Keepin' it real

One thing you can say about shaving with the marketed brands is that it keeps it real simple, there actually aren't a hell of a lot of choices if you're trying to 'be current'.

There are more dangers than just bleeding when you shave like a MAN. There are so many choices that you can easily spend a TON of money on the various ADs (Acquisition Disorders). Do you know how many kinds of cool/effective razors there are out there? Brushes? Soaps/Creams? Blades? After shaves?

How about the various combinations and permutations thereof?

The good news is that you can indeed keep it real, save money, AND have the closest/best/irritation-free DAILY shaves of your LIFE.

Take Razors: You can spend ridiculous coin on some stupid-assed vintage Gillette 'Fatboy', or just get a Yuma and learn how to drive it. Turn that fucking Fatboy up to 11 and it will not cut closer than a Yuma. Another good DE choice for beginners and experts alike if you can't handle a scabby used razor is the LORD L6, which features 'load-and-go' tolerances for about $10 delivered if you order directly from the vendor on B&B instead of his Ebay store - he will include a variety of blades to get you started. Another ridiculously cheap but wickedly effective razor that is an absolute pleasure to drive would be a 1912, which unlike a Yuma will easily outlast you and your children. Really, really nice minty ones can be easily found for under $15.

Blades: Again, you can spend stupid money and only use Feathers once in your Fatboy, but I have found that really ANY blade works in a Yuma or Lord, some just last longer than others - Any of the Egyptian stainless blades are a great choice, and they feature recyclable/compostable packaging. If you go the 1912 Gem route I think your best blade choice is one of the thick-spined 'vintage' blades - that REALLY takes care of the whole 'carbon footprint' thing. Of course you will need additional gear but you can indeed make your own effective strops...

Brushes: Someday when I strike it rich maybe I'll go for a badger of some kind, but until then I am more than satisfied with a $2.50 Turkish horsehair brush that holds 4+ passes of lather and feels great on the face.

Soaps: You can spend upwards of $60 for some stupid-assed soap in a bowl that isn't going to work any better than a stick of Arko. AND you need to find room to keep it. The 'footprint' of an Arko stick is as miniscule as the price. Besides, face-lathering obviates the need for any additional 'prep'. Better all the way around. At the risk of coming across as a shill for Arko, as a product it really is quasi perfect. Abundant, slick and nourishing lather - and I for one appreciate that there is practically no 'packaging' to end up in the bin. If you can't handle the smell, all I can say is that you have 'issues'. Can you handle the price? The performance?

After-Shave: Here again, you have an opportunity to drop major coin. All you really need is alum and/or witch hazel and maybe a tiny bit of some EV coconut oil from the kitchen if there is a 'dry skin' issue. I have oily skin - all I use is alum and almost never even rise it off. Shit works great and is practically free.

Ghetto "Safety" Razor Set-up

How much money do you need to get started? You could spend a whole hell of a lot more than $10 and not get better gear than this setup, 100% made in Turkey:

Yuma razor $2.50
#6 brush $2.50
Arko stick $2.00
assorted blades - a few more bucks. If you get hooked, you can buy a 2-3 year supply of blades for $15-20

OK, my chunk of alum is actually from Thailand. You can get an authentic Turkish barber alum block for just a couple of bucks - probably not a bad option when you see what vendors are charging for them on Amazon and definitely worth a try if you live somewhere without Asian groceries. It may not be pretty, but the performance is absolutely undeniably great! Available from bestshave.net now. Be a man and get over there.

ARKO

ARKO!
Buy it!
Use it!
Be a man!

This is LITERALLY NOT FOR VEGANS! ARKO contains beef tallow, and the cognoscenti agree that is produces copious amounts of rich, slick, pillowy lather. My shitty RiteAid boar brush can hold enough arko lather for a full 3 pass shave. Because of the tallow, it actually has a pulldate. This shit is beyond economical - it will blow your mind. You can get a stick delivered CONUS for under 2 bucks. It will last for months. You may also appreciate the undeniable manliness, minimalism and eco-friendliness of the packaging, and the fact that you don't need a bowl or a fancy 'scuttle' or any of that girly-man crap to clutter up your bathroom. Use is simple: Wet face. Wet end of stick. rub end of stick on face just a few times. Watch the lather EXPLODE with the first few strokes of the brush. The beauty of the stick is that the more growth you have, the more soap is delivered - so it gives you what you need every time. Snobs and whimps object to ARKO because of its price (way too cheap to be any good) and the smell. The smell is strong, but pleasant and manly. I happen to love it. If you go back to the canned goo after trying this wonderful and frugal product, G-d help you.