Hello Friends,
If you'll indulge me, I'd like to write briefly about what I think is one of the hidden pleasures of shaving, at least if you allow it to be so. This is impermanence.
We have lost a number of fine artisans, companies, brands, products, and whatnot over the past handful of years with more to come in the years to follow if I had to guess. Present in my mind are tallow MWF, tallow Tabac, Vie Long, La Toja cream, the Palmolive shave stick, and many others that I won't get into for the sake of brevity. Between reforumulations and closures, we have undoubtedly lost some mainstays whose absences are and will be felt.
Ignore the overpriced discontinued products and the other rare goods and sundries made of unobtainium. You have a stash to get through and chances are if you've been in the game long enough you probably have one or two of these laying around somewhere that you have squirrelled away for a later date on the basis of being unable to get more when you do finally run out.
My challenge to you is to use that stuff, appreciate that you are using something to may never be again, use it to its fullest. Kill that tub or tube and empty that bottle, look at it as a final send off to the brands and individuals who helped give the hobby its spice. I'm of the mindset that the biggest respect that you can give a brand or product that no longer exists is to use it as if it still was in its heyday. Don't skimp, load up and go. For me, this is finally using the last Palmolive stick I was able to find and making my way through my stash of tallow MWF and Tabac.
Maybe the shave is a little closer when you know that what you are using is fleeting. Tallow Tabac and MWF are a bit more special to me now that I know that once it's gone, it's gone. I have what I call a Discontinued Day weekly where I use products in my stash that are no longer available and I look forward to it every week. It feels a touch more special, at least to me. We're only here for a little while, my friends, so is that puck of soap or that tube of cream. Allow yourself a moment of further reflection when you dig into the more limited part of your stash, you might be surprised by how much more precious it seems.
Thanks,
SoapHoarder
If you'll indulge me, I'd like to write briefly about what I think is one of the hidden pleasures of shaving, at least if you allow it to be so. This is impermanence.
We have lost a number of fine artisans, companies, brands, products, and whatnot over the past handful of years with more to come in the years to follow if I had to guess. Present in my mind are tallow MWF, tallow Tabac, Vie Long, La Toja cream, the Palmolive shave stick, and many others that I won't get into for the sake of brevity. Between reforumulations and closures, we have undoubtedly lost some mainstays whose absences are and will be felt.
Ignore the overpriced discontinued products and the other rare goods and sundries made of unobtainium. You have a stash to get through and chances are if you've been in the game long enough you probably have one or two of these laying around somewhere that you have squirrelled away for a later date on the basis of being unable to get more when you do finally run out.
My challenge to you is to use that stuff, appreciate that you are using something to may never be again, use it to its fullest. Kill that tub or tube and empty that bottle, look at it as a final send off to the brands and individuals who helped give the hobby its spice. I'm of the mindset that the biggest respect that you can give a brand or product that no longer exists is to use it as if it still was in its heyday. Don't skimp, load up and go. For me, this is finally using the last Palmolive stick I was able to find and making my way through my stash of tallow MWF and Tabac.
Maybe the shave is a little closer when you know that what you are using is fleeting. Tallow Tabac and MWF are a bit more special to me now that I know that once it's gone, it's gone. I have what I call a Discontinued Day weekly where I use products in my stash that are no longer available and I look forward to it every week. It feels a touch more special, at least to me. We're only here for a little while, my friends, so is that puck of soap or that tube of cream. Allow yourself a moment of further reflection when you dig into the more limited part of your stash, you might be surprised by how much more precious it seems.
Thanks,
SoapHoarder
