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HR (Login lehtinen-26)
Forum Owner
Posted Nov 10, 2008 11:03 PM
This is not an overtly political post, but I wanted to share a journey which led me to the new/old world of wet shaving.
Like most men, shaving had been a royal pain in the ass for me from day one. Electric razors were totally ineffective against my soft curly beard, particularly on the cheek area. And because the hairs tend to grow inward, the idea of wearing a beard was never a viable option for me. I tried growing one 25 years ago, but the itching drove me insane. I've been clean shaven ever since.
About a year ago I had reached a point of no return. The price of cartridge razors was getting ridiculously out of hand, as I had been a willing guinea pig for every "innovation" by Gillette (with the exception of the battery powered Fusion). But the razor was only half the issue.
Twenty years ago a saleslady convinced me to try a tube of Clinique shave cream. It was a vast improvement over the canned stuff, and I used it up until about four years ago, when I found an even better cream until last year. But even with that, I was never happy with the shave I was getting. Thanks to the internet, and a really great group of like minded souls, I made the quantum leap backward into the realm of the badger hair shaving brush and the double edged (DE) safety razor. I finally found a solution that not only provided a better shave, but actually transformed it from a chore to a pleasure.
I bought a vintage 1965 Gillette adjustable DE on ebay last year, and with the help of the following web site: http://shavemyface.com, I've been exploring various blades, soaps and creams. There are some serious hobbyists on that site, but it's primarily full of guys from all over the world who have rediscovered the pleasures of an old fashioned shave. Like me, they've eschewed the conveniences of the modern shaving experience and embraced an old ritual that requires considerable time, commitment and patience, but whose reward goes beyond the act of shaving itself. It's at once a reconnect to the past, and an eco-friendly leap into the future.
If you're willing to spend some extra time with the morning shave, I highly recommend the new/old world of wet shaving.
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