Burma-Shave?

[i8ntskeered]

I am curious to know your thoughts on Burma-Shave. It's one shaving product I have heard of my entire life. I've been wet shaving now for 2 or 3 months and am getting a good idea of what I like and what works. So what is the skinny on this old classic.

And I love the Tom Waits song, by the way.

 

[Infernal2]

Half A Pound
For
Half A Dollar
At The Drug Store
Simply Holler
Burma Shave

I've never shaved with it but they have the most iconic advertising.....

(And Tom rules)

 

[fezo]

They haven't made Burma Shave for a number of years but they did make it recently enough that I had bought some in maybe the early 70s. We had a couple of sets of Burma Shave signs within a couple of miles of here.

A THING THAT WILL NEVER
COME TO PASS
IS A BACK SEAT DRIVER
OUT OF GAS
Burma Shave

 

[Bob L.]

My Dad used it. It smelled good. We used to see their signs all the way from Ohio to Florida. You now know all I know about Burma Shave.

 

[InfernoOrangeSS]

As a result of this thread, I went on a search. I found a gift set on the bay that contained a Burma Shave mug, brush, and soap puck. It's mine now. I think that even if I don't like it, it makes for an interesting addition to my shave counter. (Oddly enough, the old B-S ads mocked "old timey shaving with a soap" as it was a brushless cream.).
I can't wait to get it. Thank you OP for reminding me about Burma-Shave!

 

[i8ntskeered]

As a result of this thread, I went on a search. I found a gift set on the bay that contained a Burma Shave mug, brush, and soap puck. It's mine now. I think that even if I don't like it, it makes for an interesting addition to my shave counter. (Oddly enough, the old B-S ads mocked "old timey shaving with a soap" as it was a brushless cream.).
I can't wait to get it. Thank you OP for reminding me about Burma-Shave!

That's GREAT! I saw it a while back when I was first researching my "starter kit." I wish I would have grabbed it now. My kit has grown in the last couple months into a small den. I have a half dozen full size pucks, 6 or 8 sample pucks, a tub of Proraso, 4 sticks, and a bottle of KMF. Now I have to get some Burma Shave. Glad I could spark your AD, William. Ha!

What great ads, too! Iconic indeed.
And Tom DOES RULE.

 

[jb4647]

My first brush and mug set was the Burma Shave one I bought at Walmart back in 1998. Used it for years.

 

[Bobbers]

Remember these?

 

[Bobbers]

[FONT=&amp]Burma Shave[/FONT] For those who never saw any of the Burma Shave signs, Here is a quick lesson in our history of the 1930's, '40's and '50's. Before there were interstates, when everyone drove the old 2 lane roads, Burma Shave signs would be posted all over the countryside in farmers' fields. They were small red signs with white letters. Five signs, about 100 feet apart, each containing 1 line of a 4 line couplet......and the obligatory 5th sign advertising Burma Shave, a popular shaving cream . Here are more of the actual signs:[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] DON'T STICK YOUR ELBOW OUT SO FAR IT MAY GO HOME IN ANOTHER CAR. BURMA SHAVE[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] TRAINS DON'T WANDER ALL OVER THE MAP 'CAUSE NOBODY SITS IN THE ENGINEER'S LAP Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] SHE KISSED THE HAIRBRUSH BY MISTAKE SHE THOUGHT IT WAS HER HUSBAND JAKE Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD TO GAIN A MINUTE YOU NEED YOUR HEAD YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] DROVE TOO LONG DRIVER SNOOZING WHAT HAPPENED NEXT IS NOT AMUSING[FONT=&amp] Burma[/FONT]Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] BROTHER SPEEDER LET'S REHEARSE ALL TOGETHER GOOD MORNING, NURSE Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] CAUTIOUS RIDER TO HER RECKLESS DEAR LET'S HAVE LESS BULL AND A LITTLE MORE STEER Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] SPEED WAS HIGH WEATHER WAS NOT TIRES WERE THIN X MARKS THE SPOT Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] THE MIDNIGHT RIDE OF PAUL FOR BEER LED TO A WARMER HEMISPHERE Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] AROUND THE CURVE LICKETY-SPLIT BEAUTIFUL CAR WASN'T IT? Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] NO MATTER THE PRICE NO MATTER HOW NEW THE BEST SAFETY DEVICE IN THE CAR IS YOU Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] A GUY WHO DRIVES A CAR WIDE OPEN IS NOT THINKIN' HE'S JUST HOPIN' Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] AT INTERSECTIONS LOOK EACH WAY A HARP SOUNDS NICE BUT IT'S HARD TO PLAY Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL EYES ON THE ROAD THAT'S THE SKILLFUL DRIVER'S CODE Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] THE ONE WHO DRIVES WHEN HE'S BEEN DRINKING DEPENDS ON YOU TO DO HIS THINKING Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] CAR IN DITCH DRIVER IN TREE THE MOON WAS FULL AND SO WAS HE. Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT] PASSING SCHOOL ZONE TAKE IT SLOW LET OUR LITTLE SHAVERS GROW Burma Shave[FONT=&amp] [/FONT]

 

[i8ntskeered]

I do remember those. Awesome history lesson, Bobbers! Open road nostalgia. LOVE it!!!!

 

[Super Speed 1953]

My first brush and mug set was the Burma Shave one I bought at Walmart back in 1998. Used it for years.

I bought that same set and they also had a cart razor that year. I didn't like the razor but the handle was nice on it.

 

[fezo]

I may have to get that.

If you ilke the road signa there's a book called The Verse by the Side of the Road that has all of the signs.

 

[Col Wilburforce Buckshot]

Here's one that seems to have stuck in my mind all these years:

Dinah Didn't
Treat him Right
But if he'd shave
Dinah might
Burma Shave

 

[delislave]

My first brush and mug set was the Burma Shave one I bought at Walmart back in 1998. Used it for years.

So was mine.


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[Dave in KY]

Still have my 1st brush bought back @1980. Unmarked Burma Shave Boar. Real broke in now.

 

[timetofly]

@i8ntskeered
Here's a good bit of history

Feeling nostalgic? Now you’ll rave! Here’s the story of Burma Shave. | Backwoods Home Magazine

 

[Sir Lurkalot]

Pretty neat advertising when they were in business.

 

[Chango]

A while ago I bought two ~75 year old NOS tubes of this stuff. Then I decided to go against all notions of better judgment and shaved with it. Still works as it should! I like to think that they travelled through some kind of time portal to get to me.

 

[Badgerstate36]

They were revolutionary for advertising in their day. Ive never used their stuff but Ive heard good things.

 

[Storch4]

I had a teacher that drank the after shave. Rather he used the bottle as a decanter for his gin. Also nipped from an old spice bottle too. If they still make it I would buy it. Last time I saw that stuff on a shelf was around 2000 and they sold pucks. It may be owned by ASR or Philip Morris or owned by PM and sold to ASR which is now Energizer. If you sprinkle while you tinkle be a neaty and wipe the seaty. Burma Shave. One of the old general stores in Accord when I was a kid had an old sign inside from the year of the flood. Never saw it anywhere else. It was next to a
NeHi sign and Old Gold Cig sold here sign. 6 pack of Genny Cream Ale were under a buck. Lokes drank it like well water.