Like a lot of you here, I am still pretty new to The Shave Den. I stumbled across it on a web search after a friend had forwarded me an article from The Art of Manliness: "How to Shave Like Your Grandfather". Like you read from so many here, I too was tired of paying high prices for cartridges that provided at best mediocre shaves, razor burn and those annoying little bumps that went with it. I ordered my first razor off of Amazon, and within the hour was reading with wide eyed wonderment all of the different benefits I could expect from DE shaving. I must admit, at this point I was wondering if all of the claims I had read could be true. Less razor burn, reducing/eliminating the bumps, a cleaner shave, and just the feeling of “wonder” one gets from shaving with a vintage piece of shaving history. Could all of this really happen with just changing a razor? Indeed it can. After trying out several other sites, I found myself coming back here to The Shave Den more and more often. What drew me at first, I couldn’t say. Perhaps it’s the easy to the eyes colors. Or the “homey” feeling one gets as they read one thread after another. The way the members seem like old friends instead of distant strangers. All willing to share their experience in the hopes to help you with whatever problem you may face, and bring you into the fold. It seemed no matter how much I read, or how many newbie’s would ask the same question (I am guilty of this) everyone was polite, and would walk you threw it, spoon feeding you when necessary until you are able to grasp the concept. With all of this going threw my mind, I wondered just who started this place? How had it developed into what it was? What type of person could create a place so many felt so welcome, and yet not find any type of commercial ad selling you the latest car tire or some other type of service. Well my new found friends, allow me to share what I have learned. Our most gracious host goes by sparky5693. You’ll see him post here every once in a while as he finds the time. He is, for all purposes the "Great Oz" of TSD, the man behind the scenes. One we don’t often hear from, but one busy in keeping the day to day operations running smooth so we can enjoy this great site. He founded TSD with the help and support of JoAnna our very own Queen of Blades, Mama Bear, and Trader Joe. Our founding members were unhappy with the sites they had belonged to thus far and decided it was time for a change. The new site they decided would need to have a different feel,.. Something more like a favorite pub, more relaxed, and a little less refined of an atmosphere. And on February 3rd of 2007, TSD had it’s first public post, made by Mama Bear. But wait, I’m getting a little ahead of myself here. Lets go back and see what made the man, who made the Den. Just how did he get started? I was lucky enough to find out with a email interview with him. Let me share that with you now. Q: How old were you when you tried DE shaving? Sparky: Wow, I'm not sure I remember exactly, but I'd guess I’d be about 26. Q: Was there a father, grandfather or some other role model that you had seen DE shave to spark your interest? Sparky: Probably when I was about 10 or so I remember helping my grandfather look for a new shaving brush when his had started shedding. We had a very difficult time locating one, and I think that made "the search" stick out a bit in my mind. After realizing how important it was to him I became curious. I was never allowed to watch him actually shave, as this was his "personal time". I always felt that seeing that brush and old spice mug was cool, and made much more sense than a spray can. Q: With you and your 3 other friends starting this forum, what possessed you to step forward to foot the bill for the site? Sparky: Early on I didn't. Several pitched in to purchase our vbulletin license, and other various bits of software. Our hosting fees were very low due to our small size. If you're asking how I became admin, I guess I originally headed up the idea of creating the forum, and was the only one of the group with experience. Q: With you always being busy with behind the scenes work, do you get to participate in the dialog as much as you would like? Sparky: No, I definitely don't have the time to post that I would like. Aside from my real job, my duties include maintaining the forum, server, and store. I also provide hosting and maintenance for 6 other websites. The proceeds from these go 100% into TSD. I spend a good deal of time just researching, and staying up on the information I need to keep everything flowing smoothly. Ironically, some of my most useful information comes from webmaster forums. I visit the TSD forums daily, but I depend heavily on our moderators to help keep me advised. Q: Looking back now, did you foresee TSD becoming what it has become today? Sparky: Absolutely. It's all about the members and the atmosphere. From the beginning, it's been very important to me that people feel welcome, and that they were treated fairly. As long as we did things the right way, I was convinced it would all work out. Q: With hindsight being 20/20, what changes would you have preferred to see in TSD? Sparky: I should have been better prepared for our growth. From day one I should have started a plan to put some money into the accounts. I think I stunted our growth a bit by not having the funds we needed at certain parts of our past. I don't remember exactly, but I'd say our first hosting bill was about $10 a month. I never would have guessed how quickly server fees would grow. It didn't take long that I found myself in a predicament, and I ended up having to sell my car to keep things flowing. From that point I realized we'd need something to monetize the forum. If it were not for the TSD store, and the generosity of our members I'd expect the forum would have drowned in debt years ago. Q: What has been your favorite part of TSD? Sparky: We're quickly approaching 7,000 members. Everyday there are people that look forward to stopping by for a couple minutes. Some might be on a fact search, and some might just be relaxing a bit. It's very flattering, and humbling to know that the work we do here is a part of so many lives. Maybe, just maybe, we can say we improved the shave for 7,000 people. I also must mention how wonderful it's been to get to know people on the forum. It seems I know people from around the world, and I get to interact with them on a daily basis. Never before have I known so many people from so many walks of life. Q: What keeps you doing this day in and day out? What motivates you? Sparky: See above. Q: Have you figured out the secret to get a perfect lather? Sparky: So, you've come to ask the mighty Yoda for advice have you? Q: What is your "go to" razor? Sparky: Most of the time a Merkur 38c Q: Cream/soap? Sparky: Depends on my mood. Since I shave in the evenings, my soap and cream are always decided based on what kind of day I've had. Q: Blades? Sparky: I almost always use a Sharp Stainless. When I use something else I tend to regret it. Q: Brush? Sparky: Omega Boar Q: Is there ever going to be a time you just hand over the reigns, and take it easy? Let someone else worry about the cost and the day to day issues of running a sight like this? Sparky: As long as I have good health I doubt it. I've had several offers to sell the forum just this month, and I'm just not interested. Q: Do you shoot for a BBS for every shave? Or do you settle for a DFS? Sparky: I'm a DFS guy. So there you have it, a little more about our benefactor who makes sure we have a fun and interesting home away from home to enjoy everyday. I’d like to thank Sparky for not only doing the interview for me, but also for hosting this great site for all of us. If you would like to help keep this site going and ease a little of the burden on Sparky please visit JoAnna’s TSD store and purchase a wonderful cream, milk or soap, all proceeds go to keeping TSD going along with the bills Sparky foots for us. Not wanting to try anything new? You can also donate at the appropriate link found at the TSD store. Until next time, happy shaving.
Excellent article. And, you are correct, it is a warm and friendly place. Unlike another forum I'm a member of. It's hard to criticize someone for wanting a better shave.
