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Ask your father..

Yeah, Id imagine that if our fathers and grandfathers saw the, "shave den" that many of us have and our collections of soaps, razors, brushes and stash of hundreds, if not thousands of blades; theyd tell us that we are being frivilous and wasteful and that shaving as a hobby is silly.
My Dad was a depression era guy and never wasted anything. I am pretty sure he would look at all my shaving stuff and think I was nuts and wasteful with the time I spend shaving. He shaved every day of his life and it was a rare day I saw him unshaven. For him there was no novelty in shaving.
 

Billski

Here I am, 1st again.
My Dad was born in 1906. He did not need to serve in either World War.

I saw him shave with a Gillette Tech DE razor. I get the idea that that razor was his ‘baby’.
 
My Dad was a depression era guy and never wasted anything. I am pretty sure he would look at all my shaving stuff and think I was nuts and wasteful with the time I spend shaving. He shaved every day of his life and it was a rare day I saw him unshaven. For him there was no novelty in shaving.
Amen. Along with the many conversations that Id love to have with my grandparents, great grandparents and all the other ancestors if heaven is real; shaving would be a fun one to have.
I feel like they might be proud that I kept up with the old ways of using a brush and a DE/straight and they would also think it was silly that we have made a hobby out of shaving.
It is my fear that for many men of my generation, the conversation would go more like this though:
 
My dad was born in 1910 and passed away in 1991 (I'm 60). My recollection was a Gillette SS, first soap then Barbasol.

Blades - I have no idea.

He then switched from a DE to a Trac 2. That's pretty much what I started on, though I do remember using that DE for a short while.

I used a Trac 2 for many years with a cheap brush, a Surrey mug, and Colgate shave soap. Never cottoned to Williams, though I tried a few times. Colgate just lathered easier. Used those brushes till the hairs fell out.

Fast forward to Christmas 2013, when my son bought me a DE wet shaving kit. Never looked back.

BTW, Happy father's Day to all the dads on this forum!
 
All this about the depression vs hobbies. Both my parents lived through the Depression, WW2 and Korea. Not as babies, my Dad was in a tank in Europe for the big one.

Among his hobbies: cars, powerboats, waterskiing, plus knitting and figure skating. Oh yeah, also motorcycles after I got him hooked.

I'm more woodsy/outdoorsy and less gas powered, but I figure if he could be a knitter and a middle-aged figure skater I’m allowed to play with razors without fear of ridicule.
 
My grandfather used a straight until he died.

I learnt how to shave using my dad’s safety. No idea what it was (can’t remember) but I suspect a Gillette. He only ever used canned foam and I don’t think he was bothered too much with a million passes.

When I became a fully fledged shaver in my teens, mom got rid of that safety (for, ironically, safety reasons) and new Sensor Excels appeared for both me and my dad. I used that very same Excel until I started wet shaving a year or two ago. I still use it every now now and then.

Dad now uses a cart razor (not sure which, but the Excel is gone) with canned cream, currently Nivea.
 
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My father was remarkably uninterested in discussing his shaving routine.

And we fought. A lot. My best friend got sealed in Carbonite. Dad cut off my freaking hand! Oh, I kissed my sister. Yeah...that happened.

And I felt bad about that. Then I saw her wearing a skimpy outfit at Jabba's and I was like, "Okay, so it was a little weird, but then there's that skimpy outfit and she's either doing pilates or yoga or maybe on some kind of pill or drug or something that prevents her being overweight. What jury would convict me?"

Anyway, it all kind of worked out. But Dad was dead and we never discussed why he stuck with those Gem SE razors all that time. Like he was some flat cap-wearing Brit driving an MG Midget and drinking room temperature Guinness. And the awkward silences between me and my sister were so uncomfortable that I stopped coming for Christmas and Thanksgiving altogether.
 
View attachment 1119064

My father was remarkably uninterested in discussing his shaving routine.

And we fought. A lot. My best friend got sealed in Carbonite. Dad cut off my freaking hand! Oh, I kissed my sister. Yeah...that happened.

And I felt bad about that. Then I saw her wearing a skimpy outfit at Jabba's and I was like, "Okay, so it was a little weird, but then there's that skimpy outfit and she's either doing pilates or yoga or maybe on some kind of pill or drug or something that prevents her being overweight. What jury would convict me?"

Anyway, it all kind of worked out. But Dad was dead and we never discussed why he stuck with those Gem SE razors all that time. Like he was some flat cap-wearing Brit driving an MG Midget and drinking room temperature Guinness. And the awkward silences between me and my sister were so uncomfortable that I stopped coming for Christmas and Thanksgiving altogether.

I’m sorry to hear about your family difficulties, Ashley. Do you think all this might explain why you’re a cream user? Just a thought.
 
View attachment 1119064

My father was remarkably uninterested in discussing his shaving routine.

And we fought. A lot. My best friend got sealed in Carbonite. Dad cut off my freaking hand! Oh, I kissed my sister. Yeah...that happened.

And I felt bad about that. Then I saw her wearing a skimpy outfit at Jabba's and I was like, "Okay, so it was a little weird, but then there's that skimpy outfit and she's either doing pilates or yoga or maybe on some kind of pill or drug or something that prevents her being overweight. What jury would convict me?"

Anyway, it all kind of worked out. But Dad was dead and we never discussed why he stuck with those Gem SE razors all that time. Like he was some flat cap-wearing Brit driving an MG Midget and drinking room temperature Guinness. And the awkward silences between me and my sister were so uncomfortable that I stopped coming for Christmas and Thanksgiving altogether.
Where's that "applause" icon when you need it . . .?
 
My father is 64. He shaves by slapping his face with a Mach3 about 50 times and calls it done. I had given him a Rocket flare tip once, and it sat in the bathroom unused for about 6 months. I took it away eventually. Can't teach an old dog new tricks...not even old tricks, apparently.

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Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
I wish I could ask mine...

I do remember watching him with his Flare Tip however. I remember that he didnt start at the top of his cheeks and shave downwards but started his shave under his ears, buffing with short quick strokes towards his mouth and then upwards from under his chin. If he had the same growth pattern as me, and thinking about it now he may very well have, that would have been directly ATG.

I also remember his shaves didnt take long but he took his time, if you get what I mean. 3 or 4 strokes and check with his fingers then carry on.

He didnt relather. He used canned goop and kept it in his left hand to reapply as needed while he shaved. There were no 'passes' per se, he just shaved until there was nothing left too shave and when done just a quick wipe with a towel.

All of that is very much what I do today.

I dont remember how long a blade lasted but I do remember him using them until they started to tug and the only blade used were the old made in England Wilkinson Sword blades that I recently tried again.

My best shave ever, is in the books.

IMG_3267.jpg


Grande/English Wilkie. (1)

Wickham 1912 superlather with Nivea cream.

Thats the smoothest blade I've used. Its smooth than either Gillette Yellow or Gillette Green. Far smoother than Derby Extra or Polsilver. I said before that Feather blades on the first shave just disappear in the lather and they do, as long as I maintain the correct angle/pressure combination. This Wilkie was there. I could feel it but in a weird kind of way. I'm not sure how to describe it, present but in a very unobtrusive way. Angle didnt matter, shallow or steep. Pressure applied almost didnt matter either. I could use a lot, far more than needed, or very little, it just didnt matter.

What really surprised me were the first few strokes tight under my nostrils and the face of my chin shaving N-S first pass. Feather has been the clear winner there with the least tugging, but they do still tug. This Wilkie tugged much less. So much less that after shaving under my right nostril I shaved even slower under my left to make sure. Barely perceptible tugging. The same held true on the face of my chin N-S and again S-N. Thats a feat!

The entire shave went very smoothly and gave me a very close shave. The really surprising thing is, I didnt even need a clean up over my swirls. I buffed them the same as I always do, perhaps even less while grinning like a fool about how smooth that blade is then feeling around after I finished, I found I just needed to towel off without the additional cleanup being needed.

My skin was, immediately post shave and remains so now ~30 minutes later, cool, smooth and without any irritation at all. Why they changed production of those blades to Germany I will never understand. That is, without question, the best DE blade I've used.

I'll use it once more then it will go back in its wrapper, not be tossed like typical blades. I'll be using it again.

Sitting here now remembering, I can even see him shaving in front of the mirror. Focused and methodical, confident and sure of his ability. I've said many times that it helps to shave with confidence, as being tentative and overly cautious can cause problems of its own.


@Rusty Blade

Good thread this. It brings back a lot of long put away memories. I can even remember him complaining one day that he had hairs he needed to shave high up on his cheeks closer to his nose, then complaining about getting old haha. He would have been 10 years younger than I am now when he said that.

Thanks for making me remember.
 
My father is 64. He shaves by slapping his face with a Mach3 about 50 times and calls it done. I had given him a Rocket flare tip once, and it sat in the bathroom unused for about 6 months. I took it away eventually. Can't teach an old dog new tricks...not even old tricks, apparently.

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If I didn’t enjoy shaving I would use a cartridge. Maybe a Harry’s. I replaced my first razor, a Super, with an Atra which was given to me by a sales rep at a corner store when I was buying cigarettes. I don’t use either now.

I advanced trough them all and in retrospect think that the Mach3 is the best balance of cost and performance as far as Gillette goes. They even vibrated...LOL. Now they’re warm and I won’t sucker into that.

So yeah, I can understand your dad. It’s a lot cheaper with DE or straight, and I’m not screwing around keeping cartridges unclogged though.


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Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Going by memory since they're all gone to the Great Shaving Den in Heaven I'll answer for them. By them I mostly mean my father and my stepfather both of whom I was around a good bit when they shaved. Not that their shaving was a display but oftentimes the bathroom door was open when they shaved; I'm sure this was to get rid of the humidity fogging up the mirror.

1. How many passes did you do for each shave?
2. How often did you change your blade?

First of all, I doubt anybody knew or cared about or could define a pass. They weren't interested in shaving except as a means to being well groomed. Everything was done in a manner which minimized the investment of time and maximized the results.

However, I'd say they went over areas which need the work several times. I can not recall seeing anyone lather up a second time. I think they would have thought doing so was simply foolish and perhaps a sign of true insanity. I can recall my father occasionally shaving in several directions and occasionally doing a bit of skin stretching beyond just face contortions.

My stepfather was caught up in the craze of the new Wilkerson Sword Blades. I can remember him and other men he talked with discussing the great new blades and bragging about how many shaves they were able to get out of them. It was very Excalibur Club! I'm talking months here. It was mostly, I think, kind of a game for them, a contest if you will, but that's not all it was. These were very thrifty men. They genuinely saved money by making blades last longer and saving money meant their paychecks went further. My stepfather and his associates didn't have what we think of as disposable income.

My father disposed of blades more readily but I don't remember anything about how often he changed blades.

Lots of men back then used electric razors, too, sometimes. I recall several of my relatives using them including my grandfather and an uncle. Grandfather always shaved with an electric. He bought me one or two. I've hated every electric I've ever tried; they eat my neck, but I think Grandfather thought they were what I should use.

I remember my father occasionally shaving with an electric razor; perhaps he did it a lot, but I recall his Gillette shaves more vividly. My stepfather only used a Gillette and never an electric.

I'm talking about the early 1960s ^ here, and perhaps earlier.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
My Dad did a single pass with his TTO DE up until he went electric. He might have used Bic disposables, can't quite remember if that was him or my oldest brother.

I did a single pass with carts up until I started DE shaving within the past year. I used a blade until I felt it tugging/dulling- never counted.

Now I keep an Excel spreadsheet of my shaves:straight::c1:
 
Going by memory since they're all gone to the Great Shaving Den in Heaven I'll answer for them. By them I mostly mean my father and my stepfather both of whom I was around a good bit when they shaved. Not that their shaving was a display but oftentimes the bathroom door was open when they shaved; I'm sure this was to get rid of the humidity fogging up the mirror.



First of all, I doubt anybody knew or cared about or could define a pass. They weren't interested in shaving except as a means to being well groomed. Everything was done in a manner which minimized the investment of time and maximized the results.

However, I'd say they went over areas which need the work several times. I can not recall seeing anyone lather up a second time. I think they would have thought doing so was simply foolish and perhaps a sign of true insanity. I can recall my father occasionally shaving in several directions and occasionally doing a bit of skin stretching beyond just face contortions.

My stepfather was caught up in the craze of the new Wilkerson Sword Blades. I can remember him and other men he talked with discussing the great new blades and bragging about how many shaves they were able to get out of them. It was very Excalibur Club! I'm talking months here. It was mostly, I think, kind of a game for them, a contest if you will, but that's not all it was. These were very thrifty men. They genuinely saved money by making blades last longer and saving money meant their paychecks went further. My stepfather and his associates didn't have what we think of as disposable income.

My father disposed of blades more readily but I don't remember anything about how often he changed blades.

Lots of men back then used electric razors, too, sometimes. I recall several of my relatives using them including my grandfather and an uncle. Grandfather always shaved with an electric. He bought me one or two. I've hated every electric I've ever tried; they eat my neck, but I think Grandfather thought they were what I should use.

I remember my father occasionally shaving with an electric razor; perhaps he did it a lot, but I recall his Gillette shaves more vividly. My stepfather only used a Gillette and never an electric.

I'm talking about the early 1960s ^ here, and perhaps earlier.

Happy shaves,

Jim
Thanks for the reflection. You describe what I remember; my father did a no-nonsense shave, a shave meant to get it done and clean up. "A pass? What the heck is a pass? You shave. Simple. Stop whining."

Blades were used to the point they were no longer functional...the longer you get out of a single blade, the better. Save a few pennies wherever you can.

Thanks for posting.
 
My father is 64. He shaves by slapping his face with a Mach3 about 50 times and calls it done. I had given him a Rocket flare tip once, and it sat in the bathroom unused for about 6 months. I took it away eventually. Can't teach an old dog new tricks...not even old tricks, apparently.

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Sorry to hear that. I can't understand being stuck in your ways and not trying new things; I got into wet shaving when I was 59, after decades of electric shaving and the occasional cart.

On the other hand, I've been living in the same apartment since 2002, so . . .
 
My dad passed a few years ago but my memories of his shaving involved electrics exclusively. I also always felt like he needed a shave, even after shaving. So what does that tell you? He gave me his electric that he had been using when I was old enough to need to shave. I used it for a week, if that, and quickly felt like I was wasting my time. So i bought a Bic disposable and a can of foamin' goo and never looked back. I know I've shed much more blood than he ever did but I also know that my shaves are much much closer than his ever were. No regrets.
My dad was an electric shaver too and seemed to always have a permanent 5 o'clock shadow!
 
My dad was an electric shaver too and seemed to always have a permanent 5 o'clock shadow!

Exactly. It's amazing that using a double edge I can get such a close shave that I can skip a day and no one could tell the difference. So, either shave with an electric and look like I still needed a shave or shave with a double edge and look like my face is a smooth as a baby's bottom. I don't see any choice to be made there.
 
Exactly. It's amazing that using a double edge I can get such a close shave that I can skip a day and no one could tell the difference. So, either shave with an electric and look like I still needed a shave or shave with a double edge and look like my face is a smooth as a baby's bottom. I don't see any choice to be made there.

Time
 
Thanks for the reflection. You describe what I remember; my father did a no-nonsense shave, a shave meant to get it done and clean up. "A pass? What the heck is a pass? You shave. Simple. Stop whining."

This is how I shave with both straights and DEs. Especially if there's lather left on my face, which is often the case. No reason to call passes, but rather do the best I can with what's on my face already. When I do reapply lather, I still only shave hair.. In other words, there's no reason in my mind to shave the parts that are already clean. Simple, common sense. No rinsing between "passes" either - if I need more water, I'll add it to the brush.

I do also understand that people like the ritual and all that... So by all means, I say, do what you do, and don't let anyone tell you how you're supposed to do it. Much like my dad. I gave him a straight razor shave once as well. He wasn't too comfortable, honestly!

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