TheShaveDen
May
06
A typical morning in 2008. I've skipped a day of shaving to give my face a rest, but really don't want to skip two days in a row. Splashing a little water on my face, I rub on the Edge Gel, and pick up my trusty Atra. I press firmly to make sure I'm really cutting the whiskers. After one with-the-grain pass, I inspect my face for stragglers, and rub under my chin, to see how rough it feels. My face is still pretty slick, so I don't think I need more Edge, I just go against the grain once or twice over the spots that seem to need more work. Then I hop in the shower to clean everything up, and get on with my day, happy to have gotten that chore out of the way.
If you came to The Shave Den looking for advice on shaving, that is not how it's done; look in the excellent Shave School section instead. On the other hand, if you do think you need advice on shaving, it may be because your morning routine is pretty close to what I described. It doesn't necessarily work that badly all of the time. For myself, sometimes everything would click, and the results were almost good. Frequently, though, there would be irritation, and I'd get little nicks and weepers more often than I do now. Shaving was never actually enjoyable, and I'd skip a day, even two, when I judged I could get away with it. I tried electrics, but over the long term, they just didn't do it for me. To be fair, I probably needed to know more about using them as well.
That was just the way things were. I was in my early fifties, and had been shaving since I was fourteen or fifteen. I thought I knew how to shave, and would no doubt have been indignant if somebody had told me otherwise. It was just necessary to put up with some unpleasantness, either that or grow a beard. It wouldn't have occurred to me to discuss shaving with other people, but I would have assumed that it was pretty much the same for everybody.
Only I was wrong. Doing something for thirty-five years doesn't mean that you've learned to do it right. I'd adjusted my standards according to what I thought was possible, practiced my mistakes until I became comfortable with them. If you don't know how to do something properly, you can try to find out, but first you have to realize that there's a problem. Even if you do realize the problem exists ("shaving is a pain in the face"), it may not occur to you that there is an actual solution. "That's just the way things are."
The series of events which "aroused me from my dogmatic slumber"* were largely accidental. A local store stopped carrying Atra cartridges for a while, and web searches for another source led me in unexpected directions. Shaving forums would eventually give me the most information, but initially, product reviews on Amazon did more to steer me in the right direction. That led to the actual forums, and advice that would completely change my perspective.
It all started by realizing that there was a problem. If I had remained stubbornly convinced that I knew what I was doing, it would not have been possible to make progress. Finding Internet forums where shaving was discussed seriously, and not just taken for granted, helped me to realize that there was much more to this than I had thought. Once I realized that I didn't even know how to lather properly, it was easy to admit that I didn't know how to do anything else, either. Seeing that other people had the same problems helped. I enjoyed learning what I'd been missing. Before long, I was actually enjoying shaving.
Of course, there is always room for improvement. On the morning that this article occurred to me, I gave myself a couple of nicks for the first time in quite a while. I was using a "difficult" vintage razor which I haven't used that often. Obviously, I still have things to learn.
* I don't know much about Kant, but I know a good line when I see it.
If you came to The Shave Den looking for advice on shaving, that is not how it's done; look in the excellent Shave School section instead. On the other hand, if you do think you need advice on shaving, it may be because your morning routine is pretty close to what I described. It doesn't necessarily work that badly all of the time. For myself, sometimes everything would click, and the results were almost good. Frequently, though, there would be irritation, and I'd get little nicks and weepers more often than I do now. Shaving was never actually enjoyable, and I'd skip a day, even two, when I judged I could get away with it. I tried electrics, but over the long term, they just didn't do it for me. To be fair, I probably needed to know more about using them as well.
That was just the way things were. I was in my early fifties, and had been shaving since I was fourteen or fifteen. I thought I knew how to shave, and would no doubt have been indignant if somebody had told me otherwise. It was just necessary to put up with some unpleasantness, either that or grow a beard. It wouldn't have occurred to me to discuss shaving with other people, but I would have assumed that it was pretty much the same for everybody.
Only I was wrong. Doing something for thirty-five years doesn't mean that you've learned to do it right. I'd adjusted my standards according to what I thought was possible, practiced my mistakes until I became comfortable with them. If you don't know how to do something properly, you can try to find out, but first you have to realize that there's a problem. Even if you do realize the problem exists ("shaving is a pain in the face"), it may not occur to you that there is an actual solution. "That's just the way things are."
The series of events which "aroused me from my dogmatic slumber"* were largely accidental. A local store stopped carrying Atra cartridges for a while, and web searches for another source led me in unexpected directions. Shaving forums would eventually give me the most information, but initially, product reviews on Amazon did more to steer me in the right direction. That led to the actual forums, and advice that would completely change my perspective.
It all started by realizing that there was a problem. If I had remained stubbornly convinced that I knew what I was doing, it would not have been possible to make progress. Finding Internet forums where shaving was discussed seriously, and not just taken for granted, helped me to realize that there was much more to this than I had thought. Once I realized that I didn't even know how to lather properly, it was easy to admit that I didn't know how to do anything else, either. Seeing that other people had the same problems helped. I enjoyed learning what I'd been missing. Before long, I was actually enjoying shaving.
Of course, there is always room for improvement. On the morning that this article occurred to me, I gave myself a couple of nicks for the first time in quite a while. I was using a "difficult" vintage razor which I haven't used that often. Obviously, I still have things to learn.
* I don't know much about Kant, but I know a good line when I see it.
Apr
25
Emergence of a Wet Shaver
Two years ago I began my traditional wet shaving journey. I bought a couple vintage Gillette Techs, some blades, and a cheap boar brush. My first puck of soap was Van Der Hagen. That was my humble beginnings.
I grew up in a home where personal things like grooming were not discussed. My father handed me an electric razor, told me that is how we shave. There was no more discussion or fatherly teaching. I used the electric razor up until I entered the Army. Using an electric razor was frowned upon in the Army. I quickly made the switch to a cartridge and "canned goo". I learned to shave with a cartridge and goo.
Over the years that followed I would switch back and forth using an electric for awhile and then a cartridge. I final gave up the electric and went to using a cartridge razor as my shave tool. Over the years as more blades were added I would hop on the bandwagon for the next new multi-blade. The more the blades the worse the shave became. Shaving became a chore, something that had to be done. Half way through the day I looked like I never shaved.
The ritual of shaving was a chore. I never used after shave or anything else in my grooming ritual. My dad would use a splash of Old Spice just on Sunday. I do not recall my dad doing anything but shave each morning.
I lost my job in '09 and our finances became very tight. I went on disability in 2010. I decided that there had to be a more cost effective way to shave. The cost of multi-blades was almost cost prohibitive. I joined the Shave Den and other forums. The Shave Den was the driving force behind my change.
Slowly I began re-learning how to shave again. I soon discovered that traditional wet shaving gave me the best shaves I experienced. The shaves were good even as I began to learn and unlearn bad habits of shaving.
My den began to grow and soon I added a Parker Badger and other vintage razor. I decided to go the vintage route for my razors. My tools begin to grow, adding open combs, a couple of adjustable razors, a Schick injector, several SS. I began trying out different blades. A variety of soaps and creams, balms and cologne were discovered, too.
August of last year I added my first quality boar brush, an Omega 48. Also a LuJin Badger was given to me. Using the boar brush was an eye opener, as it was broke in it became softer. It is a lathering monster. Recently I added the Semogue and Vulfix boars.
The past two years has been a journey and awakening of my personal grooming. Traditional wet shaving has helped evolve my grooming habits. I was always presentable, traditional wet shaving turns it up a notch. I stopped using liquid soap, discovering different soaps for my showers. After a great shave, I like putting the finishing touches such as a splash or balm.
Reflecting back on the last two years, I have learned how to shave properly and learned how to make lather using a brush. There has been a few nicks along the way, now they hardly happen. When they do, it was a mistake. I learned the proper angle, the proper amount of pressure to apply. I am learning and always improving my lathering. Experimenting with water needed, I think I have just about have it down pat. There has been humorous moments also, like the shave soap that lathered up black!
Looking ahead, part of the fun of wet shaving is the choices. I enjoy trying various blades and yes, some blades work better for me than others, but there are still blades I want to try. I have not decided if I like the soap creams or hard soaps, tallow or glycerin. The simple answer is I like them all. Do I have favs? Yes, the RazoRock soaps,TSD soaps, mmm just about any soaps. I have decided that my razors will be vintage, like using a razor with a history. I am still discovering the various scents of aftershave, cologne, and balms, simply because it is still new to me. Brushes, I think I am going to take the piggy route. The Semogue has opened the world of great boar brushes. I also know that I want to add a Vie Long horse hair brush too.
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© Jason Axelrod from 8WAYRUN.COM
