Safety Razor Shaving Kit | Vintage Wet Shave Grooming Set for Men - Includes: Safety Razor, Hair Shaving Brush, Alum Block, Shave Soap, Bowl & Double Edge Razor Blades

The kit came as described but actually better. I was worried the razor and bowl would be out and jostling around hitting each other during shipping. But, to my relief, they were boxed up in their own tight fitting cardboard boxes.The Bowl: Nothing to fancy about the bowl. It's a little small. It has laser etched with the gentlemen Jon logo and was well done. Being stainless, at least I believe it's stainless, it conducts heat in a fast efficient manner. But having those properties, it also loses heat quickly; so a warm sink of water will do wonders keeping your lather nice and warm. Keep in mind that there is no place to keep your shave soap after you open it. (You're not supposed to build lather on top of the soap itself.) keeping that in mind, invest in a ceramic mug. It will take longer to warm up, but will retain heat for lather longer. Also, most ceramic mugs have handles that help to hold them solidly while whipping up a lather. Be warned that this bowl gets very slick when wet.The soap: I really liked the included soap puck. It smells nice, and the scent is not overpowering like some soaps can be. Leaves a nice slick base for smooth shaving of the face. I did have an issue on my second pass with against the grain shaving, but I have 600 grit sandpaper for a face, and attribute the roughness to that.The brush: Nothing to fancy here. Appears to be common pure badger hair, don't be expecting a silvertip quality brush at this kits' price. It gets the job done. I did have a couple of hairs fall out on first use, but most brushes I've used do that being new. Remember to use it with warm, not hot water, as the hot water will melt the glue holding the hairs in.The Razor: This razor feels very nice as far as weight goes. Good head weight but not as heavy as some other razors made today. Handle is longer than most, making this a great kit for the starting wet shaver switching from a cartridge setup. Remember to always let the razor do the work. More pressure you apply, more of a chance of life blood leaving your neck. The handle itself is one piece, and the head coming apart in two pieces. (see pics) the handle has the female threads, while the head has the male threads that screw into the handle. Knurled finish on the razor is top notch. No uneven ridges. The head of the razor itself has the brand laser etched as well and really shines against a vanity light. Looks slick.The Blades: The blade. The piece de resistance of a good shave in my opinion. The handle length and head weight of a razor can only do so much if the blade is lacking. I really rate these included Astra blades at a 2-3 sharpness level out of 5. (5 being the most aggressive, closet shave.) Again, think beginner level blades here. Sharp enough to get the job done, but not so sharp you're leaving a trail of blood droplets to the first aid kit. I tend to use feather blades for my third, against the grain cuts, due to coarseness of neck hair, and use a less sharp blade with the grain. Best advise is to buy a variety pack and find your own preferences. Everyone's skin is different. My skin isn't very sensitive, so I tend to lean towards sharper, less forgiving blades like feather. The Astras included are great for the beginning shaver that are a little wary about their beginning journey to wet shaving awesomeness. It's nice that they're numbered too, if you like to keep track of what side of the razor blade you're using for certain cuts. ie, first pass, second pass, etc.The Alum. Bloc: Second to last in your shave steps, but a first rate product is the potassium alum. block. Closes pores, stops weepers, and cools the face. Also lets you know what spot has been invisibly irritated from shaving. ie, burns a bit. Being potassium alum. Not ammonium alum., it doesn't sting as bad and is actually naturally occurring. (Ammonium alum. is man made) my blocks' container doesn't securely close so it will pop open if jostled, but will stay closed while on the counter. The block I received wasn't cut very square, but I'm kinda OCD about things.Overall: Great starter kit that will get the beginning wet shaver a start in the right direction without paying crazy prices and leaving room for upgrades later. If you're considering going into the art of wet shaving, this kit should be towards the top of your list.

My coworker told me about this & i was hesitant at first but decided to give in. Damn this thing is awesome lol. It takes some getting used too (bloodied myself 3x using it 😭 ) and leaves your face feeling super smooth. Better than those plastic ones always leaving red scars & not fullfilling the job. Worth it 10/10.Btw, i haven't had any problem of it breaking. Its easy to twist on/off & replace the razors.

Picked up this starter kit a couple months back as my intro to double edge shaving. If I could go back I probably would have built my own kit, as you really can get a better razor and brush, with all other accessories, for the same of similar price.That said, did not have any issues with the kit. The brush worked well for a cheaper badger. The razor gave me no issues though I often had some difficulty getting the right angle. Often felt too mild while still not being smooth enough. That might just be a technique thing though and never had an issue setting the blade evenly.The alum bar is really great, nothing wrong there and you’ll get a lot of use out of it if used correctly.The soap is OK, you can get a better but again, nothing wrong.All in all, I would say this is a good kit to get as a gift, or if you aren’t sure about making the switch and just want to get something quick to see how you feel. If you already know you want to go all in on wet shaving, put together your own kit, check out maggards to start.

I'm new to DE safety razor shaving. So this kit was perfect for everything to get started. The only other thing I bought was a pre shave product. I’ve shaved 3 times so far using the kit and the same razor blade. Works great! It’s made shaving like a new hobby instead of a chore. I decided on trying DE shaving because the razors are so much cheaper than the cartridge refill type I’ve used before for years. So for the same price of a bunch of cartridege refills I bougjt this kit instead. Replacement razor blades are going to be cheap from here on out. And I’m getting a great shave. My skin also seems to be much happier with less signs of folliculitis like I would get before with the cartridge style. So here’s to happy shaving! All and all a great kit at a good value.

I bought this as a gift for my fiance and he loves it. I was a little worried about the scent of the soap being too strong for him, but it's very subtle and soft. The alum bar is great for showing him where he was shaving too close while using the Van Der Hagen set we had previously bought from a big box retailer. The razor is heavier duty and the blades are high quality. The brush has a very strong feel and isnt falling apart after tgree uses like the Van Der Hagen one did. It is advertised as a boar bristle brush and you can feel the difference between this and the synthetic brush. His shave is cleaner and more precise, and he's very pleased. Not only does he love the kit, but right after his first use, we went online to the Gentleman Jon's website and saw that the cost to refill the blades, soap, and alum bar are very affordable. And I've been instructed to get the matching stand. I think he's now a customer of Gentleman Jon's for life! He may be getting a kit for the men in his family, too.

I usually rock a beard, but clean shave during the summers. It gets quite hot in Louisiana lol. This kit definitely has everything you need to achieve a clean shave. The safety razor quality is great and has a good weight to it. I experience almost no razor burn as I would with a conventional two or three blade shaver.

Great gift