Ask your father..

[Srdjan]

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 . . .

Nothing to be sorry about. It's just what works for him [emoji6] He's extremely busy as it is and he'll always choose to do something else with his time. Mom and he live in a house with a garden, he has his own job, as well as the worship full of tools to play with.. All good!

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[Srdjan]

That was meant to say "workshop", but I guess "worship" isn't too far a word to describe it either [emoji4]

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[pellidon]

My dad had my grandparents raise me (convoluted divorce). My grandfather used a Shick Injector and a one pass shave till about 1974 when he switched to electrics, which he would touch up his face while watching TV. He thought my Uncle was silly for using a puck of Williams in "this day and age". He did still have his Straight Razor and Strop but the razor rusted away to dust in its leather case. I think he stopped using that in his early 20's when a barber almost lopped off 1/4" of his ear. I think that made him allergic to straights.

 

[Sabre]

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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What did he use from 1970 onwards?

 

[RenoRichard]

My Dad is now 92; for many, many years he used a Gillette DE. I asked and he did one or two passes. After he had some stents put in and went on serious blood thinners about ten years ago, he switched to an electric shaver. He shaves every other day, although he says my Mom badgers him to shave each day. My folks are pretty funny- think Miracle Max and his wife from the Princess Bride.

 

[_MementoMori_]

My dad was an OTR truck driver and I'm pretty sure he just used an electric razor. He was never clean shaven. He always had some degree of stubble. My grandpa who was more responsible for raising me used cheap plastic cartridge razors and was always clean shaven aside from a moustache.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

My Dad is now 92; for many, many years he used a Gillette DE. I asked and he did one or two passes. After he had some stents put in and went on serious blood thinners about ten years ago, he switched to an electric shaver. He shaves every other day, although he says my Mom badgers him to shave each day. My folks are pretty funny- think Miracle Max and his wife from the Princess Bride.

Lucky you having them around.

I miss mine particularly my dad which is weird in a way. As I kid and teenager I liked my mother better than my father. He was very difficult and hard. Over time, he got better and better. My mom after I was grown and gone changed in many ways. Some were definitely to her benefit and admirable in my view, but she also got weirder and weirder in her views (although I still liked and loved her).

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Owen Bawn]

My father used Gillette TTO's for my early years. I'd go in the bathroom and inspect his stuff. I was fascinated by it. I remember seeing a couple of Super Speeds, a Slim, & a Black Beauty over the years. A can of foam, and a lot of toilet paper. I also remember him cursing a Techmatic. By the mid 70s he went electric and stayed with that till he died 3 years ago at 94.

 

[macduff67]

My dad always did two passes, one down and one up (basically with and against the grain, but he wasn't fussy--it was just down, then up. LOL).

Blades lasted about a week. He used a Schick Krona forever, then disposible original BICS. Always a boar bush to apply canned foam.

 

[DougK]

I don't know how many passes my dad did (and he passed away 20 years ago so I can't ask), but I definitely inherited my predilection for trying different shaving gear from him. The earliest razor I remember him using was a Schick adjustable injector, then the Trac II, Atra, and finally on to various electric razors. No brush, just Barbasol or Foamy in a can followed by Brut, Old Spice, Aqua Velva, or English Leather.

 

[Adam18]

My Dad was a WW II hero, having landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day as an infantryman in the renowned US Army 29th. Division. He passed away in January 2011, and was always my best friend. I remember him using a Schick injector forever, then switching to a Gillette Trac II when that became a popular razor in New York City. I do not remember what soap he used, but it was always in a mug, face lathered with a badger brush. He always said that “badger was the best !” And he always had an old alum block in a beat up cardboard case in the medicine cabinet above the bathroom sink. I was still using a Gillette cartridge razor with Edge canned gel when he passed away, so he never got to enjoy my fascination with our wonderful hobby of traditonal shaving.

 

[abershaver]

My Dad used a 1970s (?) blue Gillette Slim Twist DE. It had a plastic handle and a metal head. It was fairly heavy and I used to look at it in wonder. He also used Wilkinson Sword DE blades which were very common in the UK at that time. Usually he used the Green Palmolive shave stick with an old brush. He has always had a neat beard and shaved his cheeks and neck with a single pass every day. I recall he used a blade a week or so and he hated both electrics and carts!

 

[PintoPlain]

My dad used an electric as far back as I can remember. When I was 13 or so and needed to start shaving he gave me his electric to use. My maternal grandfather always had a Gillette 3 piece, probably a tech he probably bought when he moved to NZ. I remember he always used a brush, Palmolive stick and had a red plastic mug. Probably used the cheapest of Wilkinson sword or Gillette blades and changed it when needed.

When I said to my dad I wanted to use a proper razor and not electric he gave me a NOS plastic handled tech which I used for 10 or so years until blades became impossible to find in supermarkets or barbers when I moved to cartridges. My dad now uses disposables, often Bic, but sometimes Gillette and always canned foam. He went "old fashioned" when he could no longer repair the same old electric he had been using since the 70s.

 

[MntnMan62]

Time

Ah, but for the important things in life, we make time....

 

[Srdjan]

What did he use from 1970 onwards?

Good question. I was born in '81 and didn't really get to see him shave much. Right up until '95 I didn't care about shaving at all, mostly thanks to him. I distinctly remember him always telling me to not try shaving for as long as possible, because it's such a boring activity, and a waste of time. He sure did his best to keep me away from it. At some point in my teens though, I remember him getting me a nice razor.. It was a Gillette cart of course. Can't really remember which one, but I do remember cutting myself up pretty badly the first time. The thing was much sharper than whatever plastic crap I used up until that moment, so I wasn't used to it at all.

It feels strange, just thinking back now. I actually saw more of my grandfathers' shaving than my father's. They both used DE razors, brushes and soap.

Anyway, my own boys are now 6 and 7, and they already know all about DE and straight razors. They like to watch me shave sometimes, and to them, cartridge razors are a complete unknown.

I'm sure that one day I'll get asked: "Dad, why do you have hundreds of razors and enough stone to build a house, when you can get these handy little things in Costco for a few dollars?" The answer will be: "Son, I was trying to save money." [emoji58]

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[Sfbagger]

Well, let's see...
My grandfather was born in 1889 and used a straight razor all his life. Don't recall what he used for soap, but I do remember the straight razor and the leather strop. Scared hell out of me then, scares hell out of me now.

My Dad was born in 1914, a child of the Depression. Around Christmas time he'd be using the Yardley in the wooden bowl that we would give him, the rest of the time I have no idea. He used a Gillette TTO with Gillette Thin blades, replacing them every time he shaved which was once, maybe twice a day. The brush was an ancient Rubberset. He had a Nixon-like heavy beard that looked blue next to his light skin....
Sundays he'd let me shave with him, using an old TTO with no blade. A precious memory.

I've taught my wife's son - whom I consider my own - to shave with a DE. He uses an Edwin Jagger Kelvin, which I gave him.

I'm 72 now, and every now and again when I'm shaving, I see my father's eyes looking back at me...
I imagine him going off to work, his face accented with little Japanese battle flags in toilet paper, off to do his best for his family.

Memories.

 

[MntnMan62]

Well, let's see...
My grandfather was born in 1889 and used a straight razor all his life. Don't recall what he used for soap, but I do remember the straight razor and the leather strop. Scared hell out of me then, scares hell out of me now.

My Dad was born in 1914, a child of the Depression. Around Christmas time he'd be using the Yardley in the wooden bowl that we would give him, the rest of the time I have no idea. He used a Gillette TTO with Gillette Thin blades, replacing them every time he shaved which was once, maybe twice a day. The brush was an ancient Rubberset. He had a Nixon-like heavy beard that looked blue next to his light skin....
Sundays he'd let me shave with him, using an old TTO with no blade. A precious memory.

I've taught my wife's son - whom I consider my own - to shave with a DE. He uses an Edwin Jagger Kelvin, which I gave him.

I'm 72 now, and every now and again when I'm shaving, I see my father's eyes looking back at me...
I imagine him going off to work, his face accented with little Japanese battle flags in toilet paper, off to do his best for his family.

Memories.

Nice tribute to your Dad. Heart warming thoughts during these crazy times. Thanks for that.

 

[IMightBeWrong]

My dad thinks I’m insane for using DE razors. He says when he used them he thought they were terrible. He shaves with water only using cheap disposable Schick Sensitive razors.

 

[ScottChapin]

My dad thinks I’m insane for using DE razors. He says when he used them he thought they were terrible. He shaves with water only using cheap disposable Schick Sensitive razors.

Ouch.


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[Rusty Blade]

Thanks for all your responses. My father, like many of his contemporaries, growing up in the Depression era and post-Depression era had a different set of priorities. I have come to the conclusion that my father's shave -- one pass with a bit of buffing, slap on some AS and get on with the day was very much a product of the times. They were rebuilding an economy, struggling to survive after the depression and during the war years. There were things to be done -- like provide for a family and struggle to make ends meet. The focus was on survival and working hard. A soap puck, razor blades and brushes were used to the end of their useful life -- with no waste. And often availability of a plethora of shaving products was limited.

Compare this to today, we have money and leisure time. Considerably more than our fathers by comparison. Incomes are higher and an information and service based economy changes the focus of work. This leads to the large collections of soaps -- many more than can often be used in a lifetime, and blades and razors are plentiful by choice. And the epitome of the modern age is reflected in the leisure time to do a 3 pass shave.

So, to conclude, everything in life has to be examined in its proper context. The shaves of our depression and war era fathers was practical, no nonsense and without waste of product or time, The shaves of today, again are characterized by more leisure time, and more money, more availability of products...and perhaps more time to spend on self than on others...and of course the 3 pass shave.

I welcome your thoughts.