How were you introduced to wet shaving?

Discussion in 'Shave School' started by castrobabble, Jan 29, 2013.

  1. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    The Gillette Guard is well regarded as a travel and general use cartridge.
     
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  2. Epicurean

    Epicurean Active Member

    I bought the cheapest shaving brush I could find from the PX at Ft. Hood. This happened to be a boar bristle Van Der Hagen. I found it was the perfect size for dusting off my laptop. I never used it for shaving, but a year later, unpacking at home, I rediscovered it and it sparked my curiosity. That particular brush feels horrible on my face compared to the synthetics I now use.
     
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  3. waffen

    waffen Well-Known Member

    Well played planofMan...... My pa did, but I must say I strayed for a few years
     
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  4. Eeyore

    Eeyore Well-Known Member

    My dad wetshaved every morning. As a kid I hardly knew that there were other ways (using shaving foam, or an electric) as well.

    So it was only natural that I also started wetshaving when I was a teen. And I never stopped doing it.

    Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
     
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  5. acamato

    acamato Member

    My dad had a DE razor growing up. I was always curious about it. I tried using it when I was a teen. Now I am much older, I recently became interested in wet shaving.

    Sent from my SM-T700 using Tapatalk
     
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  6. Woohog1

    Woohog1 Member

    I remember watching grandpa shave every morning before going out to breakfast. I used to sit in the chair, and watch him lather up and apply the cream to his face.
    It was a wonderful time for me, as we used to spend it together before I'd go off and play, or if I was lucky, get to go eat with him.
    Fast forward about 20 years, and grandpa has passed away, andthe only thing left after his estate us settled is his gillette tech razor, well I quickly gobbled it up, and sought out the supplies to shave like him.
    I still use his tech every now and then, but even when I dont, I still think bqck with find memories of when I was younger.
    Now, I let my nephew watch me shave, and only hope he has the same memories when he is older.
     
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  7. waffen

    waffen Well-Known Member

    It goes on thru the ages
     
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  8. eaglewing59

    eaglewing59 Well-Known Member

    Got tired of paying high prices for carts and went looking on the net for an alternative. Saw this and other websites regarding wet shaving and decided to give it a whirl. And I remember my Dad using and old Gillette. Brought back good memories. And the chance to meet some really cool people. :)
     
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  9. colosilverado

    colosilverado Active Member

    I watched a show like "How it's Made" or something similar where they showed the Merkur factory making their blades and razors, and that was it.
     
  10. stota

    stota Well-Known Member

    I was introduced in a really random way. My g/f had asked me to get her some single edge razor blades so we could replace our scrapers blades. During this time I was looking at new blades, cartridges, for my razor. Amazon apparently noticed my need for blades and cartridges and displayed a DE razor and other shave items as a "related to other items you looked at." I became interested and started researching and looking at all the different items that where out there. I decided to look local to see what the prices of items where and thats when I found a opened/destroyed box with a DE razor in it at my local Kroger grocery store. I figured what the heck it doesn't hurt to ask how much they want. They marked it down to nearly nothing on clearance so I picked it up and some blades and soap and went home to get started. I have been enjoying it ever since and my g/f thinks I'm crazy but thinks it's really great I am into something like this. Besides she loves the smells and the smooth shave too.

    -=the end=-
     
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  11. Carbide Mike

    Carbide Mike 9 Lives

    Facial nerve problem, and one blade was easier on my face, and didn't trigger the neuralgia. The more blades in the cartridges, the more pain it caused.
     
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  12. RyX

    RyX DoH!

    I had missed my youngest sons birthday and during our conversation he mentioned he'd like a fixed blade knife to make amends. While doing some handyman work for my aunt, I watched a couple minutes of Cutlery Corner Network on the satellite feed. After viewing their website I chose a Bowie knife & straight razor that came as a package. The knife pleased my son. The razor is a RSO. But I was already straight razor curious by then. More Googling, a couple forums, and an order for a WD straight set me on the Wet Path.
     
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  13. cmorris357

    cmorris357 catching flies.........

    I learned from my grandfather and my father, who both used Gillette Flare tips. My grandfather taught me how to whip up lather with either Williams or Colgate, whichever was cheaper the day he had to buy a new puck. My dad used canned goo. I remember him using one of those Schick Hot Lather machines. Later he switched to Norelco electrics. I tried it, but it was a definite no-go for me so I kept it old school and used the soap and brush and the superspeed. Later I switched to a Schick Injector and finally to the Trac II before giving up in my mid 20's and growing a beard. I kept it for about 22 years before deciding to go with the goatee and mustache. I remembered the best shaves came from the DE razor and blades, so I bought an Edwin Jagger 89, a few different blades, a brush and a bowl, and a tub of TOBS cream. Three years and hundreds of dollars later, here I am.
     
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  14. Mike Powell

    Mike Powell Active Member

    I had always kind of been a razor snob, but I didnt know anything about safety razors, I paid the insane amounts of money for the Mach III and Fusions. I got into wood turning and made a DE safety razor and the handle chipped. So instead of throwing it out, I started using it with blades from The Art of Shaving. A few weeks ago I was talking to a guy that works with my wife, and he laughed at me for spending the amount of money on blades that AoS was asking, and sent me home a variety pack of razors the next day. After looking around and reading some stuff, I have now purchased a starter set with soap and brush, Im still using my 3 piece safety razor but I am now using Rapira blades. Im really enjoying shaving again now.
     
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  15. Spiez

    Spiez Active Member

    I've been using an electric razor for 35 years. One of my 50th B'Day gifts was a gift certificate for a head and face shave from AoS. It was fantastic! And then a friend told me how he uses a brush to lather and even though he uses a cartridge razor, he feels like a million bucks when he leaves the bathroom. Soooo...after researching shave brushes, guess what it lead to? Yup, I became fascinated with wet shaving and I took the DE plunge. The quality and calming time I get when I shave now is unsurpassed. Before, it was just another chore. Now, it's a reward. I can never wait until the next shave. I'll never look back.
     
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  16. Lilan

    Lilan Active Member

    It's been over 4 years, picked up a fatboy at antique mall for 5 bucks! (Can't do that today) remember having a couple of shots of vodka first, went way better than I thought, vids helped a lot, in the beginning I wanted to save $, that didn't last long!!!
     
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  17. Bama Samurai

    Bama Samurai with Laser-like Focus

    Harry's carts drove me to wet shaving. Got tired of ingrown hair, bought an R89 clone. July 2014. Game over.
     
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  18. barbersurgeon

    barbersurgeon Well-Known Member

    Had shaved with Atra plus and schick dual blade carts early on. Then electric and disposables for bany years. Got tired of throwing away plastic and refused to spend the money for modern carts. So, decided to look at traditional razors as an alternative. Perhaps the MTO offered in the pawn shop comercial sparked my interest? Hard to remember.

    Was ordering some gifts on amazon a little over a year ago, and decided to add a Parker razor and some Astra blades, based off of reviews. Now I have a dozen or so DE razors and half a dozen injectors. Oh and now one functional SR. Shaved with canned foam for a while, but found my way here a year ago and added a semogue boar brush and some TSD soap.

    Never going back. The SR journey has just begun, but definitely digging the experience. I thought I'd save some money, but that has only led to the acquisition disorders associated with shaving as a hobby. At
    least there is less plastic in my life. Well, if you discount a few bakelite handles give or take...
     
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  19. Col C

    Col C Well-Known Member

    Started shaving in the late 1960s. Wanted to try an electric razor - my father bought me one. It was terrible. By the time I went to college and needed to shave every day he introduced me to DE shaving, as he had done forever. Gillette flare tip as I remember. Still have my first brush. I revisited DE shaving several times over the years but spending 30 years in the Army I kept using cartridge razors because it was easier given some of the places where I spent so much time. Now I have returned. I shave now because I want to not because I have to.
     
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  20. RetLEO-07

    RetLEO-07 likes his penguin deep fried, with pink sparkles

    Was on YouTube looking for something which now escapes me. Stumbled across GeoFatBoy. Watched a couple of his videos and decided to give this wet shaving thing a try. VDH razor and brush. C O Bigelow Shave Cream(aka Proraso Green), a glass bowl from Dollar Tree and a tuck of Wilkinson Sword blades from Bed Bath & Beyond. The rest as they say is history.
     

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