TheShaveDen
Nov
29
An Interview With Mark Herro aka Mantic59
Like most of you, I was introduced to Mark via his YouTube videos. I saw somewhere that he listed he lived between Snook and North Zulch, TX. Being very familiar with North Zulch, since I worked there many years ago, I wondered why in the world someone would want to live there. Then I thought about what he said about living between the two and that would put him in the Bryan/College Station area, home of Texas A&M (nice place, great barbeque).
Due to North Zulch, emails were sent back and forth and that’s when I discovered that Mark was born and raised in Oconomowoc, WI, located west of Milwaukee.
Anyway, I asked Mark if he would be willing to do a short question and answer session for The Shave Den and he said yes.
And before I forget, if you have not done so, check out Mark’s new blog, Sharpologist
Q: I know you are originally from Wisconsin, how in the world did you wind up in Texas?
A: How did I end up in TX? For the most practical of reasons--a job! A company in TX was the first place to offer me a job after I graduated college in the early '80's. At that time the economy was kind of like what it is now so, "bird in the hand" and all that, I moved.
Q: When did you first start wet shaving and what attracted you to it?
A: I shaved with an electric razor for 30+ years and never much thought about it. Buzz, buzz, zip, zip, done in two minutes. Yeah, I had a 5 ‘O Clock shadow at two, but I thought that was “normal.” Fast forward to the mid ’90′s and a serious relationship with a special young lady. One thing she absolutely adored was the feeling of my face just after it was freshly shaven. Unfortunately she could only enjoy caressing my face for a few hours before it would get a bit “sandpapery” again.
Fast-forward again to 2002, when the special young lady and I married in Las Vegas:
About a year later my wonderful young lady and I are watching a TV show about things to do in Las Vegas (“hey, we did that on our wedding trip!”) and they mentioned getting an “old style” barbershop shave at a place called “Art of Shaving” at Mandalay Bay. My young lady turns to me, arches her eyebrow, and says, “Ohhhhhhh, you should try that!” I shrug and we continue watching the show.
Some months later we’re planning what to do for our wedding anniversary and decide to go back to Las Vegas. One morning while we’re there she comes to me with a gleam in her eye and says “don’t shave today, I have a special anniversary present for you.” Hmmmmmm, OK…. That afternoon we head to Mandalay Bay, where she takes me to Art of Shaving and has them give me a shave as an anniversary gift:
It’s a little freaky at first–I mean here’s this stranger hovering over me with a straight razor– but after a while it gets strangely relaxing and I enjoy it. The barber finishes and she pulls off the smock laying on me with a flourish. I feel my face.
Whooooooooooaaa…
My face is insanely soft and smooth. I’ve never felt anything like it before. My wife has a sparkle in her eye and a huge smile on her face as she runs a finger along my jaw line: “Ohhhhhhhh, mama likes!” The barber/store put on a soft sales-pitch for getting their products, which I almost go for, but my young lady’s common sense prevails, telling me that I should do some research after we return home first. OK, but I’m sold on this way of shaving: I don’t need to shave again for two days, and I’m almost continuously touching my face in amazement.
After I return home I immediately start surfing the Internet, trying to learn more about this way of shaving…and discover that there’s damned little information out there. I eventually discover the MSN Wetshavers forum (now defunct) and my education begins…. I am also fortunate to live within driving distance of Austin, TX, where Charles Roberts (owner of Enchante’ which is happily not defunct) is happy to share with me some of the finer points of traditional shaving (along with his “Method” shaving style). Over the course of the...
Like most of you, I was introduced to Mark via his YouTube videos. I saw somewhere that he listed he lived between Snook and North Zulch, TX. Being very familiar with North Zulch, since I worked there many years ago, I wondered why in the world someone would want to live there. Then I thought about what he said about living between the two and that would put him in the Bryan/College Station area, home of Texas A&M (nice place, great barbeque).
Due to North Zulch, emails were sent back and forth and that’s when I discovered that Mark was born and raised in Oconomowoc, WI, located west of Milwaukee.
Anyway, I asked Mark if he would be willing to do a short question and answer session for The Shave Den and he said yes.
And before I forget, if you have not done so, check out Mark’s new blog, Sharpologist
Q: I know you are originally from Wisconsin, how in the world did you wind up in Texas?
A: How did I end up in TX? For the most practical of reasons--a job! A company in TX was the first place to offer me a job after I graduated college in the early '80's. At that time the economy was kind of like what it is now so, "bird in the hand" and all that, I moved.
Q: When did you first start wet shaving and what attracted you to it?
A: I shaved with an electric razor for 30+ years and never much thought about it. Buzz, buzz, zip, zip, done in two minutes. Yeah, I had a 5 ‘O Clock shadow at two, but I thought that was “normal.” Fast forward to the mid ’90′s and a serious relationship with a special young lady. One thing she absolutely adored was the feeling of my face just after it was freshly shaven. Unfortunately she could only enjoy caressing my face for a few hours before it would get a bit “sandpapery” again.
Fast-forward again to 2002, when the special young lady and I married in Las Vegas:
About a year later my wonderful young lady and I are watching a TV show about things to do in Las Vegas (“hey, we did that on our wedding trip!”) and they mentioned getting an “old style” barbershop shave at a place called “Art of Shaving” at Mandalay Bay. My young lady turns to me, arches her eyebrow, and says, “Ohhhhhhh, you should try that!” I shrug and we continue watching the show.
Some months later we’re planning what to do for our wedding anniversary and decide to go back to Las Vegas. One morning while we’re there she comes to me with a gleam in her eye and says “don’t shave today, I have a special anniversary present for you.” Hmmmmmm, OK…. That afternoon we head to Mandalay Bay, where she takes me to Art of Shaving and has them give me a shave as an anniversary gift:
It’s a little freaky at first–I mean here’s this stranger hovering over me with a straight razor– but after a while it gets strangely relaxing and I enjoy it. The barber finishes and she pulls off the smock laying on me with a flourish. I feel my face.
Whooooooooooaaa…
My face is insanely soft and smooth. I’ve never felt anything like it before. My wife has a sparkle in her eye and a huge smile on her face as she runs a finger along my jaw line: “Ohhhhhhhh, mama likes!” The barber/store put on a soft sales-pitch for getting their products, which I almost go for, but my young lady’s common sense prevails, telling me that I should do some research after we return home first. OK, but I’m sold on this way of shaving: I don’t need to shave again for two days, and I’m almost continuously touching my face in amazement.
After I return home I immediately start surfing the Internet, trying to learn more about this way of shaving…and discover that there’s damned little information out there. I eventually discover the MSN Wetshavers forum (now defunct) and my education begins…. I am also fortunate to live within driving distance of Austin, TX, where Charles Roberts (owner of Enchante’ which is happily not defunct) is happy to share with me some of the finer points of traditional shaving (along with his “Method” shaving style). Over the course of the...
Nov
28
Then and Now
As for back as I can remember, about the time this picture was taken
I would watch my Dad get up every morning and like religion he would do two things, wash his false teeth with a large toothbrush and a bar of Ivory soap, and shave. His shave was the same routine every morning, run hot water, soak his Eveready Brush, lather his face with Williams Mug Soap, and shave with his old opened comb Gillette.
For my 15th birthday I received a new Gillette, Eveready Brush, and a puck of Williams Shave Soap. I felt I was becoming an equal with my Dad. Little did I know.
Now neither my Dad nor myself did anything fancy when it came to a mug, we just used some old chipped heavy walled coffee mug my Mom had in the cabinet.
Now, we lived in a small modest house with three bedrooms and one extremely small bathroom, no shower, just a tub. Sometime around 1965 when it started taking my sister longer to get ready than it did my Dad, Mom, and myself, my Dad gave up on trying to get a good mornings shave, and he committed the cardinal sin, he bought a Remington Electric Razor and a bottle of Williams Lectric Shave.
In our small den where my Dad would take naps on the old sofa sat an old end table that belonged to my Grandmother. My Dad set up his “shave den” right there on that table. One Remington Electric Razor, one bottle of Williams Lectric Shave, one double-sided mirror, and the same three bottles of after shave he had used for years.
Now, back then all these goodies came from one of four places, Rexall Drug Store, Safeway Grocery Store, Montgomery Wards, or Sears & Roebuck. “For all you youngsters, there use to be a Roebuck.”
Today, if you want to attempt to drive somewhere to purchase these types of items, you more than likely have to drive to one of these locations or maybe all of them to find what you want.
Welcome to 2012. We now have hundred’s (maybe thousand’s) of wonderful items to choose from. Never in my lifetime has there been a better choice for razors, blades, soaps/creams, and after shaves. I can look better, feel better, and smell better than I ever have before.
The great part about all of this is we don’t have to burn one gallon of high dollar gasoline to get it. That’s right; let the Postman or UPS man bring it to you. There are many great vendors that stock these wonderful goodies we all love to use, including our own
THE SHAVE DEN STORE
Could you imagine what our Fathers and Grandfathers would have thought about this Internet and one button shopping?
I loved the 50’s and 60’s, but as for as shaving goes, we are now living in "THE GOOD OLD DAYS."
As for back as I can remember, about the time this picture was taken
I would watch my Dad get up every morning and like religion he would do two things, wash his false teeth with a large toothbrush and a bar of Ivory soap, and shave. His shave was the same routine every morning, run hot water, soak his Eveready Brush, lather his face with Williams Mug Soap, and shave with his old opened comb Gillette.
For my 15th birthday I received a new Gillette, Eveready Brush, and a puck of Williams Shave Soap. I felt I was becoming an equal with my Dad. Little did I know.
Now neither my Dad nor myself did anything fancy when it came to a mug, we just used some old chipped heavy walled coffee mug my Mom had in the cabinet.
Now, we lived in a small modest house with three bedrooms and one extremely small bathroom, no shower, just a tub. Sometime around 1965 when it started taking my sister longer to get ready than it did my Dad, Mom, and myself, my Dad gave up on trying to get a good mornings shave, and he committed the cardinal sin, he bought a Remington Electric Razor and a bottle of Williams Lectric Shave.
In our small den where my Dad would take naps on the old sofa sat an old end table that belonged to my Grandmother. My Dad set up his “shave den” right there on that table. One Remington Electric Razor, one bottle of Williams Lectric Shave, one double-sided mirror, and the same three bottles of after shave he had used for years.
Now, back then all these goodies came from one of four places, Rexall Drug Store, Safeway Grocery Store, Montgomery Wards, or Sears & Roebuck. “For all you youngsters, there use to be a Roebuck.”
Today, if you want to attempt to drive somewhere to purchase these types of items, you more than likely have to drive to one of these locations or maybe all of them to find what you want.
Welcome to 2012. We now have hundred’s (maybe thousand’s) of wonderful items to choose from. Never in my lifetime has there been a better choice for razors, blades, soaps/creams, and after shaves. I can look better, feel better, and smell better than I ever have before.
The great part about all of this is we don’t have to burn one gallon of high dollar gasoline to get it. That’s right; let the Postman or UPS man bring it to you. There are many great vendors that stock these wonderful goodies we all love to use, including our own
THE SHAVE DEN STORE
Could you imagine what our Fathers and Grandfathers would have thought about this Internet and one button shopping?
I loved the 50’s and 60’s, but as for as shaving goes, we are now living in "THE GOOD OLD DAYS."
Page 24 of 53
XenPorta
© Jason Axelrod from 8WAYRUN.COM
