Oldest wet shaving forums

Discussion in 'The Chatterbox' started by Alex7, Feb 22, 2019.

  1. Shaver X

    Shaver X Well-Known Member

    Apologies for not giving you a proper answer before and taking several months to post this. Below is a hierarchical list for the anglophone forums, showing the lines of descent. Typically a group of people would get really ticked off and leave (or get banned) and form a new forum. The list does not have exact dates, but daughter forums will be less old than their parents. If anyone wants exact dates, you can add them. Please feel free to correct this list if you find any mistakes. This should provide a reasonably good idea of how the traditional shaving forum scene evolved from 2000 onward.
    Since web-based forums gained popularity, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat, various blogs, and especially YouTube have also become popular venues for learning and interaction. New wetshaving forums likely will not appear to nearly the extent they did over the past twenty years. That's OK, as we have at least fourteen now and something for everybody.

    Edit:

    The creator of Method Shaving, Charles Roberts, briefly had a MSN shaving group before MSN Wet Shavers came online. From the Sharpologist article at https://sharpologist.com/2016/01/charles-roberts.html:

    "Charles started a wet shaving forum on the old MSN system (long since defunct) in the late 90’s (at about the same time, Lynn Abrams started a Yahoo Group that eventually became Straight Razor Place. But I digress, that’s another story). The MSN group closed but it spawned two other MSN groups, which eventually begat the Shave My Face forum."
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2019
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  2. Alex7

    Alex7 Active Member

    Thanks for this piece of history.
    I've asked on the other forums that I've listed(not all of the since I'm registered to 8 only) and it seems that the chronological order is:
    1. Sharprazorplace forum(the old straightrazorplace forum)
    2. Shavemyface forum
    3. Badger and blade forum,
    4. The shave den forum(was created in 2007)
    5. Theshavingroom.co,uk forum(was created in 2009)
    6. Subreddit wicked_edge(was created in 2010)
    7. Romanian forum forum.barbieritdelux.ro(was created in 2011) I am Romanian, that's why I've listed it
    8. Shavenook forum(was created in 2012)
    9. Damnfineshave forum the second incarnation(was created in 2015)
    10.Atgshaving forum(was created in 2016)
    11. The facebook group straight razor place facebook(was created on 1 March 2018)
    12. Theshavingcadre forum(was created on 14 March 2018)
    These are the one I know of so far.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2019
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  3. wristwatchb

    wristwatchb wristwatch "danger" b

    giphy.gif
     
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  4. Paul Turner

    Paul Turner outside the quote(s) now

    I'll take the guy on the left(in blue)for a thousand.
     
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  5. Hembree

    Hembree Not as pretty smelling

    I think those are grannies swinging purses.
     
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  6. Paul Turner

    Paul Turner outside the quote(s) now

    All right, the granny. Same thousand, though.
     
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  7. Hembree

    Hembree Not as pretty smelling

    I have to agree!
     
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  8. 9nein9

    9nein9 Guest

    Purses full of vintage dried ol soap pucks.
     
  9. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Excellent list. You might want to add that The Shave Nook is owned and ran by Bullgoose.

    Interesting story... @Darkbulb got banned from TSN because he posted a link in a Bullgoose sale thread to an item available elsewhere for cheaper; not realizing that the lifetime ban-hammer was about to fall on him for his temerity.

    One of the pitfalls of a merchant controlling a forum. The community there is a bit insular too, imo.

    Leisureguy also got banned from the Nook. Similar circumstances. Link below.
    https://www.google.com/amp/s/leisur.../03/25/banned-again-shave-nook-this-time/amp/

    Edit: Against the Grain was founded by people who were fed up with ONE mod. It sometimes only takes one person in the wrong spot at the right time to really mess up a forum.
     
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2019
  10. BlueShaver

    BlueShaver Premature Latheration Sufferer

    Here, here!
     
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  11. Shaver X

    Shaver X Well-Known Member

    Done. Thank you for that! I also updated the link for the real Straight Razor Place, which is now back online.

    A similar thing happened to me and another poster long before the TSN went sideways. We were posting about an aftershave on sale below the Bullgoose's price. Phil kept deleting the posts, although he did not PM me, or make any negative comments in the thread. The entire thread was eventually deleted, although nobody was sanctioned in any way. I was thoroughly annoyed at the censorship, however, and left a few weeks later. After "The Great Purge" several months later, the place went from good to full Gulag, so it is no surprise @Darkbulb was sent to wetshaving Siberia. Censorship on a forum means the content is suspect, so TSN shot itself in the foot. It also made Bullgoose Shaving look really bad, and is the reason why I stopped buying from them. Like you said, it is one of the pitfalls of a merchant controlling a forum.

    Leisureguy has been banned from many of the wetshaving forums, which I think is shameful. He has contributed a very great deal to wetshaving, and is always very civil and well mannered, even when dealing with prickly people. When he gets banned, I think it reflects badly on the banner, not on Leisureguy. When a reason is given, it is usually along the lines of "he was using information from our forum in his book". No kidding. Isn't the dissemination of information the reason why wetshaving forums exist? Those same forums don't seem to mind posts with information acquired elsewhere, yet they sanction someone else for doing the same. IMHO, the bannings are due to ego and control issues more than anything else.

    It only takes one turd in the punchbowl. That particular mod got way out of line, and was starting fights instead of moderating. At least something positive (Against The Grain) came out of it. Often it takes only a few people with a desire to improve things to start a great new forum, like The Shave Den and Against The Grain.
     
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2019
  12. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Largest exodus of United Kingdom residents seen since the 13 colonies rebelled.

    :happy102:

    Both those UK forums are pretty good right now, and there's a lot of membership overlap. In fact, I'm a member on both forums...and B&B. I have yet to be banned from a shaving forum. Ironic, since I can't see a problem without poking it with a stick.
    :kar:

    Each forum has a unique identity, partly from it's individual members, and partly from the forum 'hive mind.' Others might call it a 'mentality.' It gives each place it's own feel and atmosphere. I like the relaxed easy going pace of TSD.
     
  13. brit

    brit in a box

    i have joined a couple of others where i post sotd and stuff. tsd is home base for me..
     
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  14. Shaver X

    Shaver X Well-Known Member

    I also never got banned on any of the shave forums, not even B&B and TSN. At least I never got notified of any bans. I have not logged into B&B for 12 years or TSN for 4 or 5 years, and forget my username and password at those sites.

    I noticed both UK forums are thriving, and the problem mod stepped down. Good things to see, and I wish them well.
     
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  15. jmudrick

    jmudrick Type A Man

    Regrettably ATG isn't currently working with Tapatalk so not thriving on my phone which reduces my use of it about 95 %.

    Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
     
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  16. BlueShaver

    BlueShaver Premature Latheration Sufferer

    TSR is a good UK forum, much like this place, it has an easy going management and decent mods. I find it a little slow and more of a marketplace than a forum as such.

    B&B is possible the worst run forum i have ever used. The moderation and management is, quite frankly, a bit alarming. It seems to be run by a bunch of old farts who sit on a pedestal of misguided privilege and power.

    I have had full blown threads just vanish because of a misspelled word.
    I have been threatened with a ban for not forumming like an obedient 5 yr old.
    I have been muted and thread banned for not being overly patriotic about the US (I am not a US citizen).

    Awful mods, just awful. SOme nice posters though and it is busy.

    This place is so much better than any other forum i have used. Great job.
     
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  17. brit

    brit in a box

    they can have the riff raff and we get the good folks..;)
     
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  18. Shaver X

    Shaver X Well-Known Member

    You do realize that B&B is an advertising business, right? It might have the appearance of a hobby forum, and perhaps was one early on, but its raison d'etre is to generate revenue. Favorable mention of a paying vendor's product will get you a pat on the back. Doing the same for a paying vendor's non-paying competition can result in a warning or a ban. That can also happen if unfavorable mention is made about a paying vendor's product. As time goes on, additional restrictions are added, although they can be lifted for paying members. It is all about money and ego, so what you saw, however unwelcome, is to be expected. TSN is an advertising organ for Bullgoose Shaving, and also has conflict of interest and ethics problems. Badly behaved mods and members might well have alcohol, drug or psychiatric issues. Abusive behavior is not a trait found in normal, well-adjusted people.

    It makes no sense to participate in an abusive environment, as there are plenty of alternatives that are both busy and friendly. For example here, AGT, TSR, DFS and The Shaving Cadre. For those who like busy and fast paced, there is Reddit /r/wicked_edge. Also Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube and Pinterest, so something for everybody. It is not only wetshaving that is affected. Most hobbies and special interests with forums have the same problem, and the same solutions.
     
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  19. Alex7

    Alex7 Active Member

    Updated list:
    1.Sharprazorpalace forum(the old straightrazorplace forum)
    2.Shavemyface forum
    3.Badger and blade forum
    4.The shave den forum(was created in 2007)
    5.Theshavingroom.co,uk forum(was created in 2009)
    6.Subreddit wicked_edge(was created in 2010)
    7.Romanian forum forum.barbieritdelux.ro(was created in 2011) I am Romanian, that's why I've listed it
    8.Shavenook forum(was created in 2012)
    9.Damnfineshave forum the second incarnation(was created in 2015) 10.Atgshaving forum(was created in 2016)
    11.The facebook group straight razor place facebook(was created on 1 March 2018)
    12.Theshavingcadre forum(was created on 14 March 2018)
    13. The new straightrazorplace.com forum(created July 2019).
     
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2019
  20. Chuck Naill

    Chuck Naill Well-Known Member


    Well, this makes everything perfectly clear. Thank you.
     
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