As of this moment (I’m writing this the weekend of March 7, 2025), I have 991 individual things in the shaving collection, and that feels like an enormous number. And there are a few more things on the way because I may have a problem…Or not.
The current 991 things counts each individual item that I currently have in the collection, whether it’s actively being used or not. It includes individual blades, shaving soap samples, razors, brushes, etc. Except that the number doesn’t fully count the things because there are some things that I’ve purchased that I don’t count–like the handful of tins I’ve purchased to hold soaps and a pre-shave soap that didn’t come with containers. And I bought a mini tool chest to hold some things, and there are a few things in there that I don’t count either, like a pair of moustache and beard scissors, and the electric beard trimmer that you can see in the green bin in the photo above, and the shave bowl, and the small parts hardware organizer I bought to store my blades in. So that 991 is probably closer to 1000 things before we get to the new additions coming over the next couple of weeks.
And obviously, there aren’t all 1000-ish things in the picture at top. It’s probably closer to 985 or something, because the brushes and razors are kept in the bathroom. And I’m not counting my beard care stuff–the beard brush, beard oils, beard butter, etc.
Oh yeah, and that picture up at the top of the page? That’s two shelves in my den that I’m using to store the majority of my shaving collection. 47 soaps, 907 blades, 10 razors, 4 brushes, 7 pre-shaves, and 16 after shaves. Go ahead and add it up. I know you want to.
Why do I have almost 1000 items available to me for a shave that takes about 15 minutes 3 days a week? Because I’m addicted. That’s the short answer.
The longer answer is something that repeats around here all the time: I really enjoy exploring and experimenting with this hobby, and one great way to explore and experiment is to buy new things to try out. But mostly, I’m addicted.
So this definitely begs the question: how much is too much for a single person to use for shaving a few times a week?
(Yes, this is partially to make myself feel better for buying things for myself–that’s the biggest guilt, not necessarily the amount spent–but also to answer the questions that a lot of people ask, often innocently “what do I need to get started?”)
So what do I think you need, maybe not the bare minimum, but say a decent collection to experience a good range of products in multiple areas of this hobby/obsession? I want to keep this under about $300, and I think I can, even if I haven’t.
Razor
I’d recommend 2 razors, or one adjustable. Why? So you can experience the difference in razor aggressiveness.
If you’re entirely new to shaving with a safety razor, then a Henson AL-13+ mild (or medium) is always my recommendation to start with for a fixed first razor. It’s designed so that if you’ve been used to using cartridges, finding the angle with a safety razor is dead easy. If you have been shaving and don’t experience razor burn or irritation much or at all, then start with a medium. If you’re easily prone to irritation, go with the mild.
For a second fixed razor, I’d recommend something either more aggressive or more mild. On the milder end, try a Mühle R89, of hit the aggressive end with a R41.
Or just make one purchase and get an adjustable razor. These have dials or different plates that allow you to adjust the aggressiveness of the razor. I have 3 and can recommend any of them, but there are plenty of others: Merkur Progress Adjustable, Oliworks M3teorite, Rockwell 6C (or 6S).
The cost of most of these is $60-75.
Blades
I always recommend that newbies get a GOOD blade sampler purchased from somewhere other than Amazon. What’s a good sampler? Go look at blade samplers on Amazon, then go to Maggard’s Razors or Razor Emporium or some other online retailer and compare what you can get and even find in their blade collections, and you’ll see. Good blade samplers have more Gillette products, maybe a Bic blade mixed in, and Astras, Personna, and other popular names.
The cost of most samplers is around $15-35 and should get you anywhere from 25 to 100 blades in 5-10 brands.
Brushes
My first brushes cost a combined $56 for 3 of them. One was $6, one was $15, and the last was $35. Two were boar brushes, and the most expensive was a badger brush. Later I got a synthetic for $19.
But a lot of people warn away from a boar brush because they can take some time to break in and can feel stiff and uncomfortable for some. I found them comfortable and very easy to lather with because they do have more stiffness than the others. But badger brushes are softer (and more expensive), and synthetic are usually even softer than that (but cheaper).
Find something that sounds good to you and go with it, but for a first brush, I always tell people not to spend over $50.
Lathering Bowl
To be quite honest, you don’t need anything fancy to start with. I used an old coffee mug for a while, then moved on to a plastic cup from a camping mess kit. It had a nice wide mouth and was relatively shallow. But then I bought a bamboo salad bowl for $5 and that’s been my bowl ever since.
All of that being said, you can buy a decent new bowl for under $20.
Pre-Shave
Not strictly necessary, but I advise people to get them just because of the extra slickness and lubrication they offer. For the price, Proraso does an awesome job here at $13 for a jar. But Razor Emporium sells pre-shave soap sticks for $10, and Cella has a tube of pre-shave gel for $14.
Don’t spend more than $15 on this to start.
Lather
This is necessary. You can skip the whole bowl and brush thing and get a couple of really good options that don’t need them and still work very well: Arko soap stick (the stick can be applied directly to a wet face, then lathered by hand), Barbasol 1919 shaving cream (not a can, but a tube, and this doesn’t lather, but provides a very slick, thick surface that works surprisingly well), Nivea Men Sensitive Shaving gel (comes in a can, works really well), and even other creams in tubes work very well with or without a brush (Proraso, Cella, Cremo, etc. ).
But I’d also advise to try some soaps and lather with a brush. Get some samples (Maggard’s Razors is my go-to here). These typically cost $2.50-$8 each.
Buy 3-4 different lathers so you can compare, for a total of around $35.
Aftershave
Lotions, splashes, balms, gels, creams, etc. are all in this category. Some can be purchased at a grocery store dirt cheap and may work for you. Others are very expensive, so stay away from those unless you can get a sample.
Again, Maggard’s offers samples in this category, and I’d encourage that so you can try them out. Otherwise, I do have 2 that I purchased right off of the shelf of my grocery store for under $8 each.
Get 2-4 different aftershaves to see what there is, for a total of about $20.
Recommendations
How’d I do on the starting kit price? $305 if you go top-end on every spending scale. But with only 1 adjustable razor, you immediately drop $75 or so and still get a good experience.
And then after you’ve got this how to get started? Experiment. Experiment, Experiment.
I really encourage a spreadsheet or list or tracker somewhere of what you used from each category, how the shave went, and what you thought of each of the products. Pay attention to what worked better, what felt better, and what made you happier–performance, scents, feeling, etc. Use everything once–each razor setting once, unless the mild end gets too mild or the aggressive end gets too aggressive. Use each blade for a week in the razor to see how it feels differently through the week. Use different pre-shave/lather/aftershave combos to see what feels best afterward. Don’t buy anything else until you’ve tried them all.
Map your beard growth. And develop your technique so that you aren’t cutting yourself. Master your razor and find a favorite blade or two from the collection. Then you’re ready to move forth and become an addict like me.
I wish you luck.
Some Thoughts On My Collection
I do really love this hobby/pursuit/addiction. I like the feeling I have after shaving and leaving the bathroom to start the day. I feel, for lack of a better word, pretty, or at least pretty to me. I can catch the aroma of the aftershave, feel the smoothness of my skin, enjoy the hopefully stubble and irritation-free shave.
And then I get to log it in the spreadsheet and write about it here. I really do enjoy both of those activities. And I love planning future shaves–fitting new stuff into the schedule, while still using the things that are already there. It really is a fun hobby when taken as a whole.
And buying new things that I don’t really NEED is one enjoyable part of it. I always have at least one wishlist of things that I want to try, so when I get an email with a sale offer, I’ll consider whether it’s time to spend some money.
Then I get to add them to the collection and to the spreadsheet.
It continues the fun.