Inappropriate gifts (DE Razor)...?

[Tyronious]

Hello all,

I've been wet shaving for a couple years now and I love it. So much so that I want to share my new hobby with as many people as possible.

I'd like to start with my uncle and my cousin.

My cousin just graduated high school and my uncles birthday is coming up soon. I wanted to get them a nice DE razor, some blades, soap, cream and a brush.

The only problem is, although my cousin is 18, I don't believe he shaves yet, and my uncle has a TERRIBLE shave routine. He has very sensitve skin and coarse hair on his beard. He's had serious problems shaving his entire life (he's 45 now). The only thing he says works for him is MAGIC SHAVE. Yes, the stinky hair removal powder/cream.

Would my gift idea be weird or out of line for them? Since one doesn't shave very much yet and the other is scared ****less of razors of any kind...?

 

[valmara1971]

Talk to them, explain how much you love DE's etc let them come over to the idea. DO NOT drop them a present they will likely never use or worse still reject?

 

[michiganlover]

DO NOT drop them a present they will likely never use or worse still reject?

+1

I see such gifts as a waste of money, as the likelihood they will ever be used beyond a once, or twice "I am curious" trial is extremely slim.

The average American doesn't share our passion for shaving, and would likely give up on a DE razor after only one or two shaves: they would get lots of cuts, and not take the time to learn proper technique.

 

[Vladbkf]

Talk to them, explain how much you love DE's etc let them come over to the idea. DO NOT drop them a present they will likely never use or worse still reject?

+ 1 on that. Try first to bring them over to your way of thinking about DE shaving: how beneficial it is for the skin, and how economical it is for the wallet (unless AD's strike later on). Tell them how much better your face feels now that you use DE routine. People need gentle convincing over time. You may have your work cut out for you.

Good luck.

 

[DE Shaver]

Well, you could do worse in terms of a gift. Trying buying someone a pet and see what their reaction will be. Anyway, as other have said, try a trial balloon and then determine if they would be interested.

 

[bran]

As valmara1971 said talk to them about it. My beard sounds much like your unlce's. I am new to a DE razor, but I must say that I have so little irritation this morning that I would not have know I shaved, but my face is so smooth I didn't scratch my wife when I kissed her goodbye. And I must say she like the shave I am getting much, much better!

I have a feeling that if your uncle will give it a try he will thank you very soon.

Can't say much about your cousin though. I started shaving in seventh grade and could grow a full beard by ninth. Hairy genes in my family...

 

[SmoovD]

A few years back I gave my nephew a set-up of brush/soaps/creams/AS. Not only did he love it but it piqued his interest. Soon after I am guessing that he was the only kid in his high school that not only used a straight but also restored them. He is now in college and still wet shaves. So it could be a great gift.

 

[xbwolfx]

I got married last October and gave my brother (best man) and all of my groomsmen shaving supplies as a "thank you" gift.

For the groomsmen, I purchased them each an L.L. Bean toiletries bag with their initials embroidered on it. I stuffed the bags with a VDH shave set and a small tube of Bigelow (Proraso) shaving cream. I also included a small note informing them that the cream is intended to be used with the brush in the VDH kit and to visit Mantic's youtube page for "how to" videos. I'm not sure if any of them actually used the brush, soap, or cream, but I figured at least they'd have the embroidered bags for traveling either way.

I gave my brother the exact same thing as the groomsmen, but I added a Merkur HD, a couple of brushes (he's a vegetarian, so I included a few different vegan brushes b/c reviews vary), a razor/brush stand, and an assortment of blades.

I was smart about it, though. I casually brought up the topic of shaving to him one day and told him I had considered purchasing a safety razor b/c I was sick of spending so much money on Mach 3 cartridges (I hadn't begun using a DE yet). He said he agreed and had also considered it in the past. When I saw that there was at least some moderate interest, I decided to go for it. When I gave it to him, I explained that the Merkur HD retains its value pretty well and I would sell it for him if it didn't work out. He absolutely loved the gift and has been a DE shaver since.

So, I'd say definitely bring the topic up at least before deciding to do it. My situation was a bit different b/c groomsmen gifts are typically "manly" type of gifts (flasks, etc.)...so I thought I could get away with the shaving stuff.

 

[ouch]

Don't worry. I've given gifts a lot more inappropriate.

 

[L. Martino]

Hello all,

I've been wet shaving for a couple years now and I love it. So much so that I want to share my new hobby with as many people as possible.

I'd like to start with my uncle and my cousin.

My cousin just graduated high school and my uncles birthday is coming up soon. I wanted to get them a nice DE razor, some blades, soap, cream and a brush.

Would my gift idea be weird or out of line for them? Since one doesn't shave very much yet and the other is scared ****less of razors of any kind...?

Hi there,

Your heart's in the right place, but I'd have to guess that DE shaving (and all that's involved) might be something neither of your recipients would care for. I'd bet that both know of your 'hobby', and have probably shown little interest in the past. Maybe I'm wrong....just a guess.

There's an excellent chance that the idea of taking 15-20 minutes to shave would be the opposite goal in mind. Plus, the thought of having to struggle through while learning technique might not be worth it to them.

If your idea is to make shaving as easy and pain free as possible, you might consider buying them a top cartridge system. There seems to be a few that get very good reviews. Yeah, they're expensive to replace when dull, but I understand they can provide a fast and comfortable shave. Plus, there's no learning curve, which is a big plus for a non motivated shaver. Getting it over with quickly is the name of the game.

Far as a brush and soaps/creams go........it's your call. Luckily you can show em how the whole lather thing works, which will be a big help. Or, you can even use many creams without a brush. There was an excellent thread over at SMF by a member who tried many creams without lathering with surprisingly good performance. I've also heard that canned Barbosal works well for some members(seriously). Just something to think about.

One thing you should mention for sure is how important the prep is. They may not believe it at first, but will see what's up before long.

Good luck with whatever you decide on,

Martin

 

[pauls51]

Well, you could do worse in terms of a gift.

Absolutely!... I'm sure after they have watched some of Mantic's Youtube videos they'll be grateful for the gift!

 

[Luc]

Talk to them, explain how much you love DE's etc let them come over to the idea. DO NOT drop them a present they will likely never use or worse still reject?

+1

Check with them first, they might be interested!

 

[hdhaskell]

I agree with some of the earlier posters who said that there's a good chance that anyone you give a razor to will still probably never adopt DE shaving. Still . . . of all the gifts you've given, how many of them got heavy use? How many sweaters, ties, and other gifts rest peacefully in your closet, waiting for their turn to go to the thrift shop? And how many times have you heard a woman say that men are IMPOSSIBLE to shop for?

I say that if you've got an occasion to give a gift, you might as well give a razor as anything else. OTOH, it's a lot easier for a newbie to start out with a brush and soap than with a DE, so that might be the better first gift.

 

[manchambo]

I would say it is not a good gift. A gift should be something the person likes, not something you think they should like. And the odds that they will like them, or ever use them much, are fairly low.

 

[StylinLA]

I'd stop short of the DE razors, but go forward with the soaps and/or brushes.
You can use those with any razor.

DE is like a calling. If someone gave me a DE razor before I found my way here, it would have been collecting dust.

 

[Dewaine]

I'd stop short of the DE razors, but go forward with the soaps and/or brushes.
You can use those with any razor.

DE is like a calling. If someone gave me a DE razor before I found my way here, it would have been collecting dust.

+1 to that ^^
Soap and brushes are pretty innocuous and even interesting. And they are something that can sit around a long time without bothering anyone until the recipient feels like trying one of them. But the sheer, biting appearance of a DE razor blade is likely to be scary to most modern males accustomed to seeing blades guarded by plastic and thick goo strips.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Brush and soap/cream can be used pretty successfully from Day 1, while a DE has a learning curve you need to commit to (and suffer bad shaves from in the meanwhile).

 

[ajkimmins]

See if you can get your uncle to try out a shave with your stuff. OR... send the gift to him, tell him to give it a try, it will PROBABLY eliminate ALL of his problems. Tell him to just give it a try for at least 2 - 3 weeks. If he still likes the other stuff better go ahead and send the stuff back to YOU and you can get him something else. The big thing here is to get him to at least try it and give it a noble effort.

Your cousin on the other hand may be a bit easier. Get him to try for 2-3 weeks and also send back if he really doesn't want to go this route.
The only caveat is you have to give them stuff you wouldn't mind owning!!

 

[California Cajun]

Hello all,

I've been wet shaving for a couple years now and I love it. So much so that I want to share my new hobby with as many people as possible.

I'd like to start with my uncle and my cousin.

My cousin just graduated high school and my uncles birthday is coming up soon. I wanted to get them a nice DE razor, some blades, soap, cream and a brush.

The only problem is, although my cousin is 18, I don't believe he shaves yet, and my uncle has a TERRIBLE shave routine. He has very sensitve skin and coarse hair on his beard. He's had serious problems shaving his entire life (he's 45 now). The only thing he says works for him is MAGIC SHAVE. Yes, the stinky hair removal powder/cream.

Would my gift idea be weird or out of line for them? Since one doesn't shave very much yet and the other is scared ****less of razors of any kind...?

How about sharing the idea with your cousin, who will be receiving the gift, and get a feel from him as to how both he and his uncle would react.

I'll tell you, I would have loved a gift like that. My dad used an electric razor because he had sensitive skin and didn't get good shaves. I tried following in his footsteps several times but just couldn't stand the results. When I started shaving in the early 70s the DE was about on its last leg so I came to hate shaving with cartridges and disposables. My face was always irritated and the results were inconsistent. If someone had given me a Merkur 34C or Merkur slant and shaving soaps those last 40 years would have been wonderful in comparison.

Give him a copy of The Zen of Shaving (my signature link) and do the kid a favor. I don't know if Uncle is too far gone to contemplate an attitude change but I adopted retro shaving this year at the ripe age of 54 and wish I had been doing it all along! He clearly hates shaving like I did and my dad did.

 

[Numb]

My 2 cents is this: Have the best of both worlds. I think the gift of a DE for your cousin is a great idea. Giving it to your uncle, not so much. So give your cousin one and find something more, er, suitable for your uncle. I don't know what that is, however.