourites/ what you think everybody should try in various categories.

I thought we could categorise things as follows:

Shaving soaps - hard
Shaving soaps - soft/'croaps'
Shaving Creams
'Budget' soaps/creams
After shave splashes
After shave balm/lotions
Razor blades
Razors
Brushes

Happy for you to add other sensible categories. You can put three in each or just one or come back and have multiple posts addressing difference categories.

I'll start with -

Shaving soaps - hard
Mike's Natural Shaving Soap - any fragrance of your choice. Superb lather, cushioning, moisturising.
Proraso Menthol & Eucalyptus - an essential that everybody MUST have
Tabac (or SIM if reasonably priced) - another classic staple

OK guys, over to you ...

 

[Drubbing]

Maybe you should narrow your choice down to 3 boxes...?

 

[Mark1966]

Maybe you should narrow your choice down to 3 boxes...?

I think I am doing well so far!

 

[Pjotr]

Here we go:

Shaving soaps hard (Deutchland uber alles):
Sir Irisch Moos
Tabac
La Toja

Budget hard soap:
!!ARKO!!

Creams (Deutchland uber alles immer):
Tabac
Sir Irsch Moos
JugV2s Icey Pole/Lick lolly scented cream (can't remember what make it was)

Blades (verdammte Englander):
Vintage Schick
Vintage Wilkinson Sword
Vintage Gillettes
Have to throw in the only single edge here: GEM SS

Razors:
3 of Vintage 7O'Clock bakelites

Brushes:
My no name rebuilds and the Wee Scot

 

[Mark1966]

Nice one @Pjotr - are the SIM and Tabac creams really as good as the soaps? I've heard that they are very different?

You might also need to get out a little more too mate ...

 

[stillshunter]

For me, so far:

Shave Soaps:
Tabac (super fave!)
Sir Irisch Moos (just goes so well with my fougere scents)
D.R Harris Arlington (so you smell like a new car)

Shave Creams:
Razorock XXX (marries perfectly with Tabac AS lotion)
TOBS Shaving Shop (this stuff makes you travel to happy places)
Cella or Proraso Red - neck and neck these two. Hmmmm….if I must choose then I'll stick with the almond/marzipan sticki-icki-ness of Cella just to get up PJ's nostrils.

Blades:
Red IPs
Gillettes Blacks
Gillette Green (Permasharp)
(definitely nothing made in Russia!…don't play nice with my face for some reason?)

Razors:
NEW LC
(hopefully I can add the Weber PH next week!!!!!)

Brushes:
Simpsons Duke 2
Simpsons Classic 2 - can't put light of day between them yet

After Shave:
Tabac After Shave Lotion (I could bathe in this stuff!…as my poor workmates know too well)
Geo. F. Trumper's Sandalwood Skin Food
Razorock After Shave Wax

Scents:
Paco Rabanne (vintage)
Azzaro Pour Homme
L'Occitane Eau De Baux
…and cannot forget Tabac EDC!!!
(remembering it is winter, and this list will change dramatically as it warms up over the next few months)

 

[Pjotr]

Nice one @Pjotr - are the SIM and Tabac creams really as good as the soaps? I've heard that they are very different?

You might also need to get out a little more too mate ...

I guess Tabac and SIM creams have similar scents to their soap counterparts but both are much more fragrant as creams generally are. They're my summer creams. In all honesty I think nearly all creams are pretty good. Just comes down to scent. Tabac I like in particular not just because of the scent but the fact that you can (or could, I haven't been out much lately!) get it in real life, fair dinkum genuine brick and mortar shops.

 

[Drubbing]

If I put 3 in each that would be more stuff than I got.

 

[Mark1966]

If I put 3 in each that would be more stuff than I got.

Yeah - that is OK - it can be stuff worth trying OR you can just address some categories

 

[eggbert]

Copying Pjotrs template:

Shaving soaps hard:
La Toja
Speick

Croap:
Nanny's silly soap ice and a slice

Creams:
Proraso green
TOBS Jermyn St
The original flavour of the soap in the travelling box

Blades:
Vintage Gillettes
Voskhod - cheap & cheerful
Astra green

Razors:
Eclipse red ring
Gold Fatboy
Ej89

Brushes:
FS shaving finest
Omega 10005

Aftershave:
Flood vigorosso
Speick

 

[Mark1966]

Copying Pjotrs template:

Shaving soaps hard:
La Toja
Speick

Ahhhh, yes. I'd forgotten about these two. I'm not sure I can ditch any of my three through - this is tough!!!

Some great suggestions so far - they have got me thinking. My next contribution:

Shaving soaps - soft/'croaps'
Cella


Yes, just the one. I could say Valobra or the legendary P.160 but that is no longer produced. Some people call Mike's products and Proraso croaps and they are probably on the boarder (which would allow me to sneak the La Toja and Speick into my hard soaps!) but I will be a traditionalist.

I know that the scent is not for everybody but I still think everybody MUST try Cella at least once.

 

[Pjotr]

..........I know that the scent is not for everybody but I still think everybody MUST try Cella at least once.

I think that if you like marzipan you'll like Cella. It's as simple as that.

......I could say Valobra......

I think if you like the smell of wet dog........

.......or the legendary P.160.......

Never tried it but was told that it basically IS marzipan.

Nothing beats a bit of scent bashing.

 

[Mark1966]

I think that if you like marzipan you'll like Cella. It's as simple as that.

Not in my experience. I didn't like marzipan but using Cella it has grown on me. I see your point but think you can learn to love it!

 

[eggbert]

I forgot
Creams:
Truefitt & Hill Rose flavour.

I forgot about this as I only grabbed a small sample from TP&CTB1, but it is on my list to buy again when I eventually start running low on other software. What can I say, I like strong smelling creams / soaps (excluding urinal cake soaps)

 

[Drubbing]

Mostly the usual suspects, but this is practically my whole inventory -
Shaving soaps hard:
Tabac!
Harris Marlboro (probably the same thing...)
Harris Arlington. Great citrus scent, can be a bugger to lather. Is very hard.

Croap:
Proraso
Cella
Speick Active - It's new and it's good.

Creams:
Proraso Red
TOBS Mr T
TOBS Sandalwood

Blades:
Feathers
Perma Sharps
Astra green

Razors:
30C. Still quite new and not sexy enough for most.
34C. A big seller everywhere.
Fatboy. More different to a Slim than you'd think.

Brushes:
Omega 10005. The benchmark for cheap excellent boars IMO.
Any mid range Simpson
Any old one you don't like, with a TGN Finest dropped in it to your preferred loft.

Aftershave:
Flood Vigoroso - or Suave
Speick
Proraso!

I'll add...

Balms:*
Speick
Trumpers skin food
Baxters. A really nice light gel with a kick of menthol.

*I only use these as man cream, so their AS properties are not considered.

 

[Monsta_AU]

Holy crap, no wonder we all have so much stuff! How about you just pull it down to '3 Lathering products' only......

I've gone for the 'widest' range of products I can, but I am keeping it to the basics only.

Razors:
Pureman Proto OC
Fatboy
Super Adjustable

Blades:
Personna Super Stainless Ultra Chrome, Vintage
Spoilers
GBE's

Lather:
Jermyn Cream
Proraso Red cream
MWF

Brushes:
Not a huge Brush guy, but I would want some sort of Simpsons/Vulfix in there.
Also love my little Kent scrubby thing. Awesome on a puck of MWF.
Probably add a nice reknot of one of my Smoggies.

Misc 3 things:
Alum - gotta have it. Not just 'Cavemans Cologne', it actually helps my skin in summer by toning the pores and stopping my face from being the biggest environmental disaster since the Exxon Valdez. Towel off only, do not rinse.
'The Man Towel' - Once I go pick up some of these from the Japanese Supermarket near Town Hall then I will send them out. Man-strength scratchy polypropolene face scourer from Japan to really attack those pores before washing & shaving your mug.
Nivea Sensitive AS Balm. Cheap, easy to get from just about any supermarket, works very well.

 

[filobiblic]

This is mine...

Shaving soaps hard:
Stirling "Sharp Dressed Man"
How to Grow a Moustache "Gondolier" / "Meta Nectar"
DR Harris "Arlington"

Croap:
Razorock XXX
Proraso green
Cella

Creams:
Occams Original

Blades:
Personnas Reds
PSS
Feather

Razors:
Progress
Standard Razor
37C slant

Brushes:
FS silvertip
Omega 80005

Aftershave:
Razorock AS wax
Natio for Men AS balm
Stirling Witch hazel and aloe balm (Bay rum or Sharp Dressed man)

And I'm with @Monsta_AU on the Alum...

I'm waiting to fill a gap in the brushes with a suitable synthetic.... And @Marlow ain't helping.

 

[Pjotr]

Alum user here too. Followed by Nivea. Originals, not the sensitive skin stuff. If you're regularly scraping your skin with a razor blade I don't think your skin is that sensitive to begin with. The Nivea original has a bit more guts.

 

[filobiblic]

Alum user here too. Followed by Nivea. Originals, not the sensitive skin stuff. If you're regularly scraping your skin with a razor blade I don't think your skin is that sensitive to begin with. The Nivea original has a bit more guts.

Have you tried the Natio for Men? It's like Nivea but Aussie made. It is twice the size of the Nivea (200mL) for the same price ($12). It has a light, citrus scent. Smooth and flowy like the Nivea.
I'd rather support an Aussie made product than a multi-national one.

 

[Pjotr]

No, I've never seen it. I'll keep an eye out for it.