I have a little seed of an idea floating in my head and I'm hoping you all can give me some input. Reddit does a lot of "AMA" (Ask Me Anything) Q&A sessions. Over the years I've made a lot of contacts in the wet shaving world, from the established and well-known (Leisureguy, Lynn Abrams for example) to the controversial (Luke Webster, Douglas Smythe), to artisans (I did a series of interviews with some a while back), to brands (Edwin Jagger, OneBlade, Castle Forbes, etc.). So my question is...who would you be interested in seeing a wet shaving AMA with? Maybe I can facilitate something!
I don't frequent other shave forums often or even ever. There are several Ladies that participate in TSD discussions that might be interesting to have share a few moments of their time. I'm thinking our @Queen of Blades for a look at the other side of the screen, and her experience providing this forum and shave products to the community. Two others that come to mind; @soapbuddy & @Salty Belle. I can jabber with these guys all day and night. Growing up without any sisters I'm curious about the Ladies that make my shave world a better place. But not in a stalkerish way, I'll let you handle that!
I'm not sure how you would find this person but I'm thinking of someone who enjoyed a long career at one of the major razor manufacturers and would have not just historical knowledge but personal anecdotes as well. The white haired octogenarian whose father and grandfather also worked for the same company. And not just razor manufacturers. I'd be fascinated to listen to someone who spent their life making Old Spice aftershave and now has the world's largest memorabilia collection.
A member of the SIMPSONS FAMILY shared information on another forum until his comments about the current owners saw him banned.
A hardcore cart and goo guy who thinks DE/SE/Injectors/Brush/Mug/Soap is a waste of time. Perhaps even in a debate format with a moderator.
I don't have to search to have a good idea which site your taking about. If you're still a member there, don't discuss Patchouli with anyone.
I would like to hear from Jarred from The Superior Shave. He has some strong opinions (and is willing to share ) revolving around straight razors. They are also excellent vendors.
Interesting choice, and yes a fantastic vendor. I have bought a few brushes from him, and his website is a blast.
How about some of the traditional wetshaving revival's pioneers, in addition to the folks you mentioned? It would be very interesting to hear how they got involved with traditional wetshaving in the first place. It would also be quite informative to get their take on how the industry has grown over the past 15 or 20 years. How does the shaving products industry see us? Are we a benificial presence or a big pain off on some tangent? I would like to see interviews with the following: Eric Malka and Myriam Zaoui, who founded The Art of Shaving 1996. That was arguably before the current revival even began, so they were bleeding edge to say the least. What are their thoughts on wetshaving's future? Looking back to 1996, in what ways did they expect the traditional wetshaving marketplace to grow when they started out? How did that differ from what actually happened? Giovanni Abrate, he of Barbiera Italiana, and the one who introduced a very large range of products to the wetshaving community. Dr. Chris Moss, whose Moss Scuttle became so very popular. Representatives from the various wetshaving products companies. Indian companies, such as Parker, SuperMax, etc. Iberian firms such as Vie Long and Semougue. The Personna operation in Israel. And espcially someone from PPI in Russia. What are their views on traditional shaving in its present state and projections for the future? How has the rediscovery of traditional shaving methods in the West impacted their business? Brick and mortar business owners, such as the owners of Q Brothers, Pasteur Pharmacy, D.R Harris and the Three Ts?. How has the traditional wetshaving revival impacted their businesses? What do they see as the future of shaving, and what role will traditional wetshaving play? It would be particularly interesting to hear the views from Gillette's Reading, UK, research facility. Presumably, they think that it is better to use a multiblade cartridge razor. So why has shaving with a safety razor and straight grown by leaps and bounds? How do they plan to respond to this trend? The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and other newspapers have run multiple articles on wetshaving. How about interviewing some of the authors of those articles to get their views? How is the wetshaving revival growing beyond its roots? What affect does the artisan movement vs. more established companies have? How does traditional wetshaving as an online phenomenon fit in with the overall traditional wetshaving marketplace worldwide? Are we just one small part of a much larger universe, or are we a major presence? Interviews with shaving products artisans we never hear about on the forums. Unknown shaving soap makers, for example. So often forumites see the forums and the wetshaving subculture of consumption as being nearly the entire shaving universe. Interviews that go beyond the forums and their specific subculture would be enlightening, I think, in addition to interviews with the people we already know.
Now that would be an excellent interview! Gary Young is a wealth of information. Unfortunately, he was banned from a couple of totalitarian forums for no good reason. I think his voice should be heard.
i would love to see how much traditional shaving has grown. i know 60+ year olds still shaving with carts,unaware what is available today.blades? where? old school interviews on gillettes manufacturing history would be cool.
3 thoughts come to mind: Peter Wolf of Wolf Whiskers Will Carius of Barrister and Mann Rod and Mandy Lovan of Stirling soap
I'm a history buff so that's the sort of thing that caches my eye. Maybe Robert Waits, the guy who wrote the saftey razor compendium that everyone references. I'd also be interested to read accounts from people from the big brands (Gillette, American Safety Razor, Old Spice, Williams) who were there in the heydays.
