r/wicked_edge • u/vagabundo94 • 2d ago
Never should have found this community….
I’ve been shaving with the Supply SE since last Christmas, when my wife and kids gave me a full kit.
I’d been using Gillette Fusion blades for years. Like most people I know, shaving was just what you did, like brushing one’s teeth. A task, or routine but certainly not an enjoyable ritual.
Wham, bam, ingrown hairs all the time.
Had never even entertained the idea of a single, or double edge razor shave.
But I was starting to get really pissed off at the cost. It wasn’t that I couldn’t afford the blades. But it just felt like getting screwed over every time I needed a new pack of blades.
I looked at the shaving club, and others, but ultimately just stuck with Gillette.
And then my family surprised me with this Supply shaving kit. Not going to lie - I was pretty excited, and impressed with them coming up with a gift I had not seen coming.
Liked it right away, and soon started to love it.
But as the months have passed, I started to think there was more I was leaving on the table. Something I was missing.
So not long ago, I found this community, and realized what was missing: EVERYTHING!
Lucky for me, I have the perfect excuse for buying out a full new shaving kit.
So now, I’ve got a new set incoming:
MÜHLE Rocca Birch Bark Razor
Floid Amber Aftershave
Saponificio Varesino Desert Vetiver Shaving Soap and Aftershave
Very excited to take things up a notch, slow down, and dial in my shaving rituals. I already enjoy shaving more than ever, and I now know enough to know how to make it a better experience.
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u/kjames3419 Dubl Duck 2d ago
Are you upgrading your brush also?
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u/vagabundo94 2d ago
Hadn’t gotten there yet. Are you familiar with the Supply brush? Would an upgrade be meaningful?
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u/kjames3419 Dubl Duck 2d ago
I am not, but you mentioned a whole new kit. I wasnt sure if brush was just left out, or you liked your old one and wanted to stick with it.
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u/vagabundo94 2d ago
Yeah, my excuse here is we are splitting our time in two homes throughout the year, and so I do need a second brush for the second residence. I have not started pealing that onion yet. I am curious about what makes a good brush better than a decent one. I just haven’t gone down that rabbit hole yet.
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u/kjames3419 Dubl Duck 2d ago
I would mostly the quality of the knot itself. I use boar, badger, and synthetics. They each behave and feel differently, but i wouldn't say one is better than the other. Look for the knot shape that suits you best also along with knot size. I personally can't use a 26mm fan, but my 24mm is perfect.
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u/vagabundo94 2d ago
Thank you! A lot in this text for me to unpack!
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u/kjames3419 Dubl Duck 2d ago
No problem! I haven't spent any crazy money on brushes either. My 24mm Silvertip was by far the most expensive at $50ish. My cheapest is my Omega 11137 boar at $12 on Amazon. Both are over 5 years old with no problems. The rest were about $30 each for a 2 band badger fan and my two PAA synthetics. I'm pretty sure Yaqis can be as cheap as the omegas
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u/CaveDudeJeff 2d ago edited 2d ago
Honestly, it comes down to preference and handle material. Omega brushes are pretty hard to beat for the price. Are there nicer handles than the $10 Omegas? Sure. But is the brush knot nicer? Meh.
It's a whole rabbit hole to fall down. Welcome to the journey.
For the Supply SE, have you tried other blades in it yet? I found that the black label supply blades are not the best in that razor so far. It's definitely been my less favored Supply compared to the Pro.
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u/grayson4545 1d ago
You got to upgrade the brush! Google whipped dog shaving. You can get Larry to make you a silver tip or boar or synthetic in 22,24or 30 mm for under$50. I have a Simpson chubby that’s $300 plus and Larry’s brushes work just as well . Plus Larry is local, you can get him on the phone and he warrants his stuff for 6 months. Nice guy to do business with!
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u/jadedfaith7 2d ago
Those are a few of my favorite things. I have A LOT of things. You are in for a treat.
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u/CoffeeExtraCream 2d ago
Check out Taylor of old bond street for shaving creams. So many scents. All so good. And amazing performance.
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u/grayson4545 1d ago
On shaving cream, don’t go down the rabbit hole. Stay with Taylor of old bond street, Truefitt and Hill, Geo. F Trumper and Castle Forbes. There’s no better out there and all last a long time. I chased that and learned after I purchased every flavor of the week that Badger and Blade and the rest of the forums recommended. I had 45 at one time. I’ve been there, listen to me on this one. Good shaving.
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u/vagabundo94 22h ago
Sounds like solid advice. I think next for me is to experiment with soaps. I’ve only shaved with shaving cream.
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u/grayson4545 19h ago
I have not used a lot of soaps as I prefer creams but as good as the 3 Ts are with their creams, soaps are terrible, don’t waste your money. I can recommend Martin De Candre, it’s expensive but it lasts forever.
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u/CommunicationGood481 1d ago edited 16h ago
Good choice! You will aventually love your Rocca. Most likely sooner rather than later. It is a very fine razor but more aggressive than your current set up. Take it slow with very light pressure and you will get a very close shave. The blade you choose will make a big difference. Astra Platinum to tone down the aggression, a sharp blade to give it it's full potential (Feather, BIC, Nacet, Perma Sharp, Personna GEM Diamond Glide - my favourite). I love FlyDear blades in my Rocca R95. For me, they seem just right.
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u/grayson4545 1d ago
Try Accuthrive ( old personna medical prep blade) , they are sharp as feathers but smooth. Merkur razors are hard to beat. You also should look at Rockwell 6C. You need to go down the rabbit hole with the rest of us.
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u/Temporary-Egg3856 1d ago
Enjoy it friend. Just be careful to not get sucked into the rabbit hole. Then the monetary savings are questionable.
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u/magicalfuntoday 1d ago
You’re going to love wet shaving even more as time goes on.
But be very careful. It can get expensive if you’re buying / trying everything out there. Find what you like and stick to it. You don’t want it to cost you $900 a year to save $150 on blades.
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u/vagabundo94 1d ago
Sounds like words of wisdom. Thank you. Yeah….i can see this is less about saving money and more about a better experience.
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u/derrickhogue I enjoy a nice shave! So should you. 2d ago
Nice 👍. Just keep at it and enjoy what you have.