When / How did you got in to wet shaving? What was your first razor? What was your first shaving Cream / Soap / Aftershave Combo?

[1976weeklyshaver]

First SOTD at 1st Jan 2026

Razor: Above the Tie Windsor - Regular
Blade: Wilkinson Sword
Brush: PAA Phantom Aerolite 26mm
Soap / Cream: TOBS Sandalwood
Aftershave: TOBS Sandalwood

I started wet shaving long time ago but shaving with a DE Razor was about 5 years back, i was reading FHM Magazine up to a point The Bluebeard's Revenge brand was recommended and a DE Razor call "The Bluebeard's Revenge Cutlass" showing on the page, i was thinking that's a nice looking razor may be i should try something new other than those Gillette cartridge razor, so i order the razor "no longer own" and started my wet shaving journey with DE Razor. I actually forgot how i know about Taylor of Old Bond Street but that was my first Shave Cream and Aftershave combo i use from start so here is my DE Razor wet shaving story.

 

[twhite]

My first shave was early 1980. It was with a Gillette Black Beauty. Brush was a Surry I believe and it was Williams in an Old Spice mug. Most likely Old Spice AS. That was my setup for 10 years until I got married and I started with disposables.

Then around 2005ish I went back to wet shaving. Merkur Future and the whole AOS setup Sandalwood. That continued until Sept 2016. That is when I joined TSD. Then my shaving experience really blossomed.

I still have the razor and mug. I will dig those out and take a picture.

My mug is MIA
Tom


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[brit]

I have used carts and bic disposibles since 1982. then the Mach 3's until 2016.
I have used Wilkinson Sword soap and a brush since 2006..with carts,,
2016 ..bought a G-2 fatboy to show in my auto shop office display cabinet.
2017.became a TSD member and learned to use DE razors.became a vintage Gillette collector.

Today.. I am a daily shaver with a gillette DE razor,soap,croap cream and brush and aftershave..I am a frag user.I love everthing I have collected.used and so on..my photos have improved,just a great community to hang out in.. My grandad was a Gillette man since WW2 as an RAF member ..

 

[1976weeklyshaver]

i have used carts and bic disposibles since 1982. then the Mch 3's until 2016.
I have used wilkinson sword soap and a brush since 2006..with carts,,
2016 ..bought a g-2 fatboy to show in my auto shop office display cabinet.
2017.became a TSD member and learned to use DE razors.became a vintage Gillette collector.View attachment 257

Today.. I am a daily shaver with a gillette DE razor,soap,croap cream and brush and aftershave..i am a frag user.i love everthing i have collected.used and so on..my photos have improved,just a great community to hang out in..

I actually want to get a Vintage Gillette Tech razor..

 

[Vittoria]

I started shaving in 1982-83 with a spare Gillette black handle super speed my father had lying around.
I remember he was already using one of the twin blade cartridge razors.
He would have said something like "use this if you want to shave of that bumfluff". (I don't remember exactly what he said)
He was a hard old prick my old man.
During my years in Kalgoorlie and on mining camps in the Murchison goldfields of Western Australia and the Northern territory I
used disposable plastic single and twin blade razors later at this time a 1940's or 50's original handle super speed I got from a op shop in Perth.

Shaving foam/ Soap what ever was available.

Aftershave not much maybe some Brut33 or Old spice some times if I was out on the town other wise nothing.

Cheers.

 

[Vittoria]

I have used carts and bic disposibles since 1982. then the Mach 3's until 2016.
I have used Wilkinson Sword soap and a brush since 2006..with carts,,
2016 ..bought a G-2 fatboy to show in my auto shop office display cabinet.
2017.became a TSD member and learned to use DE razors.became a vintage Gillette collector.View attachment 257

Today.. I am a daily shaver with a gillette DE razor,soap,croap cream and brush and aftershave..I am a frag user.I love everthing I have collected.used and so on..my photos have improved,just a great community to hang out in.. My grandad was a Gillette man since WW2 as an RAF member ..

Great pic and story @brit
Cheers.

 

[Garry357]

I started around 1980, I had a Supermarket razor similar to a 3 piece Gillette, not a very nice razor and light weight.
I did end up buying a Gillette Black Beauty.
Ive never really thought about wet shaving as a hobby or interest until about 5 years ago.
I seen a Vintage Gillette in a thrift store in Adelaide Aus and picked it up, cleaned it then my interest grew.
I still only have a few Vintage Gillette and a couple of others, 2 x straight razors, about 12 brushes. So a modest collection by comparison to others.
I dont spend much on my razors, if something comes along ill buy it but i dont go searching and pay over the odds.
I would like to eventually get a birth year Gillette (Oct 65)

 

[Vittoria]

I started around 1980, I had a Supermarket razor similar to a 3 piece Gillette, not a very nice razor and light weight.
I did end up buying a Gillette Black Beauty.
Ive never really thought about wet shaving as a hobby or interest until about 5 years ago.
I seen a Vintage Gillette in a thrift store in Adelaide Aus and picked it up, cleaned it then my interest grew.
I still only have a few Vintage Gillette and a couple of others, 2 x straight razors, about 12 brushes. So a modest collection by comparison to others.
I dont spend much on my razors, if something comes along ill buy it but i dont go searching and pay over the odds.
I would like to eventually get a birth year Gillette (Oct 65)

Thanks for sharing your story @Garry357
Cheers.

 

[1976weeklyshaver]

I have used carts and bic disposibles since 1982. then the Mach 3's until 2016.
I have used Wilkinson Sword soap and a brush since 2006..with carts,,
2016 ..bought a G-2 fatboy to show in my auto shop office display cabinet.
2017.became a TSD member and learned to use DE razors.became a vintage Gillette collector.View attachment 257

Today.. I am a daily shaver with a gillette DE razor,soap,croap cream and brush and aftershave..I am a frag user.I love everthing I have collected.used and so on..my photos have improved,just a great community to hang out in.. My grandad was a Gillette man since WW2 as an RAF member ..

Nice story and this is only part of your collection right?

 

[DesertIguana]

Started Wet Shaving before joining Marine Corps in 1965, your question in my case cannot be answer accurately. As I cannot recall first Wet Shaving Experience, or who was siting next to me on either side of me at High School Graduation.

 

[Stuartganis]

Started with a Gillette Super Speed that my father gave me (it was his) in 1958.
When I started driving trucks otr I used carts, it was easy to use on the road.
At home I used a de razor, shave soap & a brush.


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[brit]

Nice story and this is only part of your collection right?

thank you,that's all the razors,less a few now as i thinned them out a bit..

 

[Jayaruh]

Oh, we got some really old shavers here. I started with a Schick in 1965. I used it throughout Army hitch and first two years of college. I used a Wilkinson Sword bonded blade when they came out in 1971. I gave it up when I cut a chunk out of my face with a blade that was misaligned. I gave up on cartridge razor until the Trac //. That was a pretty good shaver. I went on to the Atra, Sensor, Mach 3, ... Then Gillette introduced the Fusion. I bought one and returned it a few days later. To me, things were getting out of hand. I grew a beard for many years and only used a razor for trimming every other day or so. In 2012 I rediscovered wet shaving when I picked up a 1947 Gillette Aristocrat in an antique shop. After that, I was hooked. I found TSD and joined. Learned a lot there. Now, since it has closed, I found my way here.

 

[Oldbean56]

Many of you will know me from the UKWSS and be aware of my story, but for those who don’t…..here goes!

1956, I was born and raised in Germany with a German Father and English mother until the age of 10 when Dad successfully won his 15 year court battle with the German government. He had his own business and was forced at gun point by the S.S. to join the war and was the first in peace time to sue for his losses. His case is still quoted if anothers sue on similar grounds.
Anyways, a few years after we moved to the UK my 13th birthday came in and Dad taught me to use my “B2” Gillette Flairtip which he had bought me when new.
So for the next 40+ years my daily routine was with the Flairtip/ Gillette Fatboy/ Gillette Slim and a tiny West German made badger brush and the dreaded Tabac!
An occasional delve into about every electric razor manufactured in the 80´s (2 young daughters and 2 jobs) but after about a week of burning my neck and feeling dirty soon was back to the trusty DE.
The 90´s saw a quick look into multi-blade carts as apparently they were “the best a man can get” ….oh how wrong Gillette were as again within a week I was back on the DE.
I was lucky and sold my business to the Americans back in 2000 and was able to retire at the age of 43 but still kept up my daily shave.
12 years ago I happened to wander across a traditional barbers shop in Southport (UK) and I couldn’t believe the choice of different razors/brushes/ soaps and aftershaves……..I just hadn’t had the time or inclination to think there was an actual interest in what for me was just a “daily chore”.
Well, that bloody shop was the edge of the rabbit hole and 12 years later I have around 360 sets of soaps/aftershaves, 60 razors, 60 brushes and 80 EDP´s.
The B2 Flairtip/ Brush (about the 10th generation of the similar original brush) and Tabac still come out on mine and Dad’s birthdays, I lost him suddenly when I was 17.
I was taught with cold water and 2 passes and have stuck with that for 57 years in April.
Sorry if it’s gone on a bit but I am old so there’s a lot to tell and that was the shortened version!