The Personal Barber - monthly traditional shaving goodies

I've received another monthly box from The Personal Barber containing two packs of single blades (from Egypt and Russia), two shaving soaps, shaving oil and some wipes.

The pack arrived after five days without a shave, as I had been considering growing a beard. The idea came to nothing and I was wondering how easy it would be to shave off a five-day stubble. I needn't have worried. After a good soak in hot water, I used the shaving oil from Good Day Organics to soften and lubricate the beard. I then lathered on the Mint and Tea Tree shaving soap. A Derby Extra blade (which arrived in my first box from The Personal Barber) easily sliced through the hairs with neither hesitation, nor a pull, nor a nick. If I hadn't been a perfectionist, I could have got away with a single pass of the razor. 

These are impressive products which add to the pleasures of a traditional wet shave: and it's fun to try out so many different blades, oils, soaps and unguents. The Personal Barber. And see my previous post for a discount code.

The Personal Barber - a service to help you enjoy your shaving

I recently switched from modern multi-blade razors to a traditional safety razor. Finding that multiple blades were skidding ineffectively over my skin, I bought a cheap Wilkinson safety razor with five double-edge (DE) blades in search of a closer shave.

I have to say that it has transformed my shaving. However, as confidence grew, I wanted to try a better razor and a wider range of blades and shaving products. The I discovered The Personal Barber who send a box (as shown below) which provides all you need to get started with a traditional safety razor. This is followed by a monthly box with replacement blades and samples of shaving soaps and products such as oils, colognes, soaps and pre- and after-shaves.

With the first box The Personal Barber gives excellent advice for the inexperienced double-edge blade shaver. One thing I learned was that different brands produce slightly different blades. Having tried Wilkinson and Derby Extra blades, I've found that the latter suit me better, being sightly less aggressive and lasting a day or two longer. Double-edge blades last for 5 to 7 shaves. This is less than multiple blades, but a DE blade can cost well under 10p each if bought in bulk, while multiple blades can cost £1 each.

Bradley Jones of The Personal Barber tells me that,

"The underlying aim of The Personal Barber is to get people to enjoy the act of shaving itself rather than seeing it as a daily chore. Wet shaving tends to be a far more enjoyable experience, I believe, because it is more of a ritual and because it requires technique. The ritual of wet shaving is very calm and satisfying which can be needed in the morning. The technique involved in wet shaving such as building a thick lather, holding the blade at the right angle, applying the correct level of pressure etc means it doesn't become a mindless task which can be the case when using plastic cartridge razors. I've found that most wet shavers look forward to shaving because of these two reasons but particularly because they enjoy the process of getting better and better as time goes on."

I have to say that I now agree with him. Go to The Personal Barber for more information. For  20% discount for life, quote code SMOOTHSHAVE4LIFE20.