Are we all a bit---odd?

[m-g willy]

Was at Wally World the other day with the wife.
I just have to stroll down the shave aisle to see what they got- (and feel good about how much I'm saving by not using the throw-away fusion , trac 2,or 3 or whatever bladed head they are!)

What I noticed was an old man at least in his 80's with his wife.
His wife had a can of shave goo and he was searching for his brand of trac 2, or whatever blades!!!

Here was a guy that had to have started shaving with a puck of soap, a brush and some kind of DE razor.
I wondered what horrible disaster had this poor old guy have suffered through to end up at this low point in life, to be reduced to shaving with a throw-away razor and canned goop?

I then remembered my own Dad.
He switched to a (bowing my head) ELECTRIC RAZOR!!
My wife said her Dad also used an electric when he was older.

So when you think about it .
What takes us wet shavers anywhere from 5-20 min. to shave along with the extras we need -mug, brush , (strop and hones for st8 users.)
Plus the clean up after the shave!
Compared to the 1-2 min these old guys with their electric razors need for a shave!

So what we enjoy doing,-- these older guys have been through and look at us as some kind of odd balls!

I don't feel odd ,infact I think the old guys are are the odd ones giving up a good relaxing shave for a hurried shave with their electric razors!

Well I gotta get going .
It rained last night and the creek is running high and I got to get my bath before it goes down!

 

[Razor&Pens]

On the other hand, Dad gave me his Fat Boy and his Slim Adjustable plus brush, Old Spice mug & soap, and a Hoffritz straight, plus his Parker 51, my grandfather's P51 and several other fountain pens.

He writes with ballpoints or, more often, gel rollers, shaves with a multi-blade although he has tried many electrics and would use one if he liked the shave it gave him.

To him its all just progress.

 

[pbroddi]

Are we all a bit odd?

No. No, we are not.
That is all.

 

[professorchaos]

Nah, not odd at all. What is eccentric about transforming a chore into a luxury? I think the odd ones are those who, after being (re)introduced to wet shaving, stick with canned goo and multi bladed monstrosities.

 

[richmondesi]

By definition, we are odd... That's not always a bad thing. In fact, in this case I wear it like a badge of honor.

 

[thirdeye]

Odd? Well according to the rest of the shaving world we are but what the heck do they know anyway?

 

[syzygy]

My dad also went through the progression of products and used to have a standard DE on the counter and lather up with Old Spice soap. I believe we are all victims of the age of persuasion. Clever marketing tools have been used for a very long time. We humans love new innovation. Johnson Baby powder doubled it's sales by making the holes in the container twice as big so you use twice as much. The Plop Plop Fizz Fizz ad campaign instantly doubled the sales of alkaseltzer and the same goes for "take two aspirins and call me in the morning". We are all easily duped into buying the latest and greatest as presented by the slickest marketing and fancy packaging. It gets to the point where the market becomes so dull and unsatisfying that many of us reach for alternatives and this always happens when the market becomes saturated and homogeneous - we all want to feel energized by something new and different. Was the Safety Razor named as such to create the perception that there is suddenly a new and improved and much safer way to shave? Was there a ton of investment dollars sunk into it's concept to try to reach it's own ends and convince a generation of shavers that this product is way better that the last product? There used to be hundreds of straight razor manufacturers and now it is dominated by Gillette and Schick.

I shave with a straight razor every day and know for a fact that this is not an unsafe way to shave. And we all know how much superior shaving soaps and creams are and many of them are a century old in their recipes. I used to hate shaving and resented the high prices of blades that were attached to a cheap plasticy uninspiring piece of junk. That is how I got to here, I love shaving, I love finely crafted tools and perfecting their maintenance, I love possessing the skills to wield these tools with great success. I believe it is this thought model that truly makes a man and after all these years of being duped by the junk companies I have won back what should never have been lost in the first place. When an entire generation loses knowledge of a skill and this continues on through successive generations we end up in what Jane Jacobs would call Mass Amnesia. I am so glad that fine men have resurrected the art of shaving and I am damn proud to be a part of it. Now that we have it back and it seems to be gaining momentum, lets not ever lose it again. And lets bring back a whole bunch of other stuff while we are at it.

PS; I do love my old Gillettes, they really are a great invention.

 

[ctakim]

No not at all. Please ignore the fact that there are over 60 vintage safety razors sitting out on my dining room table as we speak, no lie. This is completely normal behavior.

 

[ctakim]

Had to show this as proof. This is normal, right?

 

[1OldGI]

I'm reminded of a quote that is prominently displayed in my cell...uh I mean cubicle at work. Here it is:

"Eccentricity is not, as dull people would have us believe, a form of madness. It is often a kind of innocent pride, and the man of genius and the aristocrat are frequently regarded as eccentrics because genius and aristocrat are entirely unafraid of and uninfluenced by the opinions and vagaries of the crowd."
Edith Sitwell
English biographer, critic, novelist, & poet (1887 - 1964)

Odd? Hell yes we're all nuttier than outhouse rats but we enjoy each other's company and seem to have more fun than most of the sheeple so...yeah, I'm in. I'm sure we've all been given "the look" at work. You know when it's about 1030 or 1100 and you pause briefly to facurbate and without really thinking you say aloud to no one in particular, "Yup, pretty damn good shave this morning." I don't think I could get odder looks if I pulled off my shoe and began eating it!

 

[Ru4scuba?]

This topic comes up from time to time...but let me ask you this, what is the definition of odd? Who has the authority to define odd? You? Me? ...the masses? My wife seems to be the only authority I know

If you happen to be Stephen Hawking, then I guess you can tell whats odd and whats not about something in space....but not wetshaving.

 

[mk-ultra]

Odd? Well according to the rest of the shaving world we are but what the heck do they know anyway?

This reminds me of the mother watching her son in the marching band. She exclaimed, "Everybody's out of step but Johnny!".


It's the rest of the shaving world that is odd, not us!

 

[thirdeye]

Had to show this as proof. This is normal, right?

Yes it is, for us anyway....

 

[JBLAZE725]

I think the odd ones are the people who continue to pay $3.50 a blade for those fusions and however much for those crappy canned shaving foams and gels to get crappy shaves that they don't even enjoy doing. Meanwhile a straight setup is purchased and no replacement anythings ever need be bought and with DEs the consumable blades are so cheap they may as well give them away. These get used with a brush that massages your face and a soap or cream that makes a wonderful smelling and extremely effective lather to shave with. The end product is a much better shave that is much more enjoyable. One where you look forward to a shave instead of dreading it. I think the proof is just in the fact that you see all these shave dens and how everyone is proud of all the products they have amassed and show them off as such. Who would ever show off their Fusion and canned goo setups?

 

[richmondesi]

Dictionaries define odd:

5. Different from what is usual or common; unusual; singular; peculiar; unique; strange. ``An odd action.'' --Shak. ``An odd expression.'' --Thackeray.

We are not usual or common; thus, we are odd. Odd isn't bad necessarily

 

[Dubbya]

Am I odd because I shave with razors older than anyone in my house, or the neighbors' for that matter? Yes

Am I odd because I use pomade and wax instead of gel and mouse? Yes

Am I odd because I do most of the things that I do? Yes

Is it a bad thing? No

I have cast off the lesser norms of a consumer driven society(new=better) without shunning any of it's core mores(I still buy stuff like a man possessed). I(we) have taken the once bothersome chore of depilating and made it into a fine luxury, a time of relaxation for myself, by learning a set of skills that can be taught to my children and again to theirs.

Also, the tools of my craft will probably last long after I am gone and be cherished(I would hope) as heirloom tools; carefully cared after and employed by many generations to come.

 

[gregs656]

I would say that to the majority we are odd, however, to any one that has a hobby that gives them time alone to reflect and enjoy the stillness of life at that moment - be it fishermen, hikers, mototcycle riders (I'm in that one as well) and well, you get the idea.

We are completely normal, taking a different route to the same destination.

If that is odd, then I'll have one now and one for the road.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Eh...Paul...

You can never tell who is writing the dictionary

Maybe that person is odd themselves!

 

[richmondesi]

Eh...Paul...

You can never tell who is writing the dictionary

Maybe that person is odd themselves!

Be definition they would have to be... it isn't usual or common to be in a position to define words. Not a bad thing, but odd or unusual

 

[Ichinichi]

You know, OP, you're more likely taking for granted the dexterity and health required for a good, safe shave. That, coupled with the greater risk of injury, cost of subsequent recovery and risk of complication in old age is more than enough justification to switch to a safer alternative in old age...especially if you've got your wife of 50 years worrying about you.

Many of us will have to give up activities because our body requires it; safety and ability change with age. Giving up more traditional forms of shaving will likely become a necessity rather than option when age related complications are a reality.

Was at Wally World the other day with the wife.
I just have to stroll down the shave aisle to see what they got- (and feel good about how much I'm saving by not using the throw-away fusion , trac 2,or 3 or whatever bladed head they are!)

What I noticed was an old man at least in his 80's with his wife.
His wife had a can of shave goo and he was searching for his brand of trac 2, or whatever blades!!!

Here was a guy that had to have started shaving with a puck of soap, a brush and some kind of DE razor.
I wondered what horrible disaster had this poor old guy have suffered through to end up at this low point in life, to be reduced to shaving with a throw-away razor and canned goop?

I then remembered my own Dad.
He switched to a (bowing my head) ELECTRIC RAZOR!!
My wife said her Dad also used an electric when he was older.

So when you think about it .
What takes us wet shavers anywhere from 5-20 min. to shave along with the extras we need -mug, brush , (strop and hones for st8 users.)
Plus the clean up after the shave!
Compared to the 1-2 min these old guys with their electric razors need for a shave!

So what we enjoy doing,-- these older guys have been through and look at us as some kind of odd balls!

I don't feel odd ,infact I think the old guys are are the odd ones giving up a good relaxing shave for a hurried shave with their electric razors!

Well I gotta get going .
It rained last night and the creek is running high and I got to get my bath before it goes down!