The wet shave can be a key mark to a gentleman’s style, a clear line between the dishevelled man and a sharply styled, refined gent. The combination of shaving cream, badger-hair bristles and a sharp razor blade can define a man’s look and provide a debonair flavour to the overall feel of your style. Learning and maintaining how to perform a well executed wet shave requires the correct tools for the job. Thanks to the plethora of grooming options available to men, this isn’t always the easiest choice and can be a a steep learning curve for many.
Thankfully, the Wet Shave Club seems to have pre-empted this problem with a solution of their own. A monthly subscription to their shave box offers a different collection of products and grooming tools allows a gentleman to learn the secrets of the wet shave whilst finding the products that work best for him. We were gifted one of these boxes and reviewed it using our usual criteria, you can find our thoughts below.
Quality – 3/5
Regardless of however you cut it, these boxes are designed mainly for beginners and, therefore, is neither of luxury quality but nor does it feel cheap. It’s a simple yet effective selection of products that act as stepping stones towards grasping the basics of the gentleman’s shave. In our box we received a bar of shave soap, a shave brush, aftershave balm, a pack of 10 razors and a stainless steel safety razor. With no doubt, the ingredients for a good shaving experience.
Fragrance – 4/5
The shave soap is the star of the show in this category. A spicy combination of rum and woody aromas that instantly evoke both masculinity and refined style. The lather produces this instantaneous burst of fragrance that will last all morning, making it a classic selection for any man looking to develop a mature grooming routine.
Packaging – 3/5
The packing for delivery is classic and simple, offering good presentation that compliments the products enclosed within. The products themselves look fantastic and would be at home in any gentleman’s bathroom cupboard or washbag. The safety razor feels weighty but not cumbersome when being used, the razors are of good quality and the shaving brush is sturdy. Overall a well packaged and well put together kit.
Pricing – 4/5
Pricing varies depending on the length of your subscription and whether you are based in the USA (as almost 30% of our readers are) or not. A subscription will cost you anywhere between $22-$45 per month (around £14-£30) if you include delivery charges and, considering the selection, we think that’s a pretty good deal.
Summary – 3.5/5
The Wet Shave Club offers a hand in getting you on the right steps to perfecting the wet shave. Though by no means a luxury collection of items, it will put you in good stead for learning the basics and provide you with tools that will last as long as you need. For any gent looking to sharpen their shaving skills, this is a great choice.
Well that just about covers our review and, as always, if you’ve enjoyed the article feel free to comment, like and/or share it with your gentlemanly friends. If you have other brands you’d like to us to test please do comment below as we’re always keen to try new things.
By Adam Walker