I am 48 years old and started DE shaving a little over a month ago. I use a 1939 Gillette Tech and Shark blades which give me a damnfine shave each day. Well tonight, while prepping for work I was standing at the bathroom sink shaving and got to thinking about one particular piece of gear which is my Great-grandfather's shaving mug which I inherited when my Grandaddy passed. I remember as a little boy watching Grandaddy shave from this same mug (his father's) and I got a bit misty eyed cuz I still miss my Grandaddy so much. The mug, which I cherish, is well over a hundred years old now and still giving great service. Hopefully I can pass it on to my son to enjoy one day. Do any of you Gents have shaving gear which belonged to your Grandfathers or beyond? Just curious, and thought I'd share. The mug is in the middle of this pic. Stagger
Yup, sure do. I think about my dad every time I use his razor (a mid-50's SS). I can remember trying to learn how to shave with the darned thing when I was a young teenager and not succeeding very well. Dad always told me that I could use it anytime I wanted (only needed to about once every two months at first ), but that he'd know if I'd shaved with it dry. I was always supposed to use a hot towel and some Palmolive brushless cream (that stuff smelled great) whenever I used his razor. I've got fewer memories of my granddad, but they're all good ones. I'm lucky enough to own one of his DE's (a late-40's SS) and 9 straights, some of which were most probably his father's razors. I also own some of my mom's fountain pens and some of her father's fountain pens. Can't help but thinking of all of these people that I love every time I use one of their old posessions. I hope my son appreciates some of this stuff when he's the caretaker...
TomPike- Thanks for sharing. My Grandaddy was the most honest and honorable man I've ever known and I think of him EVERY time I shave. I do miss him so much but am thankful to have been very close to him for 31 years.
Thanks for posting, stagger. I wish I had some of my Grandfather's stuff, even some of my Dad's stuff. Unfortunately I grew up with my Dad in the Air Force. He spent a bit over 21 years in before he retired. I was 15. We averaged a move every 13-14 months. With that much moving, you don't keep a lot of things. Mom's motto every time it came to pack up again was, "If you haven't used it in the past three years, toss it." Just on the side, I enjoyed the moving. I did well in school and made friends pretty easily, so it wasn't too bad. Many kids who grow up military don't fare so well.
I envy you. I have an antique mug very similar to the one pictured. Floral on the side but no color on the rim. I have no shaving gear from relatives but I like knowing that my mug was probably used by somebody's Grandfather.
Mum unfortunatley threw out dods old razors and stuff, didnt understand why anyone would want them! I will be starting my own tradition though, My Old spice mug, trusty British aristocrat and fatboy (plus whatever other razors are in the stable) which I wont be parting with. These will be passed down to my children. I also have a NOS rocket HD which I think will give to my (yet to be conceived ) son (who i'm sure wil be a wet shaver ) on his 16th Birthday. God only knows how many blades they'll be up to by then!
My dad just recently started DE shaving and then turned me onto it. I got no hand me downs or family relics but he gave me the gift of DE shaving which is meaningful in and of itself. This thread rocks by the way. \m/\m/ ::git
+1, It is great to have that as a physical remembrance. I have only a faint memory of my gramp all lathered up ..
I also remember taking my first ever shave using my Grandaddy's DE razor. Wish I had it as well but apparently my brother's wife threw it out when they moved into Grandaddy's house after he died.
