The Shaving Den |
Post Reply | Page 123 6> |
Author | |||
Jim Garten
Special Collaborator Retired Admin & Razor Guru Joined: February 02 2004 Location: South England Status: Offline Points: 14693 |
Topic: The Shaving Den Posted: May 10 2013 at 07:29 |
||
OK all, I'm curious -
For some, shaving is a pain in the butt, but over the last 6 months or so, for me at least it's gone from being a chore, to a ritual to a pleasure... all because I've gone 'old-school' (and no, I'm not talking straight razors here - they scare the out of me), courtesy of sites such as Badger & Blade, The Shaving Room and The English Shaving Company. These are sites which extoll the virtues of a good shaving brush, proper soaps (not gels!) and that most important of items, the razor itself. So, without googling: Do you know your Cart, from your SE from your DE from your straight? Proraso, Trumper, Jagger, C&E, Erasmic or other? Hard puck, stick or cream? Do you know what an alum block is, what it's for & how to use it? Merkur Futur, Jagger DE89, Feather Popular or a vintage Slim? Which of the above is mildest? Could the above be construed as a trick question? For the edge, Feather (black or yellow), Derby Extra, Iridium Super, RuiKe WeiFeng or some other? AS, EDT, Cologne, moisturiser, skin food or none of these? If you give enough of a damn even to answer all of the above, chances are, like me, you are one of the rising number of people turning away from cheapo throw away razors to well manufactured quality pieces which may just last the rest of your life - as an example, my current razor of choice on those occasions when I can really spend the time (bearing in mind, using one of these means you have to re-learn the art) to use it properly is this: A Gillette Slim Adjustable, date coded as I3 I = 1963 3 = 3rd quarter Therefore, this razor was manufactured in the period I was born (possibly even the month), so like me, is nearly 50 years old; loaded with a Derby Extra gives damn near a BBS if I use Geo.Trumper eucris, applied with my best silver tip badger (I can still only guarantee a BBS with my trusty M3 cart mounted on an EJ nickel plated handle, but I'm still learning) If you've got this far & understand all of the above, or even better, can list your own old-school requisites of choice, or even even better are actually a member of TSR or B&B, then huzzah! I am genuinely interested, although my wife Vicky would say obsessed... I've only got 4 razors, 2 brushes & 7 shaving soaps! So far... Edited by Jim Garten - May 10 2013 at 07:37 |
|||
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
|||
Blacksword
Prog Reviewer Joined: June 22 2004 Location: England Status: Offline Points: 16130 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 07:41 | ||
I actually quite like shaving too. I don't have to do it that often, but these days I find it all the more satisfying if I let the stubble grow for a good three days before shaving.
As for all that posh shaving soap stuff, I can't really comment. I use some squirty blue Gilette sh*t, that sells quite nice. I apply with my hands, not some hand crafted oriental silk applicator, and I shave it off with Gilette Mach 3 Turbo razers. Don't do electric. I think my hair grows at weird angles, so I always have to finish with a wet razer anyway. It would take a lot to convince me of the need to fill my bathroom up with traditional shaving accessories unless doing so was guaranteed to get me laid or make me rich. Preferably in that order... |
|||
Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!
|
|||
Guldbamsen
Special Collaborator Retired Admin Joined: January 22 2009 Location: Magic Theatre Status: Offline Points: 23098 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 07:46 | ||
I don't do wet shaving - simply because I look like a teenager - especially the day after where my face looks like a city of zits. I do enjoy them though, but I find using a trimmer is a lot easier - plus most women my age(and below) prefer stubble nowadays. Thank ford for fashion fads
|
|||
“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams |
|||
chopper
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 13 2005 Location: Essex, UK Status: Offline Points: 19943 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 08:07 | ||
I just hope no badgers are dying to satisfy your vanity. See the badger badger badger post.
|
|||
chopper
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 13 2005 Location: Essex, UK Status: Offline Points: 19943 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 08:08 | ||
But if you had the latter, the former would surely follow.
|
|||
Jim Garten
Special Collaborator Retired Admin & Razor Guru Joined: February 02 2004 Location: South England Status: Offline Points: 14693 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 08:17 | ||
Absolutely not Alan - but I do have my brushes checked regularly for TB |
|||
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
|||
Jim Garten
Special Collaborator Retired Admin & Razor Guru Joined: February 02 2004 Location: South England Status: Offline Points: 14693 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 08:22 | ||
I think it was Lee (ManErg) who first made my ears prick up on this subject - whe he stayed with Vicky and I a few years ago, he was saying about not having a quick shave when you have a few minutes, but making the time to be able to turn it from a chore to something you look forward to & enjoy. I also remember the word 'Trumper' coming up at the first prog-curry, but whether that was to do with Lee shaving or something else, I'm not sure |
|||
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
|||
refugee
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: November 20 2006 Location: Greece Status: Offline Points: 7026 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 08:27 | ||
I must admit that this was Greek to me. Wait, I actually understand some Greek. This was more like Chinese.
|
|||
He say nothing is quite what it seems;
I say nothing is nothing (Peter Hammill) |
|||
Guldbamsen
Special Collaborator Retired Admin Joined: January 22 2009 Location: Magic Theatre Status: Offline Points: 23098 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 08:31 | ||
Nihau
or is that ni hao Edited by Guldbamsen - May 10 2013 at 08:31 |
|||
“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams |
|||
HolyMoly
Special Collaborator Retired Admin Joined: April 01 2009 Location: Atlanta Status: Offline Points: 26133 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 08:31 | ||
I need to shave daily, but I only do it every other day because I can get away with it. I haven't owned an electric razor in decades, I just use Gillette shaving cream ("for sensitive skin" cause I'm a sensitive man) and cheap disposable Bic razors. I really haven't given my shaving process much thought before, and I certainly haven't come to appreciate it as a ritual. It's a chore that takes a few extra minutes at the sink every other day, though I do enjoy the fresh feeling of a clean shaven face.
|
|||
My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
|||
someone_else
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: May 02 2008 Location: Going Bananas Status: Offline Points: 23996 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 08:34 | ||
I started using my dad's old electric razor (dating from 1963), but I converted to wet shaving sometime during the second half of the 90's.
Nowadays I have two Gillette razors (a Contour Plus and since last month a newer type with five blades for the sundays), shaving foam or a stick, and the shattered remains of an alum block when necessary. Edited by someone_else - May 10 2013 at 08:38 |
|||
|
|||
Guldbamsen
Special Collaborator Retired Admin Joined: January 22 2009 Location: Magic Theatre Status: Offline Points: 23098 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 08:34 | ||
I have to shave today before I start looking like a Russian bear hunter. I even promised my mom, because I'm visiting the folks for my own birthday
PA is all things to all people. Today it reminded me to shave. The Internet butler.
|
|||
“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams |
|||
Jim Garten
Special Collaborator Retired Admin & Razor Guru Joined: February 02 2004 Location: South England Status: Offline Points: 14693 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 08:40 | ||
Aha - our 1st alum block user |
|||
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
|||
sleeper
Prog Reviewer Joined: October 09 2005 Location: Entropia Status: Offline Points: 16449 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 08:41 | ||
I like my beard.
|
|||
Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
|
|||
rushfan4
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: May 22 2007 Location: Michigan, U.S. Status: Offline Points: 65937 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 08:41 | ||
I generally shave daily with an electric razor, which ironically I skipped this morning. I can't really grow a beard, and it takes a few days for me to grow a semi-5 O'Clock shadow, but my occupation is such where it is best that I remove the stubble on a daily basis. |
|||
|
|||
Guldbamsen
Special Collaborator Retired Admin Joined: January 22 2009 Location: Magic Theatre Status: Offline Points: 23098 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 08:44 | ||
Hahah I made a 70s stache with a bit of a goatee underneath. I look like I should be in that Beastie Boys vid
|
|||
“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams |
|||
Dean
Special Collaborator Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 08:57 | ||
I don't like shaving and I don't like beards. Unfortunately the only cure for both those has unwanted side affects, but does give you a couple of things to play with in the shower. I preferred the days when all I needed to remove the bumfluff was a rough towel which, (in the 70s when Lenor fabric softener was a luxury), was not hard to find in our house.
Now-a-days I'm a shave when I have to kind of person, which is sporadic to say the least, so I have what's best described as an overgrown goatee. This requires the combination of a Flymo garden strimmer and a DeWalt orbital sander to bring under control before I can attack the remaining stubble with Wilkinson Sword's finest blades... The more edges the better for me and a hefty weight to them too - I can't get on with plastic disposable Bic razors - fine for shaving your legs maybe (dunno, never tried, honest) but not for the hirsute manly jowls - I once made the mistake of "borrowing" the wife's lady-razor when on holiday - I've not seen such mess and carnage since I fell off my bike and used my face as a brake. By accident rather than design, my goatee has developed a curious pointy appearance, not sure why this is so and while my wife does not believe me, it wasn't done purposely.
I've a couple of antique auto-strop single-edge safety razors somewhere, though I haven't seen them for years - I remember trying to use them years ago and decided I'd get better results with a rusty butter knife. The blades from these were much treasured for making balsa wood models because of their wedge shaped profile which made them much sturdier than the normal Gilette or Schick safety razor blades.
Anyone remember Lyall Watson's Supernature? In 1973 when this came out it claimed that old razor blades could be revived by keeping them in a scale model pyramid as long as it was perfectly aligned with the cardinal compass points. Of course, in the MoD apprentice school in the interest of buggering about with cardboard and Copydex and other general work-avoidance schemes, we had to try this out for ourselves - let's say the results were inconclusive and far from scientific - I can report that these scale models did fail to preserve pieces of NAAFI fruit cake, though we were dissuaded from catching mice to see if they could be mummified by the secret power of the square-based pyramid ... (but I digress).
Edited by Dean - May 10 2013 at 09:10 |
|||
What?
|
|||
Stool Man
Forum Senior Member Joined: January 30 2007 Location: Anti-Cool (anag Status: Offline Points: 2689 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 09:31 | ||
Lyall Watson's books were great.
I like having a beard, because I'm rubbish at shaving, and it gives me a rash. |
|||
rotten hound of the burnie crew
|
|||
Triceratopsoil
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 03 2010 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 17995 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 10:00 | ||
I have a grizzly curly beard right now because I'm too lazy to shave, and nobody at the office cares. When I do actually shave, I usually use a pull razor (or whatever the hell those are actually called) but mainly just because the trimmer on my electric razor is busted.
Next week I'm planning on going back to my porn-star 'stache of yore. |
|||
Jim Garten
Special Collaborator Retired Admin & Razor Guru Joined: February 02 2004 Location: South England Status: Offline Points: 14693 |
Posted: May 10 2013 at 10:33 | ||
Dean, you have no idea
I remember that! All I need to do now is build myself a small pyramid, align it correctly & voila - no need to buy blades again |
|||
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
|||
Post Reply | Page 123 6> |
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |