Van Der Hagen Premium Shave Set (Soap, Bowl, Brush)
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List Price: Our Price: $9.85 You Save: $2.91 (23%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Van Der Hagen Premium Shave Set (Soap, Bowl, Brush)
Customer Review: An unexpensive kit that worths more than it costs
Summary: 5 Stars
As you can see in the picture, this kit has 3 parts:
- The soap
- The bowl
- The brush
The soap:
This is a cheap soap that gives you an excellent lather. The scent is very mild and (in my opinion) is very nice. If you use correctly, it can last for 2 months and a nice thing about it is that since it's a glycerin soap, you can melt it in the bowl (or another bowl) or even mix it with another soap or anything you can think of to change its scent.. but the important thing is the lather, I already said it is an excellent lather and It never fails to give a comfortable and smooth shave.
The bowl:
It's made of ceramic, dark navy blue in the outside and green in the inside. Slightly bigger than the soap (In diameter) and about 1 inch taller than it. It easily fits in your hand and is really cute (My sister told me "awwww I want it" of course I said no) I melted the soap inside this little bowl in the microwave and it didn't suffered any damage. 8 secs and 8 secs in "hi" sill do it.
The Brush:
Well, this is a boar brush. It is stiff by default but it softens with the use, The smell is a bit weird at first but what I did was to wash it with shampoo and let it rest for one day. It didn't soften it but when I shaved for the first time with it the smell was almost gone. Being a boar brush, it holds less water but it grabs more soap (IMHO) so you don't need to swirl too much. Also if you need water just soak the tip of the brush in water and continue swirling.
The brush is stiff only at the very beginning of the process, I feel it gentle on my face when building lather directly on it and also I feel it gentle when applying lather from the bowl to my face.
Last but not least, the handle. You'll see people complaining about it being cheap plastic, well is not. It is solid and not slippery, I find it trusty and I'm not afraid to drop it. Not that I will do it but I feel there is no danger.
All in all a trusty brush.
As someone said, don't be a snob. This set is trusty and nice. The price is awesome. 5 stars without a doubt.
Customer Review: Alex is right
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to say I agree with Alex, the guy talking about the snobs, 100% At first it's hard to believe that there could be a community of "elite shavers" but after looking them up online he was not exaggerating one bit! It's crazy, I know, that there are people who'd be snobs about shaving, of all things, but if you don't believe be go ahead and look them up. IT IS EXACTLY the way he said it was: "this is the only soap that works, and you should only use that brush, and this one after shave is the only one worth it of our faces, and if you pay less than X for this razor blade then your face will rot, etc..."
It's hard to say anything original after someone said something you agree with 100% (Alex, not the snobs) so let me be brief.
The bowl: It's a bowl, looks good, holds the soap, nice size, sturdy. Again, it's a bowl.
The soap: It's soap, nothing fancy, no complex electronic equipment inside, no secret formula, it's soap. Does what it's supposed to do, does it well, lasts a while, it is available everywhere (both locally and online) and it is priced like a soap. The scent is very very mild and soapy, which is fine with me since I don't need to smell like a million bucks in the shower.
The brush: It's a brush, it works. I would not buy another brush because it does fall apart quickly. For the same price I could get a Burma Shave Brush and it lasts a little longer.
- If you are a normal guy who wants to shave this is for you.
- If you are a normal guy and want to try the whole old style shaving thing then this is for you.
- If you like a good product at a reasonable price then this is for you.
This is NOT for you if:
- You are a tool
- You think soap should only come from another country
- You are too good to try something cheap
- You spend countless hours online discussing the important matters of the shaving world
- You can only use a brush properly if the handle is made of ivory, incrusted with diamonds, and the hairs are of an extinct animal.
Customer Review: Great start into wet shaving
Summary: 5 Stars
This was my first set for wet shaving. I plunked down my $7.58 at Walmart for the set and was surprised at how much better the shave was. The shave got better as I went on since, I learned better brush technique. It may take you some time to get the right technique for rich lather. I live near San Antonio, TX which has the hardest water in the country (harder to make lather). So, don't blame the products you just need to learn the best combination of water and hard to lighter pressure.
Go on try the High end soaps $8.00 to $30.00 then learn every once in while you can get some great stuff with out all the hype. That's what I did since, I just thought the VDH set was just to get in to wet shaving. On the boar brush I re lather for each side of my face, not a big deal for the price. I now have a silvertip badger brush and yes, it holds the lather on through out three shaves but it cost 15 times more. As for the soaps I still find the VDH is the best. When I get an expensive nice smelling soap the doesn't match up I just melt the soap and add a VDH glycerin to it to get a nice smelling great shave.
My wife agrees and she has a better test she has two legs one soap per leg. She doesn't get that plucked chicken feel after like she did with those 3 blade ladies razors
We both use Merkur barber pole razors and have come back to the Persona blades for myself and Sword blades for her(just like soaps we have tried most of the other brands)we both hate Gillete 7o'clock dull.
Customer Review: $9.99 Wet Shaving Is A Blast
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased from Rite-Aid my very own Van Der Hagen Shave Set today and could not wait to use it. WOW! I hate to say it but that boar brush felt better than my Art Of Shaving Pure Badger brush. It was strong and made a great lather with the soap it can with. Not to thick, but just the right amount on my face. The brush really made my face come alive with every swirl. And then I painted my face with the lether after that. The shave was done with my Parker 22R Butterfly Safety De razor and man did I get a close, clean shave that left my face feeling smooth, clean and refreshed. I don't beleive you have to spend a lot on getting something good. I like to try out new and inexpensive products and more times than few, they are better. I lost a few hairs from the brush, but so did my pure badger. But a ceramic hand dipped bowl, soap and brush for $9.99, come on...you can't beat that. This will remain in my wet shaving line up collection as a weekly product alone with my Taylor Of Old Bond Street cream, Art Of Shaving Cream, Williams Mug Soap and Col. Conk soap. I look at it like this, if the shoe fits, wear it. Once you go outside and people see the finished product(Your face) they won't know you used a $2.00 soap or a $5.00 brush. It's your own little secert.Customer Review: Excellent starter shaving gear
Summary: 5 Stars
For the price, this is an excellent set of shaving gear to get started with. The brush or bowl alone is worth the price of the kit. And the soap is very good to boot, rivaling many of the more expensive and exotic brands. It would make for a great gift, to someone who has never tried wetshaving, or has never used a brush to apply lather. The brush, while not luxurious, is still a decent boar hair brush -- it will certainly get the job done. At this price, it won't hurt to try out a new way of shaving, be it with your old trusty double edged razor, or a new-fangled Fusion or the like.
By the way, I noticed some complained about the smell of the brush. As with any brush, it should be cleaned thoroughly before using it. Give the bristles a good working with some dish detergent, soak for several minutes, rinse well. Some say to also soak new brushes in a weak solution of vinegar, and cleanse with shampoo and conditioner. Just be sure to clean it somehow - this is true of any brush.