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Guys who have switched up from generic plastic/nylon shaving brushes to the 'hair' type ones- do you find that it does make much of a difference? Or is it just a matter of aesthetics? Do you need some different type of cream/foam to get the best out of those then? Shaving's mostly routine for me, and use mostly generic accessories, but been thinking about getting a better brush, just wondering if it'll make much difference. (Thanks in advance for any information!)

The basic plastic bristle brushes are mostly rubbish and in most cases you are better off using your hands. Next up are the boar bristle brushes which are ok to use and better than the nylon ones. Next up are premium synthetic brushes followed by badger hair brushes. These would make the most difference when wet shaving where their moisture and heat holding capacity are superior and not to mention their ability to be gentle on the skin while remaining stiff at the same time for a more luxurious experience.

In case you want a small upgrade go for a boar hair brush and if you want something better without springing big bucks for a badger brush like I did (I have mostly stopped shaving now and only trim !) then go for a synthetic shaving brush like the Body Shop one paired with a decent shaving cream like Godrej or Old Spice lathered up in a warm coffee cup and you will feel the difference.

Got few goodies, few more are on way. The shaving brush which I got, its bristles are shorter in height, I think, it was mostly to be used in a shaving bowl to lather using soap. Water retention and all is okay. I am yet to indulge so am yet to experience a safety razor, hopefully from this summer onwards.

Any shaving brush recommendation? And how is the safety razor & blades of Bombay Shaving company WRT a Parker or Muhle? Prefer things available on Shoppers Stop / Myntra / Amazon (IN).

Been using their safety razor with Feather Stainless Steel Blades for sometime now, Would suggest to go for this only if you are experienced with safety razors. Comes with two base clamps and one with aggressive base need to be handled carefully. Have not used Parker or Muhle so cannot compare but i am fully satisfied with this razor.

https://bombayshavingcompany.com/col...y-razor-silver

Do order the Feather Stainless Steel Blades though with these. I tried razor with regular 7,O clock platinum and it was not to my satisfaction.

Muhle is well know brand, however they have different DE's, from mild to pretty aggressive, depending on your experience with DE.

Below are the 3 recommended by enthusiasts for beginners

1. Edwin Jagger DE89
2. Parker 24C
3. Merkur 34C

Merkur is a good beginner DE, however if you can get your hand on some vintage Gillette DE, you should be golden.

I use the same and I actually feel their aggressive clamp is safer to use. For some reason their base clamp never gives a proper clean shave and I have gotten a few nicks trying to go harder. Their aggressive clamp on the other hand gives a very clean shave with just one pass.

Double Edge safety razors are a victim of advertising. The Gillette 2,3,4 or 5 blade ready shavers don't stand in front of a DE safety razor as far as comfort and being gentle on skin is considered.

Mind you that start might be a bit of a learning curve but the end result is worth it.

Infact for better brands like Muhle the expectation is that one pass of razor and done. User is not expected to press the razor and pull down the cheek. Just glide and razor does it.

Regarding brushes as long as you are using hot water you will be fine. At least I find it ok.

I am very particular about my shaving accessories. I have been using Omega 10048 Shaving Brush since Aug 2015 and till date I never ever had the slightest thought of replacing it. It is also known as the face broom. Had bought it for 630 Rs then and I believe that now it costs close to 1.5K. There isn't a brush that can replace this. Had bought Badger hair brush also but Omega is the best. But note that it take a month or two to 'broke-in' depending upon your usage. This is how it looks even after using it for close to 6+ years now. Please note it is in wet state as I had used it yesterday.

As and when I need to replace this I would not be looking at any other brush other than Omega 10048 Shaving Brush irrespective of how much it costs.

My comments were purely assuming that OP do not have any experience in handling the DE razors and might end up hurting himself. Rest, I agree that aggressive clamp gives better & close shave with single pass but needs to be handled carefully.

I got Parker B06XJBBJMQ safety razor and I just can not understand why I was using the cartridge ones till now, besides being addictive, the smoothness of the shave is unmatched. 5 parker safety blades were provided with it, but I feel, the 7'O clock platinum gives a more perfect shave, you just have to be gentle with it.

Local shops do not have many safety blades, just the 7'O clock platinum is available, I see few options on Amazon from Astra / Zorrik / Laser & Bombay Shaving Co. Which is the best VFM one to use? I see good ratings of Bombay Shaving Co but ratings online is not something which I buy easily. Suggestions would be appreciated. Also need suggestions for good shaving brush (to be used with cream, not soap).

+1. I dumped cartridges in favour of safety razor. Not only the shave is smooth, skin irritation and inflammation has reduced significantly.

Bombay shaving blades are rebranded Feather Blades. Its a popular Japanese brand. I personally prefer Parker over Feather. Feather is way too sharp for sensitive skin. You can order a small pack and try it out. I also got a pack of Willy's razor blades with Pearl safety razor. Its also a good choice. Not easy to source though.

Astra blades are pretty good. Good balance between sharpness and smoothness. Although, the results vary from person to person. It will be best to get a sampler pack, if available, from Amazon and try different ones. Once you find a suitable one stick to that. Indian Supermax Platinum (Blue ones) was also my favourite. You can also try the green 7Oçlock. Vokshod and 7Oclock green are my currently used blades.

Send me your address in PM, I'll send you a couple of both as sample to try.

I have been using Wilkinson Sword ever since Gilette India started manufacturing it -- widely available and value for money.
But during the short Calcutta winter I dig out my Philips rotary electric shaver (Wet & Dry), and simply shave dry. No hassles of hot water !

There are shops in every city from where the barber shops source their wares from, they will usually stock most variety of blades.

I have used 7 O'Clock Super Platinum and Wilkinson Swords, both have been pretty good. Based on what experts or enthusiasts state on Reddit/Badger and Blade, India has some of the best quality and bang for the buck blades.

My Bombay Shaving DE Razor suffered an unfortunate mishap due to the Toilet cleaner bottle cracking. I was looking for a replacement and wanted to try the Butterfly opening type of DE. A casual search on Amazon.in led me to Pearl Safety Razors and I ordered the Pearl Shaving SS-95 in Metal Black colour. The shave was better as compared to the Bombay Shaving Razor, or maybe I have gotten better at using a DE Razor. Would recommend as a starter DE Razor.