Greetings from the far North!
I am writing from the town of Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. I have been shaving for about 16 years now and until last spring used to do it with a 5-blade cartridge razor and the typical supermarket foams and gels (in the past I also experimented very briefly with an electric razor but for some incomprehensible reason it simply couldn't properly shave my rather modest beard growth). Honestly I quite liked it; the result was smooth and I never experienced any notable irritation of the skin or ingrown hairs. I didn't even need any kind of aftershave products (until recently I thought of them as unnecessary and, well, somewhat unmanly) . What I didn't like was the price of the replacement cartridges. So after doing some research on the Internet about alternatives I was soon convinced of the superiority of safety razors. Mostly the reasons were of economical nature, but there is certainly a large "cool factor" about them and I'm also quite passionate about old timey stuff in general. So I decided to obtain one as soon as my last cartridge was worn out of use. That day dawned last April.
I purchased the necessary kit: of an affordable entry level safety razor and some blades. There was still plenty of shaving gel in my can so being thecheap b*stard frugal gentleman I am I decided to postpone buying a shaving brush and soap (that was a mistake but it has now been corrected). After my first shave with the real deal my feelings were somewhat mixed. While the result was mostly sufficiently smooth, there were some rough patches here and there and I was bleeding more than ever after shaving out of three nicks on my face. I deemed this acceptable for a first time trying out new equipment and finished my shave with a good rinse of cold water and the old toilet paper fix for the bleeding. While not entirely happy or proud, knowing I saved money and the environment felt pretty good.
After some 15 minutes it struck. The skin on my face and neck felt odd. Tight, dry and hot with a little stinging and burning sensation. I had never experienced post-shave irritation before but a close shave with some real steel on my skin, even a beginner friendly blade, did it for me. Luckily I had a some barely used aftershave balm I got as a present many Christmases ago forgotten in the bathroom cupboard. I learned many valuable lessons for life that day but the most unforgettable one was this: there's so much more to shaving than just grabbing the nearest razor and cutting away. And maybe aftershave isn't only for smelling good on special occasions and the guys using it might be sensible and not vain and unmanly.
Fast forward to this day, I routinely shave with the same razor and have discovered some very nice blades to go with it. I also have expanded my arsenal gradually and now proudly own a shaving brush, soap, alum and aftershaves for everyday and festive use. Shaving is now an enjoyable and fun experience for me and I eagerly look forward to it every time. It's incredible how something so previously tedious and mundane can become so lovely. I am in the enviable position of possessing very durable skin (though not quite as indestructible as I previously thought) so I need not consider if my shaving products are gentle enough. Then again, in my line of work wearing fragrances is considered inappropriate so I'll have to reserve the really nice aftershaves for weekend use (a fact that has protected me from binge buying shaving stuff in the first intense periods of enthusiasm). Also, my first winter of DE shaving is upon me now - when you live five miles from the Arctic Circle you really need to be clever about what you do to the skin of your face in winter time.
One man's journey to save money has certainly taken some unexpected turns. A judgemental and inconsiderate person is turning into something of a gentleman. My only regret is that I should have done this a lot sooner.
I look forward to having some great discussions on this fine forum!
I am writing from the town of Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. I have been shaving for about 16 years now and until last spring used to do it with a 5-blade cartridge razor and the typical supermarket foams and gels (in the past I also experimented very briefly with an electric razor but for some incomprehensible reason it simply couldn't properly shave my rather modest beard growth). Honestly I quite liked it; the result was smooth and I never experienced any notable irritation of the skin or ingrown hairs. I didn't even need any kind of aftershave products (until recently I thought of them as unnecessary and, well, somewhat unmanly) . What I didn't like was the price of the replacement cartridges. So after doing some research on the Internet about alternatives I was soon convinced of the superiority of safety razors. Mostly the reasons were of economical nature, but there is certainly a large "cool factor" about them and I'm also quite passionate about old timey stuff in general. So I decided to obtain one as soon as my last cartridge was worn out of use. That day dawned last April.
I purchased the necessary kit: of an affordable entry level safety razor and some blades. There was still plenty of shaving gel in my can so being the
After some 15 minutes it struck. The skin on my face and neck felt odd. Tight, dry and hot with a little stinging and burning sensation. I had never experienced post-shave irritation before but a close shave with some real steel on my skin, even a beginner friendly blade, did it for me. Luckily I had a some barely used aftershave balm I got as a present many Christmases ago forgotten in the bathroom cupboard. I learned many valuable lessons for life that day but the most unforgettable one was this: there's so much more to shaving than just grabbing the nearest razor and cutting away. And maybe aftershave isn't only for smelling good on special occasions and the guys using it might be sensible and not vain and unmanly.
Fast forward to this day, I routinely shave with the same razor and have discovered some very nice blades to go with it. I also have expanded my arsenal gradually and now proudly own a shaving brush, soap, alum and aftershaves for everyday and festive use. Shaving is now an enjoyable and fun experience for me and I eagerly look forward to it every time. It's incredible how something so previously tedious and mundane can become so lovely. I am in the enviable position of possessing very durable skin (though not quite as indestructible as I previously thought) so I need not consider if my shaving products are gentle enough. Then again, in my line of work wearing fragrances is considered inappropriate so I'll have to reserve the really nice aftershaves for weekend use (a fact that has protected me from binge buying shaving stuff in the first intense periods of enthusiasm). Also, my first winter of DE shaving is upon me now - when you live five miles from the Arctic Circle you really need to be clever about what you do to the skin of your face in winter time.
One man's journey to save money has certainly taken some unexpected turns. A judgemental and inconsiderate person is turning into something of a gentleman. My only regret is that I should have done this a lot sooner.
I look forward to having some great discussions on this fine forum!
