Merkur Shaving Gift Set with Merkur Safety Razor, Bowl, Shaving Soap, Badger Brush, Stand and Safety Razor, Great Gift Idea for Father Husband or Boyfriend

This is like a 3.5 stars.The holder thing is great, the blade is great, the brush is okay. The little bowl is eh, what annoyed me was the soap. It's glycerin soap. Odds are if you are buying this you want the "true" and "genuine" feel of things, not a glycerin soap that feels like children's soap. Yeah there's a few pictures with the green lime I got, but the main picture has a white soap that led me to believe it would be a different kind of soap...The brush you think is great until you buy a quality one and realize it's not so great, heh. The biggest problem with this set is quality control, you can tell from the description, "Brush, razor", that they're trying to be non specific. That's why you'll see a review saying one thing, and another saying another. They basically put together a random set, so you dont know which soap/razor/brush/bowl you'll get.Knowing now what I know, if I could go back, I'd buy the stand and brush separately, the blade any merkur is fine. And a different bowl (the thing is tiny, at least in my man-hand), and the hitting of the brush on it is a bit annoying.If you like long handle: Merkur Model 180 Long Handled Safety Razor Or Short: Merkur Classic Safety Razor, Straight Stand: Colonel Conk Evernice Model 775 Chrome Safety Razor Stand Brush is:Cheap: 100% Pure Badger Bristle Shaving Brush with Black Deluxe Handle & Free Stand from Parker Safety Razor Best: 100% Silvertip Badger Bristle Shaving Brush (Chrome Handle) and Free Shaving Brush Stand from Parker Safety Razor As you can see the price is almost the same or maybe a bit more than this package, but then you can customize as to how you want it.Soap search for anything proraso.I would pay the little bit more to get exactly what I want, but that's because I bought this set to experiment. If you're completely new you might as well go for it and try it out, and its def good as a present.Bowl: Edwin Jagger Rn6 Contemporary Chrome Plated Shaving Soap Bowl, Chrome BY THE WAY: Do NOT buy a pack of merkur blades with this, while merkur is known for the razors, I only found out later their blades are infamous for being bad. Yeah some people are ok with it, most are not. Most people agree that Feather is the sharpest/best, but remember that sharpest also means mistake = ouch. 10 Feather Razor Blades NEW Hi-stainless Double Edge Or if you want to have some fun and try things out (I LOVE an adventure) buy: Double Edge Safety Razor Blade Variety Pack - 100 Blades! That's a variety of blades from all over the world, that way you try them all, and it comes with 2 of each so you make sure you like it.And always buy a: Clubman Styptic Pencil 0.33 oz. 812000 It's like a $1, and most pharmacies like CVS have it. You dip it in water, touch a cut, and it stops bleeding.Go to [...] for all the tips and forums on shaving if you have any questions or want to see reviews and such.Things to know:- Check to see how it looks before you unscrew it, so that you know how to put it back together the right way.The way to use and shave is:- Soak Soap + Brush in water while you take a shower (if it's the glycerin soap)- Squeeze brush, wring it out, rub it on soap for a while, then bring it to bowl.- Spin it for a while until you have a lathering cream.- Put on face.- Shave (watch youtube videos, search "how to shave with a double edge" or something)- Splash face with cool waterIMPORTANT:- Although some people depending on hair growth allow a blade to last a week, normally, the general consensus is each blade lasts you 3 shaves, or 3 days. So that pack of 100 blades SHOULD last you 300 days, or almost 10 months... for $20 dollars. $20 dollars wouldn't even buy you a refill of Gillette Fusion blades... That last me 1 month.Good Luck! Merkur Model 180 Long Handled Safety RazorMerkur Classic Safety Razor, StraightColonel Conk Evernice Model 775 Chrome Safety Razor Stand100% Pure Badger Bristle Shaving Brush with Black Deluxe Handle & Free Stand from Parker Safety Razor100% Silvertip Badger Bristle Shaving Brush (Chrome Handle) and Free Shaving Brush Stand from Parker Safety RazorEdwin Jagger Rn6 Contemporary Chrome Plated Shaving Soap Bowl, Chrome10 Feather Razor Blades NEW Hi-stainless Double EdgeDouble Edge Safety Razor Blade Variety Pack - 100 Blades!Clubman Styptic Pencil 0.33 oz. 812000

I can tell you the exact moment it happened - the moment that I decided to stop taking out loans in order to be able to afford a shave. I'm walking through my local "big-box" store with my buddy and I remember I need to pick up some disposable razor blades for my Mach 3. Like a good little consumer I walk over to the shaving section ready to throw down another $15 or so dollars for 4 blades that will barely last a month. As I reach for the blades I see a shiny new box - Mach 3 TURBO! What's this? A better way to shave? Only a few dollars more!? What the heck, I think, after all it's a better shave, right?Flash forward about a year and now we have a "Fusion" 5 blade system - after all what could be better than 3-blades? By now I'm getting really, really skeptical what all those blades and comfort strips and vibrating handles and neon colors really do for my shave. All I know is that instead of paying $15 for 4 new blades I'm paying more and more money. I decided then and there that my relationship with my Gillette had to end. Out hundreds of dollars I began looking at my alternatives. There's the cheapo Bic razors or Schick. Of course I could forgo shaving altoghether and sport a more grizzled look. Not good alternatives.By chance I mentioned my predicament to a coworker who then proceeded to school me on the days when men were men, and every manly-man shaved with a real razor blade that didn't require pre-approval credit checks and financing. Merkur was the name he insisted upon and this gift set is what I ordered for myself. I've been Gillette free ever since.There is a learning curve to shaving with a this kit. After my first shave I was sure I made another expensive (and bloody) mistake. But after reading a few tips online and with more practice I got better at avoiding nics and cuts. First I recommend doing some reading - plenty of websites offer advice on how to properly shave. Second, be prepared to be a bit red in the face (litterally) so don't shave with this kit right before heading off for an important meeting at the office - practice on the weekend first. Third, give yourself plenty of time to shave. Lastly, keep an emergency disposable razor blade around and use it when you're in a hurry.Personally I love this shaving kit. It comes with everything you need in one convenient package. Though you'll need to buy new blades at least they're very inexpensive. I didn't give this kit 5-stars for two reasons:1) The included Merkur Saftey Razor hasa really short handle. I have gotten used to it but a longer handle would be better.2) Colonel Conks Shaving Soap that comes with this kit isn't to my liking. The soap is near rock-like and I have to use a pocket knife to cut pieces out for shaving. I've switched to a brand called Proraso which is much better in my opinion.

I'm totally new to DE shaving because I haven't really shaved in let's say 4 or 5 years. My skin just couldn't handle it, so I'd get bumps and ingrown hairs and razor burn, so I decided to just keep a short beard. My hair is so thick and coarse that I still get ingrown hairs and irritation with no shaving. I even got some laser hair removal on my neck. So believe me, I'm no stranger to getting irritation from shaving. And that's why I decided to get into the DE shaving crowd, and this seemed like a great place to start. Well, now that I've bought it, I can confidently say:It's all right.The Merkur razor it comes with is good, but be aware that it's a short handle. If you want a long handle, buy separate. Or even buy separate anyway and get the same thing, but you'll have choices and save money.The brush it comes with seems totally fine. I don't have much experience with shaving brushes, so this works for me. Bristles? Check. A handle? Check. Feels good when I lather my face? Check. Awesome.The stand is pretty crucial to me because I just wouldn't want the brush or the razor touching the counter. Keep your equipment clean! The bowl is nice too but like I said, I'm new to all this, so I'm still getting the hang of even using a bowl to make the lather. Is there an advantage to using the bowl instead of putting it directly on my face? I don't know.The soap isn't anything special, and that's why you'd may as well abandon this gift set and buy it all separate. It doesn't come with aftershave or an astringent or a pre-shave cream or anything like that, which I need because my skin is so prone to razor burn, bumps, ingrown hairs, etc. So I had to buy all that separate anyway. But again, the soap isn't anything special, and I'm already going to just buy some Proraso soap and pre-shave cream to replace the soap that comes with this set, so again, the set just seems pointless to me beyond giving a newbie like myself an idea of some of the stuff I need to buy.None of this stuff is bad; I actually really like everything on display (with the exception of the soap which is just OK and I'm excited to try the Proraso soap), but it leaves out so much stuff that you can't just buy this kit and assume everything is taken care of, and that defeats the point of it to me. I could've bought the same razor, the same stand, the same brush all separate. The soap you should just upgrade immediately to something exceptional instead of ordinary, and you'll be buying all the extra creams and aftershaves and such separately anyway, so why bother on the kit?Actually, wait, now that I think about it, there *is* something I don't like that came with it: the actual blade. It comes with one sample blade, and it's a Merkur, and it's not sharp enough for my beard hair, so my first shave, I ended up putting too much pressure on and cut myself a couple times. I'd heard so much about how with DE razors you aren't supposed to press on it at all, that the blade will do all the work and cut through like butter, that I couldn't help but be worried that it wasn't doing that with this blade. That's why I put pressure on. Not much, but still. I just bought some Feather blades because I hear they're way sharper, which I need for my hair. I'll just be extra careful when using them. But basically, the blade that comes with it is not that great.So overall, it's not a *bad* product by any stretch of the imagination, but I just think you're better off using it as a basic template of stuff you should get, then assembling it all yourself: a Merkur blade, a nice stand, a brush, some Proraso soap and cream, Baxter of California aftershave balm, Thayer's witch hazel, and some quality, sharp blades like Feathers.

Okay, I just finished my first shave with this set, needless to say I'm breathless. First let me shine some light on this. I've heard people claim theses razors are too dangerous; all blades are dangerous but this razor is worth every penny. The razor nicked me once but I've had traditional razors nick me more and far worse. A little YouTube goes a long way learning how to use these so I'm not gunna go into details about how to use this. The first shave took some time, however it was pretty fun believe it or not. For now I'll be using it at night before I add it to my early morning routine. But I digress, I noticed that if you listen to your razor it will give you hints such as the blade will stop gliding once you need to apply more shaving cream and will move the cream around if you don't have the proper angle.Now to give you some other information to you guys. I'm in the military and I take pride in my appearance because people look at us as the best, and I take it to heart to live up to that. Obviously the first step is to look the part. I can honestly say this razor is a huge step forward for me. I've never had a shave this close before in my life. Furthermore, I have extremely sensitive skin, also from my job I get bad acne, ingrown hairs and small scrapes on my face from doing various things. The razor simply slid across everything, even against the grain! It was like magic! No irritation, no serious scrapes nothing! Shaving actually felt good and was fun!However the brush did have a bit of a weird smell, due to the fact it's made from animal hair. But the brush felt great on my skin and the shave soap left a pleasant smell on my face. The smell wasn't one I personally enjoy but it is a decent product. It had a good lather and didn't take long to set up and put on my face.Also, I was a bit worried the set wouldn't match very well because chrome and all materials have various finishes, however this set looks perfect together and as you touch each piece of the set in feels natural in your hands and clean up is very easy, just a simple rinse and you're done no water stains or anything. The handle on the razor has an excellent grip as well as the brush. You honestly can't put a price on this experience, every man should own one of these.

All I can say is 'WOW'.I, like so many others, have never had the opportunity to know the world of double-edge shaving until recently - and being only 31 years old, I have never had the pleasure to have experienced that perfect 'barbershop shave' so many men talk about. A friend at work told me about the 'great' experience he had shaving with his new DE razor and he showed me some youtube videos on the subject. After some thought I went ahead and ordered this package to see what the fuss was about.!WOW!It was definately the closest, most comfortable shave I have EVER had. Instead of the supplied soap I use a C.O.BIGELOW shave cream made by Proraso. A word of WARNING - I watched nearly ALL of the 'wet-shaving' videos on youtube by mantic59 several times before attempting to shave with this razor for the first time. After you install the first blade and bring that sharp, naked, unrelenting edge to your face, you will be glad you have the knowledge that the youtube videos provided.I normally have a goatee and shave only my cheeks and neck. I wanted to put this razor to the ultimate test so I did not shave for nearly 2 weeks before it arrived. I thought for sure that I would have a challenging time to say the least, cutting through my THICK beard without nicking myself especially since this was my first time using this type of razor. But having practiced what I learned from online forums and videos, I was elated at how effortlessly the blade sliced off even the thickest parts of my beard with ease.Some KEY points to remeber:1 - Your face must be WET at all times while shaving2 - Your shaving lather must be the correct CONSISTANCY3 - Your blade must be SHARP4 - Keep the blade at the correct ANGLE5 - Let the WEIGHT of the razor do all the work6 - TAKE YOUR TIMEI do not know how we as a society could have possibly gotten away from this practice over the last few decades, perhaps the promise of saving time and effort by using a sub-standard disposable or ourageously priced multi-bladed vibrating contraption (my last razor). It is time to bring DE shaving back to the masses! Such a wonderful and refreshing way start your day should be cherished, not to mention replacement blades go for as little as 50¢ each!If I was selling this product, I would say "Do yourself a favor - order this product, learn about wet-shaving techniques, and set your morning alarms back 10 minutes - the ten minutes of sleep you lose is made up for ten times by the absolute 'zen' you put yourself through in this most artful, comforatble, and traditional way of shaving".