The Golden Age of Wet Shaving/Straight Razors

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by jbcohen, Nov 9, 2007.

  1. jbcohen

    jbcohen New Member

    When was the golden age of wet shaving? The Golden Age of Straight Razor shaving?
     
  2. denmason

    denmason Uncle Dennis

    Hmmmm, was there one? Men probably hated shaving with straights when that's all there was. Just like a lot of men hate shaving now.... using their M3's and other multi bladed razors.
     
  3. Sejanus

    Sejanus New Member

    If I had to take a stab at it, I would probably say the 50's. I like to think we might be in a resurgence right now.. if we are lucky.
     
  4. jbcohen

    jbcohen New Member

    What makes you say 50s? Personally I really have no idea what the golden age was. This is why I ask the question.
     
  5. Sejanus

    Sejanus New Member

    I'd say it was then mostly from the little bit of pop culture I know of from the time. You saw a lot of wet shaving due to the lack of a real alternative. Electrics were not around yet and the razors themselves were still of top quality and all metal. Come the last 60's and 70's you started getting into some lower quality builds and electrics starting coming along, as well as the canned goop.

    This is all conjecture of course.. but seems like it could be logical.
     
  6. Bronco

    Bronco Mac Daddy

    I'm going to take the topic a different way. IMHO, I thing the Golden Age of Wet Shaving for most of us is now, we have the best of the past and the present at our fingertips. Via the Internet we have access to great things like The Shave Den for advice, support, reviews and people who share our interests. We have access to tools, equipment and supplies like no one has ever seen before. We have the best of vintage items, new and improved brushes, creams and soaps, the list could go on forever. The time is now! Just my take...:D
     
  7. jbcohen

    jbcohen New Member

    If Gillette could be persuaded to go back to double edges I would agree.
     
  8. redorchestra

    redorchestra New Member

    When was everyone using double edge blades as advertising. I'd say that was the golden age. When it is part of pop culture.
    Right now it is not the golden age. It is the golden age of the multi blade. If THE ONION ever does a story about DE or straights. It would be the Golden age. It is now a fringe movement. If it were the golden age, parody shows would have a go at DE's and straight's.
     
  9. qhsdoitall

    qhsdoitall Wilbur

    I have to agree. We can have all ages and styles of razors and equipment now and the choice of soaps/creams is phenomenal. Sky is the limit if you have the money. If you were lucky, your father or uncle taught you to shave. Now, we have all kinds of information to go with the equipment. Gillette's day is done and they're not needed anymore in my opinion.
     
  10. Scorpio

    Scorpio Big Hitter

    I do agree but I have to say that a lot of us at one point in time or another uses or used a Gillette DE. I do need them in that aspect. I think you refer to the new generation behemoth razors types.


    Raf
     
  11. qhsdoitall

    qhsdoitall Wilbur

    True. I have a number of them and use them frequently. I just meant we don't need Gillette to start making DE razors again. There are plenty enough old Gillettes on the open market for now.
     
  12. Scorpio

    Scorpio Big Hitter

    Hmmm...I be curious to see if they could come up with a good DE design to compete with Merkur:D

    Raf
     
  13. TraderJoe

    TraderJoe Pink Floid

    I know this: I'm definitely in MY Golden Age of Wet Shaving :rofl

    See link in the sig line :D
     
  14. PalmettoB

    PalmettoB The Old Guard

    The golden age of straight shaving was actually the nineteenth century, particularly the Victorian Age. England, Germany and most of Europe was in the heyday of the Industrial Revolution. Steel was now cheaper to produce, and Sheffield and others were putting out straights like we put out fridge magnets.

    Plus, most "gentlemen" went to the barber for regular shaves. Still, facial hair was popular until the First World War. Once poison gas came into the picture, then all military men had to shave so the gas mask would fit properly. After that, they all brought their Gillette razors home with them and kept using them.

    After Gillette got into advertising those DE razors, there were less and less straight users. And then along came World War Two, and then the fifties, with a new "industrial revolution" in the post-war U.S. Now it was all about fast and disposable. So by the sixties and seventies, it was about those Trac II razors and soon, the end of the old-fashioned DE razors was in sight.

    So the "golden age?" For straights, the fifty years from the 1850s to the turn of the century. And for the classic DE? Probably the thirties through the sixties. And now we are seeing a resurgence. But remember, we are still a small minority in a specialized market. Ask ten of your co-workers (the ones we haven't bored to death with our shave talk) who Truefitt & Hill is and I'll bet most of them will tell you it is a law firm. :rolleyes:
     
  15. jfrancisco

    jfrancisco New Member

    I agree . . . +1

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