Welcome aboard, mate!
Yes, there's a chap selling a starter kit in the BST section - DO NOT be put off by it being a vintage razor. Two reasons: first, vintage razors rule, second, open combs rule, third ... okay, three reasons, the first DE you try will probably nick you regardless of how old or how aggressive - you build your technique as you go so diving into a great razor to start with, even if it is a little aggressive, is a good thing, fourth ... okay, okay ... "amongst my reasons are"
... it's a 'New' in good condition and that is only ever going to be a good thing for a DE shaver. British long combs are "the bomb", so to speak.
You get a bunch of soaps, including the VERY accessible Palmolive stick - wet face, rub it all over your face and lather up with the brush, wetting up if it's too dry. You get a bunch of blades, including the very excellent Gillette Sharp Edge which work out so well in the Gillette New, Rapira which is a stunning blade, Astra, again excellent, Personna reds also good to go.
But ...
If this kit was not on offer, I would recommend the following - an Edwin Jagger DE89 razor, pack of Gillette greens or yellows (yellows are the 'Sharp Edge' cited above), a simple high street cream like Palmolive or Ingram's (both from supermarket or Super Drug) and an entry level pure badger brush. If you're likely to be a face latherer, the 50p sticks of Palmolive are excellent, as are the £2 sticks of Arko. That entry level brush will do fine, but a mixed badger/boar like the Vulfix 404 would do well. Sensitive about animal exploitation? Well, there's a world of synthetics out there - Muhle being about the best, there's Kent, too.
Aftershaves? Understand the difference - an aftershave is NOT a frag(rance)! Aftershave ... Cologne ... Eau de Toilette. I never knew this before proper shaving. Aftershave is a fleeting scent, should not set your face on fire (unless you want it to: peppercorn Bay Rums, Pinaud aftershaves excepted) and should leave you feeling slick and refreshed, certainly not dry. Drop into your local supermarket and bag a bottle of green Brut and a bottle of Old Spice. Don't be shy - they're both great scents and do the job well. Apply your usual "frag" afterwards on the sides of your neck and go about your day.
Technique? Another thing I never knew was ... no lather, no shave. Proper shaving is about reduction of stubble - make two or three passes. You don't need to clear it all in one go. Lather, shave north/south, lather, shave east/west, lather shave south/north. The latter is a little advanced, often called "against the grain" but if you have a light touch you'll click with it. I did, quite early on.
So, you need cream/soap, a brush, a razor, blades and an aftershave. You've got some ideas ...
Jump in. If you've had a nose around any online retailers, just swing your shopping list by here before hitting the button. Yes, you'll get all manner of opinions suggesting all sorts of other products, but ... but ... the replies you should be looking at are the ones that say, simply, "No way!" ... "Do not buy that". Beyond that, it's choice, and in these fledgling steps it's simply personal choice.
Jump in!
