How good (or bad) do we have it right now?

[65Mustang]

For those of you that have been at this fine hobby of ours for 20-30 years or more, how good or bad do we have it right now? I've been wet shaving for a couple of years, and from what I can tell, we have it pretty good. But I didn't know about wet shaving years ago, so I have no basis for a comparison.

In particular, compared to the olden days, how does our selection of hardware compare to back when you started? Clearly, the materials and manufacturing methods are different. Is the hardware necessarily better on average than back then? What about selection? Do we have a larger selection of razors and blades to pick from now? Obviously there are tons of vintage razors available, but is the selection of new razors larger now?

I'd guess the internet has had huge impact on the hobby. It's so easy to find new products and to find videos and reviews on how to best use them. Years ago, you learned how to wet shave from your father or on your own by trial and error. There's a lot to be said for trial and error, but a video (or shaving forum) to point one in the right direction sure helps.

What about soaps, brushes, and preshaves? Different? Better? Worse? The same?

Are we currently in the dark ages, in the midst of a renaissance, or in the golden period?

 

[Eric_75]

For those of you that have been at this fine hobby of ours for 20-30 years or more, how good or bad do we have it right now? I've been wet shaving for a couple of years, and from what I can tell, we have it pretty good. But I didn't know about wet shaving years ago, so I have no basis for a comparison.

In particular, compared to the olden days, how does our selection of hardware compare to back when you started? Clearly, the materials and manufacturing methods are different. Is the hardware necessarily better on average than back then? What about selection? Do we have a larger selection of razors and blades to pick from now? Obviously there are tons of vintage razors available, but is the selection of new razors larger now?

I'd guess the internet has had huge impact on the hobby. It's so easy to find new products and to find videos and reviews on how to best use them. Years ago, you learned how to wet shave from your father or on your own by trial and error. There's a lot to be said for trial and error, but a video (or shaving forum) to point one in the right direction sure helps.

What about soaps, brushes, and preshaves? Different? Better? Worse? The same?

Are we currently in the dark ages, in the midst of a renaissance, or in the golden period?

Looking forward to the replies in this thread.

 

[Happy Jack]

I've been wet shaving on and off for 45 years, although it's only fairly recently that I've had the disposable income and interest to explore and buy different razors. I'm not wildly interested in soaps, creams, bowls and brushes now I've found the ones that I like.

Given that the majority of razors that I own and prefer are mostly as old as me I think the choice back then was pretty good.

What has improved is the flow of information, thanks to the internet and, more particularly, the web. Also it seems that more of us now have the time and money to explore our hobby. I know my father never had anything like the free time and money that I do. He gave me his old DE razor when he treated himself to an electric shaver, but he only ever had one at a time. He'd research new shavers carefully in Which? Magazine when his current one was on its last legs. I think back then men thought they were in a golden age of super-convenient electric shavers.

 

[Butch Waxx]

Probably better than these guys had it…..

 

[silverlifter]

I spent the better part of two decades using the same razor, brush, soap, and blades. Then the knot fell out of my brush and I came to the internet to find a replacement...

On the weekend, I ordered some hand made soap from a dude half way around the world. Yeah, we have it good all right!

 

[ctr]

Started with a Gillette black. Might have used a Trac II but quickly moved to the Atra and used one until sometime the 1990's. Used Sensor Excel and then back to DE. Alternated between DE, Atra, Sensor and Electric in the intervening years. Used several different razors including some electrics along the way.

The real change was when my lovely bride bought me a C&E brush, stand, and cream for our first Christmas.

Went thru the DE rad stage for a while. Mostly settled between DE, Excel, and occasional electric. Gave up the Atra last year with the decline in cartridge quality. Been on DE for the last few weeks. Was on Excel for a while before then. You get the point.

Definitely better now. So many choices these days and availability of information with the internet and access to products with online shopping. Still, we have lost something since Gillette left the DE adjustable market.

 

[thombrogan]

We have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to shaving goods and places to buy them these days. And we can shop around. Plus, every year, another must-have from some previous fad becomes an easily found vintage item. Traditional straight razors are probably the biggest up-front cost items (unless someone ditches a Mach 3 for a titanium Tatara Muramasa and a backup Rocnel Sailor) and replaceable blade straight razors are probably the lowest up-front cost items.

My bombastic opinion: Oh we have it sooo good

 

[CCS]

For those of you that have been at this fine hobby of ours for 20-30 years or more, how good or bad do we have it right now? I've been wet shaving for a couple of years, and from what I can tell, we have it pretty good. But I didn't know about wet shaving years ago, so I have no basis for a comparison.

In particular, compared to the olden days, how does our selection of hardware compare to back when you started? Clearly, the materials and manufacturing methods are different. Is the hardware necessarily better on average than back then? What about selection? Do we have a larger selection of razors and blades to pick from now? Obviously there are tons of vintage razors available, but is the selection of new razors larger now?

I'd guess the internet has had huge impact on the hobby. It's so easy to find new products and to find videos and reviews on how to best use them. Years ago, you learned how to wet shave from your father or on your own by trial and error. There's a lot to be said for trial and error, but a video (or shaving forum) to point one in the right direction sure helps.

What about soaps, brushes, and preshaves? Different? Better? Worse? The same?

Are we currently in the dark ages, in the midst of a renaissance, or in the golden period?

It's not a hobby for me, it's something I need to do and if women can have spa treatments and makeup, etc., we can have a variety of products we use to do what many men do. I don't know anything about the beard and bun crowd, but I shave daily (at least from my sideburns to my neck).

Anyway, I started shaving in the mid-60's and most of the razors I own today are from that era because that's what I learned on and they simply worked well. Some I've had 30+ years (but none of my original razors, brushes, etc.). My view is that Gillette solved shaving the same decade we solved going to the moon. In other words, a clean vintage Gillette will give you a shave as well as anything made today IMO. I have two newer razors but they're just really upscale Gillette designs. My shaving standard is a BBS which is not hard for me to achieve daily. I can do it with any of my razors. The new razors and expensive razors can't shave any better than BBS although, perhaps, they're easier to use for new wetshavers. But BBS is BBS just like 100% is 100%. There is no 110% even though we use that term when we make an extraordinary effort and there's not a better shave result than BBS.

As to blades and product. I think all I knew back then were Gillette blades, Williams and Old Spice soaps, and the canned foams. I have zero recollection of the first few brushes I owned. Today, we have waaaaay more choices and in that regard, we're living in the golden age and I think the quality of many products is better (like brushes). Some razors might be more solidly built out of nicer materials (like my Feather AS-D2 razor) but a 1960's Tech shaves as well. Out of my 10 razors, 8 are vintage Gillettes, the other two are the Feather and an Edwin Jagger DE89 which is all chromey and pretty but it's like a suite in a Vegas hotel, something cheap underneath it all.

Bottom line, there's something for everyone - the cartridge guys, the cutthroat guys, the electric guys, the vintage DE guys, the modern DE guys, and the SE guys. Also, many of the old products are still around even if reformulated plus there's an unbelievable amount of boutique products as well as the ability to shop worldwide for whatever your heart desires.

That's my take on it.

 

[Happy Jack]

Probably better than these guys had it…..

View attachment 1510172

At least they didn't have to use cartridge razors!

My dad fought in North Africa, Italy and France. Shaving was the one thing I never heard him complain about.

 

[CCS]

At least they didn't have to use cartridge razors!

My dad fought in North Africa, Italy and France. Shaving was the one thing I never heard him complain about.

Oh, I suppose they had a LOT of cartridges. My dad was in Sicily and he never talked about it, any of it. Neither did any of the other men who served in WWII.

 

[Butch Waxx]

At least they didn't have to use cartridge razors!

My dad fought in North Africa, Italy and France. Shaving was the one thing I never heard him complain about.

I salute your dad sir.

 

[Happy Jack]

Oh, I suppose they had a LOT of cartridges. My dad was in Sicily and he never talked about it, any of it. Neither did any of the other men who served in WWII.

Of course none of the 50 million men who fought and survived ever mentioned a single word.

 

[Quaznoid]

I started shaving in 1973. The equipment was mostly Gillette DE’s and Schick injectors. I bought a SuperSpeed for $1.99 with five blades. I use it still. A lot of guys used electrics. The Wilkinson Bonded was introduced and I and many others were attracted to it. It required no technique at all and was perfect for the young shaver.

Canned foam was the standard. Gel was introduced. I knew no one who whipped up lather with a brush. I tried Williams a time or two but couldn’t make it work, a complaint often heard today (I have mastered it and it’s my favorite).

Shaving was functional. It was done in the morning, quickly, a single pass, maybe with a little touch up.

Was it better now or then? That’s apples and oranges. They’re entirely different activities. No one shaved for pleasure then, no one collected razors or brushes, etc. You shaved because you had to, you did it quickly and got off to work. It wasn’t a leisure activity. It would never have occurred to me to own more than one razor at a time.

If I had to choose I’d say it was better in the past. I find the never ending RAD, equipment snobbery, the connoisseur-ism that ruins everything has tainted modern wet shaving. $800 razors? Wetshavers with 100+ razors, dozens of expensive brushes, $25 soaps, oy vay!!!

It WAS better before.

 

[Possum092]

I love the fact, we can buy anything from anywhere and have it delivered even same day from the comfort of home. Old Timers ⏱ had it good, only three choices at the local drugstore or general store and they all performed the same…they saved a lot of money on shaving kit.

 

[CCS]

Of course none of the 50 million men who fought and survived ever mentioned a single word.

I meant in my family. This is why we need longer edit times so we can fix mistakes like that.

 

[Happy Jack]

I meant in my family. This is why we need longer edit times so we can fix mistakes like that.

Yes, that would be handy, lol.

 

[Jim99]

I used cartridges for 40 years before I picked up my first DE razor. I quickly discovered a plethora of info on wetshaving on the internet. I was then off to the races. Before that time, all I knew was canned shaving cream, Gillette cartridges, brut and old spice aftershaves. The internet opened my eyes to a variety of shaving products that I never even knew existed.

The number of razors and blades, plus the discovery of vintage razors, makes the choices mind boggling. We are truly in the golden age of wet shaving.

 

[Oliviamaynard]

Shaving products have become artisan and at the same time now using modern production. Artisan products like soaps and brushes are better. Most artisan things are. Oh those beautiful smells.
The precision and beauty of modern razors is so alluring. Yeah 800 is outrageous for a razor, but is it too much for an intricacy machined indestructible piece of art that all most likely hold its value and may even appreciate?
Back in the 50s manufacturing had to produce for a huge generation. So it was often crank out products that lasted ok and functioned. It was task oriented.
Now task oriented shavers who have to get to work and don't want to get up 15 min early to shave all use carts.
DE shaving isn't about task now. It's about quality, and the appreciation of quality. The quality of the shave, your skin, and the equipment. As money wasting hobbies go. This sure has more I can sell this if I need to than say buying scratch off lottery or drinking craft beer or grilling a fancy steak.
The 150 a lb wagu steak sure is quality, but I can only eat it once and no one will by the leftovers. A Rochnel Sailor could be pawned in an emergency.

 

[65Mustang]

Love these stories from our elder seasoned shavers! It's fun and interesting to hear personal stories and the history of wet shaving from a different perspective than my own.

Even though I'm in my 50s, I picked up wet shaving only a couple of years ago. Wish it had been sooner. It's my daily moment of relaxation and zen.

My shaving story is more boring. When I turned 15, my parents gave me an electric Norelco shaver, and that's what I'd been using all these years until stumbling into wet shaving.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Oliviamaynard]

I forgot to say. Hair removal technology is the best it's ever been. Shaving, waxing, threading... so much better. Its the golden age of DE shaving because we can buy stuff online that no local stores could really afford to carry. Variety and quality have gone up