How old old were you when you first shaved?

[Raissermesser]

Not sure. I remember buying my first razor, a Schick Adjustable, at a discount store. Not sure if I was 15 or 16. It was toward the end of the school term that year.

Okay: Just did an estimate in a weird way based on memory of an observance of a historical event. Pretty sure I was 15.

 

[Dave-the-rave]

First day in the Army at sixteen years old, then every day thereafter for eight years.

 

[Jim99]

I was 12 years old and class pictures were taken the next day.

 

[dan86]

13. My grandmother bought me a Philips rotary shaver as a birthday present. I had my first wet shave with a Gillette Mach 3 when I was about 15/16.

 

[Havoc928]

I was likely around 15, I wanted to wait for my dad to show me how to shave but he was away working the next few days and I could not wait anymore. The stubble was driving me nuts, I used an electric razor for the first time and did not discover the love for safety razors until I was around 20.

 

[beddington]

7th grade was fun, being forced to shave by decree of the school because I was scaring female staff. PRICELESS.

Don't have the letter sadly, but do have the report card saying "enjoys making others cry"

 

[Whilliam]

16, 17, maybe. Probably used a Norelco that my dad was given as a gift, as the damn thing was useless against whiskers--even my pathetic crop. This would have been in the early to mid 'sixties.

Quickly started borrowing my dad's Gillette after that, along with whatever canned foam he was using at the time (Rise? Rapid Shave? Noxzema?). Didn't buy my own razor for a while, as I was only shaving a couple of times a week, much to my dad's amusement. He thought I should just use the Norelco.

As for instruction, there was none beyond just watching my dad.

 

[thunder54]

I was 10 years old. Yes I was 10. Dad pulled me aside the day before my grandfather's funeral and told me I had to shave before the funeral because he did want to hear his sister complain. I had a serious shadow over my upper lip and a bunch of scraggly shin and neck whiskers. He had me use a Gillette TTO DE razor and Gillette Lemon-Lime Foamy and used Brut as a aftershave. Sometime after Dad made sure I got Grandpa's Gillette Gold Ball End Tech which I used until I was in my 20's in the mid 80's when it was harder and harder to find DE blades. I didn't start shaving everyday until I was 14.

Funny side of this was my OLDER brother did not start shaving until he was 16. I am 4 years younger than my brother, so I was shaving for TWO years before my brother ever shaved. When my bro asked Dad to show him how to shave my Dad decided to mess with him and said, " Hey I am a little busy why don't you have your YOUNGER brother show you how." Yes my brother did not think it was funny.

I was able to get my Dad's Old Spice mug and my grandfather's scuttle, which I found out later that the scuttle was given to him by my great grandfather who I was named after. Both of these items are never used and have a place of honor in the cabinet of my den. I still use the Tech only on special days. And I always try and use Gillette Lemon Lime and Brut on my Dad's birthday because that is all he will ever used.

 

[VBH37118]

I lost my father when I was 14yo and my older brother a couple of years before that. Our family was not comfortably well off so I was working after school, on weekends and during holidays to help my mother and two younger siblings while trying to keep my grades up.

I started developing peach fuzz at about 15yo so started saving for my first razor, brush and soap. After a few months I was the proud owner of a Slim adjustable, a nondescript brush, a stick of Palmolive and some Gillette 7 o'clock blades.

I had no one to teach other than what I remembered from watching my father shave.

Very responsible, nice

 

[MntnMan62]

I'm guessing I was about 15 or 16. I don't remember exactly. Dad gave me his old Remington electric razor. I tried it for about a week, maybe. It did nothing. I went out and bought myself some Bic disposable razors and can of foamin' goo. That thus began my wet shaving career. We are talking about the late 1970s.

 

[Rustyshackelford]

Roughly 14yo. Swiped a Mach3 sample that had been sent to my step father from some magazine or Gillette directly. Cartridge was used, but for my wispy peach fuzz, it was sufficient. Despite having a father occasionally on the weekends and a stepfather the rest of the time, I did the best I could for about 8-10 months, upper lip only. I used either water or liquid hand soap. I wasn’t even offered advice or proper products until one day my mother noticed the irritation and razor burn.

I believe I was given a tube of Edge gel and left to my own devices to scavenge for a razor. I lucked out and found handful of single edge disposable bics one day in some stuff my grandparents gave us when they moved.

2019 I switched to DE, because it was single blade and going to save me money... haha haha. But I love shaving now. It only took 20 years.

 

[VBH37118]

I'm guessing I was about 15 or 16. I don't remember exactly. Dad gave me his old Remington electric razor. I tried it for about a week, maybe. It did nothing. I went out and bought myself some Bic disposable razors and can of foamin' goo. That thus began my wet shaving career. We are talking about the late 1970s.

I bet that set up worked with practice.

 

[MntnMan62]

I bet that set up worked with practice.

It worked but all I seem to be able to remember is ripping my face to shreds on numerous occassions. Back then my reaction was "this is how it feels to shave like a man". What did I know? I was a stupid teenager. And had no guidance from my father. This lack of guidance was not limited to this one issue, but that is something that could take up an entire new thread. Suffice it to say I shaved with the Bic until I discovered the next option which I believe was a TracII or an Atra. Shaves got better over time. I ended my cartridge razor efforts with the Mach 3 only about 4 years ago. I would bet that if I ever was able to meet my grandfathers they might have provided me with their thoughts on double edge razors. Sadly they both died either before I was born or when I was 2. Oh well. Better late than never.

 

[Canadian Mountain Man]

Christmas 1984 when I was 12 parents gave my brother (who's eight years older and still has rather mangy facial hair) and I craptacular two headed rotary razors....Philips I think? That started my hateafair with all electric razors; it didn't work for me then and every rotary or foil razor I've tried since have continued to suck.

It was likely a Gillette TRACII for my first bladed shave and some sort of drugstore canned schmoo.

 

[jkb60]

Not sure exactly when I "started" shaving, but it was decades of frustration. I know I started "really shaving" and enjoying it when I was 55 and bought my first DE, some soap and a brush. Oh the wasted years. As the saying goes, "we get too soon old and too late smart".

 

[alla2465]

I first started shaving when I was 12 using some electric gizmo, started wetshaving with carts when I was 13 because my hairs were getting a lot thicker and more dense, and I was 18 when I started DE shaving, I switched because the carts gave me razorburn and bumps. That all went away as soon as I started using a DE. Best decision I could have made.
started using a SR on and off from 20-22
now aged 23 I use a SR 90% of the time.

 

[haggis]

13 but it was my legs and arms for a swim meet! We were all amazed at how you could flail with whatever cartridge we had hold of without cutting ourselves -- of course we kept at it until we succeeded.

 

[VBH37118]

It worked but all I seem to be able to remember is ripping my face to shreds on numerous occassions. Back then my reaction was "this is how it feels to shave like a man". What did I know? I was a stupid teenager. And had no guidance from my father. This lack of guidance was not limited to this one issue, but that is something that could take up an entire new thread. Suffice it to say I shaved with the Bic until I discovered the next option which I believe was a TracII or an Atra. Shaves got better over time. I ended my cartridge razor efforts with the Mach 3 only about 4 years ago. I would bet that if I ever was able to meet my grandfathers they might have provided me with their thoughts on double edge razors. Sadly they both died either before I was born or when I was 2. Oh well. Better late than never.

Better late than never is right, when I started shaving there were no carts. I used a gillette twist to open with gillette super stainless blades and rise or Colgate canned shave cream. With only one set up it is much faster to better.

 

[emwolf]

I was around 14 or 15. I know I was in high school when I started shaving regularly. My first shave was either a ball-end Tech or a gold plated Super adjustable. I am blessed to still have those razors. I hope I can pass them on to my grandson. By my senior year I was using a Trac II.

 

[Sharp&Shiny]

I was 13, the dark peach fuzz was starting to bother me so I started shaving with a Gillette Mach 3 and Barbasol. I don’t recall how I acquired them though. I think while grocery shopping with my mom.