What would your father say...

I have lost count of my collection...somewhere in the neighbourhood of 40 SR, 10 or more SE and heaven knows how many DE razors. Brushes= 12. AS and ASB somewhere in the range of 14 and a sock drawer full of soaps and creams that seem to be multiplying on their own...and another box in the closet full of soaps that seems to be getting bigger every time I look. Blades...sheesh...I dunno...I can't count that high.

What would my father say? My Dad would look at all this stuff, slowly shake his head from side to side and chuckle to himself. He would likely say something like, "Are you planning on opening a store?"

He had one razor (gold Executive...which I still have), one blade type (Gillette), one soap (Old Spice) and one AS (again, Old Spice...sometimes Aqua Velva). He shaved because he had to, it was part of his generation's belief in proper grooming. He would, however, likely appreciate my newfound love for collecting, restoring and honing straight razors, because he was a master craftsman.

 

My father would wonder if I lost my sanity. He had two razors and that was it. Even though he would not necessarily buy in to this as a hobby, I know he would be very curious and probably borrow the fat boy.

 

My dad thinks I've lost it

 

"Sei pazzo".

 

My 83 year old father knows most of my collection. Razors (hovering at twenty), soaps ~five, AS ~twelve, and brushes ~twenty (all restores). He just thinks it's funny, but figures there's worst things I could be doing.

 

If I ever collectd that many of anything, razors included, he'd shake his head and wonder what sort of fool he raised! It was normal to have one, maybe two if the latest model was a great improvement, razors as well as one brush and mug both, lasting a lifetime.

 

Dad has never seen my collection. He's in Maine and his traveling days are far behind. We go up every year.
I really don't think he'd say too much one way or the other.

 

I don't know what my Dad would say. I wish he were here so we could share this hobby. I am afraid I was bearded most of the time. I do have one of his razors. I wish I had gotten his Gillette though.

 

My dad has too much to say about my Star Wars collection that he wouldn't notice the shaving stuff.

 

Chances are my Dad, like others would shake his head and mutter something about his only child being a few bricks shy of a load.

 

My dad, rest his soul, would probably look at me and wonder what the hype was about? To him, shaving was something that had to be done. Get in, get out and move on. He had one razor, one type of blade and that was it. Although, I think he got enjoyment in my enthusiasm for my hobbies.

 

Giving the question some more thought, I wonder what my grandfather would say. I know he had at least 4 SRs and several brushes. I recall him proudly telling me he used SRs.

 

My Dad understands to a point. Until he began to lose his health relatively recently (he's 80), he went to auctions and sold his own share of razors online and sent me excess, which I sold. Some I kept, tried out, sold later, and am now down to about 8 after deciding which I really like (President, Red Tip, Canada Tech, Clix EZ Flo, Schick E2, 1912 Gem, OCMM and Star Trek injector...plus a bunch of different carts). So if he looked at my meager collection I doubt he'd bat an eye; he knows enough of current shaving lore to know that at least some of those are considered champs in the shaving world.

Besides, he's aware of the many guys who own 25 brushes and a closet full of soaps and creams; THAT he finds baffling. He knows I have one brush and one mug and will use any soap, so there's that in my favor (in his estimation, you understand).

He had a Slim way back in the day, I remember messing with it when very small, and a Black Beauty, but has been a die-hard Trac II man since probably the '70s. Can't blame him for that, his beard isn't as heavy as mine (and mine isn't particularly heavy) and we both enjoy the II and both use Dorco generics. If he ever used soap and brush it was long before I was born; he's been a can o'foam user for as long as I can recall.

He never did want to revisit DE, even though he wasn't so old that all he could recall were carbon blades of questionable comfort; I know he had to have used good stainless back when they came out. I never argued it since Trac II overall is simpler, I guess, and can provide just as close as shave if your beard isn't too heavy.

Plus, you know how old dudes get set in their ways. I'm already well on my way, consarnit.

 

Get off my lawn you young whippersnapper!

 

Spoken like a true curmudgeon!

 

I showed my razors to my dad back when I still approaching wetshaving as a hobby. I don't remember his exact words, but it was something along to the lines of, "I hope the blades got better."

 

My dad never collected anything persay but he did have a penchant for pocket knives and sharpening so honing a straight might have captured his interest.

 

My 89-yr old dad thinks it crazy to have as many razors as I do...and I'm okay with that.
I remind him that back in the '60s when he was a pipe-smoker, he must have had at least two dozen pipes on display in his living room, and countless pouches of pipe tobacco (I loved the smell of those pouches!)...and I thought he was crazy!

 

I'm hoping you're using his pipe racks to store your razors. My 89 year old dad -- who hasn't touched a pipe since Kennedy was president, fortunately never gets rid of anything.

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